Read Online Along Came a Spider by James Patterson - Free Book Online
Authors: James Patterson
Ads: Link
under the earth forever and ever?
Suddenly, she remembered something. Mr. Soneji. A little of the fog that swirled around her cleared away for a second.
Mr. Soneji had taken her out of school. When had it happened? Why? Where was Mr. Soneji now?
And Michael! What had happened to Michael? They had left school together. She remembered that much.
She moved then, and the most amazing thing happened. She discovered that
she could roll herself over
.
That’s what Maggie Rose did. She rolled over, and was suddenly up against something.
She could feel her whole body again. She still had a body to feel. She was absolutely certain she had her body and that she wasn’t a skeleton.
And Maggie screamed!
She had rolled into
someone
or
something
.
Someone else
was there in the dark with her.
Michael?
It had to be Michael.
“
Michael
?” Maggie’s voice was so low it was barely a whisper. “Michael? Is that you?”
She waited for an answer.
“Michael?” she whispered louder.
“Michael, c’mon. Please talk to me.”
Whoever it was wouldn’t answer. It was more terrifying than being alone.
“Michael… It’s me… Don’t be afraid… It’s Maggie… Michael, please wake up.
“Oh, Michael, please… Please, Shrimpie. I was just kidding about your dopey school shoes. C’mon, Michael. Talk to me, Shrimpie. It’s Dweebo Dido.”
CHAPTER 14
THE DUNNE HOUSE was what local real-estate mavens might call Lutyens-style neo-Elizabethan. Neither Sampson nor I had seen too many of those in Southeast D.C.
Inside, the house had the serenity and diversity I guess might be common among the rich. There were a lot of expensive “things.” Art Deco plaques, and oriental screens, a French sundial, a Turkestan rug, what looked like a Chinese or Japanese altar table. I remembered something Picasso had once said: “Give me a museum, and I’ll fill it.”
There was a small bathroom off one of the formal sitting rooms. Chief of Detectives George Pittman grabbed me and pulled me in there minutes after I arrived. It was around eight o’clock. Too early for this.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked me. “What are you up to, Cross?”
The room was really cramped, no place for two good-sized, grown-up men to be. It wasn’t your average toilet, either. The floor was covered with a William Morris rug. A designer chair sat in one corner.
“I thought I would get some coffee. Then I was going to sit in on the morning briefing,” I said to Pittman. I wanted to get out of that bathroom so bad.
“Don’t fuck around with me.” He started to raise his voice. “Do
not
fuck with me.”
Oh, don’t do that
, I wanted to say to him.
Don’t make a big, awful scene in here
. I thought about putting his head underwater in the toilet bowl, just to keep him quiet.
“Lower your voice, or I’m leaving,” I said. I try to act in a reasonable and considerate manner most of the time. It’s one of my character flaws.
“Don’t tell me to lower my voice. Who the fuck told you to go home last night? You and Sampson. Who told you to go to the Soneji apartment this morning?”
“Is that what this is all about? Is that why we’re in here together now?” I asked.
“You bet it is. I’m running this investigation. That means if you want to tie your shoe, you talk to me first.”
I grinned. I couldn’t help it. “Where’d you get that line? Did Lou Gossett say that in
An Officer and a Gentleman
?”
“You think this is a lot of fun and games, Cross?”
“No, I don’t. I don’t think it’s any fun. Now you keep the fuck out of my face, or you won’t have one,” I warned him.
I walked out of the bathroom. Chief of Detectives Pittman didn’t follow me.
Yes
, I can be provoked.
No
, that little turd shouldn’t fuck with me.
At a little past eight, the Hostage Rescue Team was finally gathered together in a large, exquisitely decorated sitting room. Right away I sensed something was wrong. Something was up for
Suddenly, she remembered something. Mr. Soneji. A little of the fog that swirled around her cleared away for a second.
Mr. Soneji had taken her out of school. When had it happened? Why? Where was Mr. Soneji now?
And Michael! What had happened to Michael? They had left school together. She remembered that much.
She moved then, and the most amazing thing happened. She discovered that
she could roll herself over
.
That’s what Maggie Rose did. She rolled over, and was suddenly up against something.
She could feel her whole body again. She still had a body to feel. She was absolutely certain she had her body and that she wasn’t a skeleton.
And Maggie screamed!
She had rolled into
someone
or
something
.
Someone else
was there in the dark with her.
Michael?
It had to be Michael.
“
Michael
?” Maggie’s voice was so low it was barely a whisper. “Michael? Is that you?”
She waited for an answer.
“Michael?” she whispered louder.
“Michael, c’mon. Please talk to me.”
Whoever it was wouldn’t answer. It was more terrifying than being alone.
“Michael… It’s me… Don’t be afraid… It’s Maggie… Michael, please wake up.
“Oh, Michael, please… Please, Shrimpie. I was just kidding about your dopey school shoes. C’mon, Michael. Talk to me, Shrimpie. It’s Dweebo Dido.”
CHAPTER 14
THE DUNNE HOUSE was what local real-estate mavens might call Lutyens-style neo-Elizabethan. Neither Sampson nor I had seen too many of those in Southeast D.C.
Inside, the house had the serenity and diversity I guess might be common among the rich. There were a lot of expensive “things.” Art Deco plaques, and oriental screens, a French sundial, a Turkestan rug, what looked like a Chinese or Japanese altar table. I remembered something Picasso had once said: “Give me a museum, and I’ll fill it.”
There was a small bathroom off one of the formal sitting rooms. Chief of Detectives George Pittman grabbed me and pulled me in there minutes after I arrived. It was around eight o’clock. Too early for this.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he asked me. “What are you up to, Cross?”
The room was really cramped, no place for two good-sized, grown-up men to be. It wasn’t your average toilet, either. The floor was covered with a William Morris rug. A designer chair sat in one corner.
“I thought I would get some coffee. Then I was going to sit in on the morning briefing,” I said to Pittman. I wanted to get out of that bathroom so bad.
“Don’t fuck around with me.” He started to raise his voice. “Do
not
fuck with me.”
Oh, don’t do that
, I wanted to say to him.
Don’t make a big, awful scene in here
. I thought about putting his head underwater in the toilet bowl, just to keep him quiet.
“Lower your voice, or I’m leaving,” I said. I try to act in a reasonable and considerate manner most of the time. It’s one of my character flaws.
“Don’t tell me to lower my voice. Who the fuck told you to go home last night? You and Sampson. Who told you to go to the Soneji apartment this morning?”
“Is that what this is all about? Is that why we’re in here together now?” I asked.
“You bet it is. I’m running this investigation. That means if you want to tie your shoe, you talk to me first.”
I grinned. I couldn’t help it. “Where’d you get that line? Did Lou Gossett say that in
An Officer and a Gentleman
?”
“You think this is a lot of fun and games, Cross?”
“No, I don’t. I don’t think it’s any fun. Now you keep the fuck out of my face, or you won’t have one,” I warned him.
I walked out of the bathroom. Chief of Detectives Pittman didn’t follow me.
Yes
, I can be provoked.
No
, that little turd shouldn’t fuck with me.
At a little past eight, the Hostage Rescue Team was finally gathered together in a large, exquisitely decorated sitting room. Right away I sensed something was wrong. Something was up for
Similar Books
