Spirit Eyes by Lynn Hones Read Free Book Online Page B

German American Club located right where the baseball field is, and then it was burned to the ground.”
    “No, I didn’t know that.” Ruth coughed and swallowed feeling her throat tighten.
    “The historical society has a picture of him on the wall. I assumed you knew and told the story to Pearl.”
    “I’m sorry, Eve, but I’m not in the habit of telling my daughter gruesome tales of old. Gangsters getting whacked in local bars and then burned, as enticing as that seems, doesn’t cut it for bedtime stories around here.”
    “Please don’t get upset, Mrs. Adler—Ruth. There’s no need to be so defensive. I’d want someone to call me if my daughter was telling lies to scare the other kids.”
    “Telling lies? How dare you?” Ruth braced herself against the kitchen counter. Calm down… She now ranted with anger she was sure only a protective mother bear could understand.“In my opinion, you are a rotten, insensitive person, cruelly accusing my daughter of being dishonest. I’ll have you know that I will be speaking to Mrs. King, and if you breathe a word of this to the other parents, I will take it straight to the school board.”
    “I can see this conversation is going nowhere,” Mrs. Townsend said. “Please keep Pearl away from Rachel. Like I said, she’s very sensitive and doesn’t need to be frightened by a classmate.”
    Ruth hung up, livid.
    “Mommy?” Pearl sidled up next to her. Holding a sheet of homework, she asked, “Was long division as hellish for you as it is for me?”
    “Pearl, I’ve told you to stop the swearing.” She knew she was misplacing her anger, and after an anxious, apologetic look, she knelt down in front of her and wrapped her in her arms.
    “Who was that you were talking to, Mommy?” she asked as she pulled away.
    Pearl’s smoldering, dark eyes were a dead giveaway to the inner turmoil she suffered, and a smile would be like putting a drop of water onto an inferno.
    “Someone from school. It was Rachel’s mom.”
    “Did she tell you about the man I saw?” Her voice dripped with apprehension.
    “Um, yep.” She pulled her close, again. “Why is it you didn’t tell me about it?”
    “I don’t know. I didn’t get a chance, I guess.”
    “Well, I can give you a chance right now.”
    “Mommy, what is it you want me to do? Should I keep it quiet when I see my people?”
    “Um…yeah, Pearl. I think that’s a very good idea from now on. I should have told you that in the beginning. No more telling anyone, okay? If you see them, I want you to tell only me.”
    “Okay.” Pearl slid off as Ruth stood.
    “I need help with my math,” Pearl said as she walked away.
    Ruth rubbed her eyes. They’d been sore lately, and bloodshot. She coughed and felt sick. She headed to the bathroom and threw up. Nerves. I’ve got to calm down.
     

Chapter Seven
     
     
    On the last day for students, the schoolyard buzzed with excitement, full of tables holding tubs of ice cream and toppings. Everyone gathered for some fun. Parents, and teachers talked and laughed, while the kids stuffed themselves at the Parent’s Club annual ice cream social.
    Pearl raced around with her friends, coming back up for second and then third helpings.
    Ruth had volunteered months ago to help out, but now she wished she hadn’t. Her eyes still bothered her. A trip to the doctor did nothing to alleviate the watering and redness. On top of that, her fingers were sore. It felt as if she had hundreds of paper cuts on each one, but they appeared perfectly normal. Her hacking cough was no better, and now she’d developed chronic diarrhea. She’d lost ten pounds, and people were asking what was wrong with her.
    “Sometimes, I wish I had something to tell people,” she said to Paul. “Maybe I should make something up.”
    “Here, give me that scoop.” He put it in one of the empty tubs, walked her to a shaded spot, and sat her down on a bench. “We’ve done our share. I’ll go get the