The Wolf in Winter Read Online Free PDF

to get him beaten up by some, or killed by others.
    Enough, he hoped, to hire the detective for a couple of hours.
    BUT NOW HE WAS dying. The rope, suspended from a ceiling beam, was tightening around his neck. He tried to kick, but his legs were being held. His arms, previously restrained by his sides, were released, and he instinctively raised his hands to the noose. His fingernails wereripped from his flesh, but he barely felt the pain. His head was exploding. He felt his bladder release, and knew that the end was coming. He wanted to cry out to her, but no words came. He wanted to tell her that he was sorry, so sorry.
    The final sound that he made was an effort to speak her name.

CHAPTER
    IV
    It was left to Thomas Souleby to calm the girl down. He had four daughters of his own, and they, in turn, had so far gifted him only with female grandchildren, so he had more experience in placating women than anyone else in the room. This particular woman needed more placation than most: her first act, after they had let her in through the back door of the store, was to grab the nearest knife and keep them at bay. None of Thomas’s offspring had ever pulled a knife on him, although he wouldn’t have put it past one or two of them during their teenage years.
    “Easy, honey,” he said. He stayed out of range of the knife, and spoke as softly as he could. “Easy, now. What’s your name?”
    “Annie,” she replied. “Call the police. Please, just call the police.”
    “We will,” he said. “But we just—”
    “Now!” she screamed, and the sound just about busted Calder Ayton’s hearing aid.
    “Okay, we’re calling them,” said Thomas. He motioned to Ben, who already had his cell phone in hand. “But what are we supposed to tell them?”
    “You tell them that some bitch and her fucker husband locked me in a basement and fattened me up like a pig for slaughter,” she said. “That’s what you tell them.”
    Thomas looked at Ben and shrugged.
    “You maybe don’t have to use those exact words,” Thomas told him.
    Ben nodded, and started dialing.
    “Put it on speaker, Ben,” said Thomas. “Just so Annie here knows we’re on the up and up.”
    Ben tapped the screen on his phone and turned the volume to maximum. They all listened to it ring. On the third tone, a voice broke in.
    “Chief Morland,” it said.
    The girl seemed to relax at the sound of the voice, but Thomas could still see her casting glances over his shoulder, staring out the picture window in the direction from which she had come. She couldn’t know how long it would be before her captors noticed that she was gone and came looking for her. She didn’t trust four old coots to keep her safe.
    “Lucas, this is Ben Pearson over at the store. We got a girl here in some distress. She says her name is Annie, and that someone has been holding her in a basement. I’d appreciate it a whole lot if you could get here real soon.”
    “On my way,” said the chief. “Tell her to sit tight.”
    The connection was cut.
    “How far away is the police station?” asked Annie.
    “Less than a mile, but I called the chief on his cell phone,” said Ben. “He could be closer than that, or a little farther away, but this isn’t a big town. It won’t be long before he’s here.”
    “Can we get you something, honey?” said Thomas. “You want water, or coffee? We got whisky, if that helps. You must be freezing. Ben, find the girl a coat.”
    Ben Pearson moved to the rack to get one of the men’s coats. His motion brought him almost within reach of the knife, and the girl slashed at the air in warning.
    “Jesus!” said Ben.
    “You stay back!” she warned. “All of you, just keep back. I don’twant anyone to come near me—not until the police get here, you understand?”
    Thomas raised his hands in surrender.
    “Anything you say, but I can see that you’re shivering. Look, Ben will go to the rack and slide a coat across the floor to you. None of us