In The Bleak Midwinter: A Special Agent Constance Mandalay Novel Read Online Free Page B

huge front window of
Bremerton’s Dime Store, clutching tightly to Becca’s mitten encased
hand.
    Her little sister simply wasn’t going to be
happy until she had officially recited her amended wish list to the
jolly elf in person. The letter Merrie had helped her write,
decorate, and “mail” to the North Pole two days ago just wasn’t
enough in her young mind. She had to talk to the man himself.
    The problem had started in the car on the way
here, and before they were ever inside the market it had grown.
Beginning as an “I want” that quickly turned into a whine, it then
became the first embarrassing squeals of a signature Rebecca
Kathleen Callahan tantrum. She didn’t throw them as often as she
used to, but when she did they were just horrible, and Merrie could
tell this one had been well on its way to being one of her
worst.
    Merrie could also tell that Mom was already
wearing down, and Becca’s outburst wasn’t helping at all. The
observation made her feel more confident about not having said
anything to her mother about what had happened at school. Right now
it wasn’t something Mom could handle. Not without Daddy to help, at
least. But the confidence came at a price, because at the same time
it made her feel even more afraid for their safety being out here
and not at home. It was obvious to Merrie that her mother couldn’t
protect herself and Becca, and she still couldn’t be sure that he hadn’t followed them.
    Unfortunately, as her sister’s temper fit
grew in volume, her mother’s nerves began to fray, and she finally
gave in, promising that she would take her next-door to see Santa
once they had finished the shopping.
    Becca was happy about getting her way, of
course, but still not satisfied. As five-year-olds tend to be, she
was twice as impatient as she was excited, which was still just as
annoying. Merrie actually shared her unwillingness to wait, but for
a wholly different reason. Panic had set in once again as soon as
her mother made the promise. Their current detour was already bad
enough because it turned out that Norris’s Market was packed with
people doing last minute shopping too, and that was turning a short
stop for a few things into what felt the same as a whole morning
grocery-shopping trip, just like they did every other Saturday. The
idea of it taking even longer still before they got home was just
unthinkable for her.
    Merrie decided she had to keep that from
happening, and so she did the only thing she could think of to do.
She had offered to take her sister next door to visit Santa while
her mother waited in line at the butcher counter. Divide and
conquer, that’s what Daddy always said. If they could just get this
all over with now, they could go home and wait for him. Then she
could tell the secret. Then maybe she wouldn’t hurt inside so much.
And maybe, just maybe , things could finally be okay…or at
least as okay as they could ever be again.
    Although the sick feeling in her stomach had
sort of gone away for a time, it had never really left completely.
However, now it was back worse than before as she watched the
brightly colored “Holiday Express” electric train weaving its way
through a fantasy toyland on the other side of the window glass. As
much as she wanted this to be over, she now found herself stalling.
With each step closer to Bremerton’s, her dread at seeing Santa
Claus had increased. Even though it wasn’t him , the suit was
the same, and she wasn’t sure she could handle it.
    The train, however, was different. Through
the weather frosted pane she could barely hear the dull tick,
tick, tick of the wheels on the metal track as the engine
circled, pulling behind it a line of colorfully decorated cars.
But, if she concentrated hard and listened closely, it was
definitely there.
     
    Tick, tick, tick, swish…
    Tick, tick, tick, swish…
    And then the faint whistle…
    Tick, tick, tick, swish…
     
    In those sounds she found some minor bit