herself…
««—»»
One thing in Terri’s favor was this: if
Uncle Chuck came back home unexpectedly, she’d be able to hear the
car pull into the driveway. So she’d have time to get back into her
room before he came in. But she knew she couldn’t fool around, she
had to be quick about it, and of course, the first thing she had to
do was find the briefcase. She brought a Bic pen and a piece of
notebook paper with her, stuck them in the pocket of her shorts.
Then, very quietly, she opened her door and left her bedroom.
The house seemed very quiet
right now, maybe because she was doing something she knew she
wasn’t supposed to be doing. As always, the floor of the foyer
went creeeeak! when she stepped on it, and that reminded her of how Patricia
had scared her this morning, by hiding in the coat closet. Terri
could only guess that the wooden tiles of the foyer had gotten old,
and that’s why they creaked whenever someone stepped on
them.
The hall to the kitchen was
dark. She tiptoed quickly across the carpet and slipped into the
kitchen. She wished she’d thought of this before; she could’ve been
looking for the briefcase earlier, while she was on the phone with
Patricia. Darn! Why didn’t I think of
that? she scolded herself. She pranced
around the kitchen, looking everywhere, but—
Uncle Chuck’s briefcase wasn’t anywhere to
be seen.
Where is it!
Terri looked all over the
place: the kitchen table, the big veneered walnut cabinet her
mother kept her bills in, the closet, even the regular cabinets.
She couldn’t find the briefcase anywhere!
It must not be
here, she finally realized. And that could
only mean:
It must be somewhere else, like maybe in the
dining room, or—
Terri’s thoughts stopped short.
Maybe it’s in his bedroom…
She searched the dining room from top to
bottom. The briefcase wasn’t there.
Now this really was risky. Going into
Uncle Chuck’s bedroom without his permission. But Terri had no
choice; she needed to look in that briefcase, and this was the only
way. She walked quickly back down the carpeted hallway, put her
hand on the knob to Uncle Chuck’s bedroom.
She paused, took a deep breath—
Here goes nothing, she thought.
— and entered the
room.
Uncle Chuck’s bedroom was neat as a pin. The
bed was made, the fern-green drapes were tied open, showing the
sunny front yard. All of Chuck’s clothes hung neatly in the closet,
like in the men’s section of a department store. But Terri’s eyes
glanced about the room in total dread—
Where’s the briefcase!
She didn’t see it anywhere!
Where else could it be? It wasn’t on the floor anywhere; it wasn’t
in the closet. If she didn’t find it this minute, she knew she’d
have to give up because Uncle Chuck would be back soon, with her
mother. That’s all I need, Terri thought. First I
get caught in the boathouse, and now I’m about to get caught in
Uncle Chuck’s bedroom!
She searched the room three times—no
briefcase. She was so frustrated she wanted to throw her arms up
and shriek. But just as she was about to check the room one more
time, she turned, and her foot touched something—
What? she thought slowly.
Her foot touched something under the
bed.
Terri dropped to her knees very quickly, and
pulled up the bed’s fluffy comforter, and there it was—
Finally! I found it!
The black-leather briefcase had been slipped
under the bed, almost as if it had been deliberately hidden.
Hidden, Terri thought.
But it had been hidden. Uncle Chuck had
obviously slid the briefcase under the bed so no one would see
it. No one, as in me, Terri realized. There was no one else to hide it from. Uncle Chuck must have suspected that I might come
in here, Terri easily recognized, so he stuck the briefcase under the bed where I
wouldn’t be able to see it . And this could
only mean what she already suspected: Her mother and Uncle Chuck
knew all about the weird things going on around here, and they
««—»»
One thing in Terri’s favor was this: if
Uncle Chuck came back home unexpectedly, she’d be able to hear the
car pull into the driveway. So she’d have time to get back into her
room before he came in. But she knew she couldn’t fool around, she
had to be quick about it, and of course, the first thing she had to
do was find the briefcase. She brought a Bic pen and a piece of
notebook paper with her, stuck them in the pocket of her shorts.
Then, very quietly, she opened her door and left her bedroom.
The house seemed very quiet
right now, maybe because she was doing something she knew she
wasn’t supposed to be doing. As always, the floor of the foyer
went creeeeak! when she stepped on it, and that reminded her of how Patricia
had scared her this morning, by hiding in the coat closet. Terri
could only guess that the wooden tiles of the foyer had gotten old,
and that’s why they creaked whenever someone stepped on
them.
The hall to the kitchen was
dark. She tiptoed quickly across the carpet and slipped into the
kitchen. She wished she’d thought of this before; she could’ve been
looking for the briefcase earlier, while she was on the phone with
Patricia. Darn! Why didn’t I think of
that? she scolded herself. She pranced
around the kitchen, looking everywhere, but—
Uncle Chuck’s briefcase wasn’t anywhere to
be seen.
Where is it!
Terri looked all over the
place: the kitchen table, the big veneered walnut cabinet her
mother kept her bills in, the closet, even the regular cabinets.
She couldn’t find the briefcase anywhere!
It must not be
here, she finally realized. And that could
only mean:
It must be somewhere else, like maybe in the
dining room, or—
Terri’s thoughts stopped short.
Maybe it’s in his bedroom…
She searched the dining room from top to
bottom. The briefcase wasn’t there.
Now this really was risky. Going into
Uncle Chuck’s bedroom without his permission. But Terri had no
choice; she needed to look in that briefcase, and this was the only
way. She walked quickly back down the carpeted hallway, put her
hand on the knob to Uncle Chuck’s bedroom.
She paused, took a deep breath—
Here goes nothing, she thought.
— and entered the
room.
Uncle Chuck’s bedroom was neat as a pin. The
bed was made, the fern-green drapes were tied open, showing the
sunny front yard. All of Chuck’s clothes hung neatly in the closet,
like in the men’s section of a department store. But Terri’s eyes
glanced about the room in total dread—
Where’s the briefcase!
She didn’t see it anywhere!
Where else could it be? It wasn’t on the floor anywhere; it wasn’t
in the closet. If she didn’t find it this minute, she knew she’d
have to give up because Uncle Chuck would be back soon, with her
mother. That’s all I need, Terri thought. First I
get caught in the boathouse, and now I’m about to get caught in
Uncle Chuck’s bedroom!
She searched the room three times—no
briefcase. She was so frustrated she wanted to throw her arms up
and shriek. But just as she was about to check the room one more
time, she turned, and her foot touched something—
What? she thought slowly.
Her foot touched something under the
bed.
Terri dropped to her knees very quickly, and
pulled up the bed’s fluffy comforter, and there it was—
Finally! I found it!
The black-leather briefcase had been slipped
under the bed, almost as if it had been deliberately hidden.
Hidden, Terri thought.
But it had been hidden. Uncle Chuck had
obviously slid the briefcase under the bed so no one would see
it. No one, as in me, Terri realized. There was no one else to hide it from. Uncle Chuck must have suspected that I might come
in here, Terri easily recognized, so he stuck the briefcase under the bed where I
wouldn’t be able to see it . And this could
only mean what she already suspected: Her mother and Uncle Chuck
knew all about the weird things going on around here, and they
Similar Books
