Remote Control Read Online Free PDF Page A

lesson his mother had drilled into him when he was seven.
    The love of money is the root of all evil.
    All evil aside, Harry's mouth stretches into a slow smile when he reads tomorrow's schedule.
    "Yee-ha," he says. "Thank God for repeats. I've struck gold."
    * * *
    Bea wakes up to a strange sound. It's morning and something is whistling.
    Did Harry forget to unplug the kettle?
    She clambers out of bed, throws a housecoat over her cotton nightgown and wanders into the bathroom. Harry is in the shower―whistling a merry tune.
    "Harry?"
    "I'll be out in a minute, Bea."
    She studies him through the glass doors. The frosted glass distorts his body and for a moment, she thinks he's grown two heads. But no, he's brought a mirror into the shower.
    "Are you shaving?" she asks in complete disbelief.
    Harry rarely shaves. Heck, he is rarely up this early in the morning.
    "Yes, I have a busy day ahead of me," he says. Then he goes back to his whistling.
    Now Bea is ticked off. She has forty minutes to get ready for work.
    "I need the shower, Harry."
    "I'm almost done."
    As she's brushing her teeth, Harry finishes up. He looks extremely happy as he steps out of the shower.
    "What's going on?" she asks.
    "I have a new work project today. One that should pay pretty good."
    Bea turns away and rolls her eyes. "Really."
    Harry tries to secure a towel around his waist but even the huge bath sheets she bought are too small. "You have your scrapbook class tonight, don't you?"
    She studies him. "Why?"
    Harry shrugs. "Just wondering. I'll be working late tonight."
    Bea almost laughs. "Work? You? I'll believe it when I see it."
    "Don't you need to have a shower?" Harry snaps before heading into the bedroom.
    As she stands motionless in the bathroom, Bea's suspicion grows. Something isn't right with Harry. She knows it. All her years working with conniving students taught her one thing―how to spot a liar.
    "Just what are you up to, Harold Fielding?"
    * * *
    "Fifteen minutes until I'm rich," Harry murmurs.
    He's had a busy day unclogging Mr. McKinley's bathtub drain for the fifth time in the last month, then cleaning the drains over at the old folk's home, and finally fixing a broken water pipe in a new customer's basement.
    Now he's home, grinning and pacing like a child eager for his first visit to the zoo.
    He can't wait to wipe that irritating smirk off Bea's face. In fact, maybe he'll do more than that. Maybe he'll get rid of her once and for all. He could poison her. Or drown her in the bathtub.
    "A rich man like I'll be deserves a better wife." He thinks of Donald Trump. "I'll get me a younger wife, one that doesn't nag me to death…one that looks like a model. Then I'll live in the lap of luxury."
    Oh, yes, Harry can see it now. A new home―a mansion! A yacht or two. Trips to Paris, Greece, France…wherever he wants to go.
    "And all the money I can hope for."
    The clock ticks and he watches the minute hand. "Five more minutes."
    "Harry?"
    His body jerks toward the front door. "I thought you'd left, Bea."
    "I had to put a load of laundry on," she said, shifting a flowered handbag to her shoulder. "Clothes don't wash themselves, you know."
    He ignores the not-so-subtle dig. "I'm heading out in a few minutes."
    From a window, he watches Bea walk down the sidewalk. He feels no sense of remorse that only minutes ago he was plotting her untimely demise. He loved Bea. Once. But things change. He's changed.
    He puffs out his chest. "You'll be sorry you didn't have more faith in me."
    The clock ticks to the final minute.
    Harry smiles. Then he wobbles across the room, picks up the remote control and turns on the TV.
    "It's time."
    He checks the TV guide and switches to Channel 20. There's a commercial for Canadian Idol on, but he knows that won't make him rich. So he waits, his eyes lighting up at the thought of what he was about to do.
    Finally, the hour-long show begins, a documentary that was filmed last year.
    The host of the show comes onto