Patricia Dusenbury - Claire Marshall 01 - A Perfect Victim Read Online Free

weather--heavy thunderstorms were predicted--to
politics to sports.
    Tulane and LSU graduates traded amiable insults about whose football team was worse.
Neither was having a good year. Paul, who'd left Louisiana for college, listened with only half an ear
as he scanned the room for Frank. He was looking forward to the reactions when Frank announced
his impending marriage to Claire Marshall. He was also hoping someone else would suggest caution.
Frank had pooh-poohed all his warnings about young women and wealthy older men, insisting that
Claire was different. Paul had heard that before, usually from an older man about to become poorer
but wiser.
    A chime signaled dinner, and the group migrated to a table near the front. Paul forgot about
Frank until the awards ceremony began. After presentation of the lesser awards, Andrew Walsh
was introduced. He carried an ominously thick stack of note cards up to the podium. Frank's work
with The Children's Home went back at least a decade, and it looked as if Andrew planned to
describe every moment.
    Paul ordered two snifters of Armagnac from a passing waiter. When the brandy arrived, he
slid one over to Bobby, who was also eyeing that stack of notes. Bobby had managed the LSU
football team that Frank captained, he'd been best man when Frank married Annie Lewis, his bank
had supported Frank through the early lean years and, no doubt, still carried a fat portfolio of loans
to FP Development Company. Andrew could say nothing that Bobby hadn't heard many times
before. Their glasses were empty by the time Andrew turned over his last note card.
    "I'd like to present your Citizen of the Year," he said. "Franklin W. Palmer II, chairman of
The Children's Home Board of Directors."
    The applause began with great enthusiasm but died when Frank didn't appear. Heads
swiveled as people searched the room, but the banquet was open seating, and no telltale chair sat
empty at a designated place.
    "My friend, Frank Palmer." Andrew's voice quavered.
    After another long silence, Bobby stood. "I'd like to accept the award on Frank's behalf." A
clap of thunder followed by the rat-tat-tat of heavy rain added to the strangeness of the
moment. The expected storms had arrived.
    Paul marveled at the persistence of character. If half the stories he'd heard were true,
Bobby had been covering for Frank since they were undergraduates.
    The awards ceremony ended with Bobby's brief acceptance speech, but people remained
seated, speculating about possible reasons for Frank's astonishing absence. Andrew darted from
table to table, asking everyone when they'd last seen Frank and generally making a nuisance of
himself. Bobby returned to the microphone and advised everyone to go home. The hour was getting
late. With this heavy rain and more coming, driving conditions would only worsen. He pointed
toward the waiters, standing by the kitchen door. "These hardworking men can't clear the room
until we leave."
    Paul asked one of the hotel staff to let him use an empty office and began making phone
calls.
    Several minutes later, Bobby joined him. "Have you learned anything?"
    "Nothing useful. Jeanette hasn't seen Frank since Tuesday. He left the office early, she
thinks, to go fishing with Hatch. She had more to say, as you can imagine, but the bottom line is she
doesn't know where he is. The police are checking his house, discreetly, of course. I've been unable
to reach Melissa."
    "Melissa?" Bobby raised his eyebrows. "Hasn't he told you about Claire Marshall?"
    Paul nodded. Frank had told him, and Jeanette certainly knew. She'd gone on and on about
Claire's devotion, how she had cut short her vacation because she couldn't stand being apart from
Frank, how she'd called the office several times today, increasingly frantic about not being able to
reach him.
    "Frank wants to shout it from the rooftops," Bobby said, "but Claire doesn't want any big
announcement. You know she was widowed just last year. He told me a few days ago, and I