From Manhattan With Revenge Boxed Set Read Online Free PDF Page A

herself.   He
reached out his hand for her as he approached.   “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said.
    “Trouble
with the driver?”
    “You
could say that.”
    “Is he
still irritable?”
    “Depends
on where he ended up.”
    There
were half a dozen people smoking outside the restaurant, none of whom were
paying attention to them.   Others in
evening wear were walking past the doorman and through the door he held open
for them.
    Carmen
and Alex joined them and moved up the stairs to the receiving area.   A blonde woman in a black suit smiled as
they approached.   They were in the
Grille Room, which glowed deep red and was filled with people.   Most were either talking in small
groups, enjoying the glasses of champagne being offered on silver trays by the
wait staff, while others were at the bar, which was behind them and to the
right.  
    “Mr. and
Mrs. Mark Edwards,” Alex said.
    The
woman looked down at her computer monitor and scrolled through the list of
names.   “Do you have an invitation?”
she asked.
    “We’re
just in from L.A.   Mamie van Marais
suggested we drop by because friends of ours will be here.   I believe she called ahead not long
ago.   She practically demanded we
come.”
    The
woman nodded and by the way she kept glancing at Alex’s face, it was clear to
Carmen that she was wondering if he was a celebrity using a different name for
anonymity.   “That sounds like
Mamie--and I should know because I took the call.   Please make yourselves comfortable.”
    Below
them on the street, where Alex shot the taxi driver, came the muffled sound of
a woman screaming.   All turned to
look but they could see nothing because they were on the second floor and the
windows were across the room.   The
woman screamed again, louder this time, and started to call for help.
    Carmen
ignored her.   They needed to get
inside.   “Do you know where we might
find Tootie and Addy?”
    The
woman looked down the long corridor to her right, which opened into the Pool
Room.   It was packed with members of
society, all of whom seemed adrift in ether, their feet barely touching the
floor.   “I’m afraid that’s the
question of the day.   But you find
them in there, for sure.   I know
they’re not in here.”   When she
turned back to them, a surprised look came over her face as three members of
security hurried past them and took the stairs down to the street.
    Carmen
and Alex checked them as they passed.   Two men, one woman.   The men
wore tuxedoes in an effort to blend in with the crowd.   The woman wore a simple black
dress.   For her, the giveaway were
her shoes.   They were flats.   Tonight, at this affair, no legitimate
guest would be caught dead in them.
    Alex put
his arm around Carmen.   “Something’s
obviously wrong.   We should go
inside.”
    They
walked past the woman into the corridor, which was lined with people paying
little attention to the drama unfolding outside.   Why ruin the illusion by facing
something real?
    Instinctively,
Carmen and Alex moved to the right, away from the large bank of glass and brass
doors that led to the front of the building.   They stepped into the Pool Room to look
for Jean-Georges.   A few other
guests were wearing sunglasses, likely celebrities, which wasn’t unexpected but
nevertheless welcome.   It allowed
them to blend in.  
    “Where
do you want to start?” Alex asked.
    Before
she could answer, an announcement was made that people should move to the Pool
Room.  
    As
discretely as they could, they moved to their left and allowed the masses to
move from the Grill Room and the Front Bar into the Pool Room, which was
spectacular.
    Because
it was autumn, the room was decorated with four tall trees lit in varying
shades of orange.   The effect was
stunning, decadent and beautiful, particularly given the square pool that
bubbled vibrant yellow in the center of the floor.  
    Just
across from it, in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows