Grace Among Thieves Read Online Free PDF

it.”
    “Or something bad would happen?”
    She gave an uncomfortable laugh. “Sounds ridiculous when you say it. But it’s real to me.”
    I waved my hand to shoo her out the door in front of me. My plan was to keep an eye on her for as long as I needed to, but five uniformed guards surrounded us, relieving me of the duty the moment we emerged from the room.
    Our chief of security, Terrence Carr, stepped forward. Muscular and handsome, he could easily be the old Old Spice Guy’s doppelgänger. “What’s the problem?”
    “Everything’s under control,” I said. “But I believe we need to escort this guest off the property.”
    “No,” she cried, grabbing my arm. “Don’t do that. Please don’t kick me out. I didn’t do anything. I didn’t even touch anything. Except for the walls, I mean.”
    I eased out of her grasp. “This woman left her group and snuck into one of our off-limits areas.”
    Terrence stepped forward. “Let’s see some ID.”
    “You won’t kick me out, right?” she asked even as she dug into her purse. “I’m part of a group. They’ve got to be wondering where I am.”
    “Maybe you should have stayed with them,” he said.
    She kept her mouth shut and presented her driver’s license.
    Terrence squinted at the laminated card. “Your name rhymes,” he said. “Lenore Honore.”
    A flash of anger. “It’s pronounced ON-or-ay. Lenore ON-or-ay.”
    Terrence nodded acknowledgment. “Well, Ms. ON-or-ay, looks like you’ve overstayed your welcome.”
    From behind me, a booming voice. “Lenore!”
    We all turned. John Kitts stood with his arms akimbo. “What are you doing now?” To me, he asked, “What happened? Why is security here?”
    His tour group clustered around him, their faces bright with interest. I noted that Bennett and Hillary weren’t among the curious onlookers and decided they must have given up on my return. A sixtyish woman who looked as though she’d spent fifty-nine of those years in the sun, wagged a finger at Lenore. “Listen, missy, I told you to watch yourself. You’ve been a thorn in my side all day.” To John, “I told you she’d be trouble. But you didn’t listen.”
    Terrence must have experienced the immediate claustrophobia I had the moment the throng surrounded us because he held his arms out, pressing them to back up. “Everything is under control,” he said. “Let’s not get excited.”
    “Don’t use that tone with me, young man,” the woman said. “I have a right to be angry.”
    Terrence didn’t respond. Still holding tight to Lenore’s ID, he murmured to his guards to keep an eye on the situation, then stepped a few feet away and pulled up his cell phone. I knew what he was doing: a quick call to the Emberstowne Police Department to find out if little Lenore had a record. We’d suffered too many losses over the past few days to let any transgression slide.
    While Terrence was busy, John questioned Lenore, asking why she hadn’t stayed with the group. His tone was measured, even calm, but the tendons in his neck stood out in sharp relief.
    I scanned the group, seeking out the handsome man who’d caught my eye earlier. He was near the back, looking skeptical. Like a person who wanted to know more before he cast the first stone. When he noticed me watching him, he held up a hand in greeting and gave a rueful smile. I wondered if he and Lenore were traveling together. He was a bit older than she was but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Of course, if they were together, why wasn’t he stepping up to defend her?
    John continued his mild rant at Lenore while doing his best to prevent others in the group from drawing and quartering their wayward companion. Lenore was oblivious to their wrath, growing more confused by the moment.
    The sixty-something woman who’d complained earlier took a menacing step toward John and pointed to the girl. “Because of her, we’re going to be late for the show, aren’t we? They aren’t