Installment 2

"But Lee, he's your brother!" she protested.

"You know how I feel about this." He pulled his hand from hers.

"I do know how you feel but I don't understand. He's your brother and he should know." she refused to give up. "I'm not going to back down on this."

"He'll think you're a gold-digger. He won't understand." Lee stated.

"I don't care what he thinks about me. I'm not what's important." she paused briefly. "Dammit, Lee! You know you'll regret it if you don't see him before you die."

He let his head fall back onto the pillow. "Yes, you're right. As always." Smiling sadly, he touched her cheek. "Dear, sweet Andrea, what would I do without you?"

"Then you'll let me call him?" she said hopefully.

"On one condition."

"What?" her voice was cautious.

"He mustn't know the circumstances of our marriage. I won't have him thinking badly of you."

She sighed. "All right. It shouldn't matter to him anyway. So, how do I get in touch with him?"

Andi stared at the phone, then at the paper in front of her. The number had been easy enough to find but what in the world would she say to him? He didn't know her, or even know of her. Lee warned her that he might not be pleasant or very receptive so as she dialed the overseas number, she braced herself for a fight.

"R.H. Investigations, Sally speaking. How may I help you?" a pleasant but distant voice asked.

"I'd like to speak to Mr. Holivan, please. I'm calling from the United States." Andi informed her.

"I'm sorry but Mr. Holivan is in a meeting. Perhaps I could refer you to one of our investigators state-side." Sally offered.

“No, I'm sorry." Andi responded. "This is not a business call. Would you please tell Mr. Holivan that his sister-in-law in on the line. It's important."

"Please hold."

Rick looked up at the knock on his door. "Yes?"

Sally stuck her head into the room. "I apologize, Mr. Holivan, I know you said you weren't to be disturbed but..." she blushed under his uncompromising stare. "Your sister-in-law is on the phone from the States. She says it's important."

"Sister-in-law? I don't have a sister-in..." he paused to ponder the thought. "All right, I'll take it. Thank you."

"Line three." she called before closing the heavy wood door.

One long finger stabbed the blinking button on his phone. "Hello?" he barked.

"Is this Richard Holivan?"

The timid voice was distant and difficult to hear. If this was his brother's wife, no doubt she would be thin, blond haired, blue eyed and leggy. And not much more intelligence than a parrot. "Yes. Who's this?"

"This is Andrea Davis-Holivan, Lee's wife."

The voice was stronger and more confidant. He planned to change that promptly. "Oh?"

"I'm calling from the United States." was her next comment.

"How nice. What can I do for you? Did Lee leave you? Do you want us to find him? Is he sleeping around on you and you want to know her name?" Rick couldn't have stopped the biting words if he had tried.

"Hardly."

He heard the sarcasm in her voice but didn't understand it. "Well then, why did you call?"

"Is this a bad time? You sound distracted." she hedged.

"Dammit, just tell me why you phoned!" he exploded. "If that stubborn brother of mine wanted something from me, why the hell didn't he phone me himself?"

"As far as I can tell," she said stiffly. "Lee doesn't want anything from you."

"Then why are you talking to me now?!" he yelled into the receiver.

"Your brother is dying."