Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune
“You’re serious,” she whispered.“As a heart attack,” he said. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to—”“You … you … you monster!” she shouted. “I demand an apology!”Of course she would. “An apology would imply I’ve done somethingwrong. I haven’t. If anything, you should be apologizing to me.”Her answering screech did not contain an apology.Wallace kept his cool as he pressed the button on his phone again.“Shirley? Has security arrived?”“Yes, Mr. Price.”“Good. Send them in before something gets thrown at my head.”The last Wallace Price saw of Patricia Ryan was when a large man namedGeraldo dragged her away, kicking and screaming, apparently ignoringWallace’s warning about felonious threats. He was begrudgingly impressedwith Mrs. Ryan’s dedication to wanting to stick what she referred to as a hotfire poker down his throat until it—in her words—pierced his nether regionsand caused extreme agony. “You’ll land on your feet!” he called from thedoorway to his office, knowing the entire floor was listening. He wanted tomake sure they knew he cared. “A door closes, a window opens and allthat.”The elevator doors slid shut, cutting off her outrage.“Ah,” Wallace said. “That’s more like it. Back to work, everyone. Justbecause it’s Friday doesn’t mean you get to slack off.”Everyone began moving immediately.Perfect. The machine ran smoothly once again.He went back into his office, closing the door behind him.He thought of Patricia only once more that afternoon, when he received anemail from the head of Human Resources telling him that she would take careof the scholarship. That twinge in his chest returned, but it was all right. He’dstop for a bottle of Tums on his way home. He didn’t give it—or PatriciaRyan—another thought. Ever forward, he told himself as he moved the emailto a folder marked EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES.Ever forward.He felt better. At least it was quiet now.Next week, his new paralegal would start, and he’d make sure she knewhe wouldn’t tolerate mistakes. It was better to strike fear early rather thandeal with incompetency down the road.
He never got the chance.Instead, two days later, Wallace Price died.
- Page 3 and 4: Begin ReadingTable of ContentsAbout
- Page 5 and 6: For Eric.I hope you woke up in a st
- Page 7 and 8: CHAPTER1Patricia was crying.Wallace
- Page 9 and 10: “Kyle was laid off two months ago
- Page 11 and 12: “Kyle won’t touch me,” she wh
- Page 13: dollars, and that doesn’t even be
- Page 17 and 18: Mostly.She wasn’t crying. He was
- Page 19 and 20: you died, you continued to wear the
- Page 21 and 22: Persian rug he’d spent an exorbit
- Page 23 and 24: to show some kind of emotion. He wo
- Page 25 and 26: He burst out laughing. Yes, he coul
- Page 27 and 28: She grinned. “Oh, man. Just you w
- Page 29 and 30: made it feel like so much more. It
- Page 31 and 32: He said, “I…” He didn’t kno
- Page 33 and 34: She wiped her eyes, still chuckling
- Page 35 and 36: “Oh. Yeah, no. I get it. Yes, thi
- Page 37 and 38: He blinked slowly, becoming aware o
- Page 39 and 40: They rounded a corner, and he could
- Page 41 and 42: He stared at her. “We’re seeing
- Page 43 and 44: CHAPTER4He expected the inside of t
- Page 45 and 46: The second time you share tea, you
- Page 47 and 48: was … calming? Or so close to it
- Page 49 and 50: know I don’t have time for this.
- Page 51 and 52: “And there’s … what?”Hugo d
- Page 53 and 54: questions. I’ll do my best to ans
- Page 55 and 56: “I’m dead,” Wallace said.Hugo
- Page 57 and 58: learned from her mother, a heavyset
- Page 59 and 60: “There aren’t.”“Which means
- Page 61 and 62: Hugo looked at him. “You’re a g
- Page 63 and 64: CHAPTER6The first obstacle was the
He never got the chance.
Instead, two days later, Wallace Price died.
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