Read Online The Four Corners Of The Sky by Michael Malone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Michael Malone
Ads: Link
always telling me I move too fast?”
“That’s sure what I told you when you married Brad.”
Annie changed the subject. “Want to hear some good news? I can’t wait to tell D. K. He’ll love this.” She said she had been chosen to test pilot a new short-takeoff vertical-landing carrier jet they were testing for Navy purchase. An F-35. The Lightning II.
“Lightning II, that’s great. Sounds easygoing.”
“I think I can get it over 1200 miles per hour. That’ll be a speed record. So it’s July 14, five in the morning. Another pilot will do the same test.”
“How do you feel about this?”
“Don’t mind competing. Don’t like losing. There’re a couple of guys faster than I am. At flight school, Brad could always kick it over that extra point-whatever. But who knows, this could be my time.”
Clark patted her cheek softly. “I’m mystified as to why anybody would
want
to set a speed record at five in the morning; five in the evening either.” He rubbed her back. “But, hey, you like that dark blue world.”
“I do.” She looked at the roiling clouds. “I do like it up there.”
Aunt Sam stepped out to join them on the porch. She stared at her niece. “That was the phone. What’s wrong with you? Were you crying?”
“A little while ago. But I’m fine.” Annie looked carefully at her aunt; the vertical lines between Sam’s eyebrows were frowning more than usual. “What’s wrong with
you?
”
Sam squeezed Clark’s hands. “What’s the matter with Annie, Clark?”
“Nothing. Her divorce isn’t final yet.”
Sam reached out to her niece. “A FedEx just came for you, from Jack.”
Annie stepped away. “From Dad? I just got a weird phone call from Miami about Dad.”
Sam pointed back inside at the hallway. “This FedEx came just a little while ago with some balloons. Was the phone call from Miami a man named Rafael Rook?”
Annie shook her head. “Rafael Rook? No, it was from the Miami police. A Sgt. Daniel Hart. He’s looking for Dad. For ‘fraud.’”
Clark said he wasn’t surprised. “The police were always looking for Jack for fraud. But balloons? That’s a first.”
“Happy Birthday to me,” Annie said flatly. “I’m twenty-six. I haven’t heard a word in a decade. Now it’s a FedEx card and balloons. Sweet.”
“So, who’s Rafael Rook?” Clark asked Sam.
“A good friend of Jack’s. He wanted to talk to Annie.”
The porch door slapped again, loudly, flung against the house by the strong wind. Clark pulled it shut. “Sam and Georgette have been working on your party for a week. But we better cancel. This could be the big one. A real twister.”
“That’s what you always say.” Annie pulled her aunt closer. “Okay, Sam, what’s the problem? Something’s wrong with you, and it’s not my birthday party getting rained out. What’s this about?”
Frowning, Sam put her hands on Annie’s shoulders. “It’s Jack.”
“What’s he done now?”
“He wants you to come to St. Louis right away, Annie. He’s dying.”
Chapter VIII
The Man from Yesterday
T he storm had darkened the sky and in the hall Annie had to turn on a light. Carefully she read the small grubby wrinkled sheet of writing paper that was all there was in the FedEx envelope. Its letterhead showed a gold sun either rising or setting on a gold horizon line. Below the sun was an address: Golden Days Center for Active Living on Ficus Avenue in Miami, Florida. The penciled handwriting slanting up across the note was unsteady and smeared.
Annie,
Meet me in St. Louis where we stayed before. Fly the
King
. Crucial. Sam says she kept my flight jacket. I need it. Did you hang onto your pink cap? Bring it. I hear you’re brilliant and beautiful. Always were. If something happens to me, remember, Queen, King, Sam. I love you. Come fast.
Dad (Jack Peregrine)
PS Lindbergh
Nothing else was written under PS. Instead, pinned to the paper by the minuscule hook of a fuzzy dry fishing fly was a
“That’s sure what I told you when you married Brad.”
Annie changed the subject. “Want to hear some good news? I can’t wait to tell D. K. He’ll love this.” She said she had been chosen to test pilot a new short-takeoff vertical-landing carrier jet they were testing for Navy purchase. An F-35. The Lightning II.
“Lightning II, that’s great. Sounds easygoing.”
“I think I can get it over 1200 miles per hour. That’ll be a speed record. So it’s July 14, five in the morning. Another pilot will do the same test.”
“How do you feel about this?”
“Don’t mind competing. Don’t like losing. There’re a couple of guys faster than I am. At flight school, Brad could always kick it over that extra point-whatever. But who knows, this could be my time.”
Clark patted her cheek softly. “I’m mystified as to why anybody would
want
to set a speed record at five in the morning; five in the evening either.” He rubbed her back. “But, hey, you like that dark blue world.”
“I do.” She looked at the roiling clouds. “I do like it up there.”
Aunt Sam stepped out to join them on the porch. She stared at her niece. “That was the phone. What’s wrong with you? Were you crying?”
“A little while ago. But I’m fine.” Annie looked carefully at her aunt; the vertical lines between Sam’s eyebrows were frowning more than usual. “What’s wrong with
you?
”
Sam squeezed Clark’s hands. “What’s the matter with Annie, Clark?”
“Nothing. Her divorce isn’t final yet.”
Sam reached out to her niece. “A FedEx just came for you, from Jack.”
Annie stepped away. “From Dad? I just got a weird phone call from Miami about Dad.”
Sam pointed back inside at the hallway. “This FedEx came just a little while ago with some balloons. Was the phone call from Miami a man named Rafael Rook?”
Annie shook her head. “Rafael Rook? No, it was from the Miami police. A Sgt. Daniel Hart. He’s looking for Dad. For ‘fraud.’”
Clark said he wasn’t surprised. “The police were always looking for Jack for fraud. But balloons? That’s a first.”
“Happy Birthday to me,” Annie said flatly. “I’m twenty-six. I haven’t heard a word in a decade. Now it’s a FedEx card and balloons. Sweet.”
“So, who’s Rafael Rook?” Clark asked Sam.
“A good friend of Jack’s. He wanted to talk to Annie.”
The porch door slapped again, loudly, flung against the house by the strong wind. Clark pulled it shut. “Sam and Georgette have been working on your party for a week. But we better cancel. This could be the big one. A real twister.”
“That’s what you always say.” Annie pulled her aunt closer. “Okay, Sam, what’s the problem? Something’s wrong with you, and it’s not my birthday party getting rained out. What’s this about?”
Frowning, Sam put her hands on Annie’s shoulders. “It’s Jack.”
“What’s he done now?”
“He wants you to come to St. Louis right away, Annie. He’s dying.”
Chapter VIII
The Man from Yesterday
T he storm had darkened the sky and in the hall Annie had to turn on a light. Carefully she read the small grubby wrinkled sheet of writing paper that was all there was in the FedEx envelope. Its letterhead showed a gold sun either rising or setting on a gold horizon line. Below the sun was an address: Golden Days Center for Active Living on Ficus Avenue in Miami, Florida. The penciled handwriting slanting up across the note was unsteady and smeared.
Annie,
Meet me in St. Louis where we stayed before. Fly the
King
. Crucial. Sam says she kept my flight jacket. I need it. Did you hang onto your pink cap? Bring it. I hear you’re brilliant and beautiful. Always were. If something happens to me, remember, Queen, King, Sam. I love you. Come fast.
Dad (Jack Peregrine)
PS Lindbergh
Nothing else was written under PS. Instead, pinned to the paper by the minuscule hook of a fuzzy dry fishing fly was a
Similar Books
