The Winner by David Baldacci Read Free Book Online

and white. However, her latest episode with Duane had only reinforced to her that Lisa could not be allowed to grow up in such an environment. Something had to give.
    The mall office was at the end of a corridor on the south side of the building. LuAnn swung open the door and went in.
    “LuAnn?”
    LuAnn stared at the source of this exclamation. Behind the counter, the young man was dressed neatly in a short-sleeve shirt, necktie, and black slacks. In his excitement, he repeatedly clicked a pen in his right hand. LuAnn stared at him, but no recognition was forthcoming.
    The young man almost vaulted over the counter. “I didn’t expect you to remember me. Johnny Jarvis. I go by John now.” He extended a hand in a professional manner and then, grinning, he gave her a solid hug and spent a full minute cooing over Lisa. LuAnn pulled out a small blanket from her bag, set her daughter down on it, and gave her a stuffed animal.
    “I can’t believe it’s you, Johnny. I haven’t seen you since, what, the sixth grade?”
    “You were in the seventh, I was in the ninth.”
    “You look good. Real good. How long you been working here?”
    Jarvis grinned proudly. “After high school I went on to the community college and got my A.S. That stands for associate degree in science. Been at the mall for two years now. Started out as a data inputter but now I’ve moved up to sort of the assistant manager of mall operations.”
    “Congratulations. That’s wonderful, Johnny—I mean John.”
    “Oh hell, you can call me Johnny. I can’t believe you just walked on in that door. When I saw you, I thought I was gonna fall over and die. I never thought I’d see you again. I supposed you’d just gone on to New York City or something.”
    “Nope, still here,” she said quickly.
    “I’m kinda surprised I’ve never seen you around the mall before then.”
    “I don’t get up here much. It’s a pretty long way from where I live now.”
    “Have a seat and tell me what you been up to. I didn’t know you had a baby. Didn’t even know you were married.”
    “I’m not married.”
    “Oh.” Jarvis’s face reddened slightly. “Uh, you want some coffee or something? I just put on a fresh pot.”
    “I’m kind of in a hurry, Johnny.”
    “Oh, well, what can I do for you?” He suddenly looked surprised. “You aren’t looking for a job, are you?”
    She looked pointedly at him. “What if I was? Something wrong with that?”
    “No, I mean, course not. I just meant, you know, I never expected you to hang around here, working in no mall, that’s all.” He smiled.
    “A job’s a job, ain’t it?
You
work here. And while we’re talking about it, exactly what am I supposed to be doing with my life?”
    Jarvis’s smile quickly faded and he rubbed his hands nervously down the legs of his pants. “I didn’t mean nothing by it, LuAnn. I just always thought of you living in some castle somewhere wearing fancy clothes and driving fancy cars. I’m sorry.”
    LuAnn’s anger faded as she thought back to Jackson’s proposition. Castles might be within her reach now. “It’s okay, Johnny, it’s been a long week, you know what I mean? I’m not looking for a job. What I’m looking for is a little information about one of your renters here.”
    Jarvis glanced over his shoulder at the rear office area where the sounds of phones and clattering keyboards could be heard mixed with short bursts of conversation, and then he turned back to her. “Information?”
    “Yeah. I came by here yesterday morning. Had an appointment.”
    “With who?”
    “That’s what I want you to tell me. It was that business on the right as you come in the mall next to the bus stop. It ain’t got no sign or anything, but it’s next to the ice cream place.”
    Jarvis looked puzzled for a second. “I thought that space was still vacant. We got a lot of that. This mall isn’t exactly in the middle of a booming area.”
    “Well, it wasn’t vacant