Read Online Valise in the Attic by Jan Fields - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jan Fields
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uniquely New England way the wind seemed to change direction with every gust. Annie shivered, thinking there was a kind of creepy Stephen King feel to the effect.
She spotted her burgundy Chevy Malibu and shifted the bag of clothes to the same arm that held the valise so she could rifle the pocket of her coat for her car keys. Suddenly, she felt a hard shove at her back. She stumbled to her knees, and someone wrenched the valise out of her hand.
“Hey!” Annie yelped.
Annie turned to see a man in a long dark peacoat and a watch cap pulled down low on his head running away across the parking lot with her valise in one black-gloved hand.
“Stop, thief!” she yelled after him.
7
Suddenly the thief must have hit a spot of black ice. His feet flew out from under him. He slammed into the pavement, jarring his grip loose on the valise. It skated along the ice, disappearing under a hulking SUV.
Annie heard shouts behind her and turned to see Alice and Ian hurrying toward her. The thief must have heard them too, because he scrambled to his feet and ran off. Alice stopped beside Annie to help her up, while Ian chased after the thief.
“Are you all right?” Alice asked as soon as Annie was standing.
“I think so,” Annie said, her voice shaky. She looked down at the heavy silk stockings she wore and saw they were torn and dotted with blood from her scraped knees. “Wardrobe is not going to like me.”
“They’ll get over it,” Alice said. “Did the thief get your purse?”
“I wasn’t carrying one. He grabbed that old valise. I guess he thought it was a purse?” Even as she said the words, they seemed unlikely. The little hard-sided suitcase didn’t look anything like a purse.
“He must have thought there was something valuable about it,” Alice said. “Hopefully Ian will catch him and get it back.”
“Actually, the thief dropped it when he fell,” Annie said. “It slid under that SUV.”
Alice walked over to the SUV and bent low to look under it. Then she walked around to the front of the vehicle and came back with the valise. “It slid all the way out the other side. That must have been a heck of a fall the guy took. I bet he feels it tomorrow.”
Just then Annie caught sight of Ian slipping between the cars toward them. “I’m afraid the thief got away,” Ian said. “Are you OK?”
“Nothing but some skinned knees,” Annie answered. “I’ll be fine. But I think I’ll take you two up on the invitation to have some hot chocolate at The Cup & Saucer. I don’t think I’m ready to be alone right now.”
“Good idea,” Ian said. “Why don’t you ride with me. I can send someone to collect your car.”
Annie waved that off. “No, really. I’m good to drive.” She took the valise from Alice and unlocked her car door. “I’ll meet you both at The Cup & Saucer.”
“You should bring the valise in,” Alice said. “We ought to look it over again. Maybe the thief was after that valise in particular. Could be another mystery in the works. After all, it did come out of your attic.”
Annie shivered. “I certainly hope not.”
At the diner, Peggy raised her eyebrows at Annie’s skinned knees. Annie was really glad she’d had some wipes in the glove box of her car. She’d wiped off most of the blood and cleaned the bits of gravel from the scrapes. The alcohol in the wipes had stung, but Annie figured that was better than getting an infection. Still, the wipes couldn’t do much to make her stockings look like anything but tattered rags. It was obvious Annie had been in some kind of a mishap.
“It looks like you didn’t follow your own advice about being careful in the snow,” Peggy said.
“I tried,” Annie told her.
She was grateful when Peggy didn’t give in to her usual curiosity and pepper Annie with any other questions. Instead, the pretty brunette quickly found the group a table well away from the front windows and near a heat register. “Warmest spot in the
She spotted her burgundy Chevy Malibu and shifted the bag of clothes to the same arm that held the valise so she could rifle the pocket of her coat for her car keys. Suddenly, she felt a hard shove at her back. She stumbled to her knees, and someone wrenched the valise out of her hand.
“Hey!” Annie yelped.
Annie turned to see a man in a long dark peacoat and a watch cap pulled down low on his head running away across the parking lot with her valise in one black-gloved hand.
“Stop, thief!” she yelled after him.
7
Suddenly the thief must have hit a spot of black ice. His feet flew out from under him. He slammed into the pavement, jarring his grip loose on the valise. It skated along the ice, disappearing under a hulking SUV.
Annie heard shouts behind her and turned to see Alice and Ian hurrying toward her. The thief must have heard them too, because he scrambled to his feet and ran off. Alice stopped beside Annie to help her up, while Ian chased after the thief.
“Are you all right?” Alice asked as soon as Annie was standing.
“I think so,” Annie said, her voice shaky. She looked down at the heavy silk stockings she wore and saw they were torn and dotted with blood from her scraped knees. “Wardrobe is not going to like me.”
“They’ll get over it,” Alice said. “Did the thief get your purse?”
“I wasn’t carrying one. He grabbed that old valise. I guess he thought it was a purse?” Even as she said the words, they seemed unlikely. The little hard-sided suitcase didn’t look anything like a purse.
“He must have thought there was something valuable about it,” Alice said. “Hopefully Ian will catch him and get it back.”
“Actually, the thief dropped it when he fell,” Annie said. “It slid under that SUV.”
Alice walked over to the SUV and bent low to look under it. Then she walked around to the front of the vehicle and came back with the valise. “It slid all the way out the other side. That must have been a heck of a fall the guy took. I bet he feels it tomorrow.”
Just then Annie caught sight of Ian slipping between the cars toward them. “I’m afraid the thief got away,” Ian said. “Are you OK?”
“Nothing but some skinned knees,” Annie answered. “I’ll be fine. But I think I’ll take you two up on the invitation to have some hot chocolate at The Cup & Saucer. I don’t think I’m ready to be alone right now.”
“Good idea,” Ian said. “Why don’t you ride with me. I can send someone to collect your car.”
Annie waved that off. “No, really. I’m good to drive.” She took the valise from Alice and unlocked her car door. “I’ll meet you both at The Cup & Saucer.”
“You should bring the valise in,” Alice said. “We ought to look it over again. Maybe the thief was after that valise in particular. Could be another mystery in the works. After all, it did come out of your attic.”
Annie shivered. “I certainly hope not.”
At the diner, Peggy raised her eyebrows at Annie’s skinned knees. Annie was really glad she’d had some wipes in the glove box of her car. She’d wiped off most of the blood and cleaned the bits of gravel from the scrapes. The alcohol in the wipes had stung, but Annie figured that was better than getting an infection. Still, the wipes couldn’t do much to make her stockings look like anything but tattered rags. It was obvious Annie had been in some kind of a mishap.
“It looks like you didn’t follow your own advice about being careful in the snow,” Peggy said.
“I tried,” Annie told her.
She was grateful when Peggy didn’t give in to her usual curiosity and pepper Annie with any other questions. Instead, the pretty brunette quickly found the group a table well away from the front windows and near a heat register. “Warmest spot in the
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