Going To Find Father (A Disappearance Mystery Thriller Book 4) by Laura Greene (beginner reading books for adults txt) 📕

“I could use a little cheering up anyway after the kind of trip I’ve had. Hot toddy?” Max offers, getting up from his seat.

“A what?” Melody asks, confused at what he means. She can tell that he is moving a little slower than usual.

Max clears his throat, “Oh, I forget you’re not Scottish. It’s our version of a night cap here. We mix tea, honey and whiskey together and there you have it. Hot toddy!”

Now that Max is standing, Melody can smell the stench of already settled alcohol on his breath. He’s already drunk and it’s the middle of the afternoon. She wonders how long he’s been at it for.

She waves her hand over her face to fan off the strong whiffs of whiskey. “No thanks, it’s still too early for me. But looks like you’ve already had a head start.”

“Aye, suit yourself.”He pours himself another drink. Then continues unprompted, “If you’d had the trip I had you would be drinking too. I swear, these vendors are something else.” Now, Melody hears the slurs in his speech. “Next time, I’ll send an affiliate to deal with them and save myself the headache.”

Melody clutches her bag. She doesn’t mean to, but there is something uncomfortable about Max’s demeanor today. She does not feel safe this time.

To help ease her fear, Melody decides to ask Max some pressing questions. “Max, so you travel a lot don’t you? Where are some places you’ve visited? The Middle East?” She’s not being discreet, but looking at the state of Max right now, it’s safe to say, they are past discretion.

“Yes,” Max says, leaning back in his chair and reminiscing. “I travel a lot – probably the most in the family too. But I haven’t been to the Middle East yet. My business mostly takes me all over Europe and once in a while to America. Why?”

“Oh, I have just always wanted to visit there. So, none of your family has gone there?”

“No, we generally avoid getting involved in the trade wars over there.” Max now looks at Melody suspiciously.

She quickly responds to his expression with, “How interesting. I happened to see some beautifully decorated plates in your kitchen. They looked like some of the basins I saw in magazines growing up. I’m pretty sure they’re from the Middle East, do you know where you got them from?”

“Oh, decorating? That’s not really a question for me. I’d save that for my brother, Will. He’s more into those things.” He answers, dismissing the question with his hand. “They were probably a gift from someone.”

Melody wonders who that someone could be. She has a hunch, that someone might be my father. What if they belonged to him? “Like someone visiting or someone who worked here?”

“Worked here?” Now Max is sitting up, interested in knowing what Melody is getting at. His eyes droop slightly and she can see that he is battling between sound judgment and a drunken stupor.

She wonders if she is asking too many questions.

Max gets up to pour yet another drink. As if he forgot what she just said moments ago, Max pours two more drinks and says, “We had an employee who talked about the Middle East a lot. Recently.”

My father. Melody just knows that it’s him. “And?”

Max turns around to hand Melody her drink. He comes close to her, ready to sit next to her while saying, “Well, I never did get to know the fella too… Whoa!” Suddenly he trips as he is about to take a seat, and instead of falling down, he drops the drinks. He pulls Melody’s arm up, she drops her bag and falls on top of him.

Immediately, Melody yanks her arm away from Max, letting out a loud scream. He holds her close to him with his arms, and she tries to pull away, but he is too strong for her.

“Come on, Melody. You know I’ve had a thing for you don’t you?” Max says, smiling and staring at her. His eyes are bloodshot and watery. For a moment, Melody is startled. She feels like she is looking stark into the eyes of someone who hasn’t slept in days, someone she doesn’t even know.

Still, he grins at her and the hairs on her arms stiffen at the eeriness of his grin.

Melody continues to struggle to pull her body away. Then Max turns his body around and ends up on top of Melody. If she thought the pungent smell of whiskey was potent before, it is all she can smell now.

Max reaches in to try and kiss her. She turns her face away. Gasps for a breath that will not intoxicate her nostrils. He misses her mouth by inches and slobbers her cheek instead. “Get off me.” She says as she sucks in air.

His body is heavy on top of hers. He seems to be overtly overcome with alcohol that he does not realize Melody is trapped under him. “I’ve always liked you M...Melody. I just haven’t had the chance to tell you. But now you know.” He is struggling to form his words correctly. His eyelids are also drooping. He won’t last long.

The last thing Melody needs is for him to fall asleep on top of her. Trying to pry him off her body will be like moving a ton of bricks from on top of her. “Urgh!” She tries to push him off, but he does not budge. His body barely rocks like it’s harnessed with solid muscle.

“You like me too don’t you? We could be good together. Huh?”

“Max! Get…off!” Melody loosens her hand from under him. She slips it around his broad shoulders and hits his back as hard as she can. In the least she hopes to snap him out of it. It doesn’t