Read Online Shaded Light: The Case of the Tactless Trophy Wife: A Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Mystery (The Manziuk and Ryan Mysteries Book 1) by J. A. Menzies - Free Book Online
Authors: J. A. Menzies
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the passenger door for Lorry. Ellen rushed down the front steps. “George, I’m so glad you got here first. The others haven’t arrived yet. Lorry, my dear, you look wonderful! We’re so glad you were able to come!”
Lorry emerged from the car into a hug from Ellen. After the hug, Ellen held her at arm’s length. “You’re gorgeous. And that hair! I know women who would kill for that hair.”
It was real, too. Ellen remembered the pictures of a chubby red-haired cherub with a mischievous grin and sparkling green eyes. The eyes still sparkled. But the chubbiness had been replaced by curves in all the right places and the grin had turned into a lovely smile. She was intelligent, too. She would make a perfectly delightful daughter-in-law.
Perhaps a little old-fashioned. With the father she had, she couldn’t help that. But Kendall would bring her up to date.
Lorry was looking all around. “This house is breathtaking.”
“Isn’t it?” Ellen agreed. “I have no idea why George thought we needed a place this grand. But it will certainly come in useful this weekend.”
Leaving George to handle the luggage, she escorted Lorry indoors and, after giving her a quick tour and pausing to speak with Mrs. Winston, led her upstairs to a room with pink ruffles and twin beds and, after another hug, left her there to unpack and freshen up.
Ellen hurried downstairs. She had suddenly remembered that George didn’t know about Bart. She was wrong.
After George carried Lorry’s luggage into the front hall, he had driven his car around to the garage. Puzzled by the open door leading to the unused apartment above, he went upstairs and found Bart in the process of sweeping a pile of dust onto a dustpan. “Of all the—! What are you doing here?”
“Glad to see you, too,” Bart said easily. “Apparently, no one’s been up here for a while. No end of spider webs, and dust an inch thick.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Cleaning up.”
“Ellen knows you’re here?”
“Afraid so, old man.”
“You’re not getting another cent from me this year! I already told you that.”
“You did. It makes life very difficult for me. I’m down to throwing myself on the mercy of my nearest and dearest. Of course, Aunt Ellen did give me a job.”
“She what?”
“Entertaining the ladies for the weekend. She thought I might be able to take them off her hands.”
George grunted. “And I suppose you’re eager to get started.”
“Well, Uncle George, if you want me to leave, I will. But, you know, I can’t think that the headlines would look very nice.”
“And what headlines might we be talking about?”
“The ones saying ‘Prominent Lawyer’s Nephew Arrested for Vagrancy on the Doorstep of Million-Dollar Estate.’ Some of those trash mags really go for that stuff, you know. Might even pay for an in-depth account of the nephew’s story. They’d love to dig up all the old stuff about how I was almost arrested for embezzlement that time, or how you paid off that girl’s father—the one who wanted to charge me with statutory rape. Of course, I don’t think he’d have won. And weren’t there some other incidents? Not sure I can remember. A couple of forgeries, maybe? Impersonation? I think someone wanted to charge me with theft. A lot of people would enjoy reading about my past. Vicarious thrills, you know.”
“Has anybody ever mentioned that you’re nothing but scum?”
“I think you may have alluded to something like that once or twice.”
“You do what your aunt tells you this weekend. And you stay on the line. One step over and I might change my mind and throw you to the dogs, no matter what the headlines say. Got it?”
“Got it. Now, may I finish cleaning up? I have to get ready to assist with the guests.”
“There are some suitcases in the front hall. You can start earning your keep by carrying them up.” So saying, George turned on his heel and walked out. As he went down the stairs, he
Lorry emerged from the car into a hug from Ellen. After the hug, Ellen held her at arm’s length. “You’re gorgeous. And that hair! I know women who would kill for that hair.”
It was real, too. Ellen remembered the pictures of a chubby red-haired cherub with a mischievous grin and sparkling green eyes. The eyes still sparkled. But the chubbiness had been replaced by curves in all the right places and the grin had turned into a lovely smile. She was intelligent, too. She would make a perfectly delightful daughter-in-law.
Perhaps a little old-fashioned. With the father she had, she couldn’t help that. But Kendall would bring her up to date.
Lorry was looking all around. “This house is breathtaking.”
“Isn’t it?” Ellen agreed. “I have no idea why George thought we needed a place this grand. But it will certainly come in useful this weekend.”
Leaving George to handle the luggage, she escorted Lorry indoors and, after giving her a quick tour and pausing to speak with Mrs. Winston, led her upstairs to a room with pink ruffles and twin beds and, after another hug, left her there to unpack and freshen up.
Ellen hurried downstairs. She had suddenly remembered that George didn’t know about Bart. She was wrong.
After George carried Lorry’s luggage into the front hall, he had driven his car around to the garage. Puzzled by the open door leading to the unused apartment above, he went upstairs and found Bart in the process of sweeping a pile of dust onto a dustpan. “Of all the—! What are you doing here?”
“Glad to see you, too,” Bart said easily. “Apparently, no one’s been up here for a while. No end of spider webs, and dust an inch thick.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Cleaning up.”
“Ellen knows you’re here?”
“Afraid so, old man.”
“You’re not getting another cent from me this year! I already told you that.”
“You did. It makes life very difficult for me. I’m down to throwing myself on the mercy of my nearest and dearest. Of course, Aunt Ellen did give me a job.”
“She what?”
“Entertaining the ladies for the weekend. She thought I might be able to take them off her hands.”
George grunted. “And I suppose you’re eager to get started.”
“Well, Uncle George, if you want me to leave, I will. But, you know, I can’t think that the headlines would look very nice.”
“And what headlines might we be talking about?”
“The ones saying ‘Prominent Lawyer’s Nephew Arrested for Vagrancy on the Doorstep of Million-Dollar Estate.’ Some of those trash mags really go for that stuff, you know. Might even pay for an in-depth account of the nephew’s story. They’d love to dig up all the old stuff about how I was almost arrested for embezzlement that time, or how you paid off that girl’s father—the one who wanted to charge me with statutory rape. Of course, I don’t think he’d have won. And weren’t there some other incidents? Not sure I can remember. A couple of forgeries, maybe? Impersonation? I think someone wanted to charge me with theft. A lot of people would enjoy reading about my past. Vicarious thrills, you know.”
“Has anybody ever mentioned that you’re nothing but scum?”
“I think you may have alluded to something like that once or twice.”
“You do what your aunt tells you this weekend. And you stay on the line. One step over and I might change my mind and throw you to the dogs, no matter what the headlines say. Got it?”
“Got it. Now, may I finish cleaning up? I have to get ready to assist with the guests.”
“There are some suitcases in the front hall. You can start earning your keep by carrying them up.” So saying, George turned on his heel and walked out. As he went down the stairs, he
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