Free Shaded Light: The Case of the Tactless Trophy Wife: A Paul Manziuk and Jacquie Ryan Mystery (The Manziuk and Ryan Mysteries Book 1) by J. A. Menzies

bottom of the stairs, Ellen was surprised to see Nick standing in the open front doorway, apparently watching the people outside. At that moment, he turned and she was immediately aware of a difference. In the few minutes since she’d last seen him, he seemed to have paled, although with his tan it was hard to imagine how. To cover her confusion, Ellen began to talk. “Nick, you haven’t met Lorry yet.” She made the introductions.
    Lorry smiled.
    Ellen watched Nick to see his reaction, but there was none. Perhaps because he had been looking into the bright sunlight, he had trouble focusing in the darker hallway? She went to the open front door to call out, “Kendall, come and meet Lorry.”
    Douglass was still at Jillian’s side of the car, leaning over. Kendall was talking to Shauna and Peter, but he waved to acknowledge his mother’s words and came inside.
    When Kendall was in, Ellen introduced him to Lorry. Then she waved her hand in the direction of the games room. “Perhaps you’d like to have a game of billiards while you wait for supper.”
    She didn’t wait for an answer, but started toward the front door to look after her other guests. As she walked out the front door, she was wondering what was wrong with Nick. His easy habit of conversation seemed to be absent. Maybe she was imagining things, but he looked like someone who’d just seen a ghost.

    Still seated in the silver Mercedes Peter had given her as a wedding present, Jillian Martin shut her voluminous purse. “That’s everything!” she announced. “Thanks for helping, Douglass. You’re such a sweetheart.” She raised her voice. “If we’ve missed any little thing, you’ll find it later, won’t you, Petey?”
    “Sure, I will. But I suggest you come along now. You heard what Ellen said about supper.” Peter glanced at his watch. “We have less than an hour. We’ll both have to hurry if we’re to be ready. ”
    “I’d better see that our suitcases are all out,” Douglass mumbled as he headed for his own car.
    “Oh, well.” Jillian shrugged. “I suppose if I’m a little late it won’t really matter. She’ll understand.”
    “ She might, but I’m not so sure about me. I missed lunch today.” Peter laughed and patted his growing middle.
    Jillian ignored him as she got out of the car. “Let’s go in. I want to see what our room looks like. What a huge house! Come on, Shauna. Our hostess is waiting for us.”
    Ellen led the way upstairs. “I’ve put Shauna in with my young cousin,” Ellen said as she opened a bedroom door.
    “I hate to cause all this trouble.” Shauna twisted the handle of her purse.
    “Shauna could have managed perfectly well on a couch somewhere,” Jillian said. “I hope your cousin isn’t inconvenienced.”
    “Oh, yes. This room is far too nice for me. Just a small cot somewhere would do.”
    Ellen chose to ignore both comments. “Jillian, I remembered that you look lovely in all those bright oranges and yellows, and so I thought the room with those colors would be perfect for you. And, of course, I put Anne and Douglass in the green room because she wears a lot of greens and grays. Clever of me, don’t you think?”
    “Very clever of you, Ellen,” Peter said. “And now, we’d better get to that room, Jillian, or we’ll never be on time for supper.
    She acquiesced and, leaving Shauna, they followed Ellen.
    Shauna was staring at a picture Lorry had placed on the nightstand next to her bed when there was a knock on the door. She jumped. Guiltily, she moved away from Lorry’s side of the room.
    “Come in,” she said in a frightened voice.
    The knock was repeated.
    She forced her voice to become louder. “Come in.”
    The door opened and the new suitcase Jillian had lent her appeared in the doorway. Behind it stood a strange man.
    “Oh!”
    “Delivering luggage. This is yours, I hope?”
    “Yes. Thank you. I—thank you.”
    “You’re welcome. Where would you like it?”
    “Oh,” she