From Riches to Rags Read Online Free Page B

From Riches to Rags
Book: From Riches to Rags Read Online Free
Author: Mairsile Leabhair
Tags: Fiction, Romance, Literature & Fiction, Gay & Lesbian, Genre Fiction, Lesbian, Lesbian Romance
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child might be doing in her own apartment. I wanted to assure her of that, but I did not. Instead I handed her a stack of photos of Chris with the kitten, thinking that would alleviate her concerns.
    “Oh my…, and so you can see everything? Tell me about her apartment. Is it clean? Does she have furniture, clean sheets and blankets?”
    “Yes, ma’am, her apartment has no rooms, except for the bathroom, so her kitchen, living room and bedroom are all in the same room.”
    “Oh my.” She said again.
    Finally Mr. Livingston asked for the rest of my report, and that’s when I told him about Chris feeding the beggar and of her being fired. When I asked him, he said he had heard of the Blackstone’s, but not of their daughter, Melinda. He was angry. I assured him that Chris got in the last word, much to the displeasure of Ms. Blackstone. And then I assuaged his anger by telling him of how, after she was fired, Chris had walked by a liquor store, looked at it momentarily, and then kept walking. I believed that was the tipping point for her.
    “Tomorrow is her birthday. Could you… I have presents for her.”
    My heart melted in spite of its self when Mrs. Livingston showed me the stacks of presents she had personally picked out for her daughter’s birthday. She followed my eyes as I looked at Mr. Livingston for the answer.
    “Please, Carl, it’s her birthday and she’s doing so well. What can one present hurt?”
    I heard myself taking up Mrs. Livingston’s cause, “I can sneak it over to her door and‒”
    He interrupted me, “And who shall we say it’s from, hmm? Listen, I want to do this as much as you two do, but isn’t it more cruel to get her hopes up like that? She only has three more months to go, and then we’ll celebrate everything we’ve missed when she comes home.”
    His reasoning was sound, although I don’t think Mrs. Livingston thought as much. I couldn’t help but wonder what Chris would do when she returned home to all those presents, all that wealth, and all that liquor.
     
    ***
     
    Something Interesting Evolving — George Kirk
     
    Melinda called me just now and asked for my help in locating the girl who had told her off at the restaurant. She said it was just to set things right, but Melinda has never, in her entire life, sought to right a wrong she had caused. Could there be something evolving that even Melinda is not aware of? Could it be that she was truly sorry for getting that young woman fired?
    I try not to be a pessimist, but knowing Melinda like I do, it is more than likely she just didn’t like losing an argument to a waitress. But how will finding her now help? It’s not like Melinda will have an audience to see her prove a point. The woman is unemployed now.
    However, and this is what gives me cause for hope, Melinda tried to get the woman’s job reinstated. I listened to her, gaping in shock, as she told me over the phone how she had gone back to the restaurant and talked privately with the owner. He finally admitted to Melinda that he had paid Chris in cash and food, and did not have her address, nor did he have her telephone number. He had asked for that in case he needed her to cover a shift and she had told him she didn’t have a phone. Though I didn’t say anything, I found that hard to believe in this day and age.
    So now it’s up to me to locate a waif of a girl who could be anywhere in the big city of Memphis. This is so far removed from my prevue, that I suggested she hire a private investigator to locate the girl. Melinda blew me off, telling me to do whatever I thought best and to send her the bill, just leave her name out of it.
    So first I did an Angie’s List search and learned that there are sixty-nine private investigators in Memphis. Most of them were large firms so I narrowed the list down to eight private individuals. Then I chose the highest rated person, based on customer satisfaction. There were three rated the same, so decided to pick the
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