The CenterpieceSet in Beverly Hills during the financially unstable 1980s, The Centerpiece is told from the perspective of a prominent business manager, Robert Berlin, who provides sophisticated financial services to celebrities. The Centerpiece follows the private lives and the finances of entertainment industry personalities, as well as their relationships, and their vulnerability to financial predators. Two of Berlin's clients, Latin heartthrob Hugo Beltran and his vivacious and sexy actress wife, the Hungarian Bombshell Veronica Vavra, have become involved with the reputed genius Dr. Mark Draper. Draper's background is steeped in intrigue, including Delta Force service, CIA involvement, arms sales, and pharmaceutical development. Berlin learns his clients have loaned Draper a substantial amount of money against the collateral of cash held in safe deposit boxes. Despite Berlin's concerns, his clients become more entangled with Draper over the years. Yet more money is advanced by Beltran to finance Draper's pharmaceutical company. A partnership is then formed to import diamonds from Russia. But the complexity of Draper's ventures increases Berlin's anxiety. When Hugo Beltran develops cancer, the safe deposit boxes are opened and found to contain no cash. A huge fraud has been perpetrated on Berlin's clients. Meanwhile, as the diamond business flourishes, Draper is murdered. Berlin is faced with some difficult decisions. |
Contents
Section 1 | 5 |
Section 2 | 7 |
Section 3 | 9 |
Section 4 | 14 |
Section 5 | 20 |
Section 6 | 28 |
Section 7 | 46 |
Section 8 | 58 |
Section 15 | 149 |
Section 16 | 163 |
Section 17 | 174 |
Section 18 | 180 |
Section 19 | 195 |
Section 20 | 211 |
Section 21 | 228 |
Section 22 | 245 |
Section 9 | 76 |
Section 10 | 89 |
Section 11 | 107 |
Section 12 | 115 |
Section 13 | 125 |
Section 14 | 138 |
Section 23 | 259 |
Section 24 | 271 |
Section 25 | 286 |
Section 26 | 296 |
Common terms and phrases
Agent Orange Andy Forrestal Angie Blakely answered assets banker Berlin Business Management Berlin sat Berlin thought Bob Berlin Burt Schmidt Business Management Beverly Cadding California Business Bank cash Certificates of Deposit Chuck Goodenough chuckled client concerned conversation credit line deal decision diamonds discussion documents Don Lavender DraBel drive envelopes Eunice Evan Lane firm Georgio going happen hell Hugo and Veronica Hugo Beltran Hugo's infomercial interest investigation investment involved Jerome Feldman Jon Dupre lawyer loan looked Management Beverly Hills Margery Benson margin account Mark Draper meeting million nodded Okay Palos Verdes Palos Verdes Estates person Phillip George problem Promol Corporation question relationship Robert Berlin safe deposit box smiled Spago sure talk tell things told took transactions venture Veronica Beltran Veronica Vavra walked Wilshire Country Club