Read Online Black Friday by William W. Johnstone - Free Book Online Page A

the total to go down again this year. If it doesn’t, it’ll be a pleasant surprise. We’ve got stuff on sale, of course—you’ve got to, this time of year—but hardware’s not like a lot of other businesses. We do a year-round trade. We don’t have to do half of our gross between Halloween and Christmas like those other places.”
    The store’s real competition came from the big nationwide hardware/lumberyard chains. Mitch couldn’t afford to match their prices. They sometimes sold items for less than Mitch had to pay for them wholesale. It was like everything else. The mom-and-pop stores were on their way out. Couldn’t fight the future. But there was nothing wrong with hanging on to the way things used to be for as long as possible, and Vanessa was proud of her husband for doing so.
    That small business pride wouldn’t stop her and Kaitlyn from heading for the mall today. Some of those prices were just too good to pass up.
    â€œI was thinking that after Kaitlyn and I are finished at the mall, we’d come by and see how things are going, maybe give you a hand if you need it.”
    Mitch smiled and said, “Now that really would be a pleasant surprise.”
    â€œIt’s a date, then. We ought to be done by the middle of the day. Tell you what, why don’t we stop by Dutch’s and get some hamburgers? We’ll bring you one.”
    His smile widened into a grin as he said, “I knew there was a good reason I married you.”
    â€œOnly one?”
    â€œWell . . . quite a few, actually.”
    â€œYou’ll have to go through the list with me sometime. But not now. We both have things to do.”
    Mitch nodded and started to pour coffee in his travel mug.
    â€œIndeed we do,” he said.
    Kaitlyn came into the kitchen wearing jeans and a University of Illinois sweatshirt. Mitch frowned and said, “People are going to think you’re a college coed.”
    â€œNothing wrong with that,” Kaitlyn said.
    â€œThere is when you’re only in the eighth grade,” Mitch countered.
    Vanessa said, “I think you look fine, honey. Don’t worry, Mitch, nobody’s going to mistake her for a college girl.”
    â€œHey!” Kaitlyn objected.
    â€œI just meant, you’re going to be shopping with your mother.”
    â€œYeah, about that. I was thinking that maybe we could split up once we got to the mall . . .”
    â€œForget it,” Vanessa said. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”

Chapter 11
    A aron hadn’t slept much. Being shot at like that had a way of getting a fella all wired, so that he couldn’t relax. The sun wasn’t even up yet when he crawled out of bed.
    His eyes felt like their sockets were lined with sandpaper. Every time he blinked, he wanted to scream. He rubbed at them, but that just made them feel worse.
    Something moved in a dim corner of his room. He saw it from the corner of his eye and turned sharply in that direction as he caught his breath.
    For a terrible second he seemed to see that crazy old man sitting there in a wheelchair, cackling and pointing the big revolver at him. Damn, the barrel of that gun had looked like a freakin’ cannon!
    Of course, nothing was there in the corner that wasn’t supposed to be. Aaron knew every inch of this room. He ought to. He had grown up here. It was completely humiliating that he’d had to move back in with his parents instead of being out on his own, but as broke as he was, he didn’t have much choice.
    He groaned as he swung his legs out of bed and stood up. Dressed in his underwear, he stumbled around the room until he found the pair of jeans he had taken off the night before and pulled them on. He struggled into a T-shirt and went downstairs barefooted.
    Where was he going again? Oh, yeah, the mall. He’d decided to go to the mall. He couldn’t afford to do any shopping, but he could hang