Read Online A Proper Charlie by Louise Wise - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Louise Wise
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came back to: Private Investigator, Kevin Locke, sympathetic and particularly experienced in the location of missing persons. The website looked professional, and it promised discretion.
Ben telephoned the number from the website. He was surprised and pleased when it didn’t go to an automated answer line and was answered by a human.
He briefly gave details of Camilla’s disappearance and fixed an appointment for tomorrow morning where they’d meet and discuss the whereabouts of his sister in detail, and assign him a PI. Ben wrote the appointment in his diary, and flicking through the pages he was reminded of London Core ’s party this coming Saturday.
God, he’d forgotten! Thank goodness he’d jotted it down, his father wouldn’t have forgiven him if he didn’t turn up.
He was dreading it. He hated parties; work parties especially.
There were four types of people he dreaded meeting at parties: crawlers, superiors, drunks and women.
1. Crawlers: These people fawned all over him and generally made him feel embarrassed.
2. Superiors: These were the types who thought he was ‘uppity’ and either ignored him or treated him with polite distain.
3. Drunks: Need he explain? But, of course, you got the crawling drunk or the superior drunk. Drunks who brown-nosed him were creepy, and drunks who were ‘superior’ often thought it clever to ‘speak their mind’ and tell him a few home truths – usually crap but it was uncomfortable all the same.
4. Women: He liked women, but felt tense in their presence. He never knew how to speak to women out of the office. And then you had the female crawlers and superiors. But worse, worse of all, were drunk women.
TEN
C harlie had decided she was going to join a nunnery, Andy was not answering her texts and her ovaries were bouncing around inside her in panic. Or that’s how the pain in her stomach felt. Truth was she was due on, and her skin was beginning to resemble a pizza. Sheesh, life was good. Not.
There was slight commotion outside in the corridor and workmen came in carrying various bits and pieces. One held a framed picture, covered loosely in polythene. He placed it outside Mr Fanton’s office, and then went back out for more.
‘ Is that Middleton’s stuff?’ Charlie asked.
Faye had already scuttled over as fast as her six-inch heels would allow, and was peering through the collection.
‘ Looks like it, doll,’ Melvin said. He wore his Touch my moobs T-shirt today. Charlie’s personal favourite.
They pinned back the doors for the workmen to come and go more easily, and then Melvin went down to see if he could help. One came in wheeling boxes and files with a large potted plant balancing precariously on top, Charlie grabbed it before it could fall.
‘ Thanks, love,’ he said, passing her. Charlie followed him peering through the leaves of the plant.
Fanny came out of his office and looked down at the boxes and loose furniture. ‘That’ll never fit in my office,’ he said.
‘ Been told to bring it all up here,’ the workman said.
A tall woman had followed Charlie towards the office. She stuck out her hand to Mr Fanton. ‘I’m Clair Michel, how do you do?’
‘ Mr Fanton,’ said Mr Fanton, clasping her hand and shaking it. ‘I’m the managing editor. Can I help you?’
‘ I’m Mr Middleton’s PA. I’m organising his possessions into his new office.’ She pointed to Mr Fanton’s office. ‘Is that it?’
Fanny looked at his office and then back at her. ‘I thought the one upstairs?’
‘ Eventually, yes,’ Clair Michel said. ‘The electric need rewiring, it needs redecorating and carpeting. Mr Middleton can’t possibly take up residence in such a mess.’ She looked at Mr Fanton as if he should have realised that.
‘ But my office is too small for us to share,’ he said.
‘ Share?’ She looked at him scornfully. ‘I don’t think so Mr Fanton.’
‘ Get out of there, girl!’ He turned his
Ben telephoned the number from the website. He was surprised and pleased when it didn’t go to an automated answer line and was answered by a human.
He briefly gave details of Camilla’s disappearance and fixed an appointment for tomorrow morning where they’d meet and discuss the whereabouts of his sister in detail, and assign him a PI. Ben wrote the appointment in his diary, and flicking through the pages he was reminded of London Core ’s party this coming Saturday.
God, he’d forgotten! Thank goodness he’d jotted it down, his father wouldn’t have forgiven him if he didn’t turn up.
He was dreading it. He hated parties; work parties especially.
There were four types of people he dreaded meeting at parties: crawlers, superiors, drunks and women.
1. Crawlers: These people fawned all over him and generally made him feel embarrassed.
2. Superiors: These were the types who thought he was ‘uppity’ and either ignored him or treated him with polite distain.
3. Drunks: Need he explain? But, of course, you got the crawling drunk or the superior drunk. Drunks who brown-nosed him were creepy, and drunks who were ‘superior’ often thought it clever to ‘speak their mind’ and tell him a few home truths – usually crap but it was uncomfortable all the same.
4. Women: He liked women, but felt tense in their presence. He never knew how to speak to women out of the office. And then you had the female crawlers and superiors. But worse, worse of all, were drunk women.
TEN
C harlie had decided she was going to join a nunnery, Andy was not answering her texts and her ovaries were bouncing around inside her in panic. Or that’s how the pain in her stomach felt. Truth was she was due on, and her skin was beginning to resemble a pizza. Sheesh, life was good. Not.
There was slight commotion outside in the corridor and workmen came in carrying various bits and pieces. One held a framed picture, covered loosely in polythene. He placed it outside Mr Fanton’s office, and then went back out for more.
‘ Is that Middleton’s stuff?’ Charlie asked.
Faye had already scuttled over as fast as her six-inch heels would allow, and was peering through the collection.
‘ Looks like it, doll,’ Melvin said. He wore his Touch my moobs T-shirt today. Charlie’s personal favourite.
They pinned back the doors for the workmen to come and go more easily, and then Melvin went down to see if he could help. One came in wheeling boxes and files with a large potted plant balancing precariously on top, Charlie grabbed it before it could fall.
‘ Thanks, love,’ he said, passing her. Charlie followed him peering through the leaves of the plant.
Fanny came out of his office and looked down at the boxes and loose furniture. ‘That’ll never fit in my office,’ he said.
‘ Been told to bring it all up here,’ the workman said.
A tall woman had followed Charlie towards the office. She stuck out her hand to Mr Fanton. ‘I’m Clair Michel, how do you do?’
‘ Mr Fanton,’ said Mr Fanton, clasping her hand and shaking it. ‘I’m the managing editor. Can I help you?’
‘ I’m Mr Middleton’s PA. I’m organising his possessions into his new office.’ She pointed to Mr Fanton’s office. ‘Is that it?’
Fanny looked at his office and then back at her. ‘I thought the one upstairs?’
‘ Eventually, yes,’ Clair Michel said. ‘The electric need rewiring, it needs redecorating and carpeting. Mr Middleton can’t possibly take up residence in such a mess.’ She looked at Mr Fanton as if he should have realised that.
‘ But my office is too small for us to share,’ he said.
‘ Share?’ She looked at him scornfully. ‘I don’t think so Mr Fanton.’
‘ Get out of there, girl!’ He turned his
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