Read Online The Kid Who Stole Christmas by Linda Stevens - Free Book Online
Authors: Linda Stevens
Tags: Suspense
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”
“Nothing, dear, ” he retorted. “Just that I know they won’t cross me.”
“And I would? Is that what you’re getting at?”
Nathan paused, considering his words carefully. In fact, he was quite certain his pretty wife would be more than happy to stab him in the back, provided that it was of some advantage to her and that she could get away with it. But then, he supposed they were the same in that regard. Only a poisonous snake was comfortable sleeping with its own kind, after all.
“This is pointless, Angela,” he said at last.
“Oh, really? What if Joey and Irv were to make a deal with someone who owed us one?”
“Like who?” Nathan asked.
“I’m not sure who,” Angela replied. “I just have this strange feeling. Women’s intuition, if you like. That’s the trouble with unfinished business. It just sits there in your past, ready to surprise you, the way a bug you didn’t squash completely always manages to crawl into your shoe to die.”
* * *
S HANNON PULLED the collar of her fleece-lined overcoat up around her ears to protect them from the wind. She felt like some kind of spy, sneaking along the nearly deserted downtown streets in the snowy moonlight. It was profoundly cold, in the single digits, she was certain, turning the wind into a knife that poked its icy blade into any hole it could find in her meager defenses.
Rick was walking ahead of her, little more than a dark shape moving quickly through the shadows. She didn’t really know why she had decided to follow him. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. There was the bitter cold to contend with, as well as the occasional seedy-looking inner-city denizen. But worst of all, she was following a man who was in a foul mood and conceivably dangerous.
Somehow, though, even if he was involved in something shady, Shannon didn’t think Rick would harm her. It was Pop’s accusation about him being involved in the kidnapping that had really set Rick off. And if Pop’s information was correct, Rick had every reason to explode. Not only had Angela taken his child from him, she had even changed the girl’s name. If Rick had been forced to give up total custody, he must almost consider himself to be the victim of a kidnapper of sorts, as well.
Shannon wanted to hear the rest of the story, but could well imagine what had happened. She came from a broken home, herself, and had painful memories of the terrible things her mother had said about Shannon’s father in an effort to turn her against him. Much to her shame, she had turned against him, for a while, anyway. Unfortunately, by the time she was old enough to figure out what had really happened, her father had passed away.
Maybe that was why the loss she saw in Rick’s eyes gave her such a strong desire to connect with him. She was well acquainted with loss.
So it seemed she wasn’t being quite as altruistic in this quest through the cold and dark as she would like to think she was. Suddenly, she realized that, in a way, by helping Rick, she was seeking a form of absolution for herself.
There was also something else, perhaps nothing more than the hormones that had lured her into hiring a rather suspicious stranger in the first place. Whatever, some little voice inside told her that Rick could be a valuable ally right now. For one, he was apparently acquainted with the Bayers’ way of doing things. For another, he held a very big grudge against them, a debt that might well be served by his helping her find Leo.
That she would undertake the search went without question. In many ways, Shannon considered Leo to be her own, and she had no intention of losing him, too. Pop’s calm assurances aside, and whether Rick could help or not, she was determined to find the boy—before the shipment of toy spiders arrived, if possible. She didn’t like going against Pop, but all this struck too close to home for her to ignore.
Somewhere, Shannon could hear people singing. The
“Nothing, dear, ” he retorted. “Just that I know they won’t cross me.”
“And I would? Is that what you’re getting at?”
Nathan paused, considering his words carefully. In fact, he was quite certain his pretty wife would be more than happy to stab him in the back, provided that it was of some advantage to her and that she could get away with it. But then, he supposed they were the same in that regard. Only a poisonous snake was comfortable sleeping with its own kind, after all.
“This is pointless, Angela,” he said at last.
“Oh, really? What if Joey and Irv were to make a deal with someone who owed us one?”
“Like who?” Nathan asked.
“I’m not sure who,” Angela replied. “I just have this strange feeling. Women’s intuition, if you like. That’s the trouble with unfinished business. It just sits there in your past, ready to surprise you, the way a bug you didn’t squash completely always manages to crawl into your shoe to die.”
* * *
S HANNON PULLED the collar of her fleece-lined overcoat up around her ears to protect them from the wind. She felt like some kind of spy, sneaking along the nearly deserted downtown streets in the snowy moonlight. It was profoundly cold, in the single digits, she was certain, turning the wind into a knife that poked its icy blade into any hole it could find in her meager defenses.
Rick was walking ahead of her, little more than a dark shape moving quickly through the shadows. She didn’t really know why she had decided to follow him. It probably wasn’t the smartest thing she’d ever done. There was the bitter cold to contend with, as well as the occasional seedy-looking inner-city denizen. But worst of all, she was following a man who was in a foul mood and conceivably dangerous.
Somehow, though, even if he was involved in something shady, Shannon didn’t think Rick would harm her. It was Pop’s accusation about him being involved in the kidnapping that had really set Rick off. And if Pop’s information was correct, Rick had every reason to explode. Not only had Angela taken his child from him, she had even changed the girl’s name. If Rick had been forced to give up total custody, he must almost consider himself to be the victim of a kidnapper of sorts, as well.
Shannon wanted to hear the rest of the story, but could well imagine what had happened. She came from a broken home, herself, and had painful memories of the terrible things her mother had said about Shannon’s father in an effort to turn her against him. Much to her shame, she had turned against him, for a while, anyway. Unfortunately, by the time she was old enough to figure out what had really happened, her father had passed away.
Maybe that was why the loss she saw in Rick’s eyes gave her such a strong desire to connect with him. She was well acquainted with loss.
So it seemed she wasn’t being quite as altruistic in this quest through the cold and dark as she would like to think she was. Suddenly, she realized that, in a way, by helping Rick, she was seeking a form of absolution for herself.
There was also something else, perhaps nothing more than the hormones that had lured her into hiring a rather suspicious stranger in the first place. Whatever, some little voice inside told her that Rick could be a valuable ally right now. For one, he was apparently acquainted with the Bayers’ way of doing things. For another, he held a very big grudge against them, a debt that might well be served by his helping her find Leo.
That she would undertake the search went without question. In many ways, Shannon considered Leo to be her own, and she had no intention of losing him, too. Pop’s calm assurances aside, and whether Rick could help or not, she was determined to find the boy—before the shipment of toy spiders arrived, if possible. She didn’t like going against Pop, but all this struck too close to home for her to ignore.
Somewhere, Shannon could hear people singing. The
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