Shadows of New York Read Free Page B

best answer the question. It looked like he could use a rescue.
    “Aiden,” Josh spoke up, “can we get going? I don’t feel very well.”
    “Yes, absolutely. Let’s get going.”
    Rosemary responded to her friends’ collective “awwww” with a shrug and took Aiden’s hand. After signing the Cooper kids out with the lady at the gate, Aiden led them out of the school yard.
    “Thanks,” Aiden muttered to Josh once they were on the sidewalk.
    Before Josh could respond, Aiden’s phone started ringing, letting out a song telling everyone that it was Peanut Butter Jelly Time. He pulled out the phone and looked at it with a puzzled expression.
    “That means Mrs. Effigy is calling you,” explained Rosemary. “I downloaded some ringtones before Mom and Dad gave it to you.” Their parents always gave the newest smart phone—for work use—to the newest nanny, even if they already had a cell phone. Josh guessed that it was like a signing bonus.
    “Oh.” Aiden ended the song and put the phone to his ear. Josh heard only half of the conversation, but it was clear what was said on the other end. “Ann, what’s up? Sure, baby arugula. No, I have no idea what it looks like, but there will probably be a sign, right? Okay. Bye.”
    “We have to stop on the way home and get some baby arugula,” said Rosemary to Josh, as if he hadn't just heard the conversation. Aiden nodded.
    Around the corner from their apartment building was a small store specializing in gourmet supplies. They delivered, but charged a hefty fee for it. It wasn’t uncommon for Mrs. F-G to think of something that she wanted to cook, but lacked a few ingredients. Josh couldn’t count all the times they had picked things up on the way home from school.
    Josh always got semi-queasy when they entered the store. Mrs. F-G had a way of working with food that made the kitchen smell heavenly. Here, there were just too many things, and the way they came together was more of a reek than a smell.
    Aiden had the same reaction. As they entered the store, he paused and shook his head. “In and out fast.” His voice sounded like he was trying not to breathe through his nose.
    They went straight to the vegetables. Rosemary took the lead in picking out the greens, examining each bunch closely.
    Without warning, loud voices erupted near the cash register. Aiden shunted Josh and Rosemary toward the back and said, “No time to get out the front. Get in the restroom and lock the door.”
    “What? I don’t have to—” began Rosemary, but she didn’t get to finish her sentence.
    Aiden gently shoved them into the restroom. As the door swung closed, he said, “Don’t open it for anyone but me, got it?”
    Josh gulped. He stared at the door, trying to hear what was happening on the other side. There was something, but not enough to decipher. A couple of short shouts, and then silence. He'd been in this very store many times over the years, and nothing like this had ever happened. Josh took some deep breaths to calm his rising fear and to center himself. He didn't quite know what that meant, but he'd heard his mom say it before.
    The strange turn of events didn’t appear to phase Rosemary one bit. She stood in front of the mirror applying lip-gloss. “Do you think this makes my lips look too sparkly?”
    Josh, his attention still focused outside, didn’t answer.
    “ Josh! ”
    He turned to his sister. “ What ?”
    “Do you think my lips are too sparkly?”
    “Not now, Rosemary.”
    There was a knock on the door. “Who is it?” sang Rosemary.
    “Aiden. Open up.”
    Josh did as instructed. Aiden reached in, grabbed each of them by an arm, and began escorting them back toward the front of the store. It was a calm scene, but Josh had the impression that things had just been a whole lot crazier. Two men lay on the floor, not moving, and some sort of small gun lay near each of them. Behind the cash register stood the regular clerk with his mouth hanging wide open.