The Goddaughter Read Online Free

gilded stores. “Used to be classier, and a whole lot busier. Place is a morgue now during the day.”
    I looked up. “You know this mall?”
    â€œI grew up not far from here,” Pete said.
    â€œSo you know the people at WBEN.”
    Pete smiled. I felt my heart teeter.
    â€œDid an internship there when I was in high school. You know, the work experience thing. Made a lot of great friends and contacts. Then they followed me when I was in the pros. Local boy makes good. Until I didn’t.” Pete looked off in the distance, thinking about those days, no doubt. I didn’t want him to feel sad, so I rushed to speak.
    â€œI’ll bet you took a lot of girlfriends here.” Why did I say that? Of all the stupid things…
    Pete looked up in surprise. Then he raised an eyebrow. “Only one. I went with one girl all through school. I’m the monogamous sort.”
    I felt my face go red. What can you say to top that?
    â€œSo I’ll meet you back here at five.”
    â€œRight,” I said, looking up and away. “Opposite the lingerie store there.” I shifted over on the bench to make room for a large-breasted blond woman. She smiled her thanks.
    Pete wandered up to the window with his hands in his pockets. “Come look at this.” He nodded to the strappy satin nightgown in the window. “You like that sort of thing?”
    I grabbed the pair of flats from my handbag-cum-suitcase and put them on. Then I rushed to join him at the window.
    â€œIt’s beautiful,” I said. Just looking at it made my heart sing.
    â€œYou’d look good in pink. Although you look pretty good in that blue suit too,” said Pete.
    I felt a charge hit me clear through the chest. Damn, but he looked good from the side. Something about the casual way he stood with his hand in his pocket, the way his hair fell over his eyes, which were fixed on the mannequin…
    I shook myself. “That’s fuchsia. Guys never know colors.”
    â€œRed, blue, yellow and green. And orange. That’s all I need to know.”
    â€œWhat about purple?”
    â€œAnd purple.”
    â€œWhat about brown, gray and beige? Chartreuse? Puce?”
    â€œNever heard of it. You’re making that up, right?”
    Men. I shook my head and turned back to the bench. The blond woman was gone. And so were my…
    â€œBloody hell!” I yelled. I dashed around the back of the bench. Nothing.
    â€œWhat is it?” Pete was baffled.
    â€œMy shoes! My shoes are gone!”
    I was scrambling now, knees on the floor, looking under everything in sight.
    â€œWhen did you last see them?”
    â€œI left them on the floor right here. Then you called me over to look at the window, and then”—I was starting to wail—“they aren’t here!”
    I stood up and scanned both right and then left. No sign of the blond woman. Where could she have gone in that time?
    Maybe she dashed into a store? A change room? If I tried to search every change room in the place, someone would call security for sure…
    â€œAh.” His voice relaxed. “Don’t worry about that. I’ll buy you another pair. I bet they have some really nice ones in—”
    He stopped when he saw my face.
    â€œIt’s not just the shoes, is it?”
    I hesitated, then shook my head.
    â€œWas something in the shoes?” His voice was tense.
    I gulped.
    His hand went to his forehead and brushed back hair nervously. “Don’t tell me it’s drugs,” he hissed. “Don’t tell me I just smuggled drugs over the border.”
    I shook my head. “Not drugs.”
    He let out a sigh. “I’m not going to like this, am I?”
    â€œNot so much.” It was hard to breathe. I flopped down on the bench.
    â€œYou going to tell me?”
    I thought for maybe two seconds, then shook my head.
    â€œMind if I guess?”
    I thought for maybe three