waved his hand. “Not much. That’s why I’m here. Patrick Finnigan told me about her because he knew I was working on this piece about children during the Great Depression, and he thought she’d be an interesting addition to my book.”
I felt myself deflate. “But you said you do know something about her.”
He nodded and smirked. “And I will tell you what little I know just as soon as I have a look at that trunk.”
I gritted my teeth.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon. That should give you plenty of time to tidy up the attic.” He rose to his feet and brushed imaginary crumbs off his pants.
With my foot, I pushed off the porch floorboards hard, sending the old swing careening backward.
Amelie stood. “Andi didn’t agree to show you the attic yet, Anthony.”
I still wanted to know what Dr. Girard knew about Andora, and showing him the attic might be my only means of getting that information. “It’s all right, Amelie,” I said, bringing the swing to a halt with myfoot. I stood and said, “Two o’clock tomorrow should be fine, Dr. Girard.”
Amelie turned to me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I said with more conviction than I felt.
Amelie nodded and turned back to Dr. Girard. “What exactly do you plan to do with the information Andi has shared with you, Anthony?”
Dr. Girard’s thick brows waggled above his dark sunglasses. “Like I told your niece when I arrived, I am currently working on a new project about children during the Great Depression. It will include letters and short biographies of children from all over the state of Ohio. If we can find enough information about Andora to include her, she would be one of two dozen children mentioned in the book. I’ve wanted to write this book for a long time. If I wait too much longer, many of the elderly adults who were children in the 1930s will be gone. I’ll return tomorrow afternoon, Andi.” He stood and grabbed a cookie from the tray before he left.
Colin froze where he stood in our yard as Dr. Girard headed in the opposite direction and down the sidewalk toward his car. As Dr. Girard drove away, Colin ran up the porch steps.
“I hope you won’t be disappointed by what you learn from Dr. Girard, Andi,” Amelie said before she went back inside.
“Is that who I think it was?” Colin removed his glasses and wiped them on his T-shirt.
“Yep,” I said. “And he’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”
Colin grabbed a handful of Girl Scout Cookies from the tray. “Tell me everything.” He pulled the casebook from his backpack.
I told Colin about my encounter with Dr. Girard. And after a moment’s hesitation, I told him about following Dr. Girard into his office earlier that day. Colin wrote down every word.
During my story Colin had interrupted me every few seconds with questions, but suddenly he got quiet.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me you followed Dr. Girard?”
“I don’t know. I planned to tell you. I wanted to think it through first.”
“We could have thought it through together. I thought we were a team.” He frowned.
“It’s no big deal.” I said.
“It is a big deal,” he insisted. “It makes me think you don’t trust me. And I could have helped you follow Dr. Girard, too.”
“It’s not like we both could have gotten up and said we were going to the bathroom without it looking like something was up.”
Colin snapped the casebook closed. “I was the one who took you to the museum in the first place. If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t even know Dr. Girard.”
“You can’t take credit for that. We met him there by accident.”
Colin folded his arms.
Bergita’s van turned into the Carters’ driveway, and Bethany jumped out of the van. She was smiling as sheran across the lawn, gripping her art case. She pulled up short when she saw Colin and me frowning at each other. “What happened? Did you find out Andora was sold to the circus?”
Colin ran down the steps
I felt myself deflate. “But you said you do know something about her.”
He nodded and smirked. “And I will tell you what little I know just as soon as I have a look at that trunk.”
I gritted my teeth.
“I’ll stop by tomorrow afternoon. That should give you plenty of time to tidy up the attic.” He rose to his feet and brushed imaginary crumbs off his pants.
With my foot, I pushed off the porch floorboards hard, sending the old swing careening backward.
Amelie stood. “Andi didn’t agree to show you the attic yet, Anthony.”
I still wanted to know what Dr. Girard knew about Andora, and showing him the attic might be my only means of getting that information. “It’s all right, Amelie,” I said, bringing the swing to a halt with myfoot. I stood and said, “Two o’clock tomorrow should be fine, Dr. Girard.”
Amelie turned to me. “Are you sure?”
“Yes,” I said with more conviction than I felt.
Amelie nodded and turned back to Dr. Girard. “What exactly do you plan to do with the information Andi has shared with you, Anthony?”
Dr. Girard’s thick brows waggled above his dark sunglasses. “Like I told your niece when I arrived, I am currently working on a new project about children during the Great Depression. It will include letters and short biographies of children from all over the state of Ohio. If we can find enough information about Andora to include her, she would be one of two dozen children mentioned in the book. I’ve wanted to write this book for a long time. If I wait too much longer, many of the elderly adults who were children in the 1930s will be gone. I’ll return tomorrow afternoon, Andi.” He stood and grabbed a cookie from the tray before he left.
Colin froze where he stood in our yard as Dr. Girard headed in the opposite direction and down the sidewalk toward his car. As Dr. Girard drove away, Colin ran up the porch steps.
“I hope you won’t be disappointed by what you learn from Dr. Girard, Andi,” Amelie said before she went back inside.
“Is that who I think it was?” Colin removed his glasses and wiped them on his T-shirt.
“Yep,” I said. “And he’ll be back tomorrow afternoon.”
Colin grabbed a handful of Girl Scout Cookies from the tray. “Tell me everything.” He pulled the casebook from his backpack.
I told Colin about my encounter with Dr. Girard. And after a moment’s hesitation, I told him about following Dr. Girard into his office earlier that day. Colin wrote down every word.
During my story Colin had interrupted me every few seconds with questions, but suddenly he got quiet.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Why didn’t you tell me you followed Dr. Girard?”
“I don’t know. I planned to tell you. I wanted to think it through first.”
“We could have thought it through together. I thought we were a team.” He frowned.
“It’s no big deal.” I said.
“It is a big deal,” he insisted. “It makes me think you don’t trust me. And I could have helped you follow Dr. Girard, too.”
“It’s not like we both could have gotten up and said we were going to the bathroom without it looking like something was up.”
Colin snapped the casebook closed. “I was the one who took you to the museum in the first place. If it hadn’t been for me, you wouldn’t even know Dr. Girard.”
“You can’t take credit for that. We met him there by accident.”
Colin folded his arms.
Bergita’s van turned into the Carters’ driveway, and Bethany jumped out of the van. She was smiling as sheran across the lawn, gripping her art case. She pulled up short when she saw Colin and me frowning at each other. “What happened? Did you find out Andora was sold to the circus?”
Colin ran down the steps
Similar Books
