Page 66 of The Ice Sisters

FEATHERWOOD FARM

He took a black marker and crossed out the faces of the twins. Those two were taken care of. Barbara was suffering. And she would suffer more.

He studied the little redhead in the picture. He’d seen her in town, in clothes that were too big on her skinny frame. Her sneakers had holes in them and she hadn’t been wearing socks. Her sweatshirt was stained and tattered just as his own had been when he was a boy.

Her mother probably got them from the thrift store or some donation center. She and her frail-looking mama toted trash bags holding their belongings, the little girl dragging hers behind her in the dirt as if they were too heavy a load for a peanut-sized kid who probably went hungry most nights.

He almost felt a kinship with her.

Almost.

But he still had to take her. In fact, he’d probably be doing her a favor by getting her away from a loser mother who couldn’t take care of her.

Maybe he wouldn’t kill her though. He’d take her in and raise her as his own. Make Barbara wonder every damn day what had happened to her and if she was dead or alive.

A smile curved his lips at the thought.

He could even bring her back here where he grew up. Teach her the same lessons he’d learned.

Family means everything, his mama had once said.

“We’ll always be together,” his daddy promised.

But they’d lied.

Just like Barbara had.

EIGHTY

EMERALD FALLS

Mazie shook her mama but she just snored and groaned. “Mama, please wake up,” she whispered as a tall man walked by the alley and stopped to look at her. She’d seen him yesterday and he gave her the heebie jeebies.

But her mama didn’t stir. Mazie stroked her cheek with her hand and realized Mama was really hot. Her teeth were chattering, too. Mazie thought it was from the cold, but now she realized Mama had a fever.

Mazie had one last year when she had the flu and it was awful. Her head hurt so bad she was dizzy and she couldn’t stop shaking. Mama had fed her Tylenol and made her drink water and made her tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich.

A sob caught in her throat. If they had a house and some money to buy food, she’d make soup and grilled cheese for her mama. She checked Mama’s pockets but they were empty.

There was a little souvenir store with T-shirts and hats and little kids’ toys. Beside it was a drug store that sold root beer floats and ice cream. She’d stared in the window this morning and seen some kids getting sundaes and milkshakes.

She felt her mama’s forehead. She was burning up. She had to do something. “Mama, I’ll be back in a minute.” Tucking theblanket around her mama, she gave her a kiss then ducked into the crowd.

The smell of pizza and tacos swirled around her and her stomach growled, but she dashed by the food trucks and wove between the booths until she spotted the drug store. A tremble went through her as she made a plan.

She’d seen Mama shoplift before and thought she could do it. Just be really quiet and look all around you and then slip something in your pocket.

Fear beat inside her as she entered the store. There were a dozen people inside, some at the bar wolfing down burgers and milkshakes. Two kids were looking at the little stuffed toys in a bin. An old woman with a cane was peering at a row of cough medicines as if she couldn’t see very well.

Mazie wanted to get a bottle of that cough medicine but it was too chancy with the lady there.

She slipped down the aisle and found the bottles of Tylenol. Her nerves kicked in as she started to lift a bottle and she knocked one to the floor. She jerked her head around, wondering if anyone had seen her, then stooped to the floor and scooped it into her pocket.

When she looked up, a big man stomped toward her with a glare on his face.

They’d arrested Mama one time when she’d stolen a shirt for Mazie. She didn’t want to go to jail. Then who would take care of her mama?

Knees knocking together, she lurched up and ran for the door.

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