“Either way, you can come over for supper, even if it’s a late supper. When you get here, we’ll discuss things and decide if we need to take further action.”
“I’d like that…as long as Zara’s okay with having two more mouths to feed?”
“Dohn mind a bit. Soup’s one of di easiest things to mek. Doesn’t matta ef it’s fah two or six. It all goes inna di same pot.”
Looking at the clock, Sam said, “Now that everything’s settled, how about playing a game? Unless Danny has some homework to do…?”
The boy grinned. “Nope. Got it all done plus some make-up assignments.”
“Do you and your mom know how to play Chicken Foot Dominoes?”
As Danny shook his head, Sue said, “We don’t know the rules, but a game sounds nice.”
“Don’t worry, it’s easy to pick up. I’ll explain the rules as we go along.” Sam’s blue eyes twinkled as he opened a cabinet and pulled out a box of dominoes. “I’ll have you know that I’m a magnificent teacher. I’ll have you up to speed in no time.”
As Zara opened a bag of tortilla chips and set a bowl of homemade salsa on the table, she said to Sue, “I know we just ate, but games seem to bring pon di ragin’ munchies.”
“I know what you mean,” Sue replied with a laugh as she dipped a chip. “Munchies and games just go together.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Two hours later, Mr. Jacobson smiled as Sue sat casually with one blue-jeaned leg tucked underneath her and won her second game in a row. His smile grew as Sam moaned expressively and offered Sue the last chip in the bag.
“This has been so much fun,” Sue said, scraping up salsa with the chip. “I feel like a new woman.”
“A new woman with sharp Chicken Foot skills,” Sam said with a chuckle. “It took me a month to win my first game. You’re either a smart pupil or a former Chicken Foot champion living incognito. You’re such a natural I’ll have to teach you Double Bergen.”
“Mo chips?” Zara asked. “There’s anodda bag inna di pantry.”
Sue shook her head. “I can’t eat another bite.”
“‘Ow ’bout yuh, Sam? You’ve dun di number on di pineapple salsa tenight.”
“No, thanks. If I eat anything else, I’ll be popping antacids.”
As Sam leaned closer to Sue and helped her turn over her dominoes, Mr. Jacobson caught Zara’s eye and raised an eyebrow. Zara nodded and winked. Seeing the way Sam was allowing his arm to rest lightly against Sue’s, Mr. Jacobson’s grin widened. As Sam and Sue reached for the same domino and their hands brushed, Mr. Jacobson’s grin turned into a satisfied smirk. Glancing back at Zara, Mr. Jacobson began to feel alarmed—the island beauty was looking way too smug. Fearing that an imprudent comment might stop whatever was starting, he gave Zara a tiny kick beneath the table. Unfortunately, he missed his target and Nathan yelped.
“Sorry about that,” Mr. Jacobson said sheepishly. “Must’ve had a muscle spasm. How about another game?”
* * *
At Mr. Jacobson’s words, Sue looked up at the clock and reluctantly shook her head. “I’d love to, but we should be going. Danny has school tomorrow.” Rising from her chair, she said, “Thank you for a lovely evening and for everything your family’s doing to help us.”
“Think nothing of it,” Mr. Jacobson replied.
As the group stood to their feet, Zara pulled Sue aside and handed her a dish of leftovers. When she protested, Zara whispered in a conspiratorial way, “Tek it, sugar. I made brawta.”
“Brawta?”
“Extra. I’m planning pon having anodda piece of pie at 2:00 a.m. That’s mi favorite time to eat. I wan yuh and Danny to be all set inna case yuh get di midnight munchies too.”
Sue laughed. “That sounds wonderful. I’ll think of you when I’m indulging.”
As Zara packed the leftovers in a bag, Sue saw Sam talking to Danny. “Don’t worry about tomorrow,” Sam said. “I’ll watch over your mother.”
“Thanks so much,” Danny replied. “I’ve been awfully worried about her.”
“That’s understandable. You did right in asking for help. Some things are too big for a man to handle alone.”
“I’m glad you believed me.”
“Like I said, you have an honest face.”
As Sue smiled gratefully at Sam, she was drawn into a flurry of well wishes and goodbyes. With friendly farewells echoing in her ears, she and Danny started home. Suddenly, Sam bounded up behind her. “Sue, wait up. You forgot your purse.”
“Thanks, I don’t know where my head is tonight. I usually don’t misplace things.”
“Don’t worry about it. You have a lot on your mind.” He gave her a mischievous glance. “It’s not every day a woman gets saddled with a new boyfriend.”
Blinking in a startled way, Sue studied Sam’s face. Seeing his peek-a-boo dimple, her eyes began to twinkle. “That’s true. And not a common ‘boyfriend’ at that. You’re a minister to boot. Talk about intimidating.”
“You’ll get used to it.” He chuckled. “I’ll see you tomorrow, and remember, if it comes down to it, I’ll be honored to pretend to be your fella. Besides helping you, it’ll raise my standing in the community to be seen keeping company with such a pretty gal.”
As she laughed, Sam said, “Plan on seeing me at noon. I’ll be the mysterious stranger with the smoldering stare. Shall I wear a white rose in my button hole?”
“You nut, I can recognize you without the flower. But by all means, if it tickles your quirky sense of humor, go right ahead.”
Winking broadly, Sam called over his shoulder, “Until tomorrow.”
“Bye, Sam,” Danny yelled. “See you later, alligator!”
Sam’s laughing reply carried back through the darkness. “After awhile, crocodile.”
Running gentle fingers over her son’s cowlick, Sue began humming a happy tune. Filling the air with music, she admitted to herself that she’d thoroughly enjoyed Sam’s company. His lighthearted jokes had kept her in stitches.
“Whatcha humming?” Danny asked.
“Am I humming?” Sue smiled. “I guess I am, aren’t I? It’s a lovely song called Some Enchanted Evening.”
“Sing it to me?”
Thinking of the lyrics, she blushed and shook her head. “It’s a mushy love song. After you get tucked into bed, I’ll sing you something else.”
“I don’t mind love songs. I’m not a little kid anymore.”
“I guess you’re not, are you?” she said softly, kissing the top of his head.
* * *
As Sue and Danny went into their house and closed the door, an engine sprang to life across the street. Headlights pierced the darkness as a pickup emerged from the shadows and slid toward Mr. Jacobson’s house. Keeping his engine running, Rick turned off his headlights and waited. Fifteen minutes later, Sam stepped onto his grandfather’s porch. Rick tightened his grip on the steering wheel. His eyes narrowed into smoldering slits as Sam began to whistle and walk down the block toward his house.
The pickup crept forward. One tire stole onto the sidewalk and then stopped abruptly as Sam cut across his lawn and unlocked his door.
When Sam’s kitchen lights flicked on, Rick gunned his motor and flipped a sharp U-turn. When he was level with Sue’s house, he rolled down his window and threw a beer bottle at her door. The bottle hit the oak tree by the porch and shattered. As the broken pieces fell into a pile of raked leaves, Rick careened down a side street. For a moment, the sound of squealing tires filled the air. Long after the sound faded, the faint smell of burning rubber lingered behind in the chilly autumn breeze.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Washing his face with a cheerful gusto that splashed water onto the floor, Danny listened to his mother’s singing. Suddenly, he realized that he hadn’t seen Gil for quite a while. Running into his bedroom, he found her sitting on the floor beneath his window, writing in a journal.
“Where have you been?” he demanded.
&n
bsp; “Missed me?” Gil asked. “Everything was going so smoothly that I slipped away to do my homework. I’m supposed to make journal entries on your progress, and you made lots of progress today. In fact, so much progress I have writer’s cramp. By the time this exam’s over, I’m gonna have permanent nerve damage to all my itty-bitty fingers.”
“Come on.” Danny laughed. “Seriously, when’d you come home?”
“Around 9:00. It seemed like the game was gonna last awhile. Was it fun?”
“Sure was. Sam’s gonna teach me Nertz tomorrow. It’s gonna be a blast hanging out with him.” He scratched his head. “But how’d you get in here? The house was all locked up.”
“I came in your window. You left it unlocked when you made your hasty exit yesterday.”
“You should be a cat burglar.” He sighed and smiled. “Oh, Gil, I had so much fun. You were right about the Jacobsons. They’re terrific.”
“They sure are. Dr. Ableman told me that neighbors can be a big help, and he was right.” Gil tossed her journal into her backpack and yawned. “Do you wanna talk to the docs tonight or go straight to bed?”
“What do you think?”
She grinned. “If I was you, I wouldn’t miss it either. Are you done with the bathroom?”
Danny nodded.
“In that case, I’ll scoot in and get ready for bed.” Her lopsided dimple danced. “Should I wear a green facial when we contact the lab?”
“I don’t know.” He smirked. “How far do you wanna press your luck?”
Gil threw her pillow at him and struggled to pick up her suitcase. “There must be an easier way,” she groaned. “Maybe next time, rather than one large suitcase, I should pack a dozen smaller ones.”
“Maybe you should pack lighter.”
“But I need all my clothes. It takes work to represent the future in a respectable manner.”
“I think you should stop worrying about your looks and start worrying about your back. You’re gonna end up in traction if you keep lugging that monster bag of yours.”
“Oh, shush up, you little squirt,” Gil said with a giggle, dropping her suitcase to the floor. “You need to learn to respect your elders.”
“If you want respect,” Danny chortled, “you shouldn’t walk around in fuzzy bunny slippers.”
* * *
Twenty minutes later, Gil, in her bunny suit and curlers—but without her green facial—sat with Danny and put Extreme Exam into the PlayFest console. Immediately, a blue glow filled the room. Across the wave, she could see Dr. Moosly glaring at William. Obviously, her transmission had interrupted an argument between the two men.
Dr. Nelson smiled through the portal. “Right on time, Gil. How are things going?”
Before Gil could respond, Dr. Moosly blustered, “I still say it’s highly irregular to include a child in—”
“I know you do,” William interrupted. “You’ve been saying it for the past ten minutes straight.” Turning his shoulder on Dr. Moosly, he said to Gil, “Well, look who found a washcloth. It’s nice to see your face.”
“You’re one to talk,” she said with a snort. “What are you hiding beneath your beard? A weak chin or dimples?”
William gave a bellow of laughter. “I’ll have you know, my chin’s fine. However, I’ll make you a deal. I’ll shave off my beard when you pass your field exam as long as you throw away your green facial. When I saw you last night, I thought you’d started to mold.”
“Tossing a jar will be a small price to pay to finally see your chin.”
Dr. Moosly glowered. “Enough of this nonsense! We need to get down to business.”
“Regretfully, I agree,” Director Matthews said, moving closer to the Staging Platform. “Danny, as you requested, we’ve looked into your mother’s suicide, and we’ve found some troubling inconsistencies.”
“What’s inconsistencies mean?” Danny whispered in Gil’s ear.
“Things that don’t add up.” Giving Danny’s hand a reassuring squeeze, Gil peered through the blue wave. “What did you find?”
“It’s what wasn’t found that concerns us most. Sue’s body wasn’t discovered until three days after Danny’s arrest.”
“W-where was she?” Danny asked in a jerky voice.
“Hanging in the shed in your backyard.”
“Did she suffer?”
Seeing the director hesitate, Gil said softly, “Hanging isn’t a pleasant way to die, Danny, but let’s focus on the facts that can prevent her death, okay?”
As the boy nodded, the director continued, “Although an autopsy confirmed Sue died the same day Rick was stabbed, a more accurate time of death was never pinpointed.”
“Is that usual?” Gil asked.
“In this case, it was gross negligence. When Danny was arrested, he told Charlesberg police Rick had murdered his mother, but no one took him seriously. That oversight directly led to his harsh sentencing.”
“I don’t understand.”
“The inconclusive autopsy was used to refute the idea that Danny was acting out of self-defense against the man who killed his mother. Sue’s death was simply ruled a suicide. A timely autopsy would’ve made a world’s worth of difference to his future.”
William leaned forward. “Gil, Rick will attack Sue within the next twenty-four hours. You’ll need to keep an eye on her as well as Danny. Have you found neighbors who can help?”
“We’ve made contact with the Jacobsons. There are two strong men in the family who’ll assist me in protecting the Winstons.”
“Even though you have help, you’ll need to be very careful. If you get hurt, obtaining medical aid will be extremely difficult.”
“You can say that again,” Danny murmured. “How can a doctor operate on an invisible woman?”
Knowing the boy’s mood needed lightening, Gil nudged him and whispered, “Hey, can you imagine a doctor trying to put a thermometer between my toes instead of in my mouth? How do you think he’d respond to being told I was upside down?”
Giving her a wobbly grin, Danny replied in his fake British accent, “Upside down? You don’t say, old chap, how ever can you tell?”
Laughing, Gil gave Danny’s shoulder a little bump with hers.
“All joking aside,” Dr. Nelson said, “do be careful. Things may be more dangerous than we thought. We don’t want to say anything prematurely, but do you have anything that might contain a sample of Rick’s DNA?”
“I wish we hadn’t been so vigilant about throwing away the beer bottles,” Gil moaned. “The trash truck came today, didn’t it, Danny?”
He nodded, but then he jumped up and exclaimed, “Hey, we didn’t clean the garage! A while back, Rick was out there working on something. I’ll bet beer bottles are all over the place. Would a bottle work, Dr. Nelson?”
“That’d be great. Can you grab one for us? Hold the bottle close to the bottom and don’t touch the top where Rick’s mouth went.”
Nodding, Danny left the room at a quick gallop.
“Gil,” William said in a tense voice, “let me reiterate not to take Rick lightly. Tomorrow, look before you leap.”
“Looking before leaping is foreign to my nature,” she replied. “Stop worrying. I do have common sense, even if it’s rusty from lack of use.”
Before William could respond, Danny came bounding into the room holding a half-empty beer bottle. “This stuff sure stinks,” he said with a wrinkled nose. “It smells like dog pee. What do we do now? Do you want me to empty it?”
“No,” Director Matthews replied, “that could compromise the sample.”
As William grabbed a box of latex gloves and began to distribute them, Dr. Moosly stepped back and blustered, “I’m not getting splashed with filth again.”
“Have it your way,” William replied. “We don’t need you for this anyway.”
“Now, Danny,” Director Matthews instructed, “I want you to toss the bottle carefully through the time portal, but before you do, are there more bottles
if we break this one?”
Danny shook his head. “The rest were busted up in pieces. Rick must’ve thrown them against the wall.”
“Then we’ll just need to catch this one on the first try. Are you ready?”
As Danny nodded, Dr. Moosly scuttled hastily to one side and crossed his arms.
Gil watched as Danny gently threw the bottle. Inside the lab, William caught it easily without spilling a drop.
“Great job, Danny!” William crowed. “You should go out for baseball.”
Gil smiled and said to the director, “When will you have the DNA results?”
“Around noon tomorrow. For sure by 1:30.”
She turned to Danny. “After lunch, can I leave you at school so I can contact the lab?”
The boy nodded. “If we can pin something on Rick, I’m all for it.”
“Gil,” William said firmly, “I want you to be careful tomorrow. You too, Danny.”
“You bet,” chirped the boy. “We got so many aces up our sleeves, we can’t lose.”
Seeing that William was about to launch into another lecture about safety, Gil gave him a cheeky wave. “Signing off until tomorrow afternoon.”
Before he could respond, she severed the GAP connection. As the wave dissipated, Danny laughed. “He wasn’t done talking yet.”
“If he wasn’t, he should’ve been,” Gil said. “I really like Dr. Ableman, but sometimes he can be a real windbag. Time for bed, young man. We have a busy day of not murdering coming up tomorrow.”
As Danny grinned and nodded, Gil rummaged through her suitcase and found her green facial. “First things first,” she said decisively, pitching the jar into the trashcan. “You can tell Dr. Ableman I’ve thrown the green goo away. He’s not gonna weasel outta this one. His beard’s gonna finally bite the dust.”
“That green glop sure was nasty.”
“That’s why I don’t mind tossing it. It clung to my nose like concrete last night. I thought I was gonna have to use sandpaper to get it off. Besides, I have a purple facial I like much better. I’ll just use it instead.”
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