Christmas at Patchin Place by Rhys Bowen

Author:Rhys Bowen
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: St. Martin's Publishing Group

Four

The next day Daniel went to report in to police headquarters. I was against this. “But what if they assign you to a case now and you’re off and working over Christmas?” I demanded. “Surely you don’t need to report back until after the holidays? They lent you to Mr. Wilkie for an indeterminate amount of time, didn’t they? So they aren’t expecting you back.”

“All the same, I should let them know that my current assignment has ended and I am reinstating myself as police captain. That way I’m already on the books and in the hierarchy when the new commissioner takes office. And the old commissioner has already cleared out, so I’ve been told.” He glanced toward the door, then back at me. “I think I’d be wise to test the direction of the wind, don’t you? Let’s see who welcomes me back and who doesn’t.”

I watched him go, my heart aching for him. He had been the best officer they could possibly have wanted: conscientious, brave, smart, and completely above corruption—which was something one couldn’t say for many of New York’s finest. However it was this refusal to bend, to overlook, to make deals, that had set him against the powers at Tammany Hall in the first place. And the last commissioner was Tammany’s puppet, determined to find a way to get rid of Daniel. Who knew what the future would bring?

The uncertainty sent my stomach into knots. I started to clean the house furiously as if physical work might shut out everything going on inside my head. Liam sat on the rug, playing with his blocks and his toy dog, happy to be home, without a care in the world. I watched him with envy. How simple life was when you were that young. Somebody took care of you and fed you and all the grown-ups adored you. Life without a care. How long ago that seemed. I had been thrust into the role of mother to my own younger brothers at the age of fourteen, when my mother died. It seemed I had been taking care of other people ever since. I sighed and went back to sweeping the parlor carpet, my ferocious strokes churning up a cloud of dust.

The sky was becoming darker and I realized I should go and shop for provisions before it started to snow again. I had just bundled Liam into his winter coat and bonnet when there was a tap on my front door and Sid and Gus stood there. “Oh, you were going out. How lucky that we caught you,” Sid said.

“Only to get in supplies. The cupboard is bare, so to speak.”

“We came to say good-bye and merry Christmas,” Gus said. “And to deliver your presents. It would have been much more fun to watch you open them, but you know they come with our love.” And she handed me a sack, such as Santa Claus would have carried.

“Thank you,” I said. “I feel terrible. I haven’t even got presents for the two of you yet.

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