No Place Like Home (Holiday Classics) by Fern Michaels Read Free Book Online Page B

turned into an alcoholic if Cisco hadn’t stepped in and straightened him out.
    On his way to the bathroom, he stopped long enough to stare down at the zebra-covered chaise lounge. He wondered if he’d ever sit in it. He took two more steps before he saw the folded papers the Trips had tossed at him. Their copies of the promise list they’d made long ago. Just the sight of them made his head pound harder. Almost as hard as his heart was pounding. He’d deal with those later. Much later.
    In the bathroom, taped to the mirror, was a note from Alexandra. He thought his head was going to spiral right off his neck when he read it.
    Darling, your son called late last evening just as I was leaving. I tried waking you but you were sleeping too soundly. Too much wine, darling. He said he needed you to bail him and his sisters out of jail. It seems they were arrested. I don’t know where they are because he didn’t say. He was rather surly but I guess that’s understandable considering his predicament. I tried calling you when I got home but you didn’t answer the phone. He was terribly upset. Much love, Alexandra.
    Jonathan sat down on the edge of the Jacuzzi. “Son of a bitch! Arrested!”
    Twenty minutes later he was shaved, dressed, and in the kitchen, the telephone in his hand. It wasn’t until an hour later, when he had nothing to show for all the calls that he had made, that he realized all he had to do was scroll back the caller ID, and the number Sam called from would pop up. He raced into the bedroom. The only call that came in after seven-thirty was a number he didn’t recognize. He looked down at the note Alexandra had left him. She’d said she tried to call after she got home. Her number wasn’t there. Was that because she hadn’t left a message? Damn, I can’t think straight this morning.
    He gulped some more aspirin before he called the number on the caller ID. He felt light-headed when he heard the words, “Laurel Hills Police. Sergeant Lomax speaking.”
    Jonathan identified himself and stated his reason for calling. “Can you connect me with the arresting officer?” Damn, the Trips said they were heading back to school, and instead they’d gone to Laurel Hills to see Cisco. He listened, his shoulders sagging. He thanked the desk sergeant before hanging up. He needed to think. How in the hell did it come to this?
    How?
     
    The Laurel Hills Assisted Living Facility came to life at five-thirty in the morning. The triplets woke the moment the front door opened, bringing a cold draft swirling into the room. They looked up to see a cranky-looking nurse and an aide who looked even crankier. The nurse peered down at the three young people, and said, “Overnight guests are not permitted. We have rules here.”
    Hannah was about to tell her what she could do with her rules when Cisco appeared with Freddie. “It was a bit of an emergency,” Cisco said apologetically.
    “C’mon, dog,” the aide said, yanking Freddie on the leash that Cisco was holding on to. Sam was unzipped and on his feet in a heartbeat, pulling Freddie’s leash out of the aide’s hand. “I’ll walk her.”
    “Suit yourself. Walking dogs at this hour of the day isn’t my cup of tea.”
    “I hate this place,” Hannah said, beating at the sleeping bag with her closed fists.
    “All right, Loretta, let’s take our shower. And let’s not be difficult this morning. I had a bad night last night with all that went on around here,” the nurse said snidely.
    “I’ll tell you what,” Sara said. “My sister and I will help our grandmother. You can go now and recover from your bad evening. Like right now,” Sara added, her voice ringing with cold steel. Hannah was on her feet and holding the door open.
    “This is irregular and will have to go on report,” the nurse blustered.
    “Oh, well,” Sara said.
    When the door closed behind the nurse, Cisco laughed. “I wish I had the guts to do that. She’s a real curmudgeon.”
    “Do