Read Online Burn (Michael Bennett 7) by James Patterson - Free Book Online
Authors: James Patterson
Tags: Cathy
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scored a rare parking spot across from my apartment house that afternoon after work.
I sat for a moment and just stared up at the dusty windows of my apartment on the eighth floor. There were so many memories there. My mind spun at all the christenings and birthday parties and anniversaries. All the happy faces lit by candlelight around the table.
How my deceased wife, Maeve, had put the calculus of all those dates together in her head and never missed a one, I will never know. She never forgot an occasion to celebrate all of us, the people she loved so dearly, with a card and a cupcake, with a book, with a prayer.
“We’ll be starting on all the graduations soon enough, won’t we?” I said to Maeve as I sat there in the car. Weddings someday, too , I thought, and then new christenings and new birthday parties and on and on and on. I smiled as I got out onto the sidewalk. It was good to be home.
I crossed the tree-lined street and went under the awning into the lobby.
I was expecting to say hi to Ralph, the evening doorman, but there was a new guy standing by the mailroom in the wood-paneled lobby. A short, stocky thirtyish guy with black hair who I’d never seen before. He reminded me a little of the old-school tough-guy actor Charles Bronson. He must have been hired while we were away , I thought. The New York minute strikes again .
“Yes, may I help you?” he said with a thick foreign accent. Albanian? I thought. Polish?
“I’m Mike Bennett. I live in eight A. I’ve been away for a while.”
The guy checked the board.
“Oh, yes. Bennett. Hello, Mr. Bennett. I am Joseph. I am new.”
“Nice to meet you, Joseph,” I said as the door opened behind me and I heard peals of laughter.
“It’s Dad!” somebody screamed.
I turned around to see Fiona and Bridget and Jane and Ricky and Eddie and Trent running like a bunch of manic dwarves at me across the lobby. They were still in their Holy Name uniforms, dragging backpacks and lunch bags.
“Group hug!” the girls screamed as they crashed into me.
“Oh, yes, and group kissy-wissys, too!” Ricky said, making kissing sounds as he piled onto the scrum.
I smiled as I shrugged at Joseph. My guys seemed even loopier than normal, which was saying something. They must have had a long day, too, by the looks of it.
Joseph seemed a little overwhelmed as I introduced my large, boisterous family.
“So many children,” he said, smiling. “Incredible.”
“Don’t worry, Joseph,” I said, winking at him as the kids dragged me toward the elevator. “All the others should be along any minute now.”
CHAPTER 16
THERE WAS AN AMAZING surprise waiting upstairs.
My first clue that things were looking up was the heavenly aroma of roasted meat that washed over me as I opened my front door.
Could it be? I thought as I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes and inhaled. I smiled widely as I nodded. Why, yes, it could!
It was a pot roast, the comfort food to end all comfort food, at least for me. Not just any old pot roast, either. I could tell it was pot roast à la Mary Catherine, made with roasted garlic and red wine. As I locked up my Glock, the scent was suddenly accompanied by some serious sizzling from the direction of the kitchen. My mouth instantly watered. There was some sort of deglazing action going on in there, some sort of luscious homemade gravy being made.
After the day I’d had, God, or at least his angel here on earth, Mary Catherine, was finally taking pity on me.
After I washed up, I walked into the dining room to spot most of my kids seated around our massive dining room table. As I high-fived and tickled everyone hello, I noticed that the nice linen tablecloth had been set out along with the Bennett family heirloom mismatched china and silver.
“What’s up with the Sunday dinner on Monday?” I whispered to Shawna as I sat. “Don’t tell me I missed another birthday.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Seamus said across from
I sat for a moment and just stared up at the dusty windows of my apartment on the eighth floor. There were so many memories there. My mind spun at all the christenings and birthday parties and anniversaries. All the happy faces lit by candlelight around the table.
How my deceased wife, Maeve, had put the calculus of all those dates together in her head and never missed a one, I will never know. She never forgot an occasion to celebrate all of us, the people she loved so dearly, with a card and a cupcake, with a book, with a prayer.
“We’ll be starting on all the graduations soon enough, won’t we?” I said to Maeve as I sat there in the car. Weddings someday, too , I thought, and then new christenings and new birthday parties and on and on and on. I smiled as I got out onto the sidewalk. It was good to be home.
I crossed the tree-lined street and went under the awning into the lobby.
I was expecting to say hi to Ralph, the evening doorman, but there was a new guy standing by the mailroom in the wood-paneled lobby. A short, stocky thirtyish guy with black hair who I’d never seen before. He reminded me a little of the old-school tough-guy actor Charles Bronson. He must have been hired while we were away , I thought. The New York minute strikes again .
“Yes, may I help you?” he said with a thick foreign accent. Albanian? I thought. Polish?
“I’m Mike Bennett. I live in eight A. I’ve been away for a while.”
The guy checked the board.
“Oh, yes. Bennett. Hello, Mr. Bennett. I am Joseph. I am new.”
“Nice to meet you, Joseph,” I said as the door opened behind me and I heard peals of laughter.
“It’s Dad!” somebody screamed.
I turned around to see Fiona and Bridget and Jane and Ricky and Eddie and Trent running like a bunch of manic dwarves at me across the lobby. They were still in their Holy Name uniforms, dragging backpacks and lunch bags.
“Group hug!” the girls screamed as they crashed into me.
“Oh, yes, and group kissy-wissys, too!” Ricky said, making kissing sounds as he piled onto the scrum.
I smiled as I shrugged at Joseph. My guys seemed even loopier than normal, which was saying something. They must have had a long day, too, by the looks of it.
Joseph seemed a little overwhelmed as I introduced my large, boisterous family.
“So many children,” he said, smiling. “Incredible.”
“Don’t worry, Joseph,” I said, winking at him as the kids dragged me toward the elevator. “All the others should be along any minute now.”
CHAPTER 16
THERE WAS AN AMAZING surprise waiting upstairs.
My first clue that things were looking up was the heavenly aroma of roasted meat that washed over me as I opened my front door.
Could it be? I thought as I stopped in my tracks and closed my eyes and inhaled. I smiled widely as I nodded. Why, yes, it could!
It was a pot roast, the comfort food to end all comfort food, at least for me. Not just any old pot roast, either. I could tell it was pot roast à la Mary Catherine, made with roasted garlic and red wine. As I locked up my Glock, the scent was suddenly accompanied by some serious sizzling from the direction of the kitchen. My mouth instantly watered. There was some sort of deglazing action going on in there, some sort of luscious homemade gravy being made.
After the day I’d had, God, or at least his angel here on earth, Mary Catherine, was finally taking pity on me.
After I washed up, I walked into the dining room to spot most of my kids seated around our massive dining room table. As I high-fived and tickled everyone hello, I noticed that the nice linen tablecloth had been set out along with the Bennett family heirloom mismatched china and silver.
“What’s up with the Sunday dinner on Monday?” I whispered to Shawna as I sat. “Don’t tell me I missed another birthday.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Seamus said across from
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