Read Online The War Against Miss Winter by Kathryn Miller Haines - Free Book Online Page B

what you’re talking about.”
    My brain kept churning. “There was another time too—the subway the night Jim died. You were hiding behind a newspaper staring at me.” He kept his face impassive, resigned to not tip his mitt. “Oh, come on—I know it was you.”
    He cracked his knuckles. “You don’t know from nothing.”
    “Fine, I don’t know from nothing .” I was officially rankled. “Look, Mister…oh, I’m sorry, since you haven’t given me your moniker, I’m going to have to make one up for you. How about Frank? Since you’re in my office when I’m not, I’m going to assume we’re on a first name basis.” I took a bite of my doughnut. “Anyways, Frank, you can deny everything I say and continue doing that physical intimidation thing you like so much, or you can cut to the chase and tell me what you’re doing here. Because I’m awfully busy and I’d prefer you do whatever you came here for so we can both go about our day.” I took another bite of doughnut and washed it down with a swig of coffee. Frank kept staring at me. “Would you like some doughnut, Frank?”
    His close-set eyes grew even closer. “Yes,” he said. “I would.”
    I reluctantly tossed him the half I hadn’t eaten and watched him devour it in a single bite. He searched the desk for a napkin. When one didn’t materialize, he wiped his mouth on his coat sleeve, leaving behind a shadow of white powder.
    “Word is you’re taking on Jim’s cases,” he said.
    “Where did you hear that from?”
    His hand grabbed at his chin as though he were feeling for a beard that was no longer there. “I’ve got my sources.”
    “And is your source a client?” He didn’t say anything. Instead he maintained a stony stare that I suspected he honed through years of practice. “Oh, come on, Frank—you can be square with me.” Still nothing, and I knew he was waiting for me to spill. The question was, Why? I was positive Frank was the bruno at the funeral and on the subway, but I didn’t understand the reason behind his visit.
    I chose my words carefully. “I’m finishing a case or two as a courtesy,but I’m not taking on anything else.”
    Frank jerked a nod and brushed the crumbs from his coat. The phone shrieked.
    “Are we done?” I asked. He shrugged in reply. I rolled my eyes and lifted the receiver. “McCain and Son.”
    “Rosie?” A little girl’s voice breathed my name.
    “Just who I was hoping to hear from,” I said. “Anybody call?” Jayne had agreed to stay at the house in case I got a callback. My desperation for work had turned to delusion.
    “Not yet.” There was a frantic quality to her voice that I wasn’t used to, a shaky tone that wordlessly implied your mother’s dead and the rabbit died . “Have you seen the A.M . papers?”
    I turned away from Frank and lowered my voice. “No. Why?” In the background, Edward R. Murrow brought us up to date on the news from overseas. Was it time for his normal report, or had he chilled the airwaves with the dreaded words We interrupt this program ?
    Had something happened to Jack?
    Jayne’s voice drifted into a whisper. “Raymond Fielding’s dead.”
    Frank no longer seemed so innocuous. I shifted and spied him from the corner of my eye. “Isn’t that something?” I said to the phone. “Don’t worry, Jayne—she’ll pull through this. My grandmother had the exact same thing and she’s still kicking.”
    “Is somebody there?” Jayne asked.
    “Oh, yes,” I said, “and Gram’s a big woman too. Healthy or not, she could scare the pants off you with a single look.”
    Frank yawned and cleaned his nails with a pen nib.
    “Do you want me to come down?” Jayne asked.
    “No, no. You go to the hospital and be with your family. I’ll take care of everything.”
    “If I don’t hear back from you in ten minutes, I’m coming over,” said Jayne.
    “All right. Bye.” I put the horn in the cradle and took a deep breath.
    Frank stopped his manicure.