Flawed Image by Karen Redman

Author:Karen Redman [Redman, Karen]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 49

December 4th, Saturday

PATRICK SAT AT HIS KITCHEN COUNTER waiting for Doris to arrive. Nathan Hampstead had called earlier and said the others agreed to Patrick’s terms. But they would only give Doris and him the money they needed after the last loan settles. When he heard from Trish about Anthony’s fatal accident in Liam’s car, he wondered if that was intentional. Was someone after Liam? Would what he was about to tell Doris put her in danger? Or him. He took a sip of beer and a call came in on his cell phone. The number flashed across the screen making his gut ache.

He flipped it open. “What the hell do you want, bitch?”

His wife’s voice screeched in his ear. “Stop calling me that.”

“If the shoe fits.”

His eyes were drawn to the antique server’s broken pieces still lying in his foyer hallway bringing a smirk to his face.

“Patrick, you need to sign the papers. Did you get the appraisal done on the property? My attorney needs that evaluation to finalize the divorce.”

“I’ll receive it soon.”

He gulped his beer and kept the phone to his ear ignoring everything she hammered on about until he heard the word money.

“Money,” Patrick said. “Don’t talk to me about money. You’re bleeding me dry.”

“I can’t help it your attorney is incompetent.”

“In the future talk to me through my attorney.”

“But—”

He snapped his cell closed and slammed it onto the counter. She knew how to pluck his nerves. Her call reminded him how much he needed the money. He finished his beer and went for the stronger stuff in his liquor cabinet. Time for the vodka. He filled an eight-ounce glass to the brim and took a swift gulp. His lips puckered. The last time he drank straight vodka was about a year ago when his wife had told him she wanted a divorce. He had awakened the next morning on the kitchen floor, saliva dripping out and a headache that felt like his head would explode. He couldn’t even look at vodka since then. But tonight, after talking with her, somehow it seemed fitting.

His cell rang again. “Damn it. If that’s the bitch. I’m going over and strangle her.”

It wasn’t her number flashing across the screen.

“Doris, are you on your way?”

“Yes. The traffic’s bad. I’ll be there soon.”

As he closed his cell and gazed into the half-empty glass of vodka, he thought about Doris’s thoughtfulness. They had worked together for almost ten years and never had he remembered her putting herself before others. How would she take what he was about to suggest?

Patrick let Doris into his house a little after 6:00 p.m.

She squinted at the pieces of his antique desk in the hallway. “What happened?”

“Never mind. It’s not worth mentioning. Give me your coat.” Patrick draped it over the couch in the living room. “Thanks for coming. Want anything to drink?”

“Liam was murdered and now Anthony’s dead,” Doris said. “It’s very upsetting.”

“I know. Two salespeople killed that worked at our company. Corporate’s not going to like being under a microscope.

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