stood in the
doorway. He took one look at the men at the booth and stepped back outside.
Madison and Sarah watched through the bay window as
Jamie blew into his hands while walking to the lamppost a few feet away. Once there,
he leaned a shoulder against the post and clutched his worn leather coat closer
to his body.
Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a
couple of dollars, which she then handed to the bartender. Less than a minute
later, she returned with a to-go cup filled with coffee. “I’m sure there’s
nothing to worry about. You must have just forgotten and put the dress up,” she
said as she passed her sister.
Madison touched Sarah’s arm. “What are you
doing?”
Sarah nodded to the lone figure by the lamppost. “He’s
cold.”
Madison bit her lip in concern. “Sarah, what were
you two arguing about a few minutes ago?”
“I told you. It was nothing,” Sarah began before
blowing out her breath. “He’s being a bit possessive.”
“Possessive?” Madison asked sharply.
“It’s okay. He’s just concerned about me.”
Warning bells started to go off in Madison’s
head. “Why?”
“Because he doesn’t want me walking home alone
either,” Sarah said with a grin. “Don’t worry. He’s harmless.”
“Remember that squirrel you took in when you were
ten? You said he was harmless too.”
“He was.”
“He had rabies.”
“Oh, he did not. He was sweet.”
“Uncle Jack had to get stitches and a couple of
shots. One of these days, one of your pets is going to bite you.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly.” She held
up the to-go cup. “This is getting cold. I’ll be right back.”
Madison leaned against the bar and waited until
her sister returned. She glanced over her shoulder at the TV set.
A picture of a large man in his sixties with ink
black hair and a weather beaten haggard face stared back at her.
Her lips parted in recognition. She motioned to
the bartender. “Can you turn that up, please?”
“It’s getting cold outside,” Sarah said from
behind her as she returned from outside. “I hope we get snow for Christmas.”
Madison watched as the nightly news anchor
replaced the picture of Quincy Sullivan.
“Hey, isn’t that the detective you guys used to
use before you hired Ethan?” Sarah asked. “I liked him. He was so funny.”
Madison nodded absentminded as she tried to focus
on what the news anchor was saying. All she could make out over the noise in
the bar and Sarah’s chatter was that the giant crumbling building behind the
reporter had been abandoned for years, and was now in the process of being
condemned.
“Why did you all switch from him to Ethan?”
Sarah asked.
“Quincy picked up and left. Retired or something.
He must be back in town.”
“That’s nice,” Sarah said as she returned to her
duties.
The bartender stepped in front her holding out a
phone. “Hey, Madison, they asked for you.”
“For me?” she asked in surprise as she took the
phone. Keeping one eye on the TV screen, she said, “Hello.”
There was no response.
“Hello?” This time, however, she thought she
heard something.
Suddenly, a man’s ragged heavy breathing came
through the line loud and clear.
The man let out a long and painful gasp and then
the word, “Nine” before going deathly quiet.
“Who is this?” she demanded. “How did you know I
was here?”
There was a resounding click as the line
disconnected. Unnerved, she handed the phone back to the bartender.
CHAPTER
FIVE
~E IGHT ~
S UNDAY , D ECEMBER 24 TH
4:47 P.M.
Spotting
a suddenly empty bench next to the Santa’s Village located in the center of the
mall, Madison hurried over and slid into the seat before anyone else could nab
it. She set the shopping bags she was carrying next to the bench before
reaching for her phone and navigating to her email.
Three shopping bags hit the ground next to her
feet.
Sarah balled her hands on her hips and looked
down at
doorway. He took one look at the men at the booth and stepped back outside.
Madison and Sarah watched through the bay window as
Jamie blew into his hands while walking to the lamppost a few feet away. Once there,
he leaned a shoulder against the post and clutched his worn leather coat closer
to his body.
Sarah reached into her pocket and pulled out a
couple of dollars, which she then handed to the bartender. Less than a minute
later, she returned with a to-go cup filled with coffee. “I’m sure there’s
nothing to worry about. You must have just forgotten and put the dress up,” she
said as she passed her sister.
Madison touched Sarah’s arm. “What are you
doing?”
Sarah nodded to the lone figure by the lamppost. “He’s
cold.”
Madison bit her lip in concern. “Sarah, what were
you two arguing about a few minutes ago?”
“I told you. It was nothing,” Sarah began before
blowing out her breath. “He’s being a bit possessive.”
“Possessive?” Madison asked sharply.
“It’s okay. He’s just concerned about me.”
Warning bells started to go off in Madison’s
head. “Why?”
“Because he doesn’t want me walking home alone
either,” Sarah said with a grin. “Don’t worry. He’s harmless.”
“Remember that squirrel you took in when you were
ten? You said he was harmless too.”
“He was.”
“He had rabies.”
“Oh, he did not. He was sweet.”
“Uncle Jack had to get stitches and a couple of
shots. One of these days, one of your pets is going to bite you.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Don’t be silly.” She held
up the to-go cup. “This is getting cold. I’ll be right back.”
Madison leaned against the bar and waited until
her sister returned. She glanced over her shoulder at the TV set.
A picture of a large man in his sixties with ink
black hair and a weather beaten haggard face stared back at her.
Her lips parted in recognition. She motioned to
the bartender. “Can you turn that up, please?”
“It’s getting cold outside,” Sarah said from
behind her as she returned from outside. “I hope we get snow for Christmas.”
Madison watched as the nightly news anchor
replaced the picture of Quincy Sullivan.
“Hey, isn’t that the detective you guys used to
use before you hired Ethan?” Sarah asked. “I liked him. He was so funny.”
Madison nodded absentminded as she tried to focus
on what the news anchor was saying. All she could make out over the noise in
the bar and Sarah’s chatter was that the giant crumbling building behind the
reporter had been abandoned for years, and was now in the process of being
condemned.
“Why did you all switch from him to Ethan?”
Sarah asked.
“Quincy picked up and left. Retired or something.
He must be back in town.”
“That’s nice,” Sarah said as she returned to her
duties.
The bartender stepped in front her holding out a
phone. “Hey, Madison, they asked for you.”
“For me?” she asked in surprise as she took the
phone. Keeping one eye on the TV screen, she said, “Hello.”
There was no response.
“Hello?” This time, however, she thought she
heard something.
Suddenly, a man’s ragged heavy breathing came
through the line loud and clear.
The man let out a long and painful gasp and then
the word, “Nine” before going deathly quiet.
“Who is this?” she demanded. “How did you know I
was here?”
There was a resounding click as the line
disconnected. Unnerved, she handed the phone back to the bartender.
CHAPTER
FIVE
~E IGHT ~
S UNDAY , D ECEMBER 24 TH
4:47 P.M.
Spotting
a suddenly empty bench next to the Santa’s Village located in the center of the
mall, Madison hurried over and slid into the seat before anyone else could nab
it. She set the shopping bags she was carrying next to the bench before
reaching for her phone and navigating to her email.
Three shopping bags hit the ground next to her
feet.
Sarah balled her hands on her hips and looked
down at
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