Read Online The Gingerbread Man by MAGGIE SHAYNE - Free Book Online
Authors: MAGGIE SHAYNE
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Lakeview and slowed to a crawl. “I’m not gonna say a word. It’s your call. You’re an adult.” Finally, he stopped in front of Holly’s house. She saw her mother part the curtains and look out at them, and she waved.
The chief said, “Holly, try to keep clear of this O’Mally character, will you?”
Startled, Holly turned to face him again. “Why?” He avoided her eyes, and she caught her breath. “You know what he’s really doing here, don’t you?”
“No. Not yet. But I don’t have a good feeling about him. Just ... be careful, all right?”
She nodded. “I will.” Then she sighed. “Stop worrying about me, will you? I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “See you at the bonfire tomorrow night?”
“You bet.”
Holly got out of the car and closed the door. The chief watched her all the way into the front door of her house before he drove away. Inside, she smelled chicken roasting in the oven, and smiled at the familiarity of it. It was Friday. They always had chicken on Fridays. She closed her eyes, her relief so intense she was near tears.
C HIEF MALLORY DIDN’T GO HOME. HE went back into town and had Maddie Baker let him into the library’s basement. He was the chief of police here; he was also one of a few remaining eligible bachelors. The other two. were Dr. Ernie Graycloud, and Reginald D’Voe, the retired actor, but old Reggie didn’t socialize much, and Ernie had publicly declared his intent to remain single to his dying day. Maddie Baker was a spinster whose voice always softened when she spoke to the chief. And she was only ten years his elder, so she probably held out hope, despite his relationship with Doris. It didn’t take much talking, and only minimal flirting, to convince her to hand over the key, and trust him to lock up for her when he left.
It took him three hours to find what he was looking for, but he finally did. The library had three copies of The Gingerbread Man through 1982. In 1983, one copy went missing and had to be replaced. The last person to check that book out of the Dilmun public library ...
Mallory read the name, closed his eyes, shook his head.
Holly Newman. Dammit straight to hell.
FIVE
C HIEF Jim Mallory sat in a rocking chair on the front porch of his log cabin. A wicker table sat beside him, with a glass of iced tea and a cordless phone on it. He liked his cabin. It sat just a little bit above the town, and gave him the feeling he was watching over Dilmun, even when he wasn’t in his office.
He was troubled tonight. And he knew there were other men in this town who would be just as troubled when he let them know what was going on. There was no use stirring all this up. He needed to let them know, though. They needed to figure out how best to deal with it.
Sighing, he picked up his cordless phone, and keyed in Ernie Graycloud’s number. Ernie answered on the third ring, just about the time Mallory was beginning to wonder if he was busy with a patient or had been called in to the hospital or something.
“Yeah, what is it?” he asked by way of a greeting. He always sounded slightly grumpy on the phone. It was his way.
“It’s Jim. Listen, we need to get together. Something’s going on, and I don’t like it.”
He heard Ernie’s sigh. “This got anything to do with that cop who showed up in town?”
“Yeah. He’s showing way too much interest in Holly Newman. It’s not good, Ernie.”
“I was afraid of that. Heard he was sniffing around her. He digging into the past?”
“It looks that way.”
Ernie made a sound, halfway between a grunt and a clearing of his throat. “Have you talked to Marty about this?”
“No, but I’m gonna call him next. We should get together, talk face-to-face.”
“That would be best,” Ernie said. “It won’t do to have this stirred up.”
“Agreed.”
“Good. Let me know when and where, I’ll be there.”
“I knew I could count on you, Ernie.” Mallory hung up the phone,
The chief said, “Holly, try to keep clear of this O’Mally character, will you?”
Startled, Holly turned to face him again. “Why?” He avoided her eyes, and she caught her breath. “You know what he’s really doing here, don’t you?”
“No. Not yet. But I don’t have a good feeling about him. Just ... be careful, all right?”
She nodded. “I will.” Then she sighed. “Stop worrying about me, will you? I’m fine.”
“You sure?”
She nodded. “See you at the bonfire tomorrow night?”
“You bet.”
Holly got out of the car and closed the door. The chief watched her all the way into the front door of her house before he drove away. Inside, she smelled chicken roasting in the oven, and smiled at the familiarity of it. It was Friday. They always had chicken on Fridays. She closed her eyes, her relief so intense she was near tears.
C HIEF MALLORY DIDN’T GO HOME. HE went back into town and had Maddie Baker let him into the library’s basement. He was the chief of police here; he was also one of a few remaining eligible bachelors. The other two. were Dr. Ernie Graycloud, and Reginald D’Voe, the retired actor, but old Reggie didn’t socialize much, and Ernie had publicly declared his intent to remain single to his dying day. Maddie Baker was a spinster whose voice always softened when she spoke to the chief. And she was only ten years his elder, so she probably held out hope, despite his relationship with Doris. It didn’t take much talking, and only minimal flirting, to convince her to hand over the key, and trust him to lock up for her when he left.
It took him three hours to find what he was looking for, but he finally did. The library had three copies of The Gingerbread Man through 1982. In 1983, one copy went missing and had to be replaced. The last person to check that book out of the Dilmun public library ...
Mallory read the name, closed his eyes, shook his head.
Holly Newman. Dammit straight to hell.
FIVE
C HIEF Jim Mallory sat in a rocking chair on the front porch of his log cabin. A wicker table sat beside him, with a glass of iced tea and a cordless phone on it. He liked his cabin. It sat just a little bit above the town, and gave him the feeling he was watching over Dilmun, even when he wasn’t in his office.
He was troubled tonight. And he knew there were other men in this town who would be just as troubled when he let them know what was going on. There was no use stirring all this up. He needed to let them know, though. They needed to figure out how best to deal with it.
Sighing, he picked up his cordless phone, and keyed in Ernie Graycloud’s number. Ernie answered on the third ring, just about the time Mallory was beginning to wonder if he was busy with a patient or had been called in to the hospital or something.
“Yeah, what is it?” he asked by way of a greeting. He always sounded slightly grumpy on the phone. It was his way.
“It’s Jim. Listen, we need to get together. Something’s going on, and I don’t like it.”
He heard Ernie’s sigh. “This got anything to do with that cop who showed up in town?”
“Yeah. He’s showing way too much interest in Holly Newman. It’s not good, Ernie.”
“I was afraid of that. Heard he was sniffing around her. He digging into the past?”
“It looks that way.”
Ernie made a sound, halfway between a grunt and a clearing of his throat. “Have you talked to Marty about this?”
“No, but I’m gonna call him next. We should get together, talk face-to-face.”
“That would be best,” Ernie said. “It won’t do to have this stirred up.”
“Agreed.”
“Good. Let me know when and where, I’ll be there.”
“I knew I could count on you, Ernie.” Mallory hung up the phone,
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