In Search of a Memory (Truly Yours Digital Editions) Read Online Free PDF Page B

trying to steady her nerves. Her fingers trembled as she let the cold liquid run through them, then patted her cheeks and turned off the faucet.
     
    Of all the dumb luck. To find herself sharing a car and a table opposite a man with a family as dangerous as Al Capone. Not sharing a car. Sharing his car. His private car. And his table!
     
    But what else could she expect? She had broken the law in stowing aboard, and Nettie’s warning words of “
those who do evil, reap evil
“ reverberated in her mind. She had entered the world of crime tonight; was it any wonder the first man to greet her would be a criminal?
     
    If she believed in a God who cared, she would go to Him and plead for help out of this mess. Too long Angel had walked alone, learning from childhood that no one cared, except maybe one. “Nettie,” she whispered, looking into the mirror, “I wish you were here with your wise advice.” Her friend would probably quote scripture, but that usually comforted Angel rather than made her angry.
     
    Once again the solution was up to her. And she had to think of something fast. She couldn’t hole herself away forever.
     
    Shutting her eyes to her pale image, she groaned. She must keep her distance, allow no more unforeseen meetings. But how? With little room to hide, if he pursued her, he would find her. He had the entire staff at his beck and call, whereas she had no one to give her aid.
     
    A swift knock made her heart give a painful jump.
Relax, Angel, it’s a public room after all.
     
    Breathing in deeply, she exited. The mother and child she’d seen on the platform stood in the corridor. The woman eyed Angel toting her luggage with a curious nod. The boy tugged on his mother’s coat.
     
    “Please, Mama. I wanna go to the cawnival. Can’t we go to Grampa’s later?”
     
    “We can go to your grandfather’s now, and if you’re very good, perhaps I’ll take you to the carnival when we return,” the obviously harried mother replied.
     
    “But what if it’s not there anymore?”
     
    “Hush, Timmy, and be a good boy. If we don’t visit your grandfather first, we’ll not have one thin dime to do anything.”
     
    “Will Grampa give us a dime?”
     
    His mother smiled sadly. “I hope he’ll give us more than that.” She smiled at Angel, almost apologetically. “Would you mind keeping an eye on him?”
     
    “I…” Angel swallowed, glancing at the boy and then in the direction of the dining car, several cars away.
     
    “I won’t be but a moment,” the woman assured.
     
    Angel nodded.
     
    Once the woman closed the door behind her, Angel offered the child an uncertain smile. “Your name is Timmy?” He looked about four.
     
    He nodded in an exaggerated motion, his big brown eyes wide under his tweed cap.
     
    “Did you say something about a carnival, Timmy?”
     
    Again he nodded, and her pasted smile grew genuine. He was such a sweet thing.
     
    “The man said it’s at the next stop.” He pointed to the front of the train.
     
    “Really? How fortunate…”
     
    He cocked his head, wrinkling his nose in confusion. “Huh?”
     
    She chuckled and tweaked his cap. “A grown-up word. It means that hope might just be around the corner.”
     
    He grinned. “You’re pretty.”
     
    His adoring words made her a little sad. “Oh, Timmy. Pretty is nice, but it can bring a world of trouble. It’s not so important how one looks, and trust me, pretty is a lot more pain than it’s worth.”
     
    Again he looked at her strangely. She shook her head with a cheerless smile, realizing a boy his age wouldn’t understand even if she did try to explain, so she offered a soft “Thank you” instead. It had taken a lifetime of informative and often painful experience to acknowledge what she had told Timmy. Only a person’s character and heart made them beautiful, like Nettie, who was plain with buck teeth but possessed a warm heart and caring disposition that made her beautiful to