BooksBarbecue
Back The Newcomer Save as PDF
Chapters (71)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. 58
  62. 59
  63. 60
  64. 61
  65. 62
  66. 63
  67. Epilogue
  68. Acknowledgments
  69. Also by Mary Kay Andrews
  70. About the Author
  71. Newsletter Sign-up

Rooney ran toward the woman, waving the Glock he’d taken from the efficiency. “Move the van!” he screamed. His ball cap fell off. His voice was hoarse. “Move this goddamn van, or I’ll fucking blow your head off.”

Trudi Maples turned at the sound of his voice. Her eyes narrowed as she instantly recognized the menacing blue-eyed man charging toward her. It was the man who’d cheated her, who’d bought her grandfather’s heirloom watch and cheated her out of thousands of dollars, money she’d planned to use for their fiftieth-anniversary trip. “You!”

He pointed the gun as he came closer. Trudi picked up the walker with both hands. She swung it at his head, sideways, as hard as she could, grunting with the exertion. She would never forget the look on Declan Rooney’s face; for months afterward, she would describe it in detail, to Merwin, and then her grandchildren and her bridge partners up home, anyone who would listen really.

It was a look of total astonishment, shock, turning to pain, as the aluminum walker slammed into the side of his face, the sound like the crack of a bat hitting a ripe cantaloupe, knocking him to the ground. He lay there, clutching his face, writhing in pain on the crushed-shell pavement. Blood bubbled from Rooney’s handsome, ruined mouth. She placed the pronged legs of the walker squarely over his body and leaned heavily upon it, effectively pinning the man to the ground.

Finally, Merwin put the van in park and made his way over to his wife. “Jesus, Trudi,” he said, staring down at the wounded stranger in horror. “What the hell have you done now?”

49

AT THE SOUND OF MAYA’S cries Letty broke into a panicked run, feeling the adrenaline coursing through her blood.

“Maya! Maya, baby, I’m here,” she called as she ran. “I’m coming, baby!”

She saw the small pajama-clad figure zigzagging across the parking lot toward her and held out her arms.

Maya rocketed into her embrace and Letty pressed her close to her chest. “The bad man,” the child sobbed. “The bad man got me.”

“I know, baby, I know,” Letty crooned, stroking her back. “But I’m here now. You’re safe. Okay? I won’t let you go. You’re safe.”

Doors up and down the breezeway were opening and guests, some still in their nightclothes, poked their heads out of their rooms.

“What’s going on?” Oscar Jensen stepped into the breezeway. He was dressed in a cotton bathrobe that barely skimmed his thighs and had a black satin sleep mask pushed up onto his forehead.

Ava rushed across from the office, with Ruth and Billie Feldman trailing in her wake.

“Thank God,” Ava said, folding Letty and Maya into an all-encompassing hug. “Thank God she’s safe.”