Read Online Larceny and Lace by Annette Blair - Free Book Online Page A

out in front of me, as if we were taking a sharp corner, and I might fall off the passenger seat and hit my head on the dashboard. “"Don’'t move,”" she whispered. “"They might not be coming here.”"
    The knock at the front door made us both jump.
    “"We might as well be back in fifth grade hiding beneath Fiona’'s window,”" I whispered, tugging my hand from Eve’'s clammy grasp.
    “"Shush,”" Eve snapped. “"And don’'t pee your pants this time.”"
    “"Brat.”"
    Chakra hotfooted it from the bedroom. Oy. Then I heard her wildcat yowl, bombastic and echoing, a capacious version of my name that astounded my father every time he heard it.
    “"Mystick Falls police,”" someone announced.
    They’'d come in through the back door, which we left unlocked.
    Are we smart burglars, or what?
    Thirteen Problems are only opportunities in work clothes.
    -HENRY J. KAISER
    “"Climb out the window,”" I whispered to Eve as I made a running motion with my fingers before I went to meet the police.
    In the kitchen, my nemesis, aka the Wiener, was aiming a gun in my general direction, so I stopped in the doorway between the kitchen and the hall. “"Should I raise my hands?”"
    He scanned the room behind me. “"Are you alone? Are you safe, Madeira? You’'re not being held hostage or anything?”"
    “"I’'m alone, but am I safe from you?”"
    He lowered his gun. “"Never. Sometimes I dream of getting my hands around your throat.”" He holstered the gun with a look of pure annoyance. “"But in the dream, I’'m a superhero whose voice hasn’'t changed yet, and you’'re carrying a Barbie lunch box.”" I smiled fondly. “"She always had the best clothes.”"
    “"What the hell are you doing here?”" he shouted, making me jump. “"I knew it was you the minute I heard that cat roar your name. Breaking and entering, Madeira? That’'s a new one, even for you.”"
    Eve stepped up beside me. “"This is my boyfriend’'s house.”" Werner raised a brow my way. “"You said you were alone.”"
    “"Eve hardly counts.”"
    “"That’'s true.”"
    She rolled her eyes and held up her key. “"We didn’'t break in. We’'re doing a sleepover.”"
    Lytton smirked. “"The three of you?”"
    “"Of course not. Vinney works the night shift.”"
    Lytton took out his notebook. “"Where?”"
    “"I really don’'t know,”" Eve said in all truth. “"But honest, Lytton. I keep some of my clothes in his bedroom closet. Wanna see?”"
    “"Sure. Why not. It’'s been a slow night.”"
    I caught his sarcasm while Chakra jumped into my arms.
    Eve waited for Werner and his officers to enter the bedroom, her hand on the closet doorknob. “"I have two pairs of black jeans and three tops in this closet, and some undies in a drawer. Want to know what my sleep shirt says?”"
    “"No,”" Lytton said, fingering a pillowcase. “"This has blood on it.”" He signaled an officer and the guy confiscated the pillowcase and bagged it. “"Why the blood?”"
    “"Vinney cracked his head open something fierce last night. I took him over to Lawrence and Memorial for stitches. Check with the hospital. I signed him out.”" Werner nodded to his officer to do just that. “"Open the closet, Ms. Meyers.”" Eve opened the door with a flourish, but the closet stood empty. “"Hey,”" she said.
    “"I liked those jeans!”" Then she ran to the honey maple bureau and opened four empty drawers, bottom to top, not closing any. “"Vinney stole my clothes, the rat! Arrest that man!”"
    Laughter caught in my throat and I coughed.
    Werner started taking notes. “"Mr. Carnevale’'s neighbor reported this break-in. He said that Carnevale told her he was going away early this morning, for an extended period of time, but he didn’'t say where or when he’'d be back.”"
    The gears in my mind started working as if they’'d been oiled. Carnevale had moved out this morning, almost as if his last goal in Mystic was getting into my shop. But why would that