The Blood Lie by Shirley Reva Vernick Read Free Book Online Page B

since. I worked all afternoon and part of the evening, then I came back here.”
    â€œThat so? I’m told you were down at the diner this evening.”
    â€œOh, yeah. I was. I stopped at the Sit Down for a bite on my way home from work.” He paused. “I didn’t know that was important.”
    â€œI’m told you were talking about Daisy there. So I’m just wondering—”
    Mrs. Pool slammed the lid on the soup pot and started toward the table, but Jack motioned for her to wait. “I didn’t talk to anybody about Daisy,” he said. “Why would I, when I didn’t even know she was missing?”
    The trooper didn’t say anything.
    â€œI don’t know where Daisy is, Officer,” Jack went on. “If I did, I’d tell you.”
    â€œI believe you, Jack. Of course you don’t know where Daisy is. But let me ask you this. Do you have any guesses—just
guesses—about how she might have disappeared?”
    â€œNow listen here,” Mrs. Pool said. “You have no right—”
    â€œOkay, listen, both of you,” the trooper said. “Jack. Mrs. Pool. I’m gonna give it to you plain. I’m told you people believe a sacrifice—a blood sacrifice of a Christian child—is proper in celebrating your holidays. You have a holiday coming up, right? And now we have a Christian child missing out of the blue. So it’s only logical for me to suppose…”
    Jack and his mother stared at the trooper. Blood sacrifice? Blood sacrifice?
    Jack wished his mother would start to cry. Someone needed to cry, and he didn’t want to be the one. Then for an instant, he thought he might laugh. He thought his churning belly and his burning throat might erupt in a full-out spasm of laughter. But that instant passed quickly, giving way to gagging fear.
    â€œ Oh my God! ” he heard his mother roar. “Get out of my house! Take your horrid lies and get out of here!”
    â€œMa’am, easy.” Victor stood up. “I’m just checking out possibilities.”
    â€œ Out! ” she shouted, grabbing her broomstick from the corner and pointing the handle at him. “Get out of my house!”
    By this time, Harry and Martha had abandoned their spy post in the next room and were gaping in the kitchen doorway. “Mama?” Martha asked, wide-eyed.
    â€œI said get out.” Mrs. Pool’s voice turned quiet and low, like a growl, and she raised the broom a little higher. “But tell me one thing first. What does Jenna Durham have to say about this stupid idea of yours?”
    â€œShe doesn’t know. Not from me, anyway. She took to bed some time ago.”

    â€œGood. Now go.” She took a step closer and shoved the broomstick under his nose.
    â€œThis isn’t over,” Victor said, taking a step back. “Not nearly.” He turned around and strode quickly out of the house. Jack heard the click of the door lock and the thump of the broom returning to the corner, and then his mother was sitting next to him at the table, her hands clenched and her cheeks crimson.

    â€œBack upstairs, both of you,” Mrs. Pool ordered Harry and Martha. “You can take down my Chinese checkers set if you wish, but don’t come down until I call you. Hurry now.”
    Mrs. Pool asked Jack, “Are you all right?”
    Jack folded his arms on the kitchen table and let out an unsteady breath. “I guess.”
    â€œJack, what happened at the diner?”
    â€œNothing. I sat at the counter, and Gus asked me why I was working so late. I told him we were trying to get a shipment unpacked before the holy day. That’s all. Then I ate my eggs and left.”
    â€œAre you certain that’s all?”
    â€œDon’t you believe me?”
    â€œOf course I do. I’m just trying to figure out who the liar is—the real Jew-hating liar. Who else was there?”
    â€œI don’t