Read Online The Other Child by Joanne Fluke - Free Book Online Page B

anything to wish for. Instinctively, her fingers curled around the key in her pocket and she squeezed it tightly. At least one good thing had happened today. She had found the key, even though she hadn’t met Christopher yet.
    Yes, you have. The voice was faint and crackling, like that of someone talking over a telephone with a very bad connection. I’m Christopher. Just hold the key and I’m with you.
    Leslie opened her eyes, startled, but she knew that no one at the party had spoken. No one else had heard the voice, either. They were all standing there quietly, waiting for her to blow out the candles. The distant voice was inside her own head. She was imagining the whole thing. It was what her mother called wishful thinking.
    “What’s taking her so long?” She heard Bud’s low voice.
    “She’s so dumb, she can’t think of anything to wish for.” Gary laughed out loud as he replied.
    It wasn’t true! Leslie shut her eyes and squeezed the key hard. Now she knew exactly what to wish. She’d wish that the party would end right now. And she’d wish that these horrid kids would feel just as miserable as she did.
    “Blow all the candles out, honey!” Karen said, raising her voice. She couldn’t imagine what was the matter with Leslie. She was standing there, staring at the cake, stiff and still.
    At last Leslie moved. The small golden-haired girl bent over and gazed at the top of the cake, where ten candles blazed brightly. Her eyes were half closed, as if the light hurt them. She stared for a moment, swaying slightly, and then she pursed her lips and blew a soft stream of air that was more like a sigh.
    “Harder, darling!” Karen coached. As she watched, the candles wavered and grew brighter. Then they flickered out as if some unseen hand were snuffing them one by one.
    Up here, Leslie . . . in the tree. I’ll make your birthday wish come true.
    This time the voice didn’t startle her. It was as if she had been expecting it to continue. She raised her eyes and saw the old grayish-white hornets’ nest Mike had sprayed days ago. He had said it was empty, but he was taking no chances. A hornet’s sting was painful and they could sting you over and over again. It paid to be doubly careful when you were dealing with hornets.
    Even though there was no noticeable breeze, the hornets’ nest swayed back and forth like a pendulum. As Leslie stared at it, the other children began to look up, too.
    “Hey! Look at that!” Bud’s voice was a whisper, but everyone heard him in the sudden stillness.
    “It’s moving! Get back, girls—I think it’s going to fall!” Karen pulled Susie and Mary Ellen back a few steps.
    “Don’t worry about it, kids.” Mike’s voice was loud and reassuring. “I sprayed it last week and the hornets are dead. There’s nothing to worry about at all. It’s just the wind. Come on, Leslie—let’s cut the cake!”
    Mike moved a few steps toward Leslie, but all eyes were on the swaying hornets’ nest. Leaves rustled as the branch swung harder and one of the children screamed. Then there was a sharp crack as the branch snapped and the cone fell, landing on the table only inches from the birthday cake.
    “Too bad it didn’t fall right on the cake!” Gary remarked, laughing loudly. “Or maybe right on top of Leslie’s head.”
    Leslie stood perfectly still, staring at the hornets’ nest intently. Her eyes were huge and dark. Through the buzzing in her ears, she heard the children’s laughter and she wished harder than ever. There should be hornets in the nest. Then they wouldn’t be laughing at her like this.
    Her fingers gripped the key tightly; and as she wished, a low whine began to emanate from the nest. The sound rose in volume and pitch and one by one the children began to scream as fat, healthy hornets emerged from the paper cone with an angry buzz.
    “Hornets! Let’s get out of here!” Bud’s voice was high and frightened. “Run, you guys! Run! ”
    They were