The Darkness of Shadows by Chris Little Read Free Book Online

them.”
    “Where’re your grandparents?”
    “Don’t know.”
    “We need to figure out a way to—”
    “Send my father on vacation.”
    “Right. Vacation. What?”
    “You can leave anytime, no questions asked.”
    “Whatever. Where do you think your dad might be lurking?”
    “We haven’t exchanged Christmas cards recently, so your guess is as good as mine,” I said.
    My cell phone rang.
    “Hello?”
    “Natalie, it’s Tara Edwards. Sorry to be calling so late. How are you?”
    “Fine, thank you, ma’am. What’s up?”
    “I have some sad news to share.”
    My heart leaped. “Okay.”
    “Your grandparents passed recently.”
    “Excuse me, ma’am, which ones?”
    “Oh, the Gannons. Their lawyer contacted me and was very apologetic that he hadn’t notified you sooner. Things have been tied up in the courts. I attribute it to the quagmire known as our legal system. They left you a house and a tidy inheritance. He also sent along some things they wanted you to have.”
    Did she just say something about an inheritance?
    Her voice was extra perky. “Well, it looks like you have a lovely little house and a nice piece of property off the beaten path in East Caldwell.”
    I blinked a bunch of times, trying to process what she said. I had someplace to go. I could give Mrs. Guerrero some peace. On today’s Afterschool Special, A Home for Natalie.
    “Are you still there?”
    “Oh, yes, ma’am. Sorry. Is there anything funky I should know about? Back taxes? Is it condemned? Anything like that?”
    “No, free and clear. Bob and I took a ride the other day. It’s a great little place. I need you to sign some things and I have the keys too. This is a fresh start for you! Now, when can we meet?” Her perkiness was starting to wear on me.
    “I—”
    “I can stop by tomorrow, if you’d like.”
    “Um, that would be great.”
    “Sounds terrific!”
    She hung up. Good thing—if we’d stayed on the phone any longer I think I would have reached through the line and slapped the perky right off her face.
    Val’s eyebrows were arched high with questions.
    “That was my lawyer,” I said. “Seems I’m a homeowner.”

    Tara and Bob Edwards stopped by Mrs. Guerrero’s with a folder full of paperwork and a cardboard box that had seen better days.
    Mrs. Guerrero was out running errands, Val was in the family room finishing up a conference call, and I was sitting in the guestroom debating which to open first: the box or the local phone directory.
    The box won out.
    I flipped the lid off. An envelope was waiting. I slipped my finger under the flap and opened the yellowed page.
    It was a woman’s handwriting.
Dearest Natalie,
We are your grandparents, Beth and John Gannon.
Our fear of your parents keeps us away. William and Karen have become much too powerful for us to deal with. The only way we can help you is by taking the last pages of William’s journal.
William’s greed has stripped him of his sanity, driving him further from our family, friends, and his roots. His ideas go against our beliefs, but his power has surpassed our abilities.
We hoped Karen would make a difference in his life. Sadly, she turned out to be a capable accomplice.
It may not seem like it, but you are stronger than your parents. Your gifts will help you keep those you love safe as well as yourself.
Love,
Grandma and Grandpa
    My gifts? Let’s see, I’m a colossal wiseass that can bake like a demon. Yeah, the other Nobel Laureates were waiting to welcome me with open arms.
    I put the letter back into the envelope and picked up the phone book.
    “What’s that?” Val said from the doorway.
    “In the before-time, people used these to look up phone numbers and addresses.”
    “Who’re you looking for?”
    I huffed and closed the directory. “Karl Chapman. I want to know if he still works at the phone company.”
    “Looking for a friends and family discount?”
    I rolled my eyes. “When my father called, it came up as private