Read Online Shadows on the Train by Melanie Jackson - Free Book Online Page A

sad-eyed one. Obviously if Madge had to feel lovelorn, so did the animal kingdom.
    Thoughtfully, I drummed the sides of the laptop to the beat of “Black Socks.” Couldn’t figure out who or what the eighty-thousand-dollar king was, but a blazingly bright idea was occurring to me about what I could do for Madge. A Good Samaritan act, you might say.
    I called up Gmail. [email protected] , I typed in.
    I knew my future brother-in-law’s password, not through any sneaky means, but because Jack himself had given it to me. Earlier in the summer, Mother had banned me from using my own e-mail address, [email protected]. Too many complaints from neighbors about the helpful hints I’d been sending on theft and fire prevention, recycling dos and don’ts, emotional health and well-being—you name it, I’d probably covered it.
    One day, when I was hanging out at the Spotted Owl Advocacy Committee office, I’d informed Jack that I was in utter agony from e-mail deprivation. I had, I absolutely had , to let Talbot and Pantelli know I’d found the newest Deathstalkers comic at our favorite store, Komix R Us.
    â€œYou could phone Talbot and Pantelli,” Jack sug–gested.
    â€œPhone?! Please. That’s so-o-o-o last century.”
    Jack, busy photocopying some rally notices, told me to use his e-mail. “My password’s ‘Madge,’” he flung over his shoulder.
    Madge . How drearily predictable for a lovebird, I thought at the time and again now, typing it in on the Gold-and-Blue.
    My plan? A sickly sweet love message from Jack to Madge. Just the ticket to cheer Madge up, I decided.
    Hmmm. Treacly. I wasn’t really into that. But wait, there was that Elton John love song. I could borrow liberally from that:
    I hope you don’t mind that I put down in words How wonderful life is while you’re in the world.
    Pretty sickening. Yup, Madge would love that.
    Quoted adoringly for my true love, Madge Galloway, by her heart’s desire, Jack French , I finished off and pressed Send .
    I then took a minute to scan Jack’s in-box. Curiosity was healthy, in my view. A true sign of an optimist, eager to find out what’s around life’s next corner.
    I recognized all the sender names: mostly Madge, and Jack’s colleagues on the Spotted Owl Advocacy Committee. I was preparing to exit when my gaze fell on a non-colleague name.
    Veronica LaFlamme.
    LaFlamme, I thought. The person who’d prevented Jack from coming to see Madge the other day.
    The subject line beside Veronica’s name read Tried calling you today, but…
    I never could resist a but . Pushing aside what shreds of conscience I had about trespassing, I clicked on the message.
    â€¦some kidlet answered. I remembered your warning about an inquisitive redhead, so I hung up. I didn’t want her to alert Madge to my existence.
    I glared at the screen. Veronica LaFlamme was Peanut-Butter Voice! I knew that was a voice not to be trusted.
    With growing horror, I read on.
    I understand that you’d want to keep things between us a secret until you break the news to Madge .
    Just as I’d feared. Jack was two-timing Madge!
    Now that I had confirmation, I almost couldn’t believe it. I sat and stewed, muttering out plans to draw and quarter Jack, among other slow-death punishments, until Madge glanced up from her elk sketch. “Why the scowl, Dinah?”
    â€œI…um…” I could hardly admit to my sister that I’d been snooping in her fiancé’s e-mail. However, I might as well start conditioning her to the single life right now.
    â€œEmily Carr,” I blurted. “Now there’s an artist who never married, never had kids. She threw herself body and soul into her work.”
    â€œI suppose.” Madge regarded me doubtfully.
    â€œIth not body and thoul I’m worried about. Ith teeth,” announced a somewhat indistinct voice.
    The