Hatfield and McCoy Read Online Free PDF Page B

said.
    He stopped dead still, his hands on his hips, his head at an angle, his silver eyes seeming to blaze out his ridicule.
    â€œOh, really?”
    â€œYes,” Julie said flatly. She walked to the spot where Julie had been. “She was playing with her ball. A small ball, with little stars on it, kind of like a circus motif. Then it rolled out into the street and she came out. She looked both ways. She’s really a very good little girl. It’s a loving household. Of course, you don’t have to be a psychic to have ascertained that.”
    McCoy shrugged and put on his sunglasses. “You’d be surprised,” he said softly. “I’ve seen some awful things in some homes that looked like paradise on the outside.”
    Julie shook her head. “This is a good home, and Tracy loves it.”
    â€œIf you say so.”
    Julie indicated the picture he was holding. “Look at her face!”
    â€œAll children have trusting faces,” he said.
    â€œThat’s not true, and you know it.”
    He was studying Tracy Nicholson’s face. Julie leaned over his shoulder and looked at the smiling girl in the photograph. “Her hair is longer now,” Julie said. “Oh, and she’s had her braces off since this was taken.”
    â€œHas she?” McCoy opened the car door and gently tossed the picture inside. “Let’s go.”
    â€œWait, please.”
    â€œFor what?”
    â€œJust give me a minute, please? I want to show you what happened.”
    â€œOh, come on—”
    â€œTwo minutes, Mr. McCoy.”
    He didn’t dispute her again. He leaned against his car, watching her.
    Julie started to follow Tracy’s steps. “She caught her ball here. Then she saw the car come toward her and stop. The driver asked her to come closer. I think he said that he wanted directions. But Tracy was too smart. She wouldn’t go to him. So he jumped out of the car and raced to her. He had something with him. A cloth. With some kind of dope on it. I don’t know what. He came down this street with the intention of taking someone. He probably even watched Tracy before.” She hesitated, then walked a bit. “This is where he took her from. He clamped the cloth over her mouth. And she fought until she lost consciousness.”
    She watched McCoy inhale and exhale. “Get in the car, Miss Hatfield. You can sit here and play charades. I have work to do.”
    â€œYou are an arrogant buffoon! I only want to help you, and I can. And Petty says—”
    â€œYes, yes, Petty says. Okay, so Petty wants you in on this. And your friends inside want you in on this—”
    â€œI’ve never met the Nicholsons before, McCoy, so they aren’t my ‘friends inside.’”
    She couldn’t see his eyes behind the sunglasses, but she could sense them narrowing. Speculatively. Maybe he was just beginning to believe …
    â€œGet in the car, Miss Hatfield.”
    â€œThen—”
    He stopped, glaring at her. “What kind of car, Miss Hatfield?”
    â€œI don’t know! I can’t quite—”
    â€œAnd is it a man driving? What does he look like? Is he alone? Is he tall, is he short?”
    â€œI can’t quite—”
    â€œYou’re right. You can’t. You can’t give me a damn thing except that a little girl was kidnapped. Well, we all have that one figured out, Miss Hatfield.”
    â€œI’ve just told you—”
    â€œNothing! You haven’t seen a thing.”
    â€œI’ve seen a lot! But no, I can’t see everything, I’m not God! I’ve given you a good picture—”
    â€œYou’ve made some pretty good guesses. Now, let’s go. I need to make phone calls. Set up a more organized search. I want to get out in the field myself. I—”
    He broke off as the front door to the Nicholsons’ house burst open, and Martin Nicholson was hurrying