Read Online Black Friday by William W. Johnstone - Free Book Online

yet. I just thought I’d come over and say hello.”
    â€œHello,” she said. “I must get back to work.”
    â€œOkay. I’m Calvin, by the way.”
    â€œIrina.”
    â€œGood to meet you.”
    â€œLikewise.” She switched the buffer on again and started working it back and forth across the floor.
    Well, that didn’t go just great, Calvin told himself as he walked slowly back toward the opening between the food court and the rest of the mall. Not that he had gone over there to flirt with her or anything. He really was just being friendly and passing the time.
    He forgot about Irina as he spotted Raymond Napoli striding toward him. The boss nodded to him and checked off something on the clipboard, probably his name, Calvin thought.
    â€œYou squared away here, Marshall?”
    â€œYes, sir. I know what to do.”
    â€œKeep your eyes open, that’s the main thing. If you look like you know what you’re doing, people will assume that you do.”
    â€œYes, sir.” Calvin hesitated, then went on, “I heard that there’s more trouble here at the food court than anywhere else. Fights and such.”
    â€œThis is where the kids hang out, so yeah, there are squabbles you’ll have to break up. Most of your shoplifters, purse snatchers, and the like, though, hang out around the main entrances, where they can run right out to a waiting car. So you shouldn’t have to deal with much of that.”
    â€œOkay, thanks,” Calvin said, nodding.
    Napoli handed him a walkie-talkie and said, “Push that button and you get me. Push this other one and you broadcast to all the other units in the mall. That’s your panic button. Bad trouble breaks out, you yell for help right away.”
    â€œYes, sir. But I thought you said you’re not expecting much trouble.”
    â€œI’m not. But you put that many people in one place . . . well, you just never know, kid.” Napoli chuckled. “They don’t call it Black Friday for nothin’, you know.”

Chapter 10
    V anessa Hamilton knew her sons would sleep late on Friday morning. As much turkey as they had eaten the day before, they were liable to be groggy all weekend, especially since there was plenty of leftover turkey as well.
    Tomorrow morning and Sunday morning, she would get up early and make pancakes and bacon and eggs, and they would have a big family breakfast both days.
    Today Jon, seventeen, and Mark, sixteen, would have to fend for themselves. That would be good practice for them.
    Mitch would just grab some coffee and toast and be fine with that. He’d be in a hurry to get to the store, anyway. He always opened at eight o’clock, so today would be no different for him.
    Vanessa woke Kaitlyn at seven. The girl moaned and groaned but got out of bed. Shopping had a powerful pull on a fourteen-year-old girl.
    â€œWe’re leaving in forty-five minutes,” Vanessa told Kaitlyn’s back as she disappeared into the bathroom.
    â€œWe’ll be there before they even open the doors,” Kaitlyn replied, her voice muffled by the closed door.
    â€œAnd we’ll have a place to park, too.”
    Vanessa hoped that was true. She wasn’t sure how quickly the parking lot would fill up. Well, if they had to park a long way out, that would be all right. The day was supposed to be nice, and the walk wouldn’t hurt them.
    Mitch was already up and had the coffee on when she got downstairs, bless his heart. He was leaning on the counter with both hands, watching the strong black brew drip from the coffeemaker. Vanessa came up beside him, put a hand on his shoulder, and kissed him quickly on the cheek.
    â€œI hope it’s a good day,” she said.
    â€œAt the store, you mean?”
    â€œEverywhere.” She smiled.
    He grunted and said, “It’ll be all right. We’ve made a little less every Black Friday for years now, so I’m expecting