Read Online Anne Perry's Christmas Vigil by Anne Perry - Free Book Online

then?”
    â€œCourse there in’t, yer daft little girl,” he said sharply, then he rattled off a list of streets, and she closed her eyes, concentrating on remembering them, before she looked back at him and thanked him. Then she grabbed Minnie Maude by the hand and retreated into the darkness and the jumble of the yard, pulling Minnie Maude with her. She was not ready to speak yet. She needed to concentrate on memorizing the streets, before they went out of her head. She wished she could write, then they could be kept safe longer. She could bring them back anytime she wanted—days from now, weeks even. One day she would learn, then she’d be able to keep every idea that mattered, forever. That would be like owning the whole world! You could always have people talking to you, telling you their dreams, their ideas. She would do it, absolutely definitely—one day.
    She repeated the street names one more time, then turned to Minnie Maude.
    â€œWe’ll go termorrer,” she told her. “You say the streets over an’ over, too, case I forget.”
    â€œI got ’em.” Minnie Maude nodded. “When termorrer?”
    Gracie started to walk briskly back toward their own streets, Minnie Maude’s first, then hers. They were facing the wind now, and it was colder. “Termorrer,” she said.

    I n the morning, shreds of the fog still lingered. The air was as still as the dead, a rime of ice covered the stones so that they were slick underfoot, and all the gutters were frozen over.
    Gracie found Minnie Maude in the usual place, her shawl hugged around her, hands hidden under it. Every few moments the girl banged her feet on the ground to jar them into life. The instantshe saw Gracie, she came forward and the two girls fell into step, walking quickly to begin their detection.
    Gracie recited the streets over in her mind, trying to make a pattern out of them, so she wouldn’t forget.
    â€œI’m gonna learn ter read,” she muttered to herself as they trudged along.
    â€œMe, too,” Minnie Maude added.
    Cannon Street was busy with lots of carts and drays, and a sweeper to keep the manure off the main crossings at the corners. He was working hard now, his arms swinging the broom with considerable force as he got rid of the last droppings left only a few minutes before. It was difficult to tell how old he was. He was less than five feet tall, but his narrow shoulders looked strong. His trousers were too long for him, and frayed at the bottoms over his boots. His coat came past his knees, and his cap rested on his ears. When he smiled at them, they could see that one of hisfront teeth was broken short, and for a moment his round face gave him the illusion of being about six.
    â€œThere y’are!” he said cheerfully, standing back to show the clean path across.
    Gracie wished she had a penny to spare him, but he probably had more than she did. But she had a ha’penny, and he might also have information. She gave it to him.
    He looked surprised, but he took it. For an instant, she felt rich, and grown-up. “D’yer know Alf, the rag an’ bone man wot got killed on Richard Street three days back?” she asked hopefully. “ ’E done Jimmy Quick’s round.”
    â€œÂ â€™E ’ad a donkey,” Minnie Maude added.
    The boy thought for a while, frowning. “Yeah. It’d rained summink ’orrible. Gutters was all swillin’ over. ’Ardly worth both’rin’.” He jerked the broom at the cobbles to demonstrate.
    â€œYer saw ’im?” Minnie Maude said excitedly. “Which way were ’e goin’?”
    The boy frowned at her, and pointed east into the wind. “That way. Thought as ’e were orff ’is path. Jimmy’d a gorn up there.” He swung around and pointed westward, the way they had come. “Still an’ all, wot’s it matter? Poor devil. S’pose the