Read Online Superstition by Karen Robards - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Karen Robards
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more day at the office.”
Leonora shuddered and shook her head.
“All right, you’re gonna make me do something I don’t want to do,” Vince threatened loudly.
“Is there somewhere I can sit down?” The pregnant lady—she was blonde, thirtyish, and hugely, scarily with child—trudged along the porch toward them. Flip-flops flapping, wearing micro-sized white shorts and a crotch-length pink tent, she was leaning heavily on the supporting arm of the other guy, who Joe saw also had red hair. She was breathing hard, perspiring. Her face was flushed and blotchy, and her eyes looked all red and puffy, like she had bad allergies or something.
“You okay?” Nicky asked as she reached them, her voice sounding strained for the first time.
“Fine,” the pregnant woman answered, pressing a hand to her belly. “For an elephant .”
Then her mouth trembled, her eyes welled over with tears, and she clapped both hands to her face. Joe realized, to his horror, that she was crying.
For the first time that night, he felt a stab of real alarm. Weeping pregnant women were way outside his comfort zone. If he hadn’t already been backed up all the way to the porch rail, he would have retreated. As it was, he was stuck. Beside him, Dave and Vince looked as horrified as he felt.
“Don’t cry, Liv,” Nicky said, patting the pregnant woman awkwardly on the arm. “He’s not worth it.”
“I know.” The pregnant lady—Liv—sobbed through her fingers. “I c-can’t help it.”
“It’s the hormones,” Leonora said, lowering the bag and sounding surprisingly normal. “I was exactly the same when I was pregnant.”
“Three minutes,” a voice called from inside the house.
“Don’t worry, Nicky, I’ll take care of Livvy,” the red-haired man said, pulling her away.
“Hold sti-ill ,” the fairy godmothers chorused.
A hiss heralded the release of another toxic cloud of hair spray.
“I’m gonna have to . . .” Vince began, only to be interrupted by a coughing fit as the fumes engulfed him. Dave, caught by surprise, succumbed, too. Having retained the presence of mind to remember what the warning presaged and hold his breath, Joe had to smile. Folding his arms over his chest, resting a hip against the porch rail as he settled himself more comfortably, he discovered that for the first time in a long time, he was actually starting to enjoy himself.
“Nicky . . .” Leonora gasped over her shoulder as Marisa, with John’s help, finally succeeded in moving her.
“You can do it,” Nicky said. “There’s nothing different about this one. Karen, help them with her, would you please?” The black-haired woman nodded, then moved away to join Leonora and company. Seconds later, Nicky called after them in a sharper tone: “Don’t let her go inside until we’re ready to start. We want to get her reactions to the house from the very beginning. And one of you, for goodness’ sake, take that paper bag away from her .”
“Two minutes, Nicky. We need to get you miked,” a man called urgently through the screen. Glancing that way, Joe noticed that a TV camera inside the house was now visible. The cameraman appeared to be positioning it so that it captured anyone entering through the front door.
“Coming,” Nicky responded, and suited the action to the words. Swinging hair, spine straight as a poker, nice ass with a provocative sway to it, long-legged strides: Yep, no doubt about it, she was walking away.
Mark that down as a whiff for the home team.
“See what trying to be nice gets you? Ignored.” Openly seething, Vince stared after her, then glanced sideways at Joe. “You’re the damned Chief of Police. You handle it. They don’t want to leave, fine. Arrest them.”
Joe shot him a disbelieving look. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Hell, no, I’m not kidding you. What do you think we’re paying you for? Do your job.”
“Shit,” Joe said, catching Dave’s eye. His Number Two looked as
Leonora shuddered and shook her head.
“All right, you’re gonna make me do something I don’t want to do,” Vince threatened loudly.
“Is there somewhere I can sit down?” The pregnant lady—she was blonde, thirtyish, and hugely, scarily with child—trudged along the porch toward them. Flip-flops flapping, wearing micro-sized white shorts and a crotch-length pink tent, she was leaning heavily on the supporting arm of the other guy, who Joe saw also had red hair. She was breathing hard, perspiring. Her face was flushed and blotchy, and her eyes looked all red and puffy, like she had bad allergies or something.
“You okay?” Nicky asked as she reached them, her voice sounding strained for the first time.
“Fine,” the pregnant woman answered, pressing a hand to her belly. “For an elephant .”
Then her mouth trembled, her eyes welled over with tears, and she clapped both hands to her face. Joe realized, to his horror, that she was crying.
For the first time that night, he felt a stab of real alarm. Weeping pregnant women were way outside his comfort zone. If he hadn’t already been backed up all the way to the porch rail, he would have retreated. As it was, he was stuck. Beside him, Dave and Vince looked as horrified as he felt.
“Don’t cry, Liv,” Nicky said, patting the pregnant woman awkwardly on the arm. “He’s not worth it.”
“I know.” The pregnant lady—Liv—sobbed through her fingers. “I c-can’t help it.”
“It’s the hormones,” Leonora said, lowering the bag and sounding surprisingly normal. “I was exactly the same when I was pregnant.”
“Three minutes,” a voice called from inside the house.
“Don’t worry, Nicky, I’ll take care of Livvy,” the red-haired man said, pulling her away.
“Hold sti-ill ,” the fairy godmothers chorused.
A hiss heralded the release of another toxic cloud of hair spray.
“I’m gonna have to . . .” Vince began, only to be interrupted by a coughing fit as the fumes engulfed him. Dave, caught by surprise, succumbed, too. Having retained the presence of mind to remember what the warning presaged and hold his breath, Joe had to smile. Folding his arms over his chest, resting a hip against the porch rail as he settled himself more comfortably, he discovered that for the first time in a long time, he was actually starting to enjoy himself.
“Nicky . . .” Leonora gasped over her shoulder as Marisa, with John’s help, finally succeeded in moving her.
“You can do it,” Nicky said. “There’s nothing different about this one. Karen, help them with her, would you please?” The black-haired woman nodded, then moved away to join Leonora and company. Seconds later, Nicky called after them in a sharper tone: “Don’t let her go inside until we’re ready to start. We want to get her reactions to the house from the very beginning. And one of you, for goodness’ sake, take that paper bag away from her .”
“Two minutes, Nicky. We need to get you miked,” a man called urgently through the screen. Glancing that way, Joe noticed that a TV camera inside the house was now visible. The cameraman appeared to be positioning it so that it captured anyone entering through the front door.
“Coming,” Nicky responded, and suited the action to the words. Swinging hair, spine straight as a poker, nice ass with a provocative sway to it, long-legged strides: Yep, no doubt about it, she was walking away.
Mark that down as a whiff for the home team.
“See what trying to be nice gets you? Ignored.” Openly seething, Vince stared after her, then glanced sideways at Joe. “You’re the damned Chief of Police. You handle it. They don’t want to leave, fine. Arrest them.”
Joe shot him a disbelieving look. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“Hell, no, I’m not kidding you. What do you think we’re paying you for? Do your job.”
“Shit,” Joe said, catching Dave’s eye. His Number Two looked as
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