Read Online Rose and Helena Save Christmas: a novella by Jana DeLeon, Denise Grover Swank - Free Book Online

shopped earlier, but Neely Kate’s short nap in the restaurant had invigorated her for a second round.
    They found a clothing store, but Rose had a hard time distracting Neely Kate long enough to tuck several black dresses in the small dressing room. Shopping was limited in Henryetta, and she knew she’d need the dresses soon enough, even if she wasn’t ready to tell Neely Kate why.  
    Neely Kate said she was hungry for beignets, so they walked to Café du Monde, and during the entire stroll, the hair on the back of Rose’s neck stood on end. Taylor had said she felt as though she was being watched, and Rose felt the same way. But she kept her concerns to herself
    Rose and Neely Kate picked an outdoor table, next to the wrought iron railing separating the restaurant seating from the sidewalk.
    Neely Kate sat in a chair across from Rose, but looked uncertain. “This place has waitresses, so there goes Taylor’s plan for me to go inside and order. Do you think we should go somewhere else?”
    “No, I think whoever wants the gris-gris bag is close. How about you go inside and go to the bathroom? I think that’ll work.”
    “Okay,” the blonde said, digging her wallet out of her purse and handing it to Rose under the table. “Take this. I know our original plan was for me to carry it inside, but it’ll look strange if I take my wallet to the bathroom.”
    “Good point.”
    Neely Kate put her purse on the table, giving the bag a look of longing. “I still say someone’s gonna owe me for this.”
    Rose leaned forward, narrowing her eyes. “Focus, Neely Kate. Christmas. Incarceration.”
    She sighed. “Yeah. You’re right. If the waitress comes, get me a double order.”
    “Okay.”
    Neely Kate went inside to the restroom, and Rose became the nervous one. It seemed strange to encourage someone to steal Neely Kate’s purse, but if she was part of this crazy plan, she might as well help it along. She suspected the potential thief would be more likely to enact his crime if she wasn’t paying attention to the bag. She needed to check to see if she had any calls from Bruce Wayne, her business partner in her recently split-off landscaping business. He’d gotten another lead on some landscaping equipment and had planned to check it out. She pulled out her phone and gave it her attention, trying not to watch Neely Kate’s bag out of the corner of her eye.  
    She didn’t have to wait long. Within less than a minute, a man in a dark hooded sweatshirt ran up, reaching over the short wrought iron wall. He snatched the purse and took off before Rose had a chance to realize what was happening.  
    Another figure ran past seconds behind the purse-snatcher, chasing him down the crowded sidewalks. Rose jumped out of her seat and watched Taylor fight her way through the tourists and shoppers. Neely Kate hurried over. “Did he steal it?”
    “Yeah. And Taylor took off after him.”
    “I hope she catches him. I really like that purse.”
    “I hope she catches him so we can figure out who killed Madame Serafine.”
    Neely Kate scowled. “Well, that too . Obviously.”
    The waitress came over to take their order and Rose didn’t see any sign of Taylor.  
    “Let’s order your beignets to go and wait to see if Taylor comes back with your purse as well as some answers.”
    The two women sat down and placed their order. Rose became anxious when Taylor hadn’t returned in ten minutes.  
    “Maybe we should call her,” Neely Kate said, licking powdered sugar off her fingers.
    “We should save that as a last resort. What if she followed him and she’s hiding to see what he does? We don’t want to tip them off that she’s there with a ringin’ or a vibratin’ phone.”
    “That’s true,” Neely Kate said through a mouthful of pastry. “I hope she’s okay.”
    “You don’t see Helena around, do you?”
    Neely Kate glanced around. “No. I hope she’s okay, too.”
    “She’s a ghost, Neely Kate. I’m sure