Suzie’s House 231: A Piece of Work to Admire

“Tracy, go home.” Mrs. H. spoke quietly but Tracy could tell she was serious.

“But…”

“This is not a mystery book, and you are not Nancy Drew. It’ll be curfew by the time you get home. Go now.”

“Nancy who?”

“Criminy.” Mrs. H. slumped into the kitchen counter with her hand on her forehead.

“Come one. I can stay on a couch in the den, right? It’s not like I want to spend the night in Gene’s room.”

“Thanks,” Gene said like she’d said something mean.

Tracy stuck her tongue out at him. They’d already talked about this, right? They were too young to do the things he wanted to do. She’d have stumbled through an explanation that would make her all embarrassed when she thought about it later, but Mrs. H. got all stiff and pointed to the door.

“Go.”

“All right, all right. I’m going.” She grabbed her backpack, heavy with text books. It was another school day tomorrow, which was a good thing or she wouldn’t have known Gene was going to see that crazy “Fran” lady at MacDonalds because she found out when she came over to do homework together.

“Gene, go with her. It’s after dark. Wait,” Mrs. H straightened, her face stiff. “Maybe I should drive you.”

“Because Fran is out there?” Tracy asked.

“You noticed?”

“She followed us back, right? So she’s desperate, right? That’s why I should stay tonight, so I can catch her when she makes her move.”

“Not a chance.” Mrs. H. reached for her keys, but Miranda walked in right then.

Saved by the belle, maybe? Tracy held her breath. When Miranda was around, anything could happen.

“You aren’t going anywhere are you? You’re cook!” Miranda looked all panic-stricken-like.

“Can’t you cover for me for…”

“You want me to order another pizza? Sure…” Miranda headed for the phone on the wall. You could tell from the way she did it that she didn’t want pizza.

“But I have to take Tracy home.”

“I’ll do it.” Miranda took Mrs. H.’s keys like she’d been doing it for years and years, which might be right because they’d known each other forever.

Tracy followed Miranda out because she didn’t have much choice. She didn’t really like Miranda, mostly because she got the feeling Miranda didn’t like her. The thing was, even though the woman was twice her age, Tracy got the feeling the two of them should have hit it off. She didn’t understand why they hadn’t. Not that it mattered, because now they’d have to sit in the same car feeling all uncomfortable with each other for the ride home.

“If you’d seen Fran, you’d know why I’ve got to stay tonight,” Tracy muttered.

“You don’t have to worry about us. This household has faced much worse crazies. We’ve got a state of the art security system that…”

As soon as they stepped out the door, Tracy noticed a flash of motion off to the left. She and Miranda turned at the same time to look at the same thing.

“… well, what do you know. I guess we should have turned the alarm on earlier.”

A ladder braced against the wall right under Gene’s window, and there she was. Fran had already crawled half way in the window, and wriggled like she was stuck, probably because that window always got stuck about half way up. Her feet struggling with the old metal ladder that usually hung from the ceiling of the garage, the whole thing made all eerie in the moon light.

“Oh. My. Gawd!!! This is too good,” Tracy said. “Quick, you take the ladder while I run up and close the window on her.”

“Go for it!” While Miranda rushed toward the ladder, Tracy took off running into the house.

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