Shaded Light: The Case of the Tactless Trophy Wife: A Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Mystery (The Manziuk and Ryan Mysteries Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

turn toward the kitchen.
    “There’s one other girl who’s going to be here,” Ellen said thoughtfully. “Her name is Lorry.”
    “Yes?”
    “Stay away from her, too.”
    Bart raised an eyebrow. “That sounds intriguing.”
    “Not at all. She’s the daughter of my favorite cousin, and she’s not in the least your type.”
    “Your cousin’s daughter, eh? Now why do I suspect something? Could she perhaps be Kendall’s type?”
    “Perhaps. But it’s none of your business. Just stay away from her.”
    “Your wish is my command.” He bowed to kiss her hand. “What time will they start arriving?”
    “Dinner is at eight, but I told them they should try to come in the afternoon. To avoid traffic, you know. And they might like a dip in the pool first.”
    “Then I’d better waste no time in getting settled and learning my way around so I’ll be ready to go into action when your guests arrive.”
    He wandered toward the kitchen and Ellen leaned back in her chair. “Stupid,” she said aloud. “I should have sent him packing.”
    That’s what George would say, and he would be right. George said she had a soft spot for Bart. Her only excuse was that most women did.
    She stood up, and wetness seeped through the flimsy straps of her sandal.
    The drink she’d spilled! She’d forgotten all about it. She hurried out to find a cloth and stain remover.

TWO
    George Brodie glanced at the grandfather clock in one corner of his spacious office. Time he was packing it in for the day if he was going to be at the airport on time. Ellen was afraid Lorry would be upset if she arrived in that huge terminal and he wasn’t there to meet her and help with her luggage. And he supposed she might be right. Lorry had never been to Toronto before, and the large, bustling airport would no doubt be an intimidating place for a young girl from the country. Besides, he was having trouble concentrating on work.
    He signed a few more papers and then buzzed his secretary. She was through the door in less time than one would have thought possible. Sometimes he wondered if she sat on the edge of her seat, poised to spring at the sound of the buzzer.
    “Yes, sir?” said the woman as she advanced into the room. Nadia Estmanoth was in her fifties, with graying hair worn in a tight bun and a flowered sari covering her from chin to toes.
    George smiled at his secretary. “I have to go and pick up my wife’s cousin’s girl. Which terminal was it?”
    “Terminal two, Mr. Brodie. I was just coming to let you know it was time for you to leave. Won’t do to have her wandering around the airport looking for someone she’s never seen. How will you know her?”
    “My wife says I can’t miss her, so I’m sure she’s correct. That is, if I’m there on time. Otherwise, I’ll just have her paged.”
    “Of course.”
    He gave her several folders. “These letters need to go out today. By courier.”
    “Yes, sir. The courier is coming,” she said, glancing at her watch, “in half an hour. That will give me plenty of time to make copies and get them ready.”
    She was gone as quickly as she had come. George cleared his desk and packed up his laptop computer. He glanced around, wondering if he’d need anything else. He pulled one file from his in-basket and added it to the papers in his briefcase. Then he checked his pocket for his wallet and keys.
    “Have a good weekend, Mr. Brodie,” his secretary said as he strode through her office.
    “I hope so,” he replied. Then, in afterthought, “You, too. See you Tuesday.”
    He was soon driving his black Lincoln in the downtown traffic. But his mind was on the weekend. Ellen had wanted a simple house party with themselves, Kendall, and Lorry. Inviting his partners and their wives had been his idea. He and Douglass and Peter had a few things to discuss and it had seemed to him they could do some work on the side. Now he was starting to realize it had been a stupid idea. You couldn’t talk