Read Online Slightly Irregular by Rhonda Pollero - Free Book Online
Authors: Rhonda Pollero
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a slightly rumpled envelope toward me as we walked to the conference area.
Pulling the letter out, I found a note and a money order for thirty dollars with rent scratched on the memo line, only it was spelled “rint.” The note just said, “This covers the end.” The signature was almost illegible.
“Ellen Lieberman, this is Lenora Egghardt,” I said, then completed the introduction. As I did, I noticed Lenora’s eyes fixed on Ellen. God, I hoped it wasn’t the muumuu.
“Have we met?” Lenora asked as she extended her hand.
Ellen blinked rapidly. “I think we may have met once in the elevator.”
Lenora was shaking her head. “No, I think it was longer ago than that. Your face looks so familiar.”
Ellen shrugged, and her eyes were downcast. “I just have one of those faces.”
What? I wondered. The kind with no makeup, crying out for a facial? How could Ellen not know that she had perfect bone structure, even more perfect, long-lashed eyes, and from what I could tell beneath the ever-present tent dress, a great shape?
“Shall we get started?” Ellen asked as she pointed to the seat opposite mine.
I passed the contents of the envelope to Ellen as Lenora explained what had transpired. We spent the next forty-five minutes looking at various maps of the area in question. Uncle Walter had died intestate in Lenora’s home. His dementia was such that for his last few years on earth he spoke little more than gibberish. When he died, Lenora, as next of kin, inherited everything, including several hundred acres of primo citrus groves. Thanks to citrus canker, she was about to turn fifty acres into a state-of-the-art equestrian center, hopefully drawing clientsfrom Payson Park, the premier racetrack in the area—until she’d received the rent payment and begun to wonder if the distant cousin Walter had once mentioned more than a decade ago had finally surfaced.
If he/she had, the only lead was the return address on the envelope, a post office box in Indiantown.
“I’m sorry for staring,” Lenora said to Ellen. “I’m still trying to figure out why you look so familiar.”
Ellen rolled the chair back from the table and stood. “I’m sure you’re mistaking me for someone else. I’ll have Finley walk you to your car, and you’ll hear from us as soon as we make contact with the tenant.” She turned to me. “See to Ms. Egghardt, then come back up here.”
The two women shook hands, and I hurried around to the doorway to lead Lenora back downstairs. She had fine lines on her brow as she continued to concentrate. “I could swear I know that woman. I just can’t place her.”
I pressed the elevator button, then turned briefly to the executive assistant. “Good morning, Leslie-Anne.” I left her alone with her shocked expression as Lenora and I stepped inside the empty elevator.
“Is Lieberman a married name?”
I shrugged. I’d always thought of Ellen as some sort of asexual creature. Like a worm. Lenora wasn’t giving up though. She asked me question after question, and I realized I knew close to nothing about Ellen. Not even her home address. Hell, until yesterday, I hadn’t even known her home phone number.
As we headed out of the lobby, I shielded my eyes from the bright sun glistening off the cars and shop windows. The heatwas already stifling, creating water mirages on the pavement of the parking lot.
“I’ll be in touch,” I promised as I held open her door. “Take care.”
“Thank you, Finley.”
As I stepped away from the car, I caught a glimpse of movement over the hedge bordering the lot. When I looked in that direction, it was deserted. Obviously, the mirages weren’t limited only to the blacktop.
As I headed back to my office, I walked slowly. Yes, part of it was my lack of any sense of urgency, but a huge part of my reasoning was practical—I was teetering on my heels. Well, maybe knowing Margaret was just settling behind her desk played a role as well. “Good
Pulling the letter out, I found a note and a money order for thirty dollars with rent scratched on the memo line, only it was spelled “rint.” The note just said, “This covers the end.” The signature was almost illegible.
“Ellen Lieberman, this is Lenora Egghardt,” I said, then completed the introduction. As I did, I noticed Lenora’s eyes fixed on Ellen. God, I hoped it wasn’t the muumuu.
“Have we met?” Lenora asked as she extended her hand.
Ellen blinked rapidly. “I think we may have met once in the elevator.”
Lenora was shaking her head. “No, I think it was longer ago than that. Your face looks so familiar.”
Ellen shrugged, and her eyes were downcast. “I just have one of those faces.”
What? I wondered. The kind with no makeup, crying out for a facial? How could Ellen not know that she had perfect bone structure, even more perfect, long-lashed eyes, and from what I could tell beneath the ever-present tent dress, a great shape?
“Shall we get started?” Ellen asked as she pointed to the seat opposite mine.
I passed the contents of the envelope to Ellen as Lenora explained what had transpired. We spent the next forty-five minutes looking at various maps of the area in question. Uncle Walter had died intestate in Lenora’s home. His dementia was such that for his last few years on earth he spoke little more than gibberish. When he died, Lenora, as next of kin, inherited everything, including several hundred acres of primo citrus groves. Thanks to citrus canker, she was about to turn fifty acres into a state-of-the-art equestrian center, hopefully drawing clientsfrom Payson Park, the premier racetrack in the area—until she’d received the rent payment and begun to wonder if the distant cousin Walter had once mentioned more than a decade ago had finally surfaced.
If he/she had, the only lead was the return address on the envelope, a post office box in Indiantown.
“I’m sorry for staring,” Lenora said to Ellen. “I’m still trying to figure out why you look so familiar.”
Ellen rolled the chair back from the table and stood. “I’m sure you’re mistaking me for someone else. I’ll have Finley walk you to your car, and you’ll hear from us as soon as we make contact with the tenant.” She turned to me. “See to Ms. Egghardt, then come back up here.”
The two women shook hands, and I hurried around to the doorway to lead Lenora back downstairs. She had fine lines on her brow as she continued to concentrate. “I could swear I know that woman. I just can’t place her.”
I pressed the elevator button, then turned briefly to the executive assistant. “Good morning, Leslie-Anne.” I left her alone with her shocked expression as Lenora and I stepped inside the empty elevator.
“Is Lieberman a married name?”
I shrugged. I’d always thought of Ellen as some sort of asexual creature. Like a worm. Lenora wasn’t giving up though. She asked me question after question, and I realized I knew close to nothing about Ellen. Not even her home address. Hell, until yesterday, I hadn’t even known her home phone number.
As we headed out of the lobby, I shielded my eyes from the bright sun glistening off the cars and shop windows. The heatwas already stifling, creating water mirages on the pavement of the parking lot.
“I’ll be in touch,” I promised as I held open her door. “Take care.”
“Thank you, Finley.”
As I stepped away from the car, I caught a glimpse of movement over the hedge bordering the lot. When I looked in that direction, it was deserted. Obviously, the mirages weren’t limited only to the blacktop.
As I headed back to my office, I walked slowly. Yes, part of it was my lack of any sense of urgency, but a huge part of my reasoning was practical—I was teetering on my heels. Well, maybe knowing Margaret was just settling behind her desk played a role as well. “Good
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