Read Online Tippy Toe Murder by Leslie Meier - Free Book Online Page A

Lucy pulled a rumpled
brown grocery bag out from the back of the girls’ closet and fished around
inside it. “Here they are,” she said, triumphantly producing a pair of barely
worn white summer sandals.
    “I can’t wear those, they’re disgusting,”
protested Elizabeth. “They’re hand-me-downs.”
    “They’re very nice, and it’s just for one
night. Try them on.” “Why can’t I wear my sneakers?”
    “Sneakers look terrible with a dress.”
    “I’ll wear pants.”
    “I’d like you to wear a dress. Doesn’t Sara
look nice?” “Sara’s only four, and I’m eight. You want me to look like a baby.”
    “You won’t look like a baby in the sandals.
Especially if you don’t wear socks. People will think you’re wearing stockings.”
“Really?”
    “Sure. All the girls will be jealous.”
    “Amy’s mom lets her wear stockings, and
heels. Every day.” “In third grade? I don’t believe it.”
    “Well, she does, and she has pierced ears,
too.”
    “Next thing you’ll be telling me she wears
black cocktail dresses with sequins,” muttered Lucy, lifting Sara’s dress
carefully over her head.
    “Everybody wears black. I’m the only girl
in the third grade who’s not allowed to wear black,” protested Elizabeth, reviving
an old argument.
    “Black is for grown-ups, and even grown-ups
don’t wear it after Memorial Day,” advised Lucy. “Unless they’re tourists from
New York.”
    “Mom, you have all these little rules that
nobody’s ever heard of except you.”
    “Yeah, Mom. I’m not gonna wear this shirt,”
Toby chimed in. “I’ll look like a geek.”
    “You already do,” Elizabeth said cattily.
    “That’s enough,” repeated Lucy, losing her
patience. “Now, what’s the matter with that shirt?” she asked, turning to Toby.
“It’s got an alligator. Nobody wears those anymore.”
    “No?” Lucy remembered Lydia Volpe, her
friend who taught kindergarten, relating how she used to teach the children to
salute the flag by telling them to put their hands on their alligators.
    “No. It’s all wrong. Can’t I wear a T-shirt?”
    “No, you can’t. It’s this or your
long-sleeved button-down oxford.”
    “I guess I’ll wear this, but everybody will
laugh at me.” “You’ll be surprised. Everybody will be dressed just like you.
Take these off for now and change, and you can go out and play.”
    Checking her watch, Lucy hurried downstairs
to set the table and start supper. She had just switched on the oven when she
heard Bill’s truck.
    “Hey, Lucy, I was thinking,” he began as he
came through the kitchen door. “We ought to tape the ceremony. Where’s the
video camera?”
    “Bill, you’re not serious, are you? We’ve
got so much tape of the kids, and besides, it’ll embarrass Toby.”
    “What do you mean? We have hardly any
videos of the kids, thanks to you. You’re too cheap to buy blank cassettes, and
when you do break down and decide to invest two ninety-nine, you push the wrong
button.”
    “That was just once,” Lucy said. “I got
confused.”
    “And I never got to see Sara in her
starring role as the Easter Bunny,” reproached Bill, wrapping his arms around
her.
    “I’m sorry,” said Lucy, slipping out of his
embrace and opening the freezer. “You’ll just have to rely on your memory
tonight. I loaned the camera to Franny.”
    “What? Why’d you do that?” demanded Bill.
    “It’s complicated. But she promised to give
it back before the dress rehearsal tomorrow.”
    “I wish you’d checked with me first,”
grumbled Bill. “After all, it was my parents who gave us
that camera. Are those fish sticks?”
    “Yeah. Fish sticks, potato puffs, and
coleslaw. Homemade coleslaw.”
    “You know I hate fish sticks.”
    “It won’t kill you to eat them this once,”
snapped Lucy. Realizing the conversation was in real danger of becoming a
fight, she took a deep breath and explained, “I needed something quick and easy
for dinner. The