Read The Naughty List for Free Online Page A

into the bag, and slid a large hot pepper over the counter. “Have a jalapeño. Spicy food raises endorphin levels.”
    Rosalie graciously thanked her. “You amaze me, Miss Delia. This late in the year and you still get vegetables from the garden.”
    “I don’t have a real garden any more, but I like to grow things and have a nice sunny spot for my pots.” She sighed. “I’ll miss the terrace most of all.”
    “Are you going somewhere?”
    “Both my son and daughter live in Texas. They’ve urged me to move out there for years. Now, my son and his wife are having a baby and my daughter is getting married. The time has come to be closer to family. Although, I will miss my friends, and…” she glanced around with a loving expression, “this place.”
    Rosalie’s heart sank. Penrose’s would lose Mittens. “I’m happy for you, but the store won’t be the same.”
    “You’re very kind, but I’m not gone yet. My affairs will take a while to get in order, probably not before the holidays are over.” She looked up suddenly. “Uh-oh, gotta run. You-know-who is flying in on her broomstick.”
    Mittens scampered off as Stephanie rounded the corner. She plopped a large cardboard box down on the counter. “I’ve decided on more festive attire for the staff to increase holiday spirit and, thereby, increase customer spending.” She pulled off the cover.
    Rosalie’s mouth dropped open. “What the hell is that?”
    “An elf hat, of course. It’s festive.”
    “It’s butt ugly.”
    Stephanie glowered. “No one asked your opinion, Rosalie. No one cares about your opinion. Attitudes such as yours prove me right. You need more holiday spirit.” She shoved the hat in her face. “Everyone wears one. Put it on.”
    Fashioned out of bright green felt, the cone-shaped hat had Penrose’s written in glittery gold paint smack dab in the middle. On the pointy top dangled a pom-pom the size of her fist that jingled annoyingly with the slightest movement. The rim, trimmed with bushy fake white fur, did nothing to offset the hidtoffset uge elf ears stitched in as giant flaps on either side. Rosalie begrudgingly slipped on the hat. Immediately, her head began to sweat. The ears itched like crazy.
    Stephanie beamed. “Perfect. I told all the assistant managers to stop by Customer Service and pick up hats for their departments.” She turned on her heel.
    “You forgot yours,” Rosalie snidely called out. Of course, Stephanie ignored her.
    ****
    David sunk wearily into a chair in the break room, cradling a disposable cup in his hands. He appropriated the stale coffee from the pot someone forgot to empty out and clean. He barely noticed the bitter taste. Ten minute break…ten minutes was all he needed. The caffeine would keep him on his feet another couple of hours.
    He rubbed his eyes, willing away the crushing fatigue. Night after night David wandered Penrose’s four floors in a fruitless search, pulling open boxes, checking under counters. Although the nagging pull continued to graze his senses, The Book was nowhere to be found. He’d come no closer to pinning down the location than when he arrived. The mystical connection now appreciably slackened under his mental touch. David’s stomach knotted up in fear. Soon the link would disappear forever.
    Something alluded him—some special storage area, some door he hadn’t opened. Why couldn’t he find The Book? In frustration, David drained the last of the coffee. He flung the cup to the wastebasket, overshot, and hit the corkboard on the wall. A clipboard crashed to the floor. He stifled a curse. Bending down to pick it up, his eyes strayed over the top sheet. “Motivation Memo from Stephanie Crowder to all Employees,” he read. “Below are daily reports from Sneaky Shoppers.” Oh brother, Stephanie is a real piece of work. She has her own secret police. He snorted in amusement scanning the list of ridiculous infractions.
    “Now, now, Rosalie Thatcher of Customer