PHILOMEL BOOKS
A division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
Published by The Penguin Group.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.).
Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England.
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
(a division of Penguin Books Ltd).
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd).
Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi—110 017, India.
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand
(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd).
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank,
Johannesburg 2196, South Africa.
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England.
Copyright © 2009 by Robert B. Parker. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, Philomel
Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY
10014. Philomel Books, Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. The scanning, uploading and distribution
of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher
is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do
not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of
the author’s rights is appreciated. The publisher does not have any control over and does
not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Published simultaneously in Canada. .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Parker, Robert B., 1932-
Chasing the bear : a young Spenser novel / Robert B. Parker. p. cm.
Summary: Spenser reflects back to when he was fourteen years old and how he
helped his best friend Jeannie when she was abducted by her abusive father.
[1. Kidnapping—Fiction. 2. Child abuse—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction.
4. Bullies—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.P2346Ch 2009 [Fic]—dc22
2008052725
eISBN : 978-1-101-03283-1
http://us.penguingroup.com
For Joanie: The One
Chapter 1
I was sitting with the girl of my dreams on a bench in the Boston Public Garden watching the swan boats circle the little lagoon. Tourists fed the ducks peanuts from the boats and the ducks followed them.
“It’s a nice place,” Susan said, “isn’t it, to sit and do nothing.”
“I’m not doing nothing,” I said. “I’m being with you.”
“Of course,” she said.
The swan boats were propelled by young men and women who sat in the back of the boat and pedaled. The exact appeal of the swan boats had always escaped me, though I too felt it and had, upon occasion, gone for a ride with Susan.
We were quiet and I could feel her looking at me.
“What?” I said.
She smiled.
“I was just thinking how well I know you, and how close we are, and yet there are parts of you, parts of your life, that I know nothing about.”
“Like?” I said.
“Like what you were like as a kid; it’s hard to imagine you as a kid.”
“Even though you have often suggested that I am still a kid, albeit overgrown?”
“That’s different,” Susan said.
“Oh?”
“I simply can’t picture you growing up out there in East Flub-a-dub.”
“Your geography has never been good,” I said.
“Where was it?” Susan said.
“West Flub-a-dub,” I said.
“I stand corrected,” she said. “What was life like in West Flub-a-dub?”
“Where should I start, Doctor?”
“I know your mother died right before you were born by cesarean section. And I know you were raised by your father and your mother’s two brothers.”
“We had a dog too,” I said.
“I think I knew that as well,” Susan said.
A division of Penguin Young Readers Group.
Published by The Penguin Group.
Penguin Group (USA) Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014, U.S.A.
Penguin Group (Canada), 90 Eglinton Avenue East, Suite 700, Toronto,
Ontario M4P 2Y3, Canada (a division of Pearson Penguin Canada Inc.).
Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England.
Penguin Ireland, 25 St. Stephen’s Green, Dublin 2, Ireland
(a division of Penguin Books Ltd).
Penguin Group (Australia), 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 3124, Australia
(a division of Pearson Australia Group Pty Ltd).
Penguin Books India Pvt Ltd, 11 Community Centre, Panchsheel Park,
New Delhi—110 017, India.
Penguin Group (NZ), 67 Apollo Drive, Rosedale, North Shore 0632, New Zealand
(a division of Pearson New Zealand Ltd).
Penguin Books (South Africa) (Pty) Ltd, 24 Sturdee Avenue, Rosebank,
Johannesburg 2196, South Africa.
Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England.
Copyright © 2009 by Robert B. Parker. All rights reserved. This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, Philomel
Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, NY
10014. Philomel Books, Reg. U.S. Pat. & Tm. Off. The scanning, uploading and distribution
of this book via the Internet or via any other means without the permission of the publisher
is illegal and punishable by law. Please purchase only authorized electronic editions, and do
not participate in or encourage electronic piracy of copyrighted materials. Your support of
the author’s rights is appreciated. The publisher does not have any control over and does
not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.
Published simultaneously in Canada. .
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Parker, Robert B., 1932-
Chasing the bear : a young Spenser novel / Robert B. Parker. p. cm.
Summary: Spenser reflects back to when he was fourteen years old and how he
helped his best friend Jeannie when she was abducted by her abusive father.
[1. Kidnapping—Fiction. 2. Child abuse—Fiction. 3. Friendship—Fiction.
4. Bullies—Fiction.] I. Title.
PZ7.P2346Ch 2009 [Fic]—dc22
2008052725
eISBN : 978-1-101-03283-1
http://us.penguingroup.com
For Joanie: The One
Chapter 1
I was sitting with the girl of my dreams on a bench in the Boston Public Garden watching the swan boats circle the little lagoon. Tourists fed the ducks peanuts from the boats and the ducks followed them.
“It’s a nice place,” Susan said, “isn’t it, to sit and do nothing.”
“I’m not doing nothing,” I said. “I’m being with you.”
“Of course,” she said.
The swan boats were propelled by young men and women who sat in the back of the boat and pedaled. The exact appeal of the swan boats had always escaped me, though I too felt it and had, upon occasion, gone for a ride with Susan.
We were quiet and I could feel her looking at me.
“What?” I said.
She smiled.
“I was just thinking how well I know you, and how close we are, and yet there are parts of you, parts of your life, that I know nothing about.”
“Like?” I said.
“Like what you were like as a kid; it’s hard to imagine you as a kid.”
“Even though you have often suggested that I am still a kid, albeit overgrown?”
“That’s different,” Susan said.
“Oh?”
“I simply can’t picture you growing up out there in East Flub-a-dub.”
“Your geography has never been good,” I said.
“Where was it?” Susan said.
“West Flub-a-dub,” I said.
“I stand corrected,” she said. “What was life like in West Flub-a-dub?”
“Where should I start, Doctor?”
“I know your mother died right before you were born by cesarean section. And I know you were raised by your father and your mother’s two brothers.”
“We had a dog too,” I said.
“I think I knew that as well,” Susan said.
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