The Naughty List (12 page)

Rap-rap-rap.
The Sneaky Shopper knocked sharply on the counter. “I’m waiting for service,” she demanded hotly.

Rosalie clenched her fists. She was tired of being spied on. She was tired of Stephanie’s stupid rules. The one good thing to happen to her since Stephanie took charge was David. Now he was gone, too, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that part of the fault lay with Penrose’s manager.

As the Sneaky Shopper’s glance flicked to Rosalie’s bare head, she remembered the elf hat back at the apartment. Rosalie didn’t need telepathy to know the insipid woman planned an immediate report to Stephanie. She leaned over the counter and barked, “Take the stupid ugly hat and tell Stephanie to cram it up her boney ass. I’ll never wear the hateful thing again.” The woman’s eyes went wide. She scurried nervously away. “Put that in the Motivation Memo and suck it,” Rosalie yelled after her.

Minutes later Stephanie stomped up to the service counter. “What the hell are you doing? You can’t talk to a customer like that.”

“She wasn’t a customer,” Rosalie snapped. “She was one of your spies.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she protested icily.

Rosalie growled. “I know all about the Sneaky Shoppers. I know you spent the employees’ Christmas bonuses to hire them. You’re a real piece of work.”

Stephanie drew herself up. “How dare you? You have no idea what it takes to run a profitable Vy">tinter. organization. A successful enterprise needs motivation which you certainly don’t have. Complex decisions are beyond your capacity to comprehend. Not the least is—”

“Blackmail.” An expression of guilt flashed across Stephanie’s face long enough for Rosalie to take notice. “I was right! You blackmailed Randall Penrose to get the job.”

“You’re crazy,” she sputtered out a protest. “I did no such thing. The promotion was for merit alone.”

“Fat chance. I’ll bet the board will be interested in your little sideline.”

“Y-You have no proof I did anything wrong, and…” The arrogant mask slipped back in place. “You’ll never find any.”

Stephanie’s voice resounded with complete confidence. Every last doubt vanished from Rosalie in an instant. “You have The Book.”

The shock on the store manager’s face was worth the wait. “Th-the what?” she gasped.

“The Book, also known as The Naughty and Nice List.” Rosalie snatched her wrist. “Don’t lie to me. You have no idea the trouble you’ve caused. Where is it?”

With an angry jerk, Stephanie shook her off. Her anxious eyes darted momentarily toward her office and then back to Rosalie before she drew herself up, all frosty composure. “I’m done with your attitude. You’re fired. Take your things and get out.” She stormed off.

Rosalie’s biggest fear had finally happened. Funny, getting let go didn’t hurt at all.
Instead, she sprinted out from the counter, nearly colliding with Marissa. “I’m not done with you yet,” she called after Stephanie.

“What’s going on?” Marissa demanded.

“Rosalie is fired,” barked Stephanie. “Get her out of the store immediately, Marissa, or your 30-day termination notice will start right now instead of January.”

Marissa’s face went deathly pale. “My what?” Rosalie shot her an agonized look. Marissa recovered and told Stephanie she would escort Rosalie out through Central Receiving. Stephanie nodded coolly. As soon as they passed inside the double doors to the back, Marissa rushed up to Ross. “Rosalie is fired. I need to talk to her and I don’t want Stephanie to know.”

Ross nodded tersely. “Use the overflow unit. I’ll keep watch.”

The two women entered the same storeroom Rosalie searched unsuccessfully a day before with David. Once inside she told Marissa about the termination notice on Stephanie’s computer.

Her friend eyed her warmly. “You shouldn’t have substituted your name.”

Rosalie snorted. “It doesn’t matter. I’m out on my can, anyway, but…” She shot Marissa a guilty look. “I need you to do me one last really big favor. I need to hide inside the store and search after closing. Proof is here that Stephanie blackmailed Randall Penrose.”

“What kind of proof?”

“A book. I think it’s hidden in her office. She looked over there when I accused her.”

“By chance does this have anything to do with your mysterious David?”

“Marissa, I know you have a million questions, but I can’t answer them now. Trust me on this—”

Marissa interrupted her. “Hide in here.”

Rosalie’s mouth popped open. “That was easy.”

“Are you kidding? If this book gets rid of Stephanie everyone in the store will owe you. If there’s any way I can help…”

“All right, but promise to tell me everything after all this is over.”

Rosalie held up her hand. “Pinky swear. You, on the other hand, promise to believe me which asks a lot because the truth sounds absolutely bonkers.”

Marissa hooked her pinky. “I swear.”

Once the door shut behind her, Rosalie propped herself up in the corner and settled in for a long wait. She felt ready to drop. The last few days had nearly sucked her dry. Rosalie dozed off and on throughout the day. Ross came in once. The sound of the doorknob jerked her awake and sent her heartbeat rocketing up. Without a word he left a sandwich and soda on a packing crate, winked, and left. She smiled gratefully. Penrose’s was really a great place to work, or would be once more if she had her way.

By ten o’clock the last of the customers filtered out. By eleven o’clock the store was silent. Rosalie made her move. She slipped through the aisles toward Stephanie’s office. The door would be locked, so Rosalie planned to smash in the glass panel. She looked around for something sturdy and spotted a price scanner gun at the Christmas Land register. She hefted it experimentally, decided the weight was satisfactory, and strode with determination to Stephanie’s office.

Light spilled out the half open door. She froze as Stephanie’s voice drifted through the small opening.

“I told you Rosalie knows. You have to move The Book.”

“I can’t.”

Rosalie’s heart hammered inside her chest. The second voice was Anthony. The handsome young man she once had a crush on had a hand in this. She pressed flat against the wall, straining to hear.

“I thought you understood,” he continued sharply. “Once the shield activated, The Book can’t be disturbed until the connection severs completely or the little puke will know. Not that Kloss can do anything about it now. I explained all this weeks ago when I brought The Book here.”

Rosalie clenched her fists. Anthony wasn’t Stephanie’s accomplice. He stole The Book. The truth hit her like a bucketful of ice water.
He’s one of the Three D’s.

“Why not get rid of it?” Stephanie’s voice was tight. “I don’t like that thing under my nose all day.”

“Don’t you mean under mine? You certainly didn’t hesitate to use the contents to your advantage.”

“No…I-I guess not. It just…it makes me feel funny being so close.”

Rosalie smirked. Stephanie was certainly rattled. She must not like her position on the Naughty List.

On the other hand, she determined Anthony’s tone completely at ease. Not a tremor of emotion colored his words. “Relax. The connection will be gone by morning and then we’ll leave.”

Rosalie drew in her breath.
Morning? Dammit, I only have a few hours left.

Stephanie spoke again. “How did Rosalie find out?”

“Wikipedia?”

“You’re not funny,” she retorted with a snap. “Someone told her.”

“True.” His voice grew cold. “I need to find out how much she knows. We’ll pay Ms. Thatcher a little visit and ask a few questions. She’ll tell us everything. Where does she live?” Stephanie looked up Rosalie’s address. “Third floor walk-up?” Anthony mused. “How convenient. No one will be surprised if a despondent ex-emp [ondee D’sloyee throws herself out the window.”

Rosalie’s knees trembled.
Holy God, he’s crazy.

“Y-You’re joking, right?” Stephanie choked out. “You can’t—”

“Haven’t you figured out by now I can do any damn thing I want?”

Chair legs drew back across the floor. Rosalie ducked out of the corridor and squatted behind the cash register in Christmas Land, keeping a frightened eye on the door. She fervently hoped Anthony wasn’t the God of Sensing Terrified Women Hidden Nearby.

Pearce strode out with Stephanie at his heels. Near tears, her breath came in shallow gasps. “You can’t murder her—”

Without warning, he slapped her hard across the face. Stephanie put her hand to her cheek and stared at him in horror. “Don’t talk back to me ever,” Anthony raged. “You think there’s no price to pay for what we did? Sweetheart,” he jeered, “actions always command a price and I have no intention of paying. Other than you, only one other person knows The Book is here. The only way to keep safe is to make sure any threat to security is removed. If Rosalie discovered the truth, she’s a threat. You’re not a threat to me are you?” Obviously terrified, Stephanie shook her head. Anthony shoved the trembling woman ahead of him. “I didn’t think so.”

As their footsteps died away, Rosalie’s fear gave way to disgust. Stephanie sure didn’t plan on ringing in the yuletide festivities with a murder.
Rosalie now realized with embarrassment her hand clutched the scanner gun like a weapon. She placed it on the counter with a rueful shake of the head.

“Oh, yeah, threaten Anthony with a price check and watch him wet his pants.”

Rosalie hightailed to Stephanie’s office. She suppressed a cheer as the door hung wide open. Obviously neither expected anyone to rifle through the contents before they returned. As she ripped open the desk drawers, a flicker of unease crossed her mind. Her apartment was near. How long before they realized no one was home? Would they wait for her? Rosalie shoved her worry ruthlessly away.
She had no time to do anything except buckle down and find The Book.
She tore through the office, frantically rechecking every area she and David searched before.

The Book wasn’t there.

Rosalie kicked at the filing cabinet. Where could it be? Stephanie was clearly antsy with the hiding place right under her nose. Rosalie jerked her head up. No…Anthony corrected her. He said The Book was under his nose. Anthony was always in Christmas Land, right outside the office corridor. When Stephanie glanced toward the back of the store, she could have meant there instead.

Rosalie dashed out to Christmas Land. Penrose’s always erected an elaborate display area. Long aisles of merchandise were arranged in a semblance of Santa’s workshop. In the center stood a little platform for the throne surrounded by a border of artificial Christmas trees. Rosalie rummaged through the aisles. She pulled boxes from shelves and dug desperately for something she and David overlooked. Heaps of merchandise went out of the store on Black Friday, but nothing appeared moved to an unusual spot or out of place. No packages or mysterious cartons popped up. In short, not one damn thing could secretly hold an object the size of The Book.

With mounting frustration Rosalie wiped a hand across her sweaty brow. She leaned back against Christmas Land’s check-out counter. Where was The Book? Where hadn’t she looked?

“Well,” whispered a man’s voice in her ear. “Haven’t you been busy?”

Rosalie stiffened. Her heartbeat ratcheted up as her eyes darted back and forth trying to pinpoint Anthony’s location. The aisles were empty. “Where are you?” Her voice came out as a croak.

A ghostly hand yanked her hair, twisting her head painfully around. Another hand pinned an arm behind her back. She saw a shimmery blur and Anthony materialized out of the air. “You don’t look surprised to see me, Rosalie,” he murmured, jerking her head sharply.

Over his shoulder, Rosalie saw Stephanie gape at Anthony in wild-eyed terror. “What’s the matter?” she spit out. “Didn’t know your boyfriend is an Integral?”

“I prefer demon,” Anthony noted with contempt. “And no, she didn’t. Even back in college, Stephie was only good for one thing, and, trust me, not her intellectual capacity.”

“So that’s where you met. You’re next, you know,” Rosalie cried out to the shaken woman. “After he’s done with me what do you think he’ll do to you?”

“The real question is…” Anthony’s eyes swept over her with a cold measuring glance. “How do you know about Integrals? You’re not one of us.”

Rosalie gritted her teeth. Burning pain shot up to her shoulder as the demon tightened his grip. Her spine pressed painfully against the counter. Pinned with nowhere to go, she demanded, “Tell me first how you stole The Book.”

“It wasn’t hard,” he bragged. The coldness in his eyes faded away. So did Anthony. “With a little help, I bypassed security, and then all I had to do was make note of the combination. Needless to say,” mocked the disembodied voice, “no one saw me.”

“David will find you,” Rosalie blurted out. Pressed up against the counter, something hard and knobby drilled into her back.

Anthony rematerialized. “David was here? Well, I’ll give the pathetic little diaper credit, I never expected him to track me this far. Not that he matters. The shield is holding and the residual power of the link is nearly gone.” He released her throat, brushing his hand against her cheek. “Pop-up turned himself in, didn’t he?” Anthony smirked. “You’ll never see him again. No one will.”

She struggled under his grip, but he held tight. “Where is The Book?” she demanded.

His lips twisted in grim amusement. “Close by. Brian would appreciate the irony of the location.”

Brian? Rosalie’s mind raced away. Jolly middle-aged Brian who’s also known by another family name, and who, like Ross, would probably complain of poor lumbar support and a lumpy cushion.

Oh damn.

Everything became clear. Rage gave Rosalie strength she didn’t know she had. Her free arm strained behind her back for the knobby thing pressed against her spine. All she needed was a few seconds head start.

“Tell me this.” She gritted her teeth against the pain. Her fingers encircled a handle.

Anthony tightened his grip. “What?”