Read Online Fifth Victim by Zoe Sharp - Free Book Online Page A

casual, but the stress of relief came across all too clearly in the pitch and timbre of his voice. He swallowed, said more normally, ‘Glad you could make it.’
    ‘Hey, Tor,’ Manda said, offhand. ‘How could we miss your little party?’ She reduced all this extravagance to the level of having half a dozen kindergarten tots round for a slice of cake and a cup of flat lemonade. And just as he began to look crestfallen, she hit him with, ‘Dina was just telling us all about your silly little spat.’
    Torquil flashed me a look that was part hate, part fear, but pure poison. I stared right back, keeping my face bland, and he wisely refrained from comment.
    Manda eyed Torquil for a moment longer, expectantly, then turned to Dina. ‘Come on, let’s go aboard Tor’s little boat and find Ben-Ben a drink before he dies of thirst, and then you can tell us all about it.’
    ‘No!’ I would have objected myself, but it was Dina, to my surprise, who dug her toes in first. She realised it had come out too stark and softened it down with a smile that held genuine regret. ‘I’m real sorry, Manda,’ she said hastily. ‘But I don’t want to spoil Torquil’s birthday, so we’ll—’
    ‘Oh, that’s so sweet of you,’ Manda interrupted. ‘Well, honey, our limo’s still here. Tell you what, why don’t the three of us go find somewhere to have a drink? Tor won’t mind if we skip out, I’m sure.’
    But it didn’t take an expert in body language to tell that Tor did mind. He minded like hell.
    The two security men he’d sent to escort us out were hovering with their mouths open, unsure what to do next. The other partygoers who’d received their special invitations had emerged from the yacht club and were closing fast on their way to the Eisenberg liner, with Hunt and Orlando in the lead.
    Torquil must have known that for Benedict and Manda to leave now, so soon after arriving and with Dina so publicly in tow, would be the ultimate humiliation. He only had one realistic option, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.
    ‘It would spoil the party if you left, Dina,’ he said, with an almost credible attempt at sincerity. ‘Stay.’ I’m sure it was only shock that made her keep him waiting for a response, but he flushed at her silence and added through clenched teeth, ‘Please.’
    ‘I … er … yes,’ Dina said faintly. ‘Of course. Thank you, Torquil.’
    He glared at her. ‘Don’t mention it,’ he said, his tone ominous. His gaze swung to me. ‘But your friend still needs to leave.’

CHAPTER TEN
     
    There was a long pause after Torquil’s last statement. It was eventually broken not by Dina but by Manda, who threw her head back and began to laugh.
    ‘Oh Tor, honey, that’s just priceless,’ she said, indicating me with a languid wave. ‘But there’s no way she’s going to walk out of here and leave Dina behind to your tender mercies.’ It was the first time she’d acknowledged my presence.
    Torquil subjected me to a rapid scrutiny as if afraid he’d missed something obvious. His mouth opened and closed a couple of times before he finally had to admit defeat. He knew the joke was on him somehow, but he couldn’t work out what or how. ‘Why the hell not?’ he demanded.
    Manda laughed again as she removed her dark glasses. I caught the brief flicker of her eyes and realised she’d been waiting for the crowd to arrive. She wanted an audience.
    Some things never change .
    ‘Because, honey, that’s not how professional bodyguards behave, is it, Charlie?’ she said, loud enough to carry. ‘And I ought to know, huh?’
    If I’d been hoping for anything else, it was too late now. In my peripheral vision I registered shock in varying degrees. There was no point in denial. Suppressing a sigh, I agreed gravely, ‘Yes, Amanda, you ought.’
    Her face twitched. ‘It’s Manda,’ she said sharply. ‘I haven’t been called that for years.’
    Two years, certainly. Two years since Amanda