their faces warm with concern. “I—I thought I saw a mouse in the restroom. I hate mice. But it was just a dust bunny.”
Everyone laughed, and before the conversation could progress much further, a tall, burly redhead stood up and approached the podium.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “My name is Ted Gelman, and I play tight end for the Boylestown High School state champion football team.”
The audience erupted in cheers. Ted was one of the three football players Julia had selected to get up and speak about the athletics program and how Carrie’sproposal would change things for the better. I struggled to relax as Ted’s speech continued without incident. He was self-deprecating and funny, and the audience was responding just as we’d hoped they would—with warmth and interest.
But when Ted had been speaking only a few minutes, I glanced up and my heart jumped into my throat. Barney was approaching with a carafe of coffee. As I watched carefully, he went around the table, pouring coffee into George’s and Ned’s cups. I demurred, and he nodded kindly and moved on. If he had any idea that I’d told Julia to call the police to take him away, he gave no indication.
Speaking of which, where were the police?
Ted finished his speech to roaring applause, and then a shorter African-American boy with dreadlocks stepped up to the podium. “Hi, I’m Trent Wickham, and I play defense for the Boylestown High School state champion football team,” he began. Again, the audience greeted him with warm applause. Trent began talking about what the football program meant to him, howit had changed his life and his outlook, and I stared stubbornly at the clock. Then Barney, who was leaning against the wall again. Then the clock.
Where are the police?
My heart was beginning to pound. Barney might have planned something to disrupt the speeches at any minute—and who knew what that something could be? So far his stunts had just been meant to embarrass Carrie, but what if he’d planned something more dangerous? What if someone got hurt? It might seem far-fetched, but he’d killed a squirrel, for goodness’ sake. Wasn’t that one of the warning signs of a child sociopath—cruelty to animals?
“Anyway,” Trent was saying, and I realized that five more minutes had gone by and I’d not heard a single word of his speech. “I just want to express my wholehearted support of Carrie Kim, who was an athlete herself, and her amazing sports complex proposal, which will change the lives of many more young people like me.”
Everyone whooped and clapped, and I slapped myhands together on autopilot. Should I find Julia again? But then I saw them.
Two uniformed Boylestown police officers, making their way along the side of the ballroom toward the kitchen.
My heart leaped. They headed toward the kitchen, and one of the cops said something to Barney, who looked confused. The second officer gestured for him to calm down, and then pointed down the hallway, like he wanted the three of them to go and talk elsewhere. Barney frowned but followed, still looking confused, and the three of them slipped out of my sight.
It took every bit of willpower I had not to leap up and run down the hallway, but I knew that in doing so, I would only make more of a scene. Still, I focused every hearing muscle I had in the direction of the kitchen. Maybe I was just imagining things, but I felt I could make out raised voices over the din of conversation as the third football player slated to speak, a red-faced blond boy, stood up.
“WHAT?!” The shout was brief and furious, anddefinitely Barney’s voice. I squirmed in my seat, but just then the football player stepped up to the podium, and the crowd began cheering wildly.
“I’m Frankie Ludlow,” he said, “and I play QB for the Boylestown High School state champion football team!”
More cheers and applause. If anyone in the audience had heard Barney’s shout from the
Everyone laughed, and before the conversation could progress much further, a tall, burly redhead stood up and approached the podium.
“Good evening, ladies and gentlemen,” he said. “My name is Ted Gelman, and I play tight end for the Boylestown High School state champion football team.”
The audience erupted in cheers. Ted was one of the three football players Julia had selected to get up and speak about the athletics program and how Carrie’sproposal would change things for the better. I struggled to relax as Ted’s speech continued without incident. He was self-deprecating and funny, and the audience was responding just as we’d hoped they would—with warmth and interest.
But when Ted had been speaking only a few minutes, I glanced up and my heart jumped into my throat. Barney was approaching with a carafe of coffee. As I watched carefully, he went around the table, pouring coffee into George’s and Ned’s cups. I demurred, and he nodded kindly and moved on. If he had any idea that I’d told Julia to call the police to take him away, he gave no indication.
Speaking of which, where were the police?
Ted finished his speech to roaring applause, and then a shorter African-American boy with dreadlocks stepped up to the podium. “Hi, I’m Trent Wickham, and I play defense for the Boylestown High School state champion football team,” he began. Again, the audience greeted him with warm applause. Trent began talking about what the football program meant to him, howit had changed his life and his outlook, and I stared stubbornly at the clock. Then Barney, who was leaning against the wall again. Then the clock.
Where are the police?
My heart was beginning to pound. Barney might have planned something to disrupt the speeches at any minute—and who knew what that something could be? So far his stunts had just been meant to embarrass Carrie, but what if he’d planned something more dangerous? What if someone got hurt? It might seem far-fetched, but he’d killed a squirrel, for goodness’ sake. Wasn’t that one of the warning signs of a child sociopath—cruelty to animals?
“Anyway,” Trent was saying, and I realized that five more minutes had gone by and I’d not heard a single word of his speech. “I just want to express my wholehearted support of Carrie Kim, who was an athlete herself, and her amazing sports complex proposal, which will change the lives of many more young people like me.”
Everyone whooped and clapped, and I slapped myhands together on autopilot. Should I find Julia again? But then I saw them.
Two uniformed Boylestown police officers, making their way along the side of the ballroom toward the kitchen.
My heart leaped. They headed toward the kitchen, and one of the cops said something to Barney, who looked confused. The second officer gestured for him to calm down, and then pointed down the hallway, like he wanted the three of them to go and talk elsewhere. Barney frowned but followed, still looking confused, and the three of them slipped out of my sight.
It took every bit of willpower I had not to leap up and run down the hallway, but I knew that in doing so, I would only make more of a scene. Still, I focused every hearing muscle I had in the direction of the kitchen. Maybe I was just imagining things, but I felt I could make out raised voices over the din of conversation as the third football player slated to speak, a red-faced blond boy, stood up.
“WHAT?!” The shout was brief and furious, anddefinitely Barney’s voice. I squirmed in my seat, but just then the football player stepped up to the podium, and the crowd began cheering wildly.
“I’m Frankie Ludlow,” he said, “and I play QB for the Boylestown High School state champion football team!”
More cheers and applause. If anyone in the audience had heard Barney’s shout from the
Similar Books
