Green Canvas (A Lise Norwood Mystery, #2) by Andrew Nance

Author:Andrew Nance
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: mystery, thriller, suspense, private investigator, art, murder, kidnapping, money laundering, ptsd, orphans
Publisher: Red Adept Publishing
Published: 2023-12-19T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

I stood and blurted, “Nick!” Though I only said his name, I used many different inflections, including an Oh my God, you’re being attacked variation. Another indicated Yikes, you caught me having dinner with another man. A third interpretation was the ol’ What are you doing here? And of course It’s not what it looks like, which usually means It's so what it looks like.

When Edward realized who Nick was, he called off Eileen. “That’s enough.”

She cocked an eyebrow at her boss.

“He’s a friend of Lise.”

She released Nick but stood at the ready.

Nick distanced himself from her. “What was that?” he asked dazedly as he straightened his shirt.

“I’m sorry,” Edward said.

A feminine voice called, “Nick! Are you all right?”

The question should have come from me, but it didn’t. A woman with a mane of fiery red hair hurried toward us. As if the night’s surreal turn couldn’t get any stranger, there was Nick’s old girlfriend.

“Meredith Frazier?” I said, like I feared I might be suffering from a strange hallucination.

“Lise, hi.”

Every eye in the dining room was fixed on our little group.

“It’s okay,” Edward said to Warrick, and she returned to her table. Edward then got up and pulled out a chair for Meredith. After she sat, he held out a hand to Nick. “Edward Burke.”

Nick, still looking stunned, shook his hand. “Nick Weldon.”

“Yes, I’ve heard of you.”

He next took Meredith’s hand.

“Meredith Frazier,” she said and gazed up at him, an awestruck expression on her face. A lot of women probably wore that same look when they first met him.

“Please sit,” Edward said to Nick and me.

Nick and I exchanged glances as we sat, his confusion evident. And did I see some hurt in his eyes? I quickly looked away. I was dumbstruck, and judging from the lengthy silence, the situation was uncomfortable for everyone.

Nick finally spoke. “So, what’s with...” He looked over to Warrick at the next table.

“I’m sorry about that,” Edward said. “She’s my bodyguard. It’s her job to stop anyone she doesn’t know from approaching me.”

Nick nodded as if in thought and then said loud enough for Eileen to hear, “I was approaching my girlfriend, not you.”

“Nick, don’t start,” I said.

“Start what?”

Edward held up a hand. “No, it’s all right. I’m still getting used to having a bodyguard myself. I’ve never had security before, but because of certain recent events, and at the encouragement of Burke Industries’ board of directors, I now have Eileen looking out for me.”

“So, what do you do that requires security? Organized crime? In the witness protection program?”

“Nothing nefarious, I assure you. But sometimes, successful businesspeople find themselves targets for some reason or another.”

“You’ve hired Lise?”

“Yes. She’s collecting artwork for display at the new San Marco Performing Arts Center.”

Nick fixed me with a gaze. “So this is your business dinner?”

“Yes, it is. What are you and Meredith doing here?” I asked.

“Hear that?” Nick lifted his eyebrows and pointed a finger up as raucous laughter came from the bar. “That’s the celebration you couldn’t make because you had a business dinner.

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