Read Online A Job to Kill For by Janice Kaplan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Janice Kaplan
Ads: Link
landing, rushed out of Barneys, and ran frantically down Wilshire. At the corner of Beverly Drive, I stood for a moment, but when the blinking sign didn’t immediately change to WALK , I walked anyway.
“Hey, lady, you from New York? Cops give tickets for jay-walking around here!” a man called out.
He was right, but who cared? The real penalty right now involved my daughter’s reputation.
Inside Anthropologie, a fresh-faced young sales clerk immediately greeted me with a cheerful smile. But before she could show me the colorful skirts, the unusual home accessories, or the jewel-studded shoes (the place seemed to be Barneys for the under-thirty crowd), I said, “I’m looking for Joey Tartufo.”
Her face changed. “Right this way,” she said, leading me to the back of the store. She knocked lightly on a door, and Joey Tartufo opened it almost immediately. Medium height and broad-shouldered, he had a bushy mustache and unexpectedly kind eyes. He reached to shake my hand, but I looked past him and saw Ashley and her friend Tara, sitting close to each other on two hard wooden chairs.
“Honey…” I said, starting over toward her.
“I’m okay, Mom,” Ashley said. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as if warding me away.
Joey dangled a pair of drop earrings in front of us. “We found these in your daughter’s backpack,” he said. “Twenty-two karat gold-dipped silver with emerald drops. Price is two hundred forty-eight dollars.”
“I don’t need to steal,” Ashley said boldly. “My mom buys me anything I want.”
“I wouldn’t buy those for two hundred forty-eight dollars,” I admitted.
“Well, I wouldn’t even want them,” said Ashley irritably.
“They’re probably not real emeralds,” said Tara. “Maybe emerald-colored glass.”
“The inventory sheet says emerald,” said Joey Tartufo, all but stamping his foot, “and the point is Ashley left the store without paying for them.”
“She didn’t leave the store,” said Tara. “When you grabbed her, she had her hands on the door, but her feet were still inbounds.”
“This isn’t a game,” said Joey Tartufo.
“You have to play by the rules anyway,” said Tara, tossing back her long blond hair. “My dad’s a lawyer, and I know all about procedure. Why did you stop us, anyway? Did you have cause?”
“One of the sales people observed you two whispering and acting suspiciously.”
“We’re teenage girls. Of course we whisper,” said Tara, rolling her eyes. “Duh. Duh-uh.”
Ashley elbowed her friend, her own demeanor suddenly changing. “It doesn’t matter,” Ashley said, tears welling in her eyes. “The earrings must have fallen into my backpack without my knowing it.” She got up and ran over to me, throwing her arms around my waist. “Mommy, I’m so sorry. You’re always telling me not to leave my backpack gaping open. You’re right! I forgot to close it and he thinks I’m a thief. I’m not a thief.”
She burst into loud sobs. I held her tightly as her whole body shook and her wails filled the room. Joey Tartufo came over and put a comforting hand on her back.
“Don’t touch her,” Tara called out. “Illegal!”
But Ashley, gasping with sobs, turned around and grabbed Joey’s hand. “My daddy will kill me if he finds out,” she said. “He was charged with murder once, but this time he’ll do it.”
“Ashley!” I said, horrified.
“A murder charge?” Joey asked.
“He didn’t do it,” I said quickly.
“At least we don’t think so,” said Ashley. Still clutching Joey’s hand, she brought it to her cheek. Tears streamed down. “Please, I swear I’m innocent. My mommy’s been through so much. Don’t accuse me.”
Thoroughly discomfited, Joey pulled his hand away from Ashley’s. “Look, nobody saw you lift the earrings, so it’s just circumstantial. If your mom buys your story, I’ll go with it.”
He looked at me, and I put my arm around my daughter. “Ashley’s
“Hey, lady, you from New York? Cops give tickets for jay-walking around here!” a man called out.
He was right, but who cared? The real penalty right now involved my daughter’s reputation.
Inside Anthropologie, a fresh-faced young sales clerk immediately greeted me with a cheerful smile. But before she could show me the colorful skirts, the unusual home accessories, or the jewel-studded shoes (the place seemed to be Barneys for the under-thirty crowd), I said, “I’m looking for Joey Tartufo.”
Her face changed. “Right this way,” she said, leading me to the back of the store. She knocked lightly on a door, and Joey Tartufo opened it almost immediately. Medium height and broad-shouldered, he had a bushy mustache and unexpectedly kind eyes. He reached to shake my hand, but I looked past him and saw Ashley and her friend Tara, sitting close to each other on two hard wooden chairs.
“Honey…” I said, starting over toward her.
“I’m okay, Mom,” Ashley said. She crossed her arms in front of her chest as if warding me away.
Joey dangled a pair of drop earrings in front of us. “We found these in your daughter’s backpack,” he said. “Twenty-two karat gold-dipped silver with emerald drops. Price is two hundred forty-eight dollars.”
“I don’t need to steal,” Ashley said boldly. “My mom buys me anything I want.”
“I wouldn’t buy those for two hundred forty-eight dollars,” I admitted.
“Well, I wouldn’t even want them,” said Ashley irritably.
“They’re probably not real emeralds,” said Tara. “Maybe emerald-colored glass.”
“The inventory sheet says emerald,” said Joey Tartufo, all but stamping his foot, “and the point is Ashley left the store without paying for them.”
“She didn’t leave the store,” said Tara. “When you grabbed her, she had her hands on the door, but her feet were still inbounds.”
“This isn’t a game,” said Joey Tartufo.
“You have to play by the rules anyway,” said Tara, tossing back her long blond hair. “My dad’s a lawyer, and I know all about procedure. Why did you stop us, anyway? Did you have cause?”
“One of the sales people observed you two whispering and acting suspiciously.”
“We’re teenage girls. Of course we whisper,” said Tara, rolling her eyes. “Duh. Duh-uh.”
Ashley elbowed her friend, her own demeanor suddenly changing. “It doesn’t matter,” Ashley said, tears welling in her eyes. “The earrings must have fallen into my backpack without my knowing it.” She got up and ran over to me, throwing her arms around my waist. “Mommy, I’m so sorry. You’re always telling me not to leave my backpack gaping open. You’re right! I forgot to close it and he thinks I’m a thief. I’m not a thief.”
She burst into loud sobs. I held her tightly as her whole body shook and her wails filled the room. Joey Tartufo came over and put a comforting hand on her back.
“Don’t touch her,” Tara called out. “Illegal!”
But Ashley, gasping with sobs, turned around and grabbed Joey’s hand. “My daddy will kill me if he finds out,” she said. “He was charged with murder once, but this time he’ll do it.”
“Ashley!” I said, horrified.
“A murder charge?” Joey asked.
“He didn’t do it,” I said quickly.
“At least we don’t think so,” said Ashley. Still clutching Joey’s hand, she brought it to her cheek. Tears streamed down. “Please, I swear I’m innocent. My mommy’s been through so much. Don’t accuse me.”
Thoroughly discomfited, Joey pulled his hand away from Ashley’s. “Look, nobody saw you lift the earrings, so it’s just circumstantial. If your mom buys your story, I’ll go with it.”
He looked at me, and I put my arm around my daughter. “Ashley’s
Similar Books
