Voted Out by J.S. Marlo

Author:J.S. Marlo
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: childrens relationship complicates second chance at love, false and mistaken identities, heroine paints in her studio at the back of her art gallery, northern manitoba town is rocked by explosion and murder and suicide, police investigate the misconduct of election officers, secret and deadly love affairs, suspects are victim of blackmail
Publisher: BWL Publishing Inc.

~ * ~

After a long conversation with Damien, Liliane hung up.

He promised to board the first available flight as soon as his divorce lawyer dismissed him. What he aimed to accomplish by rushing back when she’d already briefed him on Sophie’s death puzzled Liliane, but she knew better than trying to dissuade him. The man could be more tenacious than a dog chasing a cooked slice of bacon. She preferred to save her energy for the one battle she intended to win.

The candidate’s nomination papers contained the private phone number she needed. Using her iPhone, she dialed it. She heard a click after the first ring.

“Stuart Reiter speaking.” His unmistakable nasal voice grated on her nerves.

“Hi, Stuart. This is Liliane Irwin, finance officer at the election office. I’m calling on behalf of the returning officer.” The answers she sought were buried inside the thick skull of the insufferable manager. If she had to perform a craniotomy to peek inside, she would. “The postal code on the nomination papers is illegible. I need you to come in to my office to correct it.”

“I’m a busy man, Ms. Irwin.” His aggravation rang through loud and clear. “Can I give it to you over the phone?”

In spite of her irritation, she forced herself to remain calm and professional. “Unfortunately, you cannot. No one in my office is allowed to make any changes, as small as they might be, to the nomination papers. I need you to come now, rewrite the postal code, and initial it. I’ll see you in ten minutes.”

She hung up before giving him a chance to argue he couldn’t show up now. Less than ten minutes later, Stuart barged in her office with Gloria on his heels.

Out of breath, the receptionist grabbed the doorframe. “Sorry, Liliane. I couldn’t stop him.”

“No need to apologize, Gloria.” Liliane glared at her visitor. “Nowadays, wild boars have no sense of decorum.”

The man towering over her desk snarled, drowning Gloria’s strangled chuckles as she closed the door behind herself. With his aviator style mirrored sunglasses, tight faded jeans, and fitted salmon shirt, Stuart resembled a jock facing a middle-life crisis, not an election.

“Sit or stand, Stuart, but back off.” Liliane didn’t yell, leap to her feet, or threaten to punch him, but the arctic chill in her voice yielded the desired effect. “And lose the glasses. We need to talk.” And while they talked, she wanted to see his expression.

The man stepped back, and with a defiant nonchalance, he removed his glasses and slipped them into his shirt pocket. “Happy?”

“Yes. Now before you shift blame on someone else for bad penmanship, the nomination papers are fine, but I still need the original documents before the deadline or your candidate is out. That being said, this isn’t the reason you’re here.” She tossed the copy of the check in his direction. “When you leaked the copy of that check to Election Headquarters, did you know it was a forgery?”

A muscle twitched at the corner of his eyes as he glowered at her.

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