Free The Reckoning by Jana DeLeon Page A

“Thanks for everything.”
    He left the office and exited the pawn shop, Alex trailing behind. He was trying to control his warring emotions and thought he was doing a pretty fine job of it.
    “So are you going to tell me what happened in there?” Alex asked.
    “What do you mean?”
    “You looked like you’d seen a ghost right before Al turned off that tape.”
    He held in a groan. Why did he think for one minute that Alex would fail to notice something like that? She’d noticed everything when they were kids, and now she had a PhD and a job that required her to notice the little things.
    “It’s nothing,” he said.
    “It didn’t seem like nothing. Look, if you know something about this man that will help us find Erika, you have to tell me.”
    “It has nothing to do with Erika.”
    “Then what—”
    “That’s not up for discussion.” He strode past her and crossed the street, leaving her standing on the corner, staring after him. He wasn’t ready to discuss the man yet. And certainly not with Alex. Seeing her had already brought back too many uncertainties, too many questions.
    It seemed to Holt that the entire life he’d run to escape was unraveling right before his eyes.
    * * *
    A LEX PUSHED HER SHOPPING CART down the aisle of the Vodoun Sack-a-lot, trying to concentrate on buying food for Sarah’s house. So far, she’d picked up a tube of toothpaste, a bottle of cooking oil and matches. As long as they wanted to have good breath while setting the house on fire, they were set.
    And now she was on the spice aisle, with not a vegetable or meat product in her cart to season. She shook her head and pushed the cart to the end of the aisle, determined to find something easy to fix that was also edible.
    She was eyeing the meat counter when she pushed her cart out of the aisle and another shopper crashed into her from the side.
    “I’m so sorry,” Alex said immediately, then looked over to see the very annoyed face of her least favorite woman in Vodoun—Lorraine Conroy, the sheriff’s mother.
    “Well, I’ve always thought it,” Lorraine said, studying one of her perfectly manicured nails, “but it’s quite refreshing to actually hear you say it.”
    “If I’d known it was you on the other end, I wouldn’t have apologized. I would have shoved the cart harder. Did you break a nail? Do you want me to call Care Flight?”
    Lorraine shook her head, the condescending expression she wore one born of constant practice. “Your mother never did manage to teach you manners, did she?”
    “My mother taught me that manners only apply in our actions toward human beings.” She smiled.
    “Cute,” Lorraine said, and dropped her hand. “I suppose you’re here to fix the latest mess that trashy cousin of yours has gotten herself into.”
    Alex felt the blood rush to her face. It was one thing for Lorraine to direct her hostility on Alex. That was nothing new. But she wasn’t going to let the woman disparage her cousin’s plight.
    “Her daughter is missing. I would think that even you would find a missing child disturbing.”
    Lorraine laughed. “Well, dear, you’ve already pointed out that I’m not human. Besides, everyone knows that foreign husband of hers took the child. Why all the fuss? She’s probably much better off with him in whatever country that is than being raised by Sarah.”
    “You’re despicable.”
    “No, what’s despicable is that trash like Sarah is allowed to live in such a nice place like Vodoun. Marrying that foreigner and bringing him here, having a child with him. She was asking for something like this to happen. Why, that sort of thing is all over the television.”
    Alex clenched the handle of the shopping cart, certain that if she freed up a hand, she wouldn’t be able to stop herself from slapping the smug look right off Lorraine’s face.
    “You are here to take care of Sarah, right?” Lorraine asked. “I mean, certainly you didn’t come running back here to take