Lilly held her breath. Could this be true? She’d be willing to dust every page in the library to avoid Isadora. Miss Brightman placed her hand on Lilly’s back and pushed her gently toward the school. “Thank you, Mr. Stinchfield,” said Miss Brightman demurely.
“Thank you, Mith Brighthman,” lisped Lilly, tongue swollen.
“You can thank your friend, Dorian,” said Miss Brightman. “He’s the one who thought of it.”
When they entered the library, Lilly looked around but didn’t see any mess. Miss Brightman followed Lilly’s gaze. “There’s always work to do in a library,” she said.
After examining Lilly’s mouth for a few minutes, her rescuer sounding relieved announced it was only a baby tooth. Lilly didn’t tell Miss Brightman her molar had been loose before Isadora knocked it out with her flying squirrel impression.
“I’m sorry you’re at the receiving end of Isadora’s shenanigans, Lilly.” Lilly nodded, sucking an ice cube Miss Brightman had given her for her swollen tongue. The bell rang. Recess was over. “Tomorrow, instead of recess, come here after lunch and you will be my Library Assistant.” Joy welled up inside her, but Lilly simply smiled and nodded.
After school, Lilly thanked Dorian since it was his idea for her to spend recess in the library. “Why is Miss Brightman the librarian and the gym teacher?” asked Dorian. “It seems strange.”
“I’m not sure,” said Lilly with a shrug. “It was like a miracle. She just appeared a couple of years ago and ever since we spend less time with Mr. Stinchfield because we go to gym class and the library. It really might be a miracle, too, because someone in the accounting office told Goodie that Miss Brightman isn’t being paid to work here. She does it for free.”
“I don’t believe it,” said Dorian. “That doesn’t make any sense at all.”
“True but miracles are like that,” explained Lilly.
“Do you believe in miracles, Lilly?”
“No, but I wish I did. Wouldn’t it be nice if we didn’t lose our house because of some miracle? If I believed in miracles, I could wait for one to happen instead of worrying so much.” Lilly rubbed her jaw and touched her tongue to the roof of her mouth. Although her tongue was less swollen, her jaw and her tongue hurt every time she opened her mouth to talk. When Dorian said goodbye at the Garden Center, Lilly walked home thinking what a relief it will be to skip recess every day and go to the library instead.
After Lilly arrived home, she used a stick to dig a hole in the backyard. Then she planted her tooth and made a wish. She’d been doing that ever since the Tooth Fairy failed to show up the first time.
Lilly decided to make a Triangle Wish. First, she wished Miss Brightman would like her the way The Church Lady and Goodie had liked her. Second, she wished Miss Brightman would let Lilly live with her. Third, she wished Miss Brightman would invite Lilly’s family of forty-nine animals and one mother to live with them. If her wish came true, Lilly thought she might start believing in miracles and definitely in the Tooth Fairy.
Chapter 17
Now that Lilly was the library assistant, staying away from Isadora during school was easier. What happened after school was a different story.
One afternoon, Isadora ambushed Lilly as she sat outside the pet store feeding Pepe, a small dog. “Whaa-?” said Lilly as Isadora grabbed a dog biscuit from Pepe’s mouth.
“Where did you get it?” Isadora yelled at Lilly. ‘It’ was the dog biscuit. The grab startled Lilly and annoyed Pepe.
“You stole it didn’t you?” Isadora stared at Lilly with accusing eyes. Pepe locked his eyes on Isadora and gave her a sharp accusing bark.
“I found it,” said Lilly quietly. She looked at Pepe’s indignant face and patted the mop of white fur on top of his head. Pepe looked every inch the mongrel he was. Here and there a breed won out. Droopy, brown eyes and long, sagging ears suggested he was part basset hound.
Again, Pepe barked. Clearly he wanted his biscuit back and as clearly Isadora had no intention of giving it back. “Does that mutt bite?” she demanded.
“Of course not. Pepe wouldn’t hurt anybody,” said Lilly. Pepe belonged to the janitor at the Women’s Club down the street. Lilly found Pepe a home with the janitor two years ago.
“Good,” said Isadora. She booted Pepe away. Pepe tossed a last yip at Isadora then scampered away on his terrier legs.
“That wasn’t nice, Isadora.
“Neither is stealing.
“I didn’t steal it. I found it.”
“Yeah, right. Where did you ‘find’ it? Inside my father’s store?”
Isadora’s father owned the pet store. “I bet the only reason you went in there was to steal. If you don’t watch out, you’re going to wind up in jail.”
The reason Lilly went to the pet store was to check the price of a slime sucker. Old Granddaddy, the slime sucker at home, was 125 years old in people years. He was getting too old to keep up with the algae. The fish tank was growing greener every day.
But Isadora was right. Lilly did find the biscuit inside, halfway inside. It was on the floor in the doorway, half in the store, half out. Lilly hadn’t thought about whether it belonged to the store or to a customer who’d bought it and dropped it on the way out of the store. Lilly saw it, thought of Pepe and how much he’d like it, and she’d taken it without thinking at all about who owned it.
“I could tell the sheriff,” said Isadora, eyes gleaming.
Lilly groaned inside. Isadora seemed sure a crime had been committed. Darn, thought Lilly. Why isn’t there a law called ‘Finders Keepers?’
“If I told my father or the Big Duffer what you did, Lilly, you would be in a lot of trouble. You know what they’d do to you?” Lilly shook her head. Isadora narrowed her eyes. “They’d put you in jail.”
Jail? thought Lilly. Who would feed my mother and take care of Janie and her babies and Zelda and Gwendolyn? Razz Ma Tazz, Lady and Tobias might be able to live outdoors and take care of themselves, but the others need me. Lilly moaned.
Isadora tapped her chin. “I might not turn you in if –“
“If what?” asked Lilly.
“If you scrub the animal cages in the pet store after school.”
“That’s all… ?” asked Lilly.
“Deal,” said Isadora. “Meet me here after school tomorrow, and I’ll come up with a story for my father so he’ll let you help.” Isadora shoved the dog biscuit in Lilly’s face. “I’m keeping this as evidence. Your fingerprints are on it next to that mutt’s slimy drool. All the evidence I need to turn you in to the sheriff.”
For weeks Isadora had complained loudly that her father owned a pet store. “Why couldn’t he own a clothing boutique?” she’d wailed. By now everyone at school knew why Isadora was so distraught. Her father wanted Isadora to help out at the store. To Isadora, animals were filthy creatures. The idea of cleaning their crusty cages made her skin crawl. Lilly on the other hand wasn’t opposed to animals or their cages.
The next day after school, Lilly met Isadora outside the pet store. “Remember our deal,” said Isadora in a threatening voice. “Do everything I tell you to do or else.”
Lilly nodded. As they walked into the store, Lilly found Isadora’s arm draped across her shoulders as if they were real chums.
“Hi Dad,” said Isadora, sweet-as-candy. Mr. Snodgrass looked up from reading the newspaper. A large, white rabbit sat in his lap.
“Isadora,” said Mr. Snodgrass smiling. “You brought your friend for your first day of work?” As Mr. Snodgrass stood, the rabbit jumped down and ran to his litter box. Mr. Snodgrass looked down at Lilly. He was the tallest man Lilly had ever seen. She had seen him before, of course, every time she went to the pet store. But she rarely bought anything and didn’t ask questions. Mr. Snodgrass spoke to Lilly as though he’d never seen her before.
“Isadora tells me she has a friend who is dying to work here. Is that you?”
“I like animals,” said Lilly. Her left eyelid began to twi
tch. Lilly tried to think of something other than her twitching eye. She saw the rabbit eating the newspaper.
“Is it okay for your rabbit to do that?” asked Lilly.
“Perfectly fine,” said Mr. Snodgrass smiling at the rabbit. “White Rabbit can do whatever he wants.”
“What do you get when you cross a rabbit and a newspaper?” asked Mr. Snodgrass. “Rabbit droppings you can read!” He snorted with laughter. “Now that’s a smart rabbit!”
“Not funny!” pronounced Isadora.
“Neither are you,” he retorted. “Taking care of animals is dirty business,” explained Mr. Snodgrass turning to Lilly. He maneuvered across the store to the wall where shelves of wire cages and glass aquariums housed mice, geckos, fish, rabbits, guinea pigs, gerbils, hermit crabs, snakes and parakeets.
“You can start by changing the straw. What’s your name again?
“Lilly.”
“Lilly? You won’t be smelling like a flower when you’re finished here.” He hooted loudly.
“She doesn’t now,” piped in Isadora. “She already smells like a dirty litter box.”
Mr. Snodgrass sniffed the air. “Is that so?” He looked at Lilly.
Lilly shrugged. “I take care of a lot of animals at home, but the smell washes off in the pool at school.
While Lilly answered his question, Mr. Snodgrass walked away. “Let me show you where the straw is,” he said. “You’ll need a plastic garbage bag and rubber gloves, too.” Before they went into the back of the store, Mr. Snodgrass instructed Isadora to stay by the cash register.
“Only family at the cash register!” he shouted.
The backroom had no windows. It was a combination storage room and workroom. Cleaning supplies and extra equipment were piled on shelves near the sink.
Mr. Snodgrass lifted the bag of Sweet Smell Straw and carried it out of the room. “You get the rest,” he said without turning. Lilly grabbed the rubber gloves and followed.
Halfway down the short hallway, Lilly called out that she had forgotten the garbage bag. She ran back and quickly reached for a doorknob. It refused to turn.
“Not that one! What are you doing – snooping already?” said Mr. Snodgrass. His voice was too loud, his face too close. Lilly stared at the bright veins in his eyes. “This room is off limits to you.” Then he added, “To Isadora too.”
“O-hay,” Lilly mumbled. Lilly talked with her lips pressed shut. His breath was foul. Lilly didn’t want his stinky breath to float into her mouth.
“If I ever catch you trying to get into that room again, heads will roll!” Lilly continued to hold her breath and imagined her head rolling down the hallway.
When Lilly went home that night, she headed for the bathroom. Tobias followed. “Where have you been, Lilly? Not that question your whereabouts but you smell very strongly of animals we don’t know, and Janie and the others are upset.” Lilly said she couldn’t talk yet and quickly shut the bathroom door.
Lilly was reluctant to admit she had begun to work in the pet store. Tobias would say she couldn’t look for criminals and clean animals cages at the same time. But what else could she do with Isadora threatening to turn her in to the sheriff?
Lilly turned on the water in the bathtub. It had been a long time since Lilly had taken a bath. It had been so long, Lilly had to rinse away ancient spider webs first. And there wasn’t any soap.
Lilly ran to the kitchen and grabbed the squeeze bottle of dish detergent that Dorian’s mother had brought with groceries. When she returned, she poured in a massive amount. As the bathtub filled with bubbles, Lilly took off her clothes, stepped into the tub and sunk down deep.
She closed her eyes and thought about the pet store. Being with the animals was nice. Lilly liked that. But something about the pet store made her skin feel creepy the same way spaghetti worms and olive eyeballs did during the Halloween party at school.
Chapter 18
Over dinner at Dorian’s house one night, Lilly and Dorian tried to imagine what it would be like to be criminals hiding out. Instead of getting mail at home, they decided they might use a Post Office box.
The next day after school, they walked to the Post Office to do some detective work. “Have you seen any people acting suspicious, Sally?” asked Lilly.
Sally answered with a question of her own. “Suspicious as in criminal?” Lilly and Dorian nodded.
“Not really,” Sally said shaking her head. “We only get people who trample the grass, spray shaving cream on cars, play music too loud.”
“That’s too bad,” sighed Lilly. “We’re looking for real criminals so we can collect reward money.” Lilly showed Sally a three-ring binder filled with the sheriff’s MOST WANTED posters. Dorian’s mother gave it to them to keep the posters organized.
“That’s terrific! Very practical,” commented Sally. “By the way, I have one more poster for you. Hot off the sheriff’s desk.” Sally opened her drawer and handed it to Lilly, who stood in front of Sally’s counter with Dorian staring at the criminal on the poster. Lilly studied the five photographs. The woman appeared to be a different person in every one. And in two, she appeared to be a man.
A woman standing behind them sighed melodramatically. “Can we finish the tea party?” As Lilly and Dorian stepped quickly out of her way, Lilly recognized Mrs. Snodgrass, Isadora’s mother.
Mrs. Snodgrass twisted an earring round and round in a great show of annoyance. The earrings looked like diamonds to Lilly but she figured they couldn’t be real. They were the size of rabbit droppings, which are larger and more abundant than most people realize. Mrs. Snodgrass shook a matching bracelet in the air and said, “Finally, I was wondering how much longer I’d have to wait!”
“Sorry,” said Dorian.
Sally stamped a package for Mrs. Snodgrass. “Thank you for your patience,” she said although Mrs. Snodgrass hadn’t been the least patient.
“Who was that?” asked Dorian as Mrs. Snodgrass waltzed out.
“Isadora’s mother,” answered Lilly.
“Mrs. Snodgrass owns the real estate agency at the end of Main Street,” explained Sally.
“She looks rich so she must do a good business,” said Dorian.
“She does,” agreed Sally. “But the jeweler told me it was Mr. Snodgrass who bought her those earrings. He owns the pet store with his brother.”
“Mr. Stinchfield?” asked Dorian.
“Yup,” said Lilly. She thought about the two tall men, Mr. Snodgrass and Mr. Stinchfield. She overheard Isadora tell a friend that they had different fathers, which is why they had different names. Lilly tried to imagine the men as children but couldn’t.
“You have to sell a lot of goldfish to be dripping in diamonds,” laughed Sally.
“They’re real?” asked Lilly.
“Oh, yes,” said Sally lowering her voice even though they were alone in the Post Office. “The jeweler told me how much they cost. He also said Mr. Snodgrass buys his wife jewelry after big arguments, and they argue a lot so Mrs. Snodgrass has a lot of jewelry.”
Lilly left the Post Office wondering what it was like to have so much money you could dangle it from your ears. Then she said goodbye to Dorian and walked to the pet store dragging her feet.
Isadora chastised Lilly. “I told you at school not to be late.”
“I can’t come in every day,” whispered Lilly. “I have animals at home to take care of, too.”
“If you’re not here, you’ll be in the jail,” Isadora hissed back in a whisper. “So, what’s the difference?”
“You gotta see this!” shouted Mr. Snodgrass from the other side of the store. Isadora scowled at Lilly, then rushed to her father.
“Get over here, Lilly. What are you waiting for – an engraved invitation? You could learn something here. It’s the law of the jungle in action!” Lilly joined them and watched as Mr. Snodgrass poured five goldfish into the turtle tank. The turtle shot out his head. In a blink of an eye, four goldfish were left. Lilly gu
lped. “Yes!” shouted Mr. Snodgrass gleefully.
Mr. Snodgrass smiled at Isadora and Lilly. He spoke slowly measuring out his words, “Now every day the turtle will eat one more until there’s only one goldfish left.” He laughed. “One very nervous goldfish.”
“Glad I’m not him!” Isadora joined her father in a spree of laughter. Lilly turned away, upset but not with the turtle. It was natural for turtles to eat goldfish. But why would anyone enjoy terrifying a goldfish?
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