The Ex-Wife's Burning Elegance

At the mention of Stella Cameron's name, Sellers Burton's brow furrowed

reflexively.

"Her again? What happened between you two, exactly?"

Karl recounted the whole story of his feud with Stella.

After listening, Sellers remarked, "You nearly ruined her hand. She certainly has a motive to pull something like this."

He didn't offer much more comment and didn't seem to think Karl had done anything wrong. After all, Stella had butted in where she shouldn't have; if her hand had ended up crippled, she would have had no one to blame but herself.

"But honestly," Sellers continued, "I don't believe she has what it takes to pull this off."

Planting contraband on Karl? That was far beyond anything Stella could manage.

And to have Karl locked up for a night, knocked out, and stripped naked on top of it? The whole chain of events seemed simple, but pulling it off would take some serious resources.

Karl's voice turned cold. "Just because she couldn't do it herself doesn't mean no one around her could."

"This is Neo-Vespera. Neville Connolly, Haynes O'Brien, Jasper Wilkinson-any one of them could be behind it."

With the way those three operate, it's unlikely they'd leave any evidence

walked in, holding the results of the investigation, a peculiar look

asked, "What's with

hard evidence, but everything points to Haynes..." Sherman shook his head, still trying

fairly well-he could be ruthless with his enemies, but there was still a difference between

locked up or even beaten. But

another level entirely-petty and humiliating in a way that was hard to

silent, deep

was without Haynes' cunning and capability. He might not be a saint, but he wasn't known for

pause, Sellers glanced at Karl, hesitated, then asked, "Karl...

after

turned heads

were

tastes-it

realm of possibility. '

certain-was Karl just stripped, or

he had to ask. Better to know the truth now than

the side, looked

nightmare to

of his beer