High Crimes Read Online Free PDF
Author: Joseph Finder
to Jen’s long and involved message, until finally Jen wound it up, and then the friendly female automaton gave her the option of replaying or erasing or forwarding a message, and she erased it, and the next one came on.
“Received today, at seven-twenty-seven P.M. ” Then a male voice, Tom’s, and her heart jumped.
“Claire … honey…” He was calling from someplace out of doors, the sound of traffic roaring in the background. “I don’t know when you’re going to get this, but I don’t want you to worry about anything. I’m fine. I’m … I had to leave.” A long pause. The throaty snarl of a motorcycle. “I—I don’t know how much to trust the security of this voice mail, darling. I don’t want to say too much, but don’t believe anything you’re being told. I’ll be in touch with you one way or another, very soon. I love you, babe. And I’m so, so sorry. And please give my little dolly a great big hug for me. Tell her Daddy had to go away on business for a little while, and he’s sorry he couldn’t kiss her goodbye, but he’ll see her soon. I love you, honey.”
And the message was over. She played it again, then saved it by pressing two, then hung up.
Alone in their bed, she began to cry.
CHAPTER FIVE
She woke up, reached for Tom, and remembered.
A bit hungover from the booze, she made breakfast for Annie and herself, a four-egg omelet, nothing else in it or on it, but it came out okay, which was nearly a miracle. Tom was the family’s master chef, and eggs were pretty much the outer limit of her culinary ability. She flipped it onto Annie’s favorite plate, then cut it neatly in two, taking half for herself.
“I don’t want it,” Annie said when Claire set it in front of her. She was still in her pajamas, having refused to get dressed. “I don’t like eggs like this.”
“It’s an omelet, honey,” Claire said.
“I don’t care. I don’t like it. I like it the way Daddy makes it.”
Claire inhaled slowly. “Try it, honey.”
“I don’t want to try it. I don’t want it.”
“We’re going to share it, you and me.” Claire pointed to the omelet half on her own plate. “You see?”
“I hate it. I want it like Daddy makes it.”
Claire sat down in the chair next to Annie’s, stroked her incredibly soft cheek. Annie turned her head away sharply. “Babe, we don’t have any more eggs left, so I can’t make you scrambled eggs like Daddy does.”
“I want Daddy to make it.”
“Oh, sweetie, I told you, Daddy had to go away on business for a while.”
Annie’s face sagged. “What’s ‘a while’?”
“A couple of days, babe. Maybe longer. But it’s very, very important business, and Daddy wouldn’t leave you unless it was very important. You know that.”
“But why did he run away from me?”
So that was it. “He didn’t run away from you , sweetheart. He … well, he had to get away from some bad men.”
“Who?”
A good question. “I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Why what? Why did he have to get away?”
Annie nodded, watching intently, hanging on her words.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Is he coming back?”
“Of course he is. In just a couple of days.”
“I want him to come back today.”
“So do I, baby. So do I. But he can’t, because he has some very important business meetings.”
Annie’s face was blank. For a moment it appeared as if the storm had passed, as if her concerns had been allayed.
But suddenly Annie thrust out both hands and shoved her plate off the table, onto the tiled floor. The plate shattered with a loud crash, sending shards everywhere. The yellow half-moon of omelet quivered on the floor, festooned with jagged slashes of crockery.
“ Annie! ” Claire gasped.
Annie stared back with defiance and triumph.
Claire sank slowly to the floor, burying her face in her hands. She could not move. She could no longer cope.
Her eyes pooling with tears, Claire looked up at her daughter. Annie stared in
“Received today, at seven-twenty-seven P.M. ” Then a male voice, Tom’s, and her heart jumped.
“Claire … honey…” He was calling from someplace out of doors, the sound of traffic roaring in the background. “I don’t know when you’re going to get this, but I don’t want you to worry about anything. I’m fine. I’m … I had to leave.” A long pause. The throaty snarl of a motorcycle. “I—I don’t know how much to trust the security of this voice mail, darling. I don’t want to say too much, but don’t believe anything you’re being told. I’ll be in touch with you one way or another, very soon. I love you, babe. And I’m so, so sorry. And please give my little dolly a great big hug for me. Tell her Daddy had to go away on business for a little while, and he’s sorry he couldn’t kiss her goodbye, but he’ll see her soon. I love you, honey.”
And the message was over. She played it again, then saved it by pressing two, then hung up.
Alone in their bed, she began to cry.
CHAPTER FIVE
She woke up, reached for Tom, and remembered.
A bit hungover from the booze, she made breakfast for Annie and herself, a four-egg omelet, nothing else in it or on it, but it came out okay, which was nearly a miracle. Tom was the family’s master chef, and eggs were pretty much the outer limit of her culinary ability. She flipped it onto Annie’s favorite plate, then cut it neatly in two, taking half for herself.
“I don’t want it,” Annie said when Claire set it in front of her. She was still in her pajamas, having refused to get dressed. “I don’t like eggs like this.”
“It’s an omelet, honey,” Claire said.
“I don’t care. I don’t like it. I like it the way Daddy makes it.”
Claire inhaled slowly. “Try it, honey.”
“I don’t want to try it. I don’t want it.”
“We’re going to share it, you and me.” Claire pointed to the omelet half on her own plate. “You see?”
“I hate it. I want it like Daddy makes it.”
Claire sat down in the chair next to Annie’s, stroked her incredibly soft cheek. Annie turned her head away sharply. “Babe, we don’t have any more eggs left, so I can’t make you scrambled eggs like Daddy does.”
“I want Daddy to make it.”
“Oh, sweetie, I told you, Daddy had to go away on business for a while.”
Annie’s face sagged. “What’s ‘a while’?”
“A couple of days, babe. Maybe longer. But it’s very, very important business, and Daddy wouldn’t leave you unless it was very important. You know that.”
“But why did he run away from me?”
So that was it. “He didn’t run away from you , sweetheart. He … well, he had to get away from some bad men.”
“Who?”
A good question. “I don’t know.”
“Why?”
“Why what? Why did he have to get away?”
Annie nodded, watching intently, hanging on her words.
“I don’t know yet.”
“Is he coming back?”
“Of course he is. In just a couple of days.”
“I want him to come back today.”
“So do I, baby. So do I. But he can’t, because he has some very important business meetings.”
Annie’s face was blank. For a moment it appeared as if the storm had passed, as if her concerns had been allayed.
But suddenly Annie thrust out both hands and shoved her plate off the table, onto the tiled floor. The plate shattered with a loud crash, sending shards everywhere. The yellow half-moon of omelet quivered on the floor, festooned with jagged slashes of crockery.
“ Annie! ” Claire gasped.
Annie stared back with defiance and triumph.
Claire sank slowly to the floor, burying her face in her hands. She could not move. She could no longer cope.
Her eyes pooling with tears, Claire looked up at her daughter. Annie stared in
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