sounded divine. Gomez led us out to the lobby, where Hattie informed us that our aunt Trudy was on her way. I glanced at Joe, wondering if that was a bad omen.
“Is Dad going to kill us?” I whispered, taking a seat on an uncomfortable chair.
Joe shrugged. “I think we have a fifty-fifty shot,” he replied.
I’m not sure how long it was before Aunt Trudy showed up. Truth be told, I may have dozed a bit. Joe too. Joe did ask about Pett and Seth, and was told they’d been released about half an hour before us.
Before I knew it, Hattie was calling, “Boys?” and Joe and I startled awake. Aunt Trudy was standing before us, smiling tensely.
“Hi, Aunt Trudy,” Joe said. “We really appreciate you picking us up. Are Mom and Dad, um . . .?”
“Apoplectic?” Aunt Trudy supplied, her smile warming. “You’ll have to ask them. Your dad came up to wake me and ask me to come get you, then holed himself up in his study. I didn’t get much besides ‘boys’ and ‘police station.’And ‘again.’ ” You mother went to bed early not feeling well, and doesn’t know yet.”
I looked at Joe. “Uh-oh.”
He nodded. “That doesn’t sound good.”
I stood up and chatted with Aunt Trudy about her garden while Hattie passed our belongings back to us, and Joe ran to use the men’s room. When he came back, he grabbed my arm. “Maybe you should use the restroom too before we leave,” he said, giving me a meaningful look.
I looked at Aunt Trudy. “That’s not a bad idea,” I said.
She waved her hand. “Sure, sure, go ahead. It’s not like my bed is calling for me or anything.”
Joe gave her a smile. “We owe you big-time, Aunt Trudy. What if Frank and I cook dinner tonight?”
Aunt Trudy grimaced. “Ugh. What have I done to earn such punishment?” she asked.
Joe shrugged. “Well, we’ll figure out something. I’m, ah, going to grab a drink from the water fountain.”
He followed me back down the hall to the restrooms, then grabbed my arm again. “Check it out.”
He was holding out his wallet, billfold open to reveal a note written in thick black marker on yellow lined paper.
CHECK OUT THE RESTAURANT.
“It was in my wallet when I picked it up,” Joe whispered.
I looked at him incredulously. “It had to have been leftby someone in the police department,” I whispered back to him.
Joe nodded. “Or someone who was arrested, maybe.”
I shook my head. “They wouldn’t have access to people’s belongings.”
“Either way,” Joe said, “we need to get over there. We’ll need something to distract Aunt Trudy.”
I nodded. “On it,” I said. “Operation Trudy Distraction, in full effect!”
• • •
“Ouch!” I cried as I fake-stumbled down the last step from police headquarters to Main Street. “Oh, ow! Man! Hold on, you guys. My ankle.”
Joe and Aunt Trudy turned around, Aunt Trudy looking concerned, Joe impressed.
“What happened, Frank?” Aunt Trudy asked.
I made a big show of hopping around, like my ankle was injured. “I think I twisted it,” I said, then sighed. “Oh, man! It’s going to be a struggle to get down the steps to the parking lot.”
Aunt Trudy looked grim. “Do we need to take you to the hospital? Do you need an X-ray?”
“No!” I cried, and noticed that Joe seemed to just stop himself in time from shouting it with me.
“I’ll just put some ice on it when we get home,” I added. “This happens to me a lot. I must have weak ankles.”
Aunt Trudy pursed her lips. “Well, if you say so. Isuppose I’ll need to get the car and bring it around for you.”
I nodded. “That would be great, Aunt Trudy. Thanks.”
Aunt Trudy turned to Joe. He seemed to realize after a few seconds that she was waiting for him to go with her.
I moved closer to Joe and leaned on his shoulder. “It would be great if Joe could stay with me,” I said. “To lean on.”
Aunt Trudy shrugged. “Well, I guess so,” she said. “I’ll be right
“Is Dad going to kill us?” I whispered, taking a seat on an uncomfortable chair.
Joe shrugged. “I think we have a fifty-fifty shot,” he replied.
I’m not sure how long it was before Aunt Trudy showed up. Truth be told, I may have dozed a bit. Joe too. Joe did ask about Pett and Seth, and was told they’d been released about half an hour before us.
Before I knew it, Hattie was calling, “Boys?” and Joe and I startled awake. Aunt Trudy was standing before us, smiling tensely.
“Hi, Aunt Trudy,” Joe said. “We really appreciate you picking us up. Are Mom and Dad, um . . .?”
“Apoplectic?” Aunt Trudy supplied, her smile warming. “You’ll have to ask them. Your dad came up to wake me and ask me to come get you, then holed himself up in his study. I didn’t get much besides ‘boys’ and ‘police station.’And ‘again.’ ” You mother went to bed early not feeling well, and doesn’t know yet.”
I looked at Joe. “Uh-oh.”
He nodded. “That doesn’t sound good.”
I stood up and chatted with Aunt Trudy about her garden while Hattie passed our belongings back to us, and Joe ran to use the men’s room. When he came back, he grabbed my arm. “Maybe you should use the restroom too before we leave,” he said, giving me a meaningful look.
I looked at Aunt Trudy. “That’s not a bad idea,” I said.
She waved her hand. “Sure, sure, go ahead. It’s not like my bed is calling for me or anything.”
Joe gave her a smile. “We owe you big-time, Aunt Trudy. What if Frank and I cook dinner tonight?”
Aunt Trudy grimaced. “Ugh. What have I done to earn such punishment?” she asked.
Joe shrugged. “Well, we’ll figure out something. I’m, ah, going to grab a drink from the water fountain.”
He followed me back down the hall to the restrooms, then grabbed my arm again. “Check it out.”
He was holding out his wallet, billfold open to reveal a note written in thick black marker on yellow lined paper.
CHECK OUT THE RESTAURANT.
“It was in my wallet when I picked it up,” Joe whispered.
I looked at him incredulously. “It had to have been leftby someone in the police department,” I whispered back to him.
Joe nodded. “Or someone who was arrested, maybe.”
I shook my head. “They wouldn’t have access to people’s belongings.”
“Either way,” Joe said, “we need to get over there. We’ll need something to distract Aunt Trudy.”
I nodded. “On it,” I said. “Operation Trudy Distraction, in full effect!”
• • •
“Ouch!” I cried as I fake-stumbled down the last step from police headquarters to Main Street. “Oh, ow! Man! Hold on, you guys. My ankle.”
Joe and Aunt Trudy turned around, Aunt Trudy looking concerned, Joe impressed.
“What happened, Frank?” Aunt Trudy asked.
I made a big show of hopping around, like my ankle was injured. “I think I twisted it,” I said, then sighed. “Oh, man! It’s going to be a struggle to get down the steps to the parking lot.”
Aunt Trudy looked grim. “Do we need to take you to the hospital? Do you need an X-ray?”
“No!” I cried, and noticed that Joe seemed to just stop himself in time from shouting it with me.
“I’ll just put some ice on it when we get home,” I added. “This happens to me a lot. I must have weak ankles.”
Aunt Trudy pursed her lips. “Well, if you say so. Isuppose I’ll need to get the car and bring it around for you.”
I nodded. “That would be great, Aunt Trudy. Thanks.”
Aunt Trudy turned to Joe. He seemed to realize after a few seconds that she was waiting for him to go with her.
I moved closer to Joe and leaned on his shoulder. “It would be great if Joe could stay with me,” I said. “To lean on.”
Aunt Trudy shrugged. “Well, I guess so,” she said. “I’ll be right
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