Before Don finished speaking, David grabbed his laptop and headed for the door.She had to listen to him.He ignored the elevator and stormed down the stairs, a feeling of desperation urging him to get to Dana as quickly as possible.
*
“I feel terriblethat you have to drive all the way to Hermanus,” Dana said softly while playing with Donato.Caitlin was packing a huge bag with Donato’s things.
“Don’s mom loves to have Donato.She spoils him rotten and is always glad to look after him.And we’ll have time to catch up.Are you feeling better?I haven’t seen you so upset since you got the news about your dad two years ago.Why were you talking to this guy?”
“You know I told you I’ve been trying to find out how involved my dad was in this whole Hastings business.I can’t believe he knowingly did something illegal.I also find it difficult to believe he took his own life.It’s just not who he was.”She cuddled the baby close to her, inhaling his sweet baby smell.“Anyway, I’ve been asking around whenever I got the chance.The police were no help, and eventually I started contacting newspapers.This guy responded.”
“What exactly did he say that upset you so much?”Caitlin asked.
“I told you.That David was the one who broke the story.He was the reason why my dad was taken in for questioning, ended up in the police cells where he was found dead hours later.That’s why I’m upset.We spent six hours on a flight, and he kissed me but didn’t think to tell me about what he’d done!”
Donato started whimpering.Damn, she’d spoken too loudly.
“Sorry, sweetie, sorry,” she crooned and kissed the baby.Only then did she look at Caitlin, who had stopped packing and was looking astounded at her.
“What?”
“Rewind a bit,” Caitlin instructed.“David kissed you?”
Belatedly, Dana realized what she’d said.“I… he… it wasn’t a kiss, really… it was…” She trailed off and buried her flaming face in the baby’s neck.
“Yeah?What was it then that makes you blush?”Caitlin teased and took Donato from her.
“We had too much to drink, it was a lovely night, I don’t know!He… he’s a Cavallo—they flirt.You know that!”Dana called out.
“Flirt?Yes.Kiss?Not every woman, no.So, tell me, when did David start kissing you?”
“He… I… it was only…” Dana stopped talking and pressed her hands against her warm cheeks.
“Yeah?That good?”Caitlin teased.“I didn’t know you had a thing for my brother-in-law.”
“I don’t have a thing for him,” Dana denied hotly.“I… we… just…”
“Kissed?”Caitlin giggled.
“I… the kiss is not the point,” Dana insisted.“The point is, he should have told me about his part in the story.”For the first time, she thought about something.“Did you know he was the one who wrote the story?”
Caitlin nodded.“But only since the weekend.Don told me after Zoe and Dale’s wedding.It’s not something David has spoken about before, but he told them about it that night.”Caitlin hesitated.“I’ve never wanted to pester you with questions before, but can you explain to me what exactly a Ponzi scheme is?”
Dana nodded.“Believe me, I can.I’ve read just about everything about it I could put my hands on.It’s a fraudulent investment operation where the operator, an individual or organization, pays returns to its investors from new capital paid to the operators by new investors, rather than from profit earned by the operator.”
“Why Ponzi?”Caitlin asked.
“This type of scheme is named after Charles Ponzi who became notorious when he used the technique as far back as 1920.”She grimaced.“The idea was actually described as far back as 1844 in Charles Dickens’s novel,Martin Chuzzlewit, and also inLittle Dorrita few years later.”
“And people still fall for it?”Caitlin asked, her eyes wide.
“The initial big returns on investments, unfortunately, still get the attention of anyone desperate to make money.Even though people are warned time and again, they still believe the scheme they put money into will be different.In this scheme, Hastings apparently told investors their money would buy buildings that would be renovated.And he did use some of the money for one or two buildings.But most of the money disappeared into his own pockets.
“But I know my dad would never knowingly become involved in a scheme like that, and I’d like to know why David thought my dad was involved.”
“Wait until you’ve spoken to him.Don told me what really happened, but I’d rather David tell you the rest of the story himself.I don’t know whether I have all the facts straight.”
“I don’t want to see him again!”Dana called out.“I feel… betrayed!”
Caitlin touched her hand.“Give him a chance to tell you his side of the story.I know David, and I know he’d never willingly do something to cause anyone harm.Besides”—she smiled mischievously and grabbed one of Dana’s hands—“you did kiss the guy!”
