Read Online Ghost Light by Rick Hautala - Free Book Online

that? Huh?”
    Harry shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. “Mostly because I didn’t like Alex, I suppose. It’s not like we had all that much in common, and—yeah, I’ll admit it: I didn’t like the way he treated Debbie sometimes.”
    “There! Exactly!” Cindy shouted. She stamped her foot on the floor so hard something on the bureau rattled.
    “Yeah, but—I mean, that doesn’t mean he killed your sister, and it certainly doesn’t mean he’s going to do anything to hurt his own kids. Come on, Cin. Get a grip!”
    Cindy bit down on her lower lip so hard the pain made her wince. “He’s a violent man,” she said in a low whisper, “a very violent man, and now that he doesn’t have my sister to… to—” A sudden flood of emotion choked off her words, and stinging tears filled her eyes. “—to knock around anymore, what if he does something like that? What if he turns all his hostility onto those poor kids?”
    “He won’t, believe me. He’s their father, for Christ’s sake, he’s not going to—”
    “And Debbie was his wife. Even if you don’t think he actually killed her, you know damned right well he hit her. You’ve seen the bruises on her arms. And that black eye she had a couple of Christmases ago. And you know damned right well he drinks too much, and he gets more and more belligerent when he does. That’s something you’d mention after every visit we’d ever have with them, too.”
    “Well, sure, but honey… please…” He folded the magazine closed, placed it on the bed stand, and patted the bed beside him. “Come on to bed. You’re just getting yourself all worked up about nothing.”
    “About nothing? ” Cindy blew out her breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and gritted her teeth. Then she nailed him with an angry glare. “Jesus Christ, Harry, my only sister—my dead sister—” Again an up-welling of emotion choked off her voice. Tears streaked down her cheeks, leaving hot tracks. “—my sister who was murdered—and I don’t care what you or the police or anyone else says, she was murdered , goddamnit! She wrote a will giving us custody of her kids. You can’t call that nothing !” She was trembling as she looked at her husband, waiting for him to respond. “Christ, Harry, don’t tell me you’re backing out on me.”
    “I didn’t say that,” Harry replied softly.
    “You do want to take the kids, don’t you?”
    “They’re going to be one hell of a responsibility,” Harry said. “I mean, becoming a full scale family overnight. Whew!”
    “But you want them, right?”
    Harry grunted and gave a quick nod of his head, not at all the overwhelming sign of support Cindy had been looking for.
    “Well then, don’t make light of it and say it’s nothing , all right?”
    “I didn’t mean it that way… Come on, honey. Jeeze, I just hate seeing you get yourself all worked up like this. It’s not good for you. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
    “I already am sick!” Cindy wailed, shaking her fists in frustration. “I’m worried sick about those kids and what might happen to them before we can get legal custody. I’m Krissy’s godmother, for God’s sake! My mother and father and sister are all gone. Krissy and Billy are… are all I have left… They’re the only thing real that’s left of my sister, and she gave them to me to take care of.”
    “I know, hon. I know, but what the heck are you worried about? Bill told us we’ve got a really good chance of the court giving us custody.”
    “I know, but…”
    “So what do you think Alex is going to do, kidnap them or something?”
    Or kill them, too , Cindy thought, but before she could say it she stopped short in her pacing and turned to Harry with her mouth gaping open.
    “Oh, Jesus!” she whispered. What felt like a cold trickle of icy water ran between her shoulder blades. “Do you think he might…?”
    “No. No, I don’t.” Harry slapped his hand against the bed in frustration.