Read Online Small Vices by Robert B. Parker - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robert B. Parker
Ads: Link
swallowed his last bite of donut and finished his coffee. He dropped the paper cup in the wastebasket and went to the sink in the corner and washed his hands and face carefully. He dried himself on a white towel that hung beside the sink. The towel said "Holiday Inn" on it, in green letters. It was one of my favorites. I had picked it up in Jackson, Mississippi, once when I was driving back from Texas, with Pearl the Wonder Dog. Whenever Susan came in she replaced the Holiday Inn towel with a small pink one that had a pale pink fringe, and a pink and green rosebud embroidered in one corner. As soon as she left, I put out the Holiday Inn towel again.
"I'll be interested to see who they get to do it," Hawk said. "And how good he is."
"Me too," I said.
Chapter 17
A DARK-HAIRED WOMAN named Elayna Hurley, who was a single mother and had been in graduate school with Susan, came over to Susan's house on a Sunday afternoon while I was watching football and Susan was reading a book by Frederick Crews debunking her profession. Elayna brought her nine-year-old daughter with her. The daughter's name was Erika.
Pearl had chosen football over Frederick Crews and was sprawled on the couch beside me. I was warmed by her affection, but, in fact, had planned to sprawl on the couch myself. When they came in, Pearl sat bolt upright and eyed Erika the way a robin eyes a worm. Susan took their coats and took them into the bedroom and laid them on the bed. Erika came straight over and stood in front of me and put her hands on her hips like Shirley Temple.
She wore a maroon velvet Laura Ashley dress with a little lace collar. She had much too much blond curly hair, and she was kind of chunky. Susan returned from the bedroom.
"Who are you?" Erika said to me. I told her.
"How come you let your dog sit on the couch?"
"She likes it on the couch," I said.
Pearl looked at Erika balefully. Erika leaned very close to Pearl and blew in her face. Pearl shook her head. The hair on her back rose, and I quickly put a hand on her collar. Erika laughed loudly.
"Erika, honey," Elayna said. "Don't bother the dog."
"I want a dog," she said.
"I know, honey, but you know Mommy's allergic."
"You always say that."
"Well," Elayna smiled lovingly, "it's always true. Come over here and sit by me and maybe Susan can find us some cookies."
Erika flounced back over to the couch and sat beside her mother and stared at Pearl.
"What kind of cookies?" she said.
"Actually," Susan said, "you know the kind of homemaker I am. There aren't any cookies."
"Oh, that's fine," Elayna said. "Erika doesn't really need one."
"I want a cookie," Erika said. "You said I could have one."
"Well, I guess I was wrong, Erika."
"You said."
"I have some V8 juice," Susan said with a smile that would have beguiled Jesse Helms.
"I hate V8 juice," Erika said.
"Some mango yogurt?" Susan said.
"I want some cookies. My mother said I could have some cookies."
Beside me Pearl was still sitting upright. The hair was still up on her back. She growled very low, almost to herself. I draped my left arm over her shoulders and patted her.
"You got that right," I said to Pearl.
Susan flashed a glance at me almost too quick to be registered. I smiled at her.
"Would you like to watch TV in Susan's bedroom?" Elayna said.
"How come I can't watch out here?"
"Well, this is where the grown-ups will be, sweetheart, and we want to talk without TV."
"He's watching TV," Erika said.
I picked up the clicker and turned off the set.
Elayna said, "Come on into Susan's bedroom, Erika, and watch TV I'll bet we can find a real good movie for you."
"Can that dog come in and watch with me?"
"No," I said.
Again Susan gave me the glance.
"Come on, Erika," Susan said. "We'll go in and find you a movie."
"Why can't that dog come?" Erika said.
"She's not really used to children," Susan said.
"Does he bite?" Erika said.
"No, no. She's just not used to children," Susan said.
"Mom, is he going to bite
"I'll be interested to see who they get to do it," Hawk said. "And how good he is."
"Me too," I said.
Chapter 17
A DARK-HAIRED WOMAN named Elayna Hurley, who was a single mother and had been in graduate school with Susan, came over to Susan's house on a Sunday afternoon while I was watching football and Susan was reading a book by Frederick Crews debunking her profession. Elayna brought her nine-year-old daughter with her. The daughter's name was Erika.
Pearl had chosen football over Frederick Crews and was sprawled on the couch beside me. I was warmed by her affection, but, in fact, had planned to sprawl on the couch myself. When they came in, Pearl sat bolt upright and eyed Erika the way a robin eyes a worm. Susan took their coats and took them into the bedroom and laid them on the bed. Erika came straight over and stood in front of me and put her hands on her hips like Shirley Temple.
She wore a maroon velvet Laura Ashley dress with a little lace collar. She had much too much blond curly hair, and she was kind of chunky. Susan returned from the bedroom.
"Who are you?" Erika said to me. I told her.
"How come you let your dog sit on the couch?"
"She likes it on the couch," I said.
Pearl looked at Erika balefully. Erika leaned very close to Pearl and blew in her face. Pearl shook her head. The hair on her back rose, and I quickly put a hand on her collar. Erika laughed loudly.
"Erika, honey," Elayna said. "Don't bother the dog."
"I want a dog," she said.
"I know, honey, but you know Mommy's allergic."
"You always say that."
"Well," Elayna smiled lovingly, "it's always true. Come over here and sit by me and maybe Susan can find us some cookies."
Erika flounced back over to the couch and sat beside her mother and stared at Pearl.
"What kind of cookies?" she said.
"Actually," Susan said, "you know the kind of homemaker I am. There aren't any cookies."
"Oh, that's fine," Elayna said. "Erika doesn't really need one."
"I want a cookie," Erika said. "You said I could have one."
"Well, I guess I was wrong, Erika."
"You said."
"I have some V8 juice," Susan said with a smile that would have beguiled Jesse Helms.
"I hate V8 juice," Erika said.
"Some mango yogurt?" Susan said.
"I want some cookies. My mother said I could have some cookies."
Beside me Pearl was still sitting upright. The hair was still up on her back. She growled very low, almost to herself. I draped my left arm over her shoulders and patted her.
"You got that right," I said to Pearl.
Susan flashed a glance at me almost too quick to be registered. I smiled at her.
"Would you like to watch TV in Susan's bedroom?" Elayna said.
"How come I can't watch out here?"
"Well, this is where the grown-ups will be, sweetheart, and we want to talk without TV."
"He's watching TV," Erika said.
I picked up the clicker and turned off the set.
Elayna said, "Come on into Susan's bedroom, Erika, and watch TV I'll bet we can find a real good movie for you."
"Can that dog come in and watch with me?"
"No," I said.
Again Susan gave me the glance.
"Come on, Erika," Susan said. "We'll go in and find you a movie."
"Why can't that dog come?" Erika said.
"She's not really used to children," Susan said.
"Does he bite?" Erika said.
"No, no. She's just not used to children," Susan said.
"Mom, is he going to bite
Similar Books
