The Night Manager Redux

His mind drifted back to the interview he had had with Caroline Langbourne when he turned eighteen. At the time, she was still living with her parents, after divorcing Sandy five years before, and he found her already drunk, or nearly so, at five in the afternoon. He told no one, least of all Sandy, who as the executor of the will had great sway over his life until he attained majority. Daniel could not help comparing the rather stocky, florid woman whose hand he shook as she sat on a pink divan with the rather nice looking person he had spent several of his young summers with.

But she talked freely, all he had to do was ask, and she spun out the story for him. "Well darling, you know Jeb was just the tiniest bit naive about your father, I really think she didn't want to know the truth. But that summer was some sort of crisis, I was never quite sure about what, you know, but anyway there was Thomas, our hero because he had saved you, and so bloody good at absolutely everything. I mean, a cook to die for, surely you remember his carrot cake, the best tennis player on the bloody island, and an absolutely expert sailor. And almost from the start, you know, there was something between them. He was rather brooding, when he wasn't on show, and I could always sense their eyes meeting, at funny moments. She would never admit it, of course, and he confided in no one.

It was rather a bad time for me, Sandy was being an absolute shit, and a couple of times, in my cups, you know, I told Jeb a few of the hard truths about her Roper. I mean, I know he was your father dear, and you must idealize him, but he was doing some rather nasty things. Sandy would leave papers hanging about. I remember those huge eyes, staring at me when I told her how Roper really made money. I mean, how your dad made money. You know, I'm sure, the weapons, the drugs. I mean flogging these super modern guns to Wogs, for god's sake. I was in a great snit, and just poured it all out to her, and I know she talked to Roper, your dad dear, because I thought Sandy was going to hit me when he found out. He didn't, of course, that came later.

And about then, I've never been clear about the timing, there was this change between she and Thomas. She would be just edgy and difficult until he showed up, and then suddenly gay and happy. The staff all thought she was getting it on with him, down there at the old house he lived in, but then he went away, and we never saw him again. Jeb was a total disaster for a couple of weeks, you went home about then, as I recall, then she flew away never to be seen again. And never a word, from anyone, Sandy, Corks, none of them. That usually meant it was some sort of failure, and Roper didn't want reminding.

I remember the next year, darling, you kept asking anyone you could find 'But where's Jeb, and Thomas.' Roper would look away, and you had this nanny, and she would take you to your room." Daniel could see her head nodding sleepily, through the tears he realized were clouding his vision, and asked one last question. "But Caro, surely Thomas and Jeb couldn't have murdered Dad, could they?"

"Well Daniel, it was known that Thomas had killed people before, as a soldier, and as a criminal. He never seemed the sort, but you know he could slip in and out of a role so easily, awfully like Jeb. I was pretty well gone when it happened, but I know Sandy went around in government trying to find an ear, but things were going badly for him then, and all my money was gone, and Daddy wouldn't do anything, so it was all rather sad. I gather he's squeaking by on the stipend from your father's will. I should be careful about him, dear, he has no morals at all, basically."

Daniel chuckled about her comment on Sandy's morals as he stepped out of the lift into the waiting room of "Ironbrand Trading". and headed for his office, though it would always be his dad's. The will had specified an audit of Sandy's conservatorship on Daniel's twenty first birthday, and the scene in the Managing Partner's office of Sandy's firm came back to him. "These irregularities have persuaded us to either buy out Lord Langbourne's partnership interest in this firm, or dissolve the partnership. We will, in any case, make good the amounts that seem to have been out of school."

Sandy had been sitting there, a scowl on his face, and immediately stood and spoke directly to Daniel. "Now look here old man, you know how I stood with your father, I'm sure he never intended to have me broke out this way, surely you can forgive these trifling sums, no more than your father would have gladly approved." Daniel had sat and stared at the man he had grown suspicious of long since, as he pleaded for mercy. He thought it an interesting dilemma, and pondered it even as Sandy ranted on.

Then suddenly, both men were staring at him, waiting for a decision, he supposed. One can't make decisions like this at twenty one, he thought, there's been no time, no experience. One needs training, some sort of notion of reality. "I've read letters at Oxford for nearly four years" he thought, "how can I decide this issue which has its genesis so long ago?"

Yet in the event, he spoke most positively. "Mr. Ashforth, please don't trouble yourself about Sandy's little indecencies. He is the sort of man who couldn't have resisted temptation with so large an estate. I should think you are right in choosing not to be his partner. And you Sandy, just clear out, alright? I don't want any unpleasantness, but I couldn't possibly bugger things up any further than you already have. I will send the things from your office to your home. You will receive a statement of unreported taxable income from us shortly." He was pleased to see Mr. Ashforth smile, and Sandy look crushed.

So here he was, eight years later, watching over a progressively more conservative portfolio of stocks, his only accomplishment of the last eight years being the sale of the money losing iron plant in Tabago. But in truth he was content. One of his favorite books had been "Catcher in the Rye", typical of American writing which he thought had much surpassed English efforts in the later twentieth century. He thought he was hurting no one, and was making an effort occasionally, with gifts to various charities, to catch the little girls if they fell over the edge of the meadow.

The pretty receptionist smiled brightly, still hoping to attract his attention, even though she had been there two years. "Morning, Mr. Daniel." Meg was waiting for him just inside the office door, her usual post. She liked to push out her rather large chest as he approached, showing off the effects of implants some years before. She was closing in on forty, and her face had the weathered look of a woman who had never worried much about her skin, or appearances. Her brown hair curled around her head like a windblown halo. Her skirt this morning was slit to her waist, having been unbuttoned in anticipation of his arrival. She could become very quickly a reserved and normal administrative assistant if necessary. Daniel felt his cock spasm to stiffness, just at the sight of her, remembering the feel of her body, the amazing joy of their shared climaxes, her accommodating temperament.

The first day he had taken control of the firm, sitting in his father's chair, in front of the old oak desk, his dad's secretary, a sixtyish lady, had come in just as he sat down, and said "Mr. Daniel, I am retiring today. I have been training a replacement, and though you will of course do what you wish, I would ask you to show her the courtesy of a fair trial." Right behind her came Meg, striding purposefully to his desk and holding out her hand. She was over thirty even then, but somehow she detected the lust in his eyes, held his hand longer than necessary, and in a throaty voice, murmured "So happy to meet you sir. A cup of tea?"

The very next morning, she was standing inside the door, a transparent blouse covering her full but pendulous breasts, and a leg clad in only a thigh high stocking bent fetchingly out to reveal her uncovered bush under the long skirt. When he stood beside her, staring down at her tits under the gaping blouse, she licked her lips, and whispered "A cup of tea, sir? Or perhaps a quick morning fuck, to take the edge off? That would be my choice." When he leaned down as though to kiss her, she leered and pushed him into the large room, shutting and locking the door as he stumbled a couple of steps. In moments, she was naked, her fit, well tanned body with just a white triangle surrounding her pussy displayed eagerly to his avid eyes. He remembered her mouth engulfing his cock as she pulled at his clothes, a moan of pleasure at his size, and when she felt him pulsing in her mouth, pushing him onto a couch and mounting him, her pussy welcoming, engulfing him in wet, firm rapture. "It's awfully big, Daniel, it fills me so, oh yes darling, ohhhhh yessssss." As he orgasmed wildly into her cunt, she twisted and moaned, her whole body consumed in lust, her eyes closed, pussy clutching at his cock. Though she didn't scream, her climax seemed to go on and on. Finally, collapsing onto his body, her hips still twisting, she choked "Oh Daniel, I've been dreaming about fucking you. Take me anytime, anyway, just do it, again and again, darling."

Since then, though he had dated many women, Meg had always been there, never jealous, always available, but never surly if he did not choose to make full use of her services. She had asked him for the implants a year later, when he was going around with a Playboy model his new lawyer had introduced. "Daniel, I want to attract you as long as I can, darling. I can take care of my body at the salon, all but these tits. I've nursed two children, and it shows. So what do you say? You know you'll always have first call on them, don't you?"

It helped that she was quite competent, though she had never been conversant with the seamier aspects of Ironbrand. Those matters rarely found their way into files, and Daniel, with Meg's help, was only able to piece together a few details. Sandy's office had yielded quite a few secrets, all of which confirmed the worst rumors, and Caroline's accusations. But the broader matters were still a mystery to Daniel, and after a few months, he gradually forgot about the pursuit of these truths. He remembered his embarrassment when Meg had found the list of call girls that Sandy had been providing to Daniel since his fifteenth birthday. It turned out she knew several of them, and that they all remembered him fondly. "They all said you were kind, had a big cock, and that you were a good gig. That is the highest compliment we whores can give, darling."

Her body was still in extraordinary condition, pampered and toned at a nearby, company paid salon. Her face was always tanned, but showed both the years and the wear of the sun. They vacationed yearly together at various remote African resorts, where they spent most of their time nude. She was a richly earthy, sensual woman who had never failed to please him. He had once asked her whether he wasn't taking advantage of her, for she knew she would eventually lose him. She responded that "I know you will be kind to me when that time comes, Daniel. And I'm having so much fun now."

She was a rock for him, a substitute mother, a date for dinner when needed, and a lover at a moments notice. All of these things flashed through his mind as he approached the office, but as he smiled and gave Meg a quick kiss on the cheek, he whispered "Work, Meg. Get Leland on the phone will you?" She smiled, squeezed his arm, and pivoted toward her desk in the anteroom, buttoning her skirt as she went. A moment later, his phone rang, and he heard Leland Burrows voice ring out "Daniel you old sod, what trouble must I bail you out of this time? I do hope it includes at least two girls, darling, otherwise you shall be a loser, which is not good for public relations, lawyer client wise."

Leland worked at the firm which had ultimately fired Sandy, but was a only a year older than Daniel, and they had gotten along famously from the beginning. It was a relief to trust an adviser, and he trusted Leland completely. Leland made good use of the several specialists that Daniel had needed to tame the company, but always delivered final verdicts himself. "Awfully sorry, old man, but it can't be done. Our man Clover, yes, I said Clover, says government is watching these transactions very closely, as they have been abused in the past. Perhaps after next election, should there be some changes." "Our tax man says that is quite acceptable, Daniel my boy, and rather a good idea. He wonders, bye the bye, what a B of A from Eton is doing with good tax ideas. I told him you were a bloody genius, but mired down in morality. He said do keep him in the picture as you become more worldly."

"Look here Leland, I need some information on a Jonathon Pine, and family. He has a K, rather mysterious I believe. Yes I know I have the tape, but I want to see what he is doing, and what kind of lives he and his children are leading. There's no particular hurry, but I thought it might be wise to use someone other than the man who took the videos. Leland, this is not an unhealthy obsession, just a focused curiosity. I'm anxious for places frequented, that sort of thing, for the kids as well." He looked up to see Meg standing by the tape machine. The tv picture was frozen on Jonathon and Jeb, Alex and Rebecca, a beautiful family, nearly nude, at leisure. Meg was pushing down her panties, leaving the stockings on. As she straightened, her large, full tits high on her chest, her hand rubbing in her now shaved pussy, Daniel told his friend, "Listen Leland, gotta run. Don't dally now." Leland chuckled as the phone went dead. Daniel headed for Meg, pulling off his clothes.

He threw her to the couch with her head toward the machine so he could see the screen. She sighed as they kissed frantically, he fleetingly wondered how she always knew his moods, then entered her forcefully, drawing a groan of pleasure. As he stroked wildly into her foaming, slippery cunt, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, grunting and choking with effort and passion. His head lifted as he began to climax, and he felt her hips writhing feverishly, as she managed to join him in release. But as he filled her with spurt after spurt, the face in his mind was the pretty blond on the tv screen.

Seven

"Alex, you don't have to bring a date for me, surely we can be civilized together with your new girlfriend. I just want to show off our dancing, look how hard we worked at it, and we're really good, darling. Its been months since we...... Well alright, three weeks, but you'll be surprised how the place has changed, the new floor, and better music, I think. I promise not to monopolize you. Oh good, big brother, now seven sharp, I'll have to catch the eleven o'clock home. Oh Mummy's fine with it. I'm eighteen after all." Rebecca hung up the phone, grinning to herself.

Jeb was primping in front of the mirror, wearing her new wraparound silk, that showed off her tits so well. Jonathon was coming back tonight, after a short trip, but she never lost a chance to practice their frantic, lusty homecoming sex. She was humming, thinking about her new dildo. She hoped Rebecca would leave Jonathon alone, she had interfered with their homecomings a couple of times. Not that it wasn't a pleasant sort of change of pace. Bec had graduated to the supplemental pleasures of toys long ago, and it was quite handy when they both were fucking her husband.

"Mum? Could we talk? I'd like to go down to the city tonight, just until the last train. Alex is coming down, and he wants to go dancing at the Lollyboy. It's been months since we went dancing." Jeb grinned, recognizing the little lies her daughter often used to try to get her own way, and didn't like to frustrate her too often, though she was a bit transparent to a mother who had been sneaking out of the house before she was twelve. Besides it would be nice to be alone with Jonathon.

"Alright, dear, so long as your careful to catch the last train. Take the Saab down to the station. But I forbid you to wear that skirt you had on last time, as a matter of fact, please report for inspection before you leave."

"Thanks Mum. You look absolutely verve in that silk. Could I wear it sometime? The big dance is coming up at school, and I would dazzle in that frock." Jeb looked over her shoulder at the blond bundle of loveliness her daughter had become, amazed at the combination of sophistication and childish joy she radiated. She had gotten through her school years with a minimum of fuss, a couple of lovers, and two or three one night stands. She had always returned to the family fold, because she said the sex could not be equaled by anyone under twenty five, except for Alex, of course. "Darling, come give your old Mum a kiss."

It was not the casual cheek they shared, but a full fledged, tonguing, firm lovers' clutch. Becca pulled away, and looked fondly at her beautiful mother, whose eyes were bright with the prospect of Jonathon's return, and a long, erotic evening with her husband and lover. She whispered "Night, Mum, I know you'll have a lovely evening", congratulating herself on her timing. She was still treated as the baby in the family. Getting away like this on a weeknight was a rare treat.

She threw on her dancing skirt, that came almost to her knees but was split on both sides to allow for energetic movement, with the tan thong underneath, that looked almost nude. Bec loved showing off, though she was warned regularly that it was close to indecent the way she wiggled herself. She didn't take the risk of not wearing a bra, which she almost always preferred, because Mum might notice and ground her at the last minute. Becca had been as intimate as two women could be with her mother, but had never managed to win her complete freedom.

She passed her Dad as he stood looking through his mail in the foyer. He was still the handsomest, most masculine man she had ever known, even passing through his middle fifties. She walked up and pressed herself to him, holding his gaze. "Welcome home, Daddy."she breathed. He smiled, and their lips met, holding firmly, tongues gently dueling. She felt his cock spasm into her groin. She was only two inches shorter than her father, and she loved to feel him reacting to her firm body. She pulled away, and whispered "Your Mum's tonight, Daddy, but we'll just see about tomorrow night. I'm off for some dancing, Mum said it was okay, have a lovely evening. I'll be on the late train. Love you."

As she applied heavier makeup in the train's ladies, and took off her bra, she wondered if tonight might be the night. Lately, she had been having intuitions that she was going to meet her destiny soon. She laughed at herself, remembering she had had the same feeling with that soccer player who had whirled her around at last year's hop, only to discover he was a disaster in bed. She had insisted he work her up as Alex and her Dad did, and he had cum before she even got excited, as she sucked his modest sized cock. He couldn't get it up again, so she dressed and took a cab home.

It was unlikely she would meet anyone new tonight, for it was a familiar place, and she and Alex had been going there for two years. But it was still exciting and fun, and she loved the fancily named drinks they served. When she arrived to find she was first, she was disappointed in the crowd. She had hoped to show off her new boogie steps to a lot of her buddies. She chatted with the headwaitress, and got a table right by the dance floor. As her tall orange confection arrived, complete with an umbrella and cherry, another waiter set a silver tub with a bottle of champagne in it. "Compliments of the couple there under the scotch tartan, Bec. Christ, its Dom."