The Christmas Child by Linda Goodnight Read Free Book Online

talked to Jesse Rainmaker an hour ago. Nothing. Nothing on the databases, either.”
    â€œI don’t understand that. If your child was missing, wouldn’t you call the police?”
    She was as naive as a baby, a cookie-baking optimist. The thought tickled the corners of his eyes. “Maybe, maybe not.”
    Her cup clinked against the metal top. “I don’t know much about this kind of thing, Kade, but I want to do something to help Davey find his family. Please tell me what you’re thinking.”
    He was positive she didn’t want to hear it all. “I can think of a couple of scenarios. One, his family doesn’t know he’s missing.”
    â€œThat’s unlikely, isn’t it?”
    â€œSometimes parents are out of the house, at work, partying. They come home a day or two later and find their kid gone. By tomorrow, someone should raise a shout if they’re going to.”
    â€œWhat else?”
    â€œHis parents don’t want him.” He saw by her reactionhow hard that was for her to comprehend. “It happens, Sophie.”
    â€œI know. Still…” Some of the Christmas cheer leached from her eyes.
    â€œDavey is mute. A family might not be able to deal with that. Or worse, his parents may not be in the picture. Or he could have been missing for so long they aren’t actively looking anymore.”
    A frown wrinkled the smooth place between her fascinating eyebrows. A face like hers shouldn’t have to frown.
    â€œAre you saying he might be a kidnap victim?”
    â€œHe’s a little young to be a runaway. I searched the data base of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children and came up with nothing, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a victim. It only means no one has reported him missing.”
    â€œAre you saying a parent would ignore the fact that their child is gone?”
    â€œIt happens. Kids are a commodity. You can buy them on the internet.”
    Sophie lifted a weak hand in surrender. “Don’t.”
    Ignoring the problem didn’t make it go away, but he bit back the obvious comment. Sophie was small-town sweet and innocent. She hadn’t seen the dark side. She hadn’t lived in the back alleys of the underworld.
    Kade poured another cup of coffee, then shoved the mug aside to take milk from the fridge. Something cool and bland might soothe the lava burning his guts. “Kade?”
    He swallowed half a glass of milk before answering. “Yeah?”
    â€œYou want to order some fifth-grade cookies to go with that milk?”
    In spite of himself, he laughed. She was a piece of work, this cookie lady. “You’re going to hound me.”
    â€œGently. Merrily. It’s a Christmas project. So,” she said, with quiet glee, “how many dozen?”
    â€œWhat am I going to do with a bunch of cookies?”
    â€œEat them, give them as gifts, have a Christmas party. The possibilities are limitless.”
    â€œI don’t do the Christmas thing.”
    She didn’t go there and he was grateful. He wasn’t up to explaining all the reasons he couldn’t muster any Christmas spirit. Or any kind of spirit for that matter. His faith hadn’t survived the dark corners of south Chicago.
    â€œEveryone eats cookies.” Her smile tilted the corners of a very nice, unenhanced mouth. He wondered if she had a guy.
    â€œA dozen. Now leave me alone.”
    His gruff reply seemed to delight, rather than insult. “You old Scrooge. I’ll get you for more.”
    Wouldn’t that be a stupid sight? Him with a bunch of Santas and stars and Christmas trees to eat all by himself. Or better yet, he’d stand on the street corner back home and hand them out. See how long before he got arrested.
    â€œWe were talking about the boy,” he said.
    She shrugged, a minimal motion of shoulders and face. “Your stomach is bothering you. You needed a distraction.”
    Kade