AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I don’t suppose you’d like to join me, would you, Lizzie?”
Ella doesn’t flinch, but I have to bite the inside of my cheek to keep from beaming: It worked!
When Ella remains quiet for a few more seconds, Mom rolls her eyes. “I see,” she says. “Well, then, I’ll go take my shower. You three enjoy your show.”
“Can we play Jenga later?” I ask, just to seal the deal. Ella loves Jenga.
“Of course,” Mom says, smiling again before turning and walking down the hall to her room. When her door is closed, Betsey springs up from the couch and runs downstairs. In two minutes, she’s back.
“What are you doing?” Ella asks. Betsey holds up two shiny keys—one silver and one gold.
“Making your life easier,” she says to me. “These are the only two keys on Mom’s keychain that I don’t recognize. One of them has to open the office.”
“What if she notices?”
“Wouldn’t you rather take the chance than have to break a window or something?” Bet asks.
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I say. “So when am I going? When she’s back?”
“No!” Betsey says in a low tone. “This is even better. You’re going to leave when she does. She’ll never know any of us left the house.”
“But what if she comes back before I do?” I ask. “We won’t know when she’s on her way home. Ella can’t go with her, and you just said you have cramps.”
“Oh,” Betsey says, as if she didn’t think of that.
“Call Sean,” Ella says evenly. “He loves this stuff, and he loves you. He’ll totally follow Mom.” She glances at the closed door at the end of the hallway. “But do it soon: You know how fast she gets ready.”
My conversation with Sean is quick and efficient. He’s up for anything, including staking out my mom. He’s only seen her that one time at the post office, so with just a few minutes left, Betsey logs on to the computer and sends a photo to his phone. We all take our places in the rec room again until Mom leaves, then after we hear the gate close, I dash to my room and grab two of the spy phones. I use one to call the other, then hand the one I called to Ella.
“Now you have the number on the ID,” I say.
“Good thinking,” she replies. “Okay, you need to go… like now.”
I run down the stairs and out the door with Bet and Ella trailing behind me.
“Call us with updates,” Bet says.
“Be careful,” Ella shouts.
“Okay,” I say to both of them before throwing myself behind the wheel and starting the car. I head up the driveway and through the gate, then down the hill, biting my bottom lip all the way.
I’m parking on the street about a block away from Mom’s office when Sean calls.
“She’s here at the store,” he says quietly. “I’ve got her.”
>“I’m glad you’re in my life,” I say.
Sean wraps me in a hug and murmurs in my ear.
“I’ll stay as long as you let me.”
By the time Betsey’s class is over, Sean’s up to speed on the break-in plan and has a list of items to get to help with the mission, ranging from the practical, like his camera, to the somewhat ridiculous, like a laser pointer.
“Why on earth would we need a laser pointer?” I ask.
“I have no idea,” Sean says, “but it just seems cool to have one.”
I giggle to myself about how when I first met Sean, I thought he looked like an off-duty superhero; now I think that sometimes he acts like one, too.
