His Enemy's Wife

Angelo Gordon's blue eyes narrowed with interest. "Are you sure about that information, friend?" he asked with that his Sicilian accent. Hawk nodded. —Baron Randall has been watching Tara Peters for two years, ever since their relationship ended. —How did you find out? "The owner of the detective agency Randall works for talks a lot after two drinks," Hawk replied. He didn't make that kind of mistake, but he also didn't hesitate to take advantage of the situation when others did. "Good for us," Angelo commented. -Indeed. —All right. I want to know everything. Hawk placed an envelope containing the required information on Angelo's desk and waited for Angelo to open it. The first thing he showed him were some photographs of his client's enemy holding onto a beautiful young girl. —Randall and Miss Peters met four years ago at a fashion show in New York. He arrived with another model, but left with Miss Peters. Apparently, he dazzled her with his money and took her straight to bed. She left the runway and began studying at the university. They were together for a year and a half, and the relationship ended when Randall became engaged to his current wife. Rumor has it he asked Miss Peters to stay with him as his mistress. —And she refused. -Yeah. "She's stronger than my mother," Angelo commented. "Why does she have people watching her?" —According to my informant, he still desires her. He's given instructions that any attempt at a relationship with another man be thwarted. So far, my colleague hasn't had any need to do so. Angelo stood up and turned to look out the window behind his desk, overlooking Manhattan. As he did so, his nearly six-foot-six frame blocked out the light reaching Hawk. "What I want to know is what the hell he's hoping to accomplish." —Obviously, he wants to get back with her. Angelo turned to the detective with a frown. —That doesn't make sense. She said no, and apparently she meant it. —Yes, that's true. For starters, it makes you wonder how long Randall planned his marriage to last. When he got married, his wife's father had just been diagnosed with an inoperable heart condition. —Yes, but by eating a healthy diet and exercising, he seems to have righted that situation and is doing very well. Hawk smiled cynically. "Much to Randall's chagrin," she nodded. "Theirs has never been a happy marriage." Angelo had a lot to do with that. Tara wasn't the only woman Randall had proposed to be his mistress. Others had accepted, and thanks to Hawk's investigations, Mrs. Randall had always been in the loop. —As far as I understand, she's filing for divorce this month. Angelo nodded, although the information did not surprise him. —Do you think that, when he's free, he'll want to resume the relationship he had with Tara Peters? "I can't think of any other explanation for his behavior. Miss Peters is the only long-term relationship Baron has had in the last ten years that wasn't for financial gain. He only cheated on her when they were separated, which is a lot for a woman-eater like him." Angelo looked at his detective with raised eyebrows.