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step, looking from the attorney to Alice Hawk. “Do you really think anyone will believe this? There’s been no contact between them for over thirty years.”
    “I made certain of that.” Alice’s words seemed to hiss out. “And I will make certain that that tramp’s son never sees a dime of my money.”
    Kendall’s eyes widened. She’d made certain there was no contact? Had she known where Jason was? And somehow kept Aaron from finding out? This was something they had never considered. It was a moment before she could go on.
    “What, exactly, do you expect me to do?”
    “Why, Miss Chase,” Whitewood said cheerfully, “we expect you to enjoy yourself. A hundred thousand dollars in accessible cash should keep you nicely until you’re able to find work. As a bonus, we won’t contest the trust fund Mr. Hawk set up for you.”
    “So I’m fired?”
    “Yes,” Alice said with great emphasis.
    “Now, now, let’s not look at it that way,” Whitewood cautioned; Kendall wasn’t sure if the caution was meant for her or Alice. “You were Mr. Hawk’s assistant, and now that he’s gone, you are, naturally, no longer needed.”
    “I see. And if I refuse your . . . generous offer?”
    “Then we’ll see you in court,” Whitewood said, with the first hint of ultimatum she’d heard from him. “With evidence that you were paid that hundred thousand to both produce this forgery and perjure yourself as to its validity.”
    She didn’t doubt for a minute that they’d do it.
    “And are you going to try and pay Jason West off as well?”
    “He’ll get nothing from me,” Alice spat out. “Ever. We’ll prove he paid you that money, that he committed a felony for personal gain. It will be his word, a bastard who doesn’t even carry his father’s name and is obviously out to get rich quick, against mine. And believe me, there’s not a court in this county that will believe him. He’ll go to jail, and you along with him.”
    Kendall didn’t doubt that was true, either. Alice Hawk was a power in the county, and despite the supposed fairness of the American judicial system, she’d seen it go wrong too many times not to believe that the woman’s influence couldn’t do exactly as she said it would.
    “You don’t even know this man, but you’d send him to jail?” Kendall asked, shaking her head incredulously.
    “He should never have been born!”
    It had been a foolish question anyway, Kendall realized. If Alice had no qualms about falsely accusing her, after ten years of utter and complete loyalty to Hawk Industries, of aiding in a fraud, she would hardly hesitate to do the same to Jason West, a man Alice felt she had every right to hate.
    She turned, ready at last to make her escape, knowing there was nothing further she could do. She took three steps toward the door, then stopped as an image of Jason from the funeral this morning, his eyes as fierce as his father’s, his jaw as stubborn, his expression as forbidding, came to her. Perhaps Aaron had underestimated his wife. But Kendall couldn’t help thinking that, just perhaps, Alice was also underestimating Aaron’s son.
    She looked back at Whitewood. “Just how do you plan to prove that Aaron’s son could even put his hands on that kind of cash?”
    Whitewood shrugged, and Kendall wondered how much that nonchalance in the face of extortion was costing Alice per hour.
    “I have contacts,” Whitewood said smugly. “Including someone who will testify he loaned him the money with the expectation of a large return out of what he would gain from this . . . crime.”
    Kendall shook her head in wonder. “You’ve covered it all, haven’t you? You knew you couldn’t deny he’s Aaron’s son. Even if there wasn’t the resemblance, it’s easy to prove with blood and DNA tests. So you set up this frame. Very slick.”
    “Thank you.” Whitewood’s tone was just short of smug.
    “And if we have to,” Alice said coldly, “we’ll prove Aaron