Case of Lucy Bending by Lawrence Sanders Read Free Book Online

a half-million dollars in Triple-A-rated commercial bonds and tax exempt municipals.
Her husband had not accumulated this fortune; he had been an only child who inherited, and now it was all hers. She moved immediately to Florida.
    She knew at once it was paradise, the place she wanted to spend the remainder of her life. The only drawback was the equivocal status of unattached women of her age in south Florida; there were so many widows and divorcees. She was not accorded the respect and admiration to which she felt her beauty and wealth entitled her.
    She met Luther Empt at a cocktail party following a polo match in Palm Beach. He asked her to dinners and beach parties several times. She did not think him physically repulsive, exactly, but he certainly wasn't her type. She accepted his invitations because she enjoyed the almost forgotten experience of being squired.
    Never would she admit to herself that she was lonely.
    When it became evident that his attentions were more than casual, she wisely had him investigated by a private detective agency that specialized in discreet inquiries of that nature.
    Everything he had told her turned out to be true: He was in the process of obtaining his second divorce. He had a total of five children by his two wives, all the children in custody of their mothers.
    His net worth was estimated at slightly less than $300,000, but he owned his own successful business, producing and processing training and educational films. He had the reputation of being a hard, shrewd businessman who was willing to gamble on his hunches.
    There was talk, the investigator reported, that Luther Empt hoped to expand into producing and processing video cassettes and disks. But his plan required more capital than local banks were willing to lend on his current assets.
    In the end, it was not his energy, wealth or business acumen that persuaded her to accept his proposal; it was the overgrown acre of beachfront property and the rather ramshackle home he owned south of Boca Raton.
    She saw at once what could be done with it. She could create a showplace. That home could become one of the glories of Florida's Gold Coast, a palace in which even the ashtrays would reflect her impeccable taste.
    When the proposal came, she was ready with a list of demands. It was more a meeting of lawyers than of lovers. Her conditions:
    It was to be a sexless marriage; they would have separate bedrooms. He would be allowed complete freedom with the proviso that his extramarital affairs were conducted with discretion and resulted in no public scandal.
The refurbishing of the home and grounds were to be totally her responsibility, with no interference on his part. The renovation expenses were to be split fifty-fifty. Running the household, including the hiring and firing of servants, was also to be in her domain.
In return, she agreed to cosign his notes, putting up her bonds as collateral. However, these securities would remain in her name, and the income therefrom, approximately $50,000 annually, would be hers alone. In addition, he would provide $25,000 a year for day-to-day household expenses.
He accepted these harsh terms with remarkable alacrity. He made only one counter demand: that his widowed mother be allowed to continue to reside in the beachfront home. After several moments of consideration, Teresa assented.
All in all, this marital contract worked out well. Luther's business was expanded and flourished. The house was redone with a new red tile roof. An Olympic-size swimming pool was installed. Slowly, over a period of several years, the showplace was created. Teresa was satisfied with the jresults of her labors.
The presence of Luther's mother, though frequently annoying, had proved to be less of a burden than anticipated. Gertrude, a short, plump, roguish woman, rarely interfered in the redecoration or domestic routine of her son's home. Teresa was the acknowledged mistress of the Empt villa, except in bed.
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