to think about it a moment, then shrugged and followed her and the bobbing beam of her flashlight into the house. The porch light went off, leaving only the glow from the windows.
Jen let the curtain drop back into place and went to the bag on the coffee table. She figured the small cheeseburger was for her, so she got it out and opened it on the floor, took a bite and channel-surfed on TV. But the burger tasted like cardboard and she couldn’t find anything interesting to watch.
She wondered why everyone in the family was suddenly becoming so friendly with this Miss Dupree when Jen hadn't even met her yet.
She wrapped the burger in its napkin, stuffed it back in the bag and went to the window again. No sign of Dad.
She thought of the scream she'd heard that afternoon after getting off the bus, still certain it had been her mom's voice –
– I was just visiting Miss Dupree. Our new neighbor –
– and of the sudden change in Mom's face when Jen told her what she'd heard –
– It was nothing ... maybe a cat .
Moving away from the window, Jen watched Robby a moment, to make sure he was deep in sleep, then hurried silently down the hall to do the same with Mom. After slipping on her coat, she sneaked out the front door, opening the screen slowly so it wouldn't screech and closing the door behind her with a faint click.
She watched Miss Dupree's front door closely as she crossed the front lawn to the street. If her dad came out, she would hurry back inside. She didn't want him to think she was spying on him, or anything. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing herself. But he didn't come out. By the time she got across the street to the edge of Miss Dupree's lawn, there was still no sign of anyone coming out of the house.
The cold rain hit her face like icy needles shooting from the sky and Jen hugged herself against the cold, wondering what she should do. If she got too close to the house, she wouldn't be able to run back home if Dad came out. But what would be wrong with that? She could say she'd decided to come over with him and meet the new neighbor. That wasn't so bad, was it?
She stepped onto the lawn and moved slowly toward the house, watching the window and door, and through the whisper of the rain, she heard laughter. It wasn't the kind of laughter you hear when someone tells a joke or does a funny trick; it was lower and more ... secret .
Jen took a few more steps across the lawn and nearly dropped to the ground when she heard a man's voice.
"What are you doing?"
She spun around and saw a shadow standing beneath the streetlight, leaning on a cane in his right hand.
"Do you live here?" he asked. His voice was low but clear.
"I-I ... no, I live ... across the street."
"Oh."
She waited for more, but he just watched her for a while, his face invisible beneath the hat he wore, left hand buried in the pocket of his long coat.
"Why are you sneaking around?" he asked finally.
"I'm not."
"Oh. It looked like you were. And usually, young ladies who look like they're sneaking around are doing something they shouldn't."
He sounded very friendly; in fact, he sounded as if he were smiling. But Jen had heard plenty about strangers – especially strange men – who seemed friendly.
"If you live across the street, why are you over here after dark in the rain?"
"My dad's in there. He was helping our new neighbor fix her car."
"New neighbor?" He took a step forward, leaning heavily on the cane.
"Uh-huh." Jen didn't move, but her whole body was tensed, ready to run.
"What's your new neighbor's name?" His voice changed. He sounded nervous now, and his question took on a tone of urgency.
"Miss ... Miss ... " Jen clenched her fists, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him. Maybe he knew Miss Dupree and she didn't want him to know she lived here.
"What's your name?" the man asked, taking another step toward her and pulling his hand from his
Jen let the curtain drop back into place and went to the bag on the coffee table. She figured the small cheeseburger was for her, so she got it out and opened it on the floor, took a bite and channel-surfed on TV. But the burger tasted like cardboard and she couldn’t find anything interesting to watch.
She wondered why everyone in the family was suddenly becoming so friendly with this Miss Dupree when Jen hadn't even met her yet.
She wrapped the burger in its napkin, stuffed it back in the bag and went to the window again. No sign of Dad.
She thought of the scream she'd heard that afternoon after getting off the bus, still certain it had been her mom's voice –
– I was just visiting Miss Dupree. Our new neighbor –
– and of the sudden change in Mom's face when Jen told her what she'd heard –
– It was nothing ... maybe a cat .
Moving away from the window, Jen watched Robby a moment, to make sure he was deep in sleep, then hurried silently down the hall to do the same with Mom. After slipping on her coat, she sneaked out the front door, opening the screen slowly so it wouldn't screech and closing the door behind her with a faint click.
She watched Miss Dupree's front door closely as she crossed the front lawn to the street. If her dad came out, she would hurry back inside. She didn't want him to think she was spying on him, or anything. She wasn't exactly sure what she was doing herself. But he didn't come out. By the time she got across the street to the edge of Miss Dupree's lawn, there was still no sign of anyone coming out of the house.
The cold rain hit her face like icy needles shooting from the sky and Jen hugged herself against the cold, wondering what she should do. If she got too close to the house, she wouldn't be able to run back home if Dad came out. But what would be wrong with that? She could say she'd decided to come over with him and meet the new neighbor. That wasn't so bad, was it?
She stepped onto the lawn and moved slowly toward the house, watching the window and door, and through the whisper of the rain, she heard laughter. It wasn't the kind of laughter you hear when someone tells a joke or does a funny trick; it was lower and more ... secret .
Jen took a few more steps across the lawn and nearly dropped to the ground when she heard a man's voice.
"What are you doing?"
She spun around and saw a shadow standing beneath the streetlight, leaning on a cane in his right hand.
"Do you live here?" he asked. His voice was low but clear.
"I-I ... no, I live ... across the street."
"Oh."
She waited for more, but he just watched her for a while, his face invisible beneath the hat he wore, left hand buried in the pocket of his long coat.
"Why are you sneaking around?" he asked finally.
"I'm not."
"Oh. It looked like you were. And usually, young ladies who look like they're sneaking around are doing something they shouldn't."
He sounded very friendly; in fact, he sounded as if he were smiling. But Jen had heard plenty about strangers – especially strange men – who seemed friendly.
"If you live across the street, why are you over here after dark in the rain?"
"My dad's in there. He was helping our new neighbor fix her car."
"New neighbor?" He took a step forward, leaning heavily on the cane.
"Uh-huh." Jen didn't move, but her whole body was tensed, ready to run.
"What's your new neighbor's name?" His voice changed. He sounded nervous now, and his question took on a tone of urgency.
"Miss ... Miss ... " Jen clenched her fists, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him. Maybe he knew Miss Dupree and she didn't want him to know she lived here.
"What's your name?" the man asked, taking another step toward her and pulling his hand from his
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