Stone Angel Read Free Page B

truly sorry. But I need
your help.”

CHAPTER THREE
     
     
    IRVING ATTEMPTED to sit up straighter, and
Amanda moved instinctively to help him. In the slow, halting way he
had spoken since his accident, he said, “No one can blame you for
doing whatever you could to get your sister back. No one
understands the importance of family and love more than an old man
who has no family at all.” Reaching out an unsteady hand, he
grasped Amanda’s cold fingers, warming her with his sincerity.
    He wasn’t angry at her. Thank God, for he had
been far kinder to her than her own parents. “Thank you, Irving.”
Amanda had never meant anything more in her life.
    Rosamund adjusted her glasses and, tactless
as always, said, “You’ve always been so severe, so unsmiling. It’s
nice to know you had a good reason.”
    “Sit down here and tell me what I can do to
help you get your sister back.” Irving gestured Amanda into the
chair beside him. “I’m afraid I’m not much good for a rescue
mission.”
    The joke seemed to diffuse the last of the
tension in the room.
    The Chosen Ones seated themselves around
Irving and Amanda.
    Martha set up a small end table next to
Irving to hold his tea service, while McKenna handed around tea and
plates of goodies.
    Then all eyes fixed on Amanda, and she
started talking. And pacing. “I’ve been thinking and thinking.
Every night, while I’ve been awake, I’ve been trying to make a
plan, a plan to get Sophia back.” She shook her head. “It’s not
good, but since according to Jacqueline’s vision, I only have three
days to save Sophia, it’ll have to do.”
    Irving nodded encouragingly as he stirred
sugar and a small amount of milk into his Earl Gray.
    It always struck Amanda that she wished she
liked the idea of tea because Irving made it seem like a beautiful
afternoon tradition. But she didn’t like tea, which seemed like
nothing more than a concoction of soggy leaves and hot water.
    As if reading her mind, Martha handed her a
can of ice-cold Coke with the tab popped.
    Amanda gave Martha a look of gratitude – her
hands were shaking so violently that she couldn’t have dealt with
opening it herself. She took a long gulp, feeling the caffeine and
sugar enter her system, relaxing her. “Each week on my day off —
Sunday — I meet my contact at a different location.”
    “So you’re due to meet this Liam Gallagher
tomorrow,” Isabelle said.
    “Right. So — my plan is that first, I meet my
contact and force him to help me. Next, we’ll infiltrate the
Sculptor’s house. Finally, we’ll steal my sister back.” Amanda
emphasized each point by ticking it off on her fingers.
    The Chosen Ones stared at her.
    Genny shot the first question at her. “How
are you going to force this Liam to help you?”
    Amanda sank into a chair. “I haven’t quite
settled that yet.”
    Caleb asked, “How are you going to get into
the Sculptor’s house? Liam will just meekly lead you in, no muss,
no fuss?”
    “There could be problems, yes,” Amanda
acknowledged.
    “My vision was of course incomplete, but the
Sculptor seemed to me to be a powerful man, a magician or a witch
with close connections to Osgood.” Jacqueline shook her head
wearily.
    “I wonder if I could sneak into the house and
do something,” Aaron mused. He was a talented thief; when needed,
he could become a wisp of smoke and breach any lock.
    “And if they caught you,” Amanda said, “what
would happen to Sophia?”
    “The trick is to not let them catch me,”
Aaron said.
    “Jacqueline just said it. The Sculptor is a
powerful magician. I’ve been in there. In his mansion.” Amanda
shivered. “I assure you, he has spells to protect himself and his
home. You don’t know if you could get in the door, much less
maintain your camouflage. If I thought I could have had any of you
help me, by now, I would have told you the truth. I would have
asked. I think if one of the Chosen Ones stepped foot through the
door, an alarm