Perfect Partners

the fast way, you know what I mean?”
    Letty thought about the ten years Joel had sweated to turn Thornquist Gear from a tiny storefront business into a major corporation. “No, not exactly. And I don’t see that it matters. I’m not interested in your opinion of Joel.”
    Victor gave her an injured look. “I just wanted you to understand the reason for all the bad blood between us. Old Hank was a good solid, honest-as-the-day-is-long kind of guy, but that boy of his was trouble right from the start. Just ask anyone who remembers him. And that’s a lot of people in town, I guarantee you.”
    “Mr. Copeland, I think we should confine our conversation to business, don’t you?”
    He shook his head slowly, small eyes almost disappearing as he narrowed them. “The thing is, you got to understand why me and him can’t ever do business together. He’s out for revenge, Letty. Pure and simple.”
    “Revenge?”
    “Yep. That’s the way it looks to me. Knew it as soon as I saw him walk into the restaurant last night. Now that Charlie Thornquist is gone, Blackstone wants to use his position to try to screw me out of Copeland Marine Industries. What’s more, it don’t matter none to him that in wiping out my company he’s going to wipe out this whole town.”
    “You think that’s what will happen if your boatyard closes?”
    Victor eyed her speculatively, obviously sensing a weak point. “I know so. Hell, Echo Cove wouldn’t even exist without Copeland Marine, and that’s a fact. Just ask anyone. Whole damn town will go down the tubes if the Copeland boatyard closes.”
    Letty had been afraid of that. She took a swallow of the bad coffee. A few weeks ago she would have said the brew tasted fine. But today she found it weak and totally lacking in character. She had apparently become addicted to Seattle-style coffee.
    “Maybe you’d better tell me just why Joel wants to destroy your company,” Letty suggested after a moment.
    Copeland’s eyes gleamed with satisfaction. “I thought after last night you might have figured it out for yourself.”
    “I’m afraid not.” She’d had a lot of other things on her mind last night, Letty thought wryly.
    “I told you Joel Blackstone was the kind that was always looking for the easy way. Fifteen years ago that bastard—”
    Letty held up a palm to silence him. “Please watch your language when you refer to my employee.”
    Victor scowled. “Fifteen years ago Joel Blackstone decided he could cushion his life real nice by marrying my daughter, Diana.”
    Letty stared at him, her heart sinking. “I see.”
    Victor nodded sadly. “Yes, sir, thought he’d set himself up real nice. Thought if he was my son-in-law I’d just naturally turn Copeland Marine over to him, and he could sit back and prop his feet up on my desk for the rest of his natural life.”
    Letty decided to put her coffee mug down before it slipped from her trembling fingers. But her voice was very steady when she spoke. “I take it you did not approve of the marriage?”
    “Hell, Blackstone knew I’d never approve of Diana throwin’ herself away on a no-good troublemaker like him. So he seduced her.” Victor’s eyes flashed with old anger, and the color in his jowls darkened. “The s.o.b. dared to put his hands on my daughter. Sorry, Letty, but that’s what he was. Probably thought that if he got her pregnant, I’d agree to let him marry her. I caught ‘em together red-handed, myself.”
    “Then what happened?” Letty asked carefully.
    Copeland shrugged and gave her a wry grimace. “I did what any father would have done in those circumstances. Told him if he ever touched my girl again, I’d get my gun and I’d use it. Told him to get out of town. He left a couple of days later.”
    “Just like that?”
    Copeland sighed heavily. “No, it wasn’t quite that simple. The next day he came by my office at the yard. Made some threats. Tried to take me apart. I had a couple of the men toss him out. Then he left town. I haven’t seen him since. Until last night, that is.”
    “It must have been quite a shock to find out he was the one who had set up Copeland Marine for a takeover.”
    “Hell of a shock, Letty. Hell of a shock.” Victor gave her an odd look. “You want to know the real pisser?”
    “What’s that?”
    “After Diana married that namby-pamby Escott three years ago, I started wondering if I’d made a mistake runnin’ Blackstone off fifteen years back. At least