24 Hours by Greg Iles

Author:Greg Iles
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Physicians, Kidnapping, Psychological fiction, Jackson (Miss.), Psychopaths, Legal, Fiction, Suspense fiction, Large Type Books, Thrillers, Suspense
ISBN: 9781568959313
Publisher: Wheeler Publishing
Published: 2000-10-15T07:00:00+00:00

Abby sat scrunched in the corner of the ratty sofa, crying inconsolably, her Barbie held tight against her. Huey sat on the floor six feet away, looking stricken.

“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he said. “I just did what Joey told me to. I have to do what Joey says.”

“He stole me from my mom and dad!” Abby wailed. “You did, too!”

“I didn’t want to! I wish your mama was here right now.” Huey squeezed his hands into fists. “I wish my mama was here.”

“Where is she?” Abby asked, pausing in mid-wail.

“Heaven.” Huey said it as though he didn’t quite believe it. “How come you ran away? It’s because I’m ugly, isn’t it?”

Abby resumed crying, but she shook her head.

“You don’t have to say it. I know. The kids in my school ran too. Nobody liked me. But I thought we was friends. All I wanted to do was be nice. But you ran. How come?”

“I told you. You stole me away from my mom.”

“That’s not it. You don’t like me because I look like a monster.”

Abby fixed her swollen eyes on him. “What you look like doesn’t matter. Don’t you know that?”

Huey blinked. “What?”

“Belle taught me that.”

“Who?”

Abby rubbed her eyes and held out her gold-lamégowned Barbie. “This is Belle. Beauty and the Beast Belle. She’s my favorite Disney princess because she reads books. She wants to be something someday. Belle says it doesn’t matter what you look like. It only matters what you feel inside. In your heart. And what you do.”

Huey’s mouth hung slack, as though he were staring at a magical fairy risen from the grass.

“You never saw Beauty and the Beast?” Abby said incredulously.

He shook his head.

“Let’s pretend I’m Belle, and you’re Beast.”

“Beast?” He looked suddenly upset. “I’m a beast?”

“Good Beast.” Abby wiped her runny nose. “Beast after he turns nice. Not mean like at first.”

She slid off the couch and held Belle out to him. “Say something Beast says in the movie. Oh, I forgot. You missed it. Just say something nice. And call me ‘Belle,’ remember?”

Huey was at a loss. Tentatively, he said, “I’m not going to let anything happen to you, Belle. I’m going to keep you safe till morning comes, and your mama comes to get you.”

Abby smiled. “Thank you, Beast. And if the villagers come and try to kill you, me and Mrs. Potts and Chip will make them go away. They won’t get you!”

Huey swallowed, his eyes bright.

“Now you say, ‘Thank you, Belle.’”

“Thank you, Belle.”

Abby petted the doll’s hair. “Do you want to brush her hair? Just pretendlike.”

Huey reached out shyly and petted Belle’s hair with his enormous hand.

“Good, Beast,” Abby murmured. “Good Beast.”

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