In From the Cold Read Online Free PDF

name’s Miss Claire.”
    We stepped into Suzie’s room.
    “Here he is! This is Ontidi.” Suzie squealed, holding a stuffed elephant in Yvette’s face. Yvette blinked, then smiled, a charming little smile, gamine and sweet. She introduced Meow to Ontidi, and soon they were sitting on the rug. Suzie carried on an intense conversation with their two stuffed buddies, while Yvette watched.
    As they played, I scouted this room for more toys and found a bucket of Duplo blocks. The girls started building a town for their friends while Suzie chattered and Yvette listened. They were adorable. Then a shadow crossed the floor, and I hitched my breath, expecting Drake. But Cruella De Vil stood framed in the doorway.
    Cruella De Vil?
    Okay. Maybe that was a bit much, but she was the first thing to come to mind. I moved in front of the girls, instinctively protecting them.
    “What the hell’s going on here?” the harpy shrieked, and then the nickel dropped. She must be Yvette’s mother. I looked more closely. She didn’t really look like Cruella, but her bleached, teased wild hair, bony frame and red eyes reminded me of the character from 101 Dalmatians that had scared me as a child. The girls had the same reaction. Suzie’s mouth hung open; Yvette bit her lip.
    “Good morning.” I walked across the room and extended my hand. “You must be Yvette’s mother. I’m Claire, the nanny.”
    “Oh really?” she snarled, ignoring my hand.
    Snarled? I let my hand drop.
    “And what nanny allows kids to make enough noise to wake the dead at…what the hell time is it, anyway?”
    I checked my watch. “Seven fifteen.”
    “Godddd,” she groaned. Her nails were red and long, her eyes ringed with blurred mascara, her lips with smudged lipstick. She must have fallen into bed without even washing her face.
    Not Cruella then.
    Zombie.
    I squared my shoulders. “And your name?”
    She ignored my question, but assessed my faded jeans and worn turtleneck and smirked. Then, with a glare, she turned her attention to Yvette, pointing a finger in her direction.
    “I’m her mother, and I told her not to wake me. We had a long flight and I’m too tired to deal…” She started to push around me, but I blocked her path.
    “Don’t wake Mr. Driscoll, please. He’s still sleeping.”
    She stopped in her tracks, her eyes whipping back to mine. “Driscoll? Drake Driscoll?
    I nodded.
    “In this house?”
    “Yes.” I crossed my arms, peeved by her interest. She guffawed.
    “Oh that’s glorious. Glorious!” She shook her hair and fluffed it. “That changes everything.” She started to leave the room, forgetting Yvette completely in her glee. I followed after her.
    “Excuse me. About Yvette.”
    She turned, her eyes narrowed. “What about her? You’re the nanny, right?”
    “As I said.”
    “Then, here’s the skinny.” She pointed at Yvette, who clutched Meow to her tiny chest, barely breathing, her eyes wide and tense in her pale face. “We have two weeks here. Her clothes are in my room; you can get them any time, the sooner, the better. I have…” she fluttered her hand in the air, scrambling for the right term to use, “… things to do, so I’ll be very busy. I expect you, nanny , to keep her out of my way. And quiet . Understood?”
    What an appalling woman. Poor Yvette.
    “Any allergies? Any special needs?”
    “Not that I know of.” She waved her hand dismissively. “Her nanny may have put something in her bag.” She turned to leave again and my temper snapped.
    “Don’t you think you should at least say goodbye?”
    My voice trembled with anger, and she rounded on me, her hands in fists.
    “Who do you think—”
    “Good morning. Everything all right?” Drake filled the doorway behind Yvette’s mother. She froze, eased her lips into a smile, then turned to face him. He looked stunned.
    “Sharon?”
    “Why, Drake Driscoll, what a delicious surprise.” She slipped over to him and kissed him lightly on the