Shadow Over Edmund Street by Suzanne Frankham (best e reader for android .txt) 📗

He overlooked Patricia at first because she was melancholy, and he wanted a partner who provided some entertainment. By his fourth year at law school he was forced to cast the net wider, and when Patricia invited him to a party at her parent’s, her fate was sealed. Her father was a judge, her family home more than Edward could ever imagine. He’d had no idea people lived in such luxury—a mansion with several bathrooms, a kitchen bigger than most houses, three living areas and a swimming pool with a cabana. The cabana proved a big bonus when it came to seducing the reluctant

Patricia.

When she confessed one night in the cabana after she and Edward had shed their clothes before the swim, before the wine, and before they made love on the futon—that the reason she was sometimes depressed was because she’d had an abortion and could no longer have children, Edward could hardly restrain himself. He tried his best to appear upset, but he was ecstatic. That she could no longer have children was the icing on the cake. He loathed children. He wanted a wife, money, influence and success, but the idea of grubby little children running around demanding attention made him feel ill. When Patricia realised that, damaged goods and all, she had snared the most eligible man in law school, she became his devoted servant for life.

Her father’s dire prediction of a life lived alone because of her wanton behaviour, had proven groundless. Edward Nyss was going to give her a home and the respectability she craved. That it was paid for by money willed to her by her grandmother, didn’t matter one iota to Patricia because her husband proved to be a very good catch. He invested her money with care and rose in his profession to provide cachet and comfort. Edward Nyss turned out to be the best of all things in life—solid.

* By the time Edward drove past his old house in Edmund Street he was feeling every inch an anonymous Honda driver. The judge who drove the Jaguar had been packed away. Number eleven had a ‘For Sale’ sign on the front fence and he realised three months had passed since Edwina’s demise. The probate on her will must have gone through. Quickly, almost indecently so considering the circumstances, he thought. He toyed with the idea of arranging to see through the house. It would be thrilling, but common sense prevailed. He had never been reckless and drawing attention to himself would be rash. He continued driving up Edmund Street, turned right into the main road, and there it was. One parking spot free along the entire shopping strip and it was right in front of Jack’s Place. Energy surged through him, his senses sharpened. Edward had no clear idea of what he was going to do, or where it would lead, but without a doubt the chase had begun.

He almost missed her. He had just parked, when, out of the corner of his eye, a shimmer of colour attracted his gaze. A silk scarf catching the wind, worn by a large woman in gaudy clothes. Juliana. She bent down, kissed her companion on the cheek and waved her hand like a diva before crossing the road to her shop. The other woman stayed where she was for a moment, a smile on her face, watching Juliana. Then she turned and started to walk away. And in that moment, Edward knew he was being gifted a chance to finish off what he had started. Tie up the loose ends. And one loose end was this slight woman in front of him. She was smart, dangerous, it was stamped all over her face. An unlikely friend for Edwina, but this must be the Rose she worshiped. The woman who had been the catalyst. He was sure of it. Now was the time to find out more before he decided what to do.

He watched Rose, focused all his attention on her. The street, the noise, the cars around him faded, ceased to exist. The world shrank to the woman and him. When she slipped into a small white car, another Japanese car, he wanted to laugh out loud. It took a huge effort to keep his delight in check. To concentrate on the task.

It was easy to follow her. The traffic was slow, she went straight ahead, turned left at the lights and continued along the road for a few hundred metres, leaving the shops behind. There was enough traffic to hide him. Through more lights, another left turn and shortly after she signalled a right towards the harbour. She made the turn and as Edward expected, he was able to make the turn behind her. He stopped at the top of the road, watched as she slowed, indicated and turned into a driveway near the water. Now he had her address, and he’d memorised the car number plate. He had the means to discover everything he needed to know

about her.

He sat watching until her car disappeared, and only then did he look around. He began to laugh as adrenaline coursed through his body. The street was familiar, he had bought his first investment property close by. At the time, his investment advisor assured him the houses were going to be valuable one day. ‘Location,’ he had pronounced, in his supercilious way. ‘They are on the water and close to town. Undervalued. Buy now and wait.’ Edward hadn’t believed one word the pompous git had uttered. To him, it was an extension of his old neighbourhood, run down and neglected. Nevertheless he had bought a house, as instructed, investing some of Patricia’s inheritance and watched in amazement as prices went up and up.

It took several minutes before he was able to bring his excitement under control. He wiped tears of joy from his eyes. Settled himself. His hunt for the woman might be preordained, but from now