Perfect Match by Picoult & Jodi

Author:Picoult & Jodi [Picoult & Jodi]
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
ISBN: 9780340976906
Google: m0WMPwAACAAJ
Amazon: 0743418735
Publisher: Hachette Group
Published: 2003-02-03T06:00:00+00:00

Quentin grabs my arm. "I took a chance on you, and you made me look like a fool."

"Mommy?" Nathaniel's voice rises to me like steam.

"It's okay, sweetie." I turn to the assistant attorney general and speak through my teeth. "I will come with you," I say in an undertone. "But please have the decency to do this without traumatizing my child any more."

"I didn't speak to her," Peter yells. "You can't do this."

When Quentin turns, his eyes go as dark as plums. "I believe, Mr. Eberhardt, that the exact words you didn't speak were: 'He sounds great, Nina.' Nina. As in the name of the woman you weren't talking to.

And frankly, even if you were stupid enough to approach Ms. Frost, it was her responsibility to take her cart and walk away from you."

"Peter, it's all right." I talk fast, because I can hear the sirens outside the store already. "Get Nathaniel home to Caleb, will you?"

Then two policemen come running into the aisle, their hands on the butts of their guns. Nathaniel's eyes go wide at the show, until he realizes what they are doing. "Mommy!" he screams, as Quentin orders me to be handcuffed.

I face Nathaniel, smiling so hard my face may break. "It's fine. See? I'm fine." My hair falls out of its clip as my hands are pulled behind me. "Peter? Take him now."

"Come on, bud," Peter soothes, pulling Nathaniel out of the cart. His shoes get caught on the metal rungs, and Nathaniel starts fighting in earnest. His arms reach out to me and he starts crying so violently he begins to hiccup. "Mommeeeee!"

I am marched past the gaping shoppers, past the slack-jawed stock-boys, past the cashiers who pause in midair with their electronic scanners. The whole way, I can hear my son. His shrieks follow me through the parking lot, to the squad car. The lights are spinning on its roof. Once, long before all this, Nathaniel pointed to a cruiser in pursuit, and called it a zooming holiday.

"I'm sorry, Nina," one of the policemen says as he ducks me inside. Through the window I can see Quentin Brown, arms crossed. Orange juice, I think. Roast beef and sliced American cheese.

Asparagus, Ritz crackers, milk. Vanilla yogurt. This is my litany the whole way back to jail: the contents of my abandoned shopping cart, slowly going bad, until some kind soul has the inclination to put them back where they belong.

Caleb opens the door to find his son sobbing in Peter Eberhardt's arms. "What happened to Nina?" he immediately asks, and reaches for Nathaniel.

"The guy's an asshole," Peter says desperately. "He's doing this to leave his mark on the town. He's-"

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