The Naughty List Read Online Free PDF

nagged at him, but he could do nothing else until tomorrow.
    David zipped up his jacket and jammed his hands into the pockets. Northwest Florida was chilly in autumn after the sun went down. He needed to find a place to catch a few hours sleep. A hotel was out. Hellhounds were on his trail, no point in making the hunt too easy. For a moment, an image of his parents crossed his mind. They must be worried sick. David shoved aside his guilt. Any contact for now was out of the question. No way would he drag them into his mess.
    Earlier that day he’d come across a house on the next block with a for sale sign in the yard. A quick peek in the window showed a dwelling devoid of furniture and convinced him the previous owner had left. The location would do nicely for a temporary hideout. David concentrated, holding a picture of the house in his mind, and then cast out a mental line to touch the living room. Within a moment, he forged a path clear enough to dash-away. The pressure increased, squeezing his chest. He let go, dragged into darkness. Nothing on the empty pavement remained to mark where the determined young man had stood.

Chapter Three
    The instant Rosalie laid eyes on Ross she knew something was horribly wrong. In deep conversation with Marissa, his face was pale, with a pained expression as if overcome by a sudden illness. Marissa looked like she wanted to cry. They parted ways and Ross trudged disconsolately toward Central Receiving.
    “What happened?” Rosalie demanded. “Was Ross fired?”
    “Worse than that for him. He was reassigned. Ross isn’t Santa anymore.”
    Rosalie was stunned. “What! Why?”
    “Who the hell knows?” She’d never seen her good-natured friend so angry. “Stephanie called Ross into her office this morning and sent him to Central Receiving to take Anthony’s place. He’s the new Santa.”
    Rosalie stared morosely in the direction of Christmas Land. Anthony…of course. Everything was so clear now. Christmas Land sat right next to the administrative offices. Her face twisted in a scowl. “I guess Santa has a new ho, ho, ho…and her name is Stephanie.”
    Marissa gave her arm a sympathetic squeeze. “I’m sorry. I know you liked him.”
    “Don’t be. We weren’t an item or anything. Ross is the one I’m worried about.”
    Marissa sighed. “Me, too. No one saw this coming.”
    Rosalie caught up with Ross later in the break room and offered her condolences.
    “I can’t believe it,” he moaned. “I only wanted to bring in a pillow.”
    “You’re not Santa anymore because of a pillow?”
    He nodded bleakly. “Stephanie refused to replace the throne. The seat is so stiff it’s like trying to find a cushy spot on an iron girder. My sciatica acted up something fierce. She overheard me mention to Anthony my plan to bring a pillow from home and stuff the seat for extra padding. The next thing I know she says Anthony is the new Santa—made some lame excuse about a worker’s comp case or some crap.” He shook his head in despair. “I should have kept my mouth shut and popped more aspirin.”
    Rosalie offered what consolation she could. “The reason wasn’t you, Ross. Stephanie had her eye on Anthony all along. She only needed a good cover story to move him closer.”
    He pushed back from the table with a sigh. “I suppose I should be grateful she didn’t fire me. You know, she cut three more positions from the securit rty office.”
    “I heard. We’re down to a couple of part-timers. Why the hell doesn’t Penrose’s simply throw open the doors at night and let the shoplifters come in and help themselves?”
    “How much worse will it get?”
    “Not much, I hope.”
    Ross wrinkled his face in disgust and pitched his coffee cup in the trash. “I used to love working here. I really did.”
    So did I, thought Rosalie. She glanced around at all the sullen faces in the break room. I hear more than good-natured grumbling. What happened to this place? How did the