Case and the Dreamer Read Online Free

patchy, flushed cheeks. And she went right on talking, crooning, almost.
    “Fear means everything to you. I never knew it because I never had to be afraid of you. I worked too hard, did too much. You couldn’t be angry at me. Now you are afraid for your job, because of Parks. You are being treated like a little man at work, and it makes you try to be a big man at home. You are afraid.
    “You are afraid and you don’t have to be, because there are other jobs in town besides the one you have, and because you have donenothing to get fired for. Fear means more to you than good sense. You are ruled by fear and you try to rule by fear. Bubbles is the only one in the world you think you can make afraid, and you’re not sure of that so you have to prove it all the time. You were fine and wonderful and big, and now you are small and afraid.”
    “Stop saying that,” he said ominously.
    “You are afraid,” she droned, “You are afraid.”
    He rose and clenched his fist.
    “Mummy?”
    Rosalind entered the kitchen, glowing from her bath. She wore flannel pyjamas and a dressing gown with a crazy zigzag pattern. She went to her mother. “I’m clean,” she confided. “Is Daddy sick?”
    Over the child’s head, Angela said, “Yes, honey.”
    “Bubbles,” said Les hoarsely, “come here.”
    Angela held the child’s shoulders while she searched his face. Apparently she found what she was looking for. “Go on, cookie,” she murmured.
    Les picked up his daughter, who was stiff and puzzled. He set her in his lap and put his arms around her. “Bubbles, tell me something. Tell me the truth. I promise I won’t—I won’t spank you.” He cleared his throat. “When you do something wrong, I punish you. Right?”
    “Uh-huh.”
    “Yes. Now, do I always punish you the same? I mean, if you do something bad, like break flowers or spill Mummy’s perfume, do I always punish you just as hard?”
    “I guess so.”
    He licked his lips. “Bubbles, this is awfully important. Tell me the truth. Is there any time when I punish you harder?”
    “Yes,” she said gravely. “It’s worse on Tuesdays.”
    He made a sound that was not a word, and held her tight. He held her so tight that she screwed up her eyes. When he released her she looked at him. “Gee!” she said. She reached over and pulled his nose. She pulled it twice before he could make the noise like the auto horn. How long had it been since they had played that?
    He kissed her. “Come on, honey,” said Angela. They went away and left him alone.
    The phone rang after a time. Angela was still upstairs. He took the call.
    When Angela came back, he was washing the dishes. Angela said nothing. She got a towel and began drying.
    “That call,” he said, in an awestruck voice. “It was Bryce.”
    “Bryce,” she said, without anything but acknowledgment in her tone.
    “He was very polite. The big boss himself.… He asked me what I thought of Parks. I said I thought he was a good accountant. What else could I say? Bryce … thanked me for my opinion. He apologized for disturbing me at home. Then he told me …”
    “Told you what?” asked Angela, when she could stand the choked silence no longer.
    “We’re opening a new branch in Calgary,” he said. “Until tonight only three men knew about it—a top business secret. Parks is slated to manage the new branch, and he’s been around learning all the ropes from … from.…” He shook his head wonderingly, “from ‘the best men in the company.’ ”
    He looked at Angela. Her face was still, not smiling, not frowning. “He … asked me if I wanted to manage the new branch and I told him.…” His eyes rested on the cottage curtains, which were not Venetian blinds. “I told him no, I like it just the way it is. He was very … relieved. He hoped I’d say that. He needs me here. He said he had to ask me because I deserved it.” He looked down at her tear-stung, waiting eyes, and said again, “Deserved