Read Online Desperate Measures by Linda Cajio - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Linda Cajio
Ads: Link
employees could be taken advantage of in a family-owned business, especially by sneakslike Mario. “I should have been more clear about his duties with everyone.”
Joe turned back to the phone. He picked up the receiver and stabbed the winking button. Whoever was on the other end had better not hand him any garbage, he thought furiously.
“Hello,” he snapped.
There was a tense silence, then a feminine voice said, “Joe?”
His anger drained away, and he forgot everything as he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. He knew it intimately already.
“Ellen,” he said with immense relief. He had decided the best plan—temporarily—was to give her some time to cool down, and then he would call. He couldn’t believe she had contacted him. She had been so adamant in Atlantic City that he would have thought pride, at the least, would have kept her from making the first move.
“Am I calling at a bad time?” she asked.
“No,” he said, meaning it. His secretary had seen the picture of him giving Ellen that check at the charity dance and had even kidded him about it. She had realized he’d want to take this call. He told himself to remember to give her a raise. Smiling, he added, “It’s not a bad time at all.”
“Are you sure? You sound busy. Why don’t I call back—”
“No,” he broke in, fearing she would hang up. He remembered Terry was right behind him, so he calmed himself down before saying, “You’re not disturbing me, Ell. In fact, I’m very pleased that you called.”
She was silent for a moment, then said, “Well, Iwas just wondering how you made out with your uncle. He was so nice to me, and I’ve been feeling so bad for him, knowing he’d probably be very upset when he found out about Mario.”
Joe tried to suppress his disappointment. Her polite curiosity about Uncle Thomas was natural and normal. Dammit. Still, he couldn’t expect anything else. She’d been so hurt in the past, she would keep herself as barricaded as possible. He ought to be glad of any kind of offering from her.
“Uncle Thomas is just fine now,” he said, remembering his uncle’s initial shock at his warning. And all Joe had been able to do was warn. He still had no proof of Mario’s treachery. Fortunately, Thomas had already been upset that Mario hadn’t taken his own mother to the show. Evidently that breach of family etiquette had offended the older man and made him wonder. Joe had said something to his cousin Jamie and sister Carol too.
“I’m glad about Uncle Thomas,” Ellen said. “Well, I suppose that’s that with your problem.”
“I wish,” Joe said.
“Oh?”
He decided it must be his imagination that he heard an eagerness behind the “oh.” He continued. “A few other things have come up. I know I promised one time only, but I’ve been wondering if I could impose on you again.…”
“Well-l-l-l … I suppose one more time wouldn’t hurt. I mean, if you really need my help. We never did find that person I saw with Mario at the rink. Is Mario meeting with him again? Is that the problem?”
“Mmmm,” Joe murmured noncommittally, tryingnot to lie outright. He sensed, too, that anything other than a need for her help would result in “Adios, so long, au revoir,” and other forms of good-bye. “I … well, let’s just say I have my suspicions.”
“In Atlantic City again?”
“Okay.” Atlantic City had its advantages, he thought. And she seemed to like it there. “Ah … it’s tonight. Later than the last time, I think. How about if I pick you up as soon as I can get out of here, and I’ll explain it all to you then, okay?”
A long silence answered him.
“Ell?”
“Okay.”
When he hung up a minute later, he knew his smile had to be nearly splitting his face. He promised himself he would feel guilty later, and he turned around. Terry was staring at him in clear puzzlement.
“I’ll have all of this taken care of, Terry,” he said. “No
Joe turned back to the phone. He picked up the receiver and stabbed the winking button. Whoever was on the other end had better not hand him any garbage, he thought furiously.
“Hello,” he snapped.
There was a tense silence, then a feminine voice said, “Joe?”
His anger drained away, and he forgot everything as he recognized the voice on the other end of the line. He knew it intimately already.
“Ellen,” he said with immense relief. He had decided the best plan—temporarily—was to give her some time to cool down, and then he would call. He couldn’t believe she had contacted him. She had been so adamant in Atlantic City that he would have thought pride, at the least, would have kept her from making the first move.
“Am I calling at a bad time?” she asked.
“No,” he said, meaning it. His secretary had seen the picture of him giving Ellen that check at the charity dance and had even kidded him about it. She had realized he’d want to take this call. He told himself to remember to give her a raise. Smiling, he added, “It’s not a bad time at all.”
“Are you sure? You sound busy. Why don’t I call back—”
“No,” he broke in, fearing she would hang up. He remembered Terry was right behind him, so he calmed himself down before saying, “You’re not disturbing me, Ell. In fact, I’m very pleased that you called.”
She was silent for a moment, then said, “Well, Iwas just wondering how you made out with your uncle. He was so nice to me, and I’ve been feeling so bad for him, knowing he’d probably be very upset when he found out about Mario.”
Joe tried to suppress his disappointment. Her polite curiosity about Uncle Thomas was natural and normal. Dammit. Still, he couldn’t expect anything else. She’d been so hurt in the past, she would keep herself as barricaded as possible. He ought to be glad of any kind of offering from her.
“Uncle Thomas is just fine now,” he said, remembering his uncle’s initial shock at his warning. And all Joe had been able to do was warn. He still had no proof of Mario’s treachery. Fortunately, Thomas had already been upset that Mario hadn’t taken his own mother to the show. Evidently that breach of family etiquette had offended the older man and made him wonder. Joe had said something to his cousin Jamie and sister Carol too.
“I’m glad about Uncle Thomas,” Ellen said. “Well, I suppose that’s that with your problem.”
“I wish,” Joe said.
“Oh?”
He decided it must be his imagination that he heard an eagerness behind the “oh.” He continued. “A few other things have come up. I know I promised one time only, but I’ve been wondering if I could impose on you again.…”
“Well-l-l-l … I suppose one more time wouldn’t hurt. I mean, if you really need my help. We never did find that person I saw with Mario at the rink. Is Mario meeting with him again? Is that the problem?”
“Mmmm,” Joe murmured noncommittally, tryingnot to lie outright. He sensed, too, that anything other than a need for her help would result in “Adios, so long, au revoir,” and other forms of good-bye. “I … well, let’s just say I have my suspicions.”
“In Atlantic City again?”
“Okay.” Atlantic City had its advantages, he thought. And she seemed to like it there. “Ah … it’s tonight. Later than the last time, I think. How about if I pick you up as soon as I can get out of here, and I’ll explain it all to you then, okay?”
A long silence answered him.
“Ell?”
“Okay.”
When he hung up a minute later, he knew his smile had to be nearly splitting his face. He promised himself he would feel guilty later, and he turned around. Terry was staring at him in clear puzzlement.
“I’ll have all of this taken care of, Terry,” he said. “No
Similar Books
