Sidney Sheldon 3-Book Collection: If Tomorrow Comes, Nothing Lasts Forever, The Best Laid Plans

Over the next three months Jeff became very well acquainted with his table companions. Ed Zeller had paid a million in bribes in order to build a factory in Libya. Mike Quincy, the head of a conglomerate, was a raider who bought companies and illegally tipped off his friends when to buy and sell the stock. Alan Thompson, the richest man at the table, boasted of his company’s policy. ‘Before they changed the damn law, we used to fire the old grey hairs one year before their pensions were due. Saved a fortune.’

All the men cheated on taxes, had insurance scams, falsified expense accounts, and put their current mistresses on their payroll as secretaries or assistants.

Christ, Jeff thought. They’re just dressed-up carnies. They all run flat stores.

The wives were no better. They grabbed everything they could get their greedy hands on and cheated on their husbands. They’re playing the key game, Jeff marvelled.

When he tried to tell Louise how he felt, she laughed. ‘Don’t be naïve, Jeff. You’re enjoying your life, aren’t you?’

The truth was that he was not. He had married Louise because he believed she needed him. He felt that children would change everything.

‘Let’s have one of each. It’s time. We’ve been married a year now.’

‘Angel, be patient. I’ve been to the doctor, and he told me I’m fine. Maybe you should have a checkup and see if you’re all right.’

Jeff went.

‘You should have no trouble producing healthy children,’ the doctor assured him.

And still nothing happened.

On Black Monday Jeff’s world fell apart. It started in the morning when he went into Louise’s medicine chest for an aspirin. He found a shelf full of birth control pills. One of the cases was almost empty. Lying innocently next to it was a vial of white powder and a small golden spoon. And that was only the start of the day.

At noon, Jeff was seated in a deep armchair in the Pilgrim Club, waiting for Budge to appear, when he heard two men behind him talking.

‘She swears that her Italian singer’s cock is over ten inches long.’

There was a snicker. ‘Well, Louise always liked them big.’

They’re talking about another Louise, Jeff told himself.

‘That’s probably why she married that carnival person in the first place. But she does tell the most amusing stories about him. You won’t believe what he did the other day …’

Jeff rose and blindly made his way out of the club.

He was filled with a rage such as he had never known. He wanted to kill. He wanted to kill the unknown Italian. He wanted to kill Louise. How many other men had she been sleeping with during the past year? They had been laughing at him all this time. Budge and Ed Zeller and Mike Quincy and Alan Thompson and their wives had been having an enormous joke at his expense. And Louise, the woman he had wanted to protect. Jeff’s immediate reaction was to pack up and leave. But that was not good enough. He had no intention of letting the bastards have the last laugh.

That afternoon when Jeff arrived home, Louise was not there. ‘Madame went out this morning,’ Pickens, the butler, said. ‘I believe she had several appointments.’

I’ll bet she did, Jeff thought. She’s out fucking that ten-inch-cock Italian. Jesus Christ!

By the time Louise arrived home, Jeff had himself under tight control. ‘Did you have a nice day?’ Jeff asked.

‘Oh, the usual boring things, darling. A beauty appointment, shopping … How was your day, angel?’

‘It was interesting,’ Jeff said truthfully. ‘I learned a lot.’

‘Budge tells me you’re doing beautifully.’

‘I am,’ Jeff assured her. ‘And very soon I’m going to be doing even better.’

Louise stroked his hand. ‘My bright husband. Why don’t we go to bed early?’

‘Not tonight,’ Jeff said. ‘I have a headache.’

He spent the next week making his plans.

He began at lunch at the club. ‘Do any of you know anything about computer frauds?’ Jeff asked.

‘Why?’ Ed Zeller wanted to know. ‘You planning to commit one?’

There was a sputter of laughter.

‘No, I’m serious,’ Jeff insisted. ‘It’s a big problem. People are tapping into computers and ripping off banks and insurance companies and other businesses for billions of dollars. It gets worse all the time.’

‘Sounds right up your alley,’ Budge murmured.

‘Someone I met has come up with a computer he says can’t be tampered with.’

‘And you want to have him knocked off,’ Mike Quincy kidded.

‘As a matter of fact, I’m interested in raising money to back him. I just wondered if any of you might know something about computers.’

‘No,’ Budge grinned, ‘but we know everything about backing inventors, don’t we fellas?’

There was a burst of laughter.

Two days later at the club, Jeff passed by the usual table and explained to Budge, ‘I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you fellows today. I’m having a guest for lunch.’

When Jeff moved to another table, Alan Thompson grinned, ‘He’s probably having lunch with the bearded lady from the circus.’

A stooped, grey-haired man entered the dining room and was ushered to Jeff’s table.

‘Jesus!’ Mike Quincy said. ‘Isn’t that Professor Ackerman?’

‘Who’s Professor Ackerman?’

‘Don’t you ever read anything but financial reports, Budge? Vernon Ackerman was on the cover of Time last month. He’s chairman of the President’s National Scientific Board. He’s the most brilliant scientist in our country.’

‘What the hell is he doing with my dear brother-in-law?’

Jeff and the professor were engrossed in a deep conversation all during lunch, and Budge and his friends grew more and more curious. When the professor left, Budge motioned Jeff over to his table.

‘Hey, Jeff. Who was that?’

Jeff looked guilty. ‘Oh … you mean Vernon?’

‘Yeah. What were you two talking about?’