daughter goes to college here and his son is finishing high school and is staying with my brother-in-law"
"l understand, Harry said. I just—"
"So as a Christmas present," Kate continued, "my husband's brother gave us a trip to Paris so we can all be together for the holidays. Anyway we're leaving for Paris in the morning . . ."
"No kidding?" Harry smiled. "All of you? How nice."
"Yes," said Kate. "And I realize that not everyone is fortunate enough to go to Paris for the holidays and . . . oh . . . it's Christmastime, what am I saying?"
Still holding on to Kevin's collar, she reached into her bag and came up with twenty dollars.
"Here," she said, handing the money to Harry. "May you and the police department have a merry Christmas."
"Uh, thanks, Mrs. McCallister." Harry stared down at the bills in his hand.
But Kate was already dragging Kevin upstairs. "And now I'm going to have a word with you."
Harry let himself out of the house and strolled across the lawn toward the Van, loosening the collar on his fake police uniform, As he pulled open the door of the van he noticed that Marv was sitting in the driver's seat, shivering.
"Why didn't you keep the heat on?" Harry asked.
"Cause the carbon monoxide seeps in when you just sit," Marv said through chattering teeth. "So it was either die of carbon monoxide poisoning or freeze to death. Now how about telling me why you took so long?"
"They're crazy in there," said Harry. "But the good news is tomorrow morning they're all going to Paris."
"All of 'em?" Marv asked.
"Yeah. So now we know five families on this block are gonna be gone for the holidays," Harry Said. "Only that weird guy Marley's gonna be around and he looks pretty flaky to me."
"So we can rob houses and there'll be no one around to notice," Marv said happily.
"And let me tell you," said Harry, feeling the twenty dollars in his pocket. "That McCallister house is gonna be a good one."
December 21
Oak Park
7:30 P.M.
Kate was at her wit's end. "It's getting late," she told Kevin angrily. "We're leaving for Paris first thing in the morning and you're driving everyone crazy."
"You're all driving me crazy," Kevin yelled back.
Kate pulled him into the upstairs hallway. She took a breath and tried to control her ternper. The truth was, she hated punishing any of her kids. If Kevin would just say he was sorry and start to act like a human being instead of a spoiled brat, she would be happy to let him go.
"Now listen to me, young man," she said sternly. "There are fifteen people in this house. And you're the only one who has to make trouble."
"I'm the only one getting picked on," Kevin wailed.
"You're the only one acting up," Kate snapped back, feeling her blood begin to boil. "Now get upstairs."
"I am upstairs, dummy."
That was it! Kate had never felt angrier. How had this . . . this monster come into their family? There must've been a mistake at the hospital. Babies were switched or something. Anyway, she knew what she had to do.
"Come with me," she said, grabbing him by the collar.
"Where?" Kevin gasped.
"You know where." Kate pulled open the door at the end of the hallway. A narrow flight of stairs led up to the attic. Kevin's eyes grew large.
"The attic?" he whimpered.
"Go!" Kate pointed up the stairs. Kevin looked up into the attic. It was dark and empty. There were noises up there.
"It's scary, Mom" His voice was filled with pleading, but Kate's was filled with resolve.
"You should have thought of that before you lost your temper," she scolded.
"I'm sorry," Kevin whispered. He thought about throwing himself at her feet and begging for mercy.
"It's too late for that," Kate said firmly, "Now go."
Kevin pursed his lips together angrily. The remorseful approach wasn't going to work.
"Everybody in this family hates me!" he shouted.
"Then maybe you should ask Santa Claus for a new family," his mother suggested.
"I don't want a new family," Kevin cried as he climbed the first step. "I
"l understand, Harry said. I just—"
"So as a Christmas present," Kate continued, "my husband's brother gave us a trip to Paris so we can all be together for the holidays. Anyway we're leaving for Paris in the morning . . ."
"No kidding?" Harry smiled. "All of you? How nice."
"Yes," said Kate. "And I realize that not everyone is fortunate enough to go to Paris for the holidays and . . . oh . . . it's Christmastime, what am I saying?"
Still holding on to Kevin's collar, she reached into her bag and came up with twenty dollars.
"Here," she said, handing the money to Harry. "May you and the police department have a merry Christmas."
"Uh, thanks, Mrs. McCallister." Harry stared down at the bills in his hand.
But Kate was already dragging Kevin upstairs. "And now I'm going to have a word with you."
Harry let himself out of the house and strolled across the lawn toward the Van, loosening the collar on his fake police uniform, As he pulled open the door of the van he noticed that Marv was sitting in the driver's seat, shivering.
"Why didn't you keep the heat on?" Harry asked.
"Cause the carbon monoxide seeps in when you just sit," Marv said through chattering teeth. "So it was either die of carbon monoxide poisoning or freeze to death. Now how about telling me why you took so long?"
"They're crazy in there," said Harry. "But the good news is tomorrow morning they're all going to Paris."
"All of 'em?" Marv asked.
"Yeah. So now we know five families on this block are gonna be gone for the holidays," Harry Said. "Only that weird guy Marley's gonna be around and he looks pretty flaky to me."
"So we can rob houses and there'll be no one around to notice," Marv said happily.
"And let me tell you," said Harry, feeling the twenty dollars in his pocket. "That McCallister house is gonna be a good one."
December 21
Oak Park
7:30 P.M.
Kate was at her wit's end. "It's getting late," she told Kevin angrily. "We're leaving for Paris first thing in the morning and you're driving everyone crazy."
"You're all driving me crazy," Kevin yelled back.
Kate pulled him into the upstairs hallway. She took a breath and tried to control her ternper. The truth was, she hated punishing any of her kids. If Kevin would just say he was sorry and start to act like a human being instead of a spoiled brat, she would be happy to let him go.
"Now listen to me, young man," she said sternly. "There are fifteen people in this house. And you're the only one who has to make trouble."
"I'm the only one getting picked on," Kevin wailed.
"You're the only one acting up," Kate snapped back, feeling her blood begin to boil. "Now get upstairs."
"I am upstairs, dummy."
That was it! Kate had never felt angrier. How had this . . . this monster come into their family? There must've been a mistake at the hospital. Babies were switched or something. Anyway, she knew what she had to do.
"Come with me," she said, grabbing him by the collar.
"Where?" Kevin gasped.
"You know where." Kate pulled open the door at the end of the hallway. A narrow flight of stairs led up to the attic. Kevin's eyes grew large.
"The attic?" he whimpered.
"Go!" Kate pointed up the stairs. Kevin looked up into the attic. It was dark and empty. There were noises up there.
"It's scary, Mom" His voice was filled with pleading, but Kate's was filled with resolve.
"You should have thought of that before you lost your temper," she scolded.
"I'm sorry," Kevin whispered. He thought about throwing himself at her feet and begging for mercy.
"It's too late for that," Kate said firmly, "Now go."
Kevin pursed his lips together angrily. The remorseful approach wasn't going to work.
"Everybody in this family hates me!" he shouted.
"Then maybe you should ask Santa Claus for a new family," his mother suggested.
"I don't want a new family," Kevin cried as he climbed the first step. "I
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