A Skeleton in the Family by Leigh Perry Page B

good time?”
    â€œYeah.”
    I waited for more, but that was it and there wasn’t time to talk anyway, so I zipped up the suitcase and got him and his costume out to the car.
    We made it by the skin of my teeth. I’d just slammed the back of the van shut when I caught sight of Madison and a trio of new friends heading my way. When she introduced me to Nikko, Liam, and Chelsea, at first I thought she was just being polite and thoughtful, when in fact, she had offered them all rides home and knew it would be tougher for me to refuse with them standing there. Before we’d gotten out of the parking lot, that had morphed into an invite for them to come to our house, after a short stop for sustenance at the Aquarius Drive-In, the burger joint that had been an institution even when I was in high school.
    Most of the conversation during the drive was incomprehensible to me, but I did smile when I heard Madison say, “Did you guys see the guy dressed as Shinigami?”
    â€œCould you annotate that for me?” I said, pretending ignorance.
    â€œLord Death from
Soul Eater
. He was awesome! He stayed in character all day long, and he was chopping people right and left. It was so funny!”
    â€œOh, him,” I said offhandedly. “He chopped me, too.” I hoped Sid could hear about the good impression he’d made.
    Unfortunately, Madison’s new coterie hung at the house until after midnight, which meant that I didn’t get a chance to debrief with Sid. I had to wait until Madison went to bed to get his suitcase out of the van, and left him at the bottom of the attic stairs to make his way up by himself.
    â€œI’ll come get you tomorrow morning,” I whispered as he reassembled himself.
    â€œDon’t bother,” he said. “I think I’ll stay home.”
    â€œDidn’t you have fun?”
    â€œIt was fine. It was good. I just think one day is plenty.”
    â€œBut—”
    I heard Madison’s bedroom door open, and slammed the attic door shut.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” she asked.
    â€œI thought I saw a bug.” Which was the first thing I could think of.
    â€œG-mom and G-dad must have bug spray.”
    â€œI’ll take care of it tomorrow. You better get to bed if you want to go back to the con tomorrow.”
    â€œJust getting a drink of water.”
    With Madison wakeful, I didn’t dare risk speaking to Sid again that night, and though I checked with him again the next morning, he insisted he didn’t want to come along. So I hung out near the deli for most of the day, playing Angry Birds and hoping in vain to see Fletcher again.

9
    M onday was one minor disaster after another: Madison had forgotten to take her school clothes out of the drier, which meant they were a wrinkled mess; I spilled most of a carton of orange juice on the kitchen floor; my right rear tire had gone flat and I’d let my AAA membership lapse; my students were unexpectedly surly; and just before dinner, Madison announced that she needed poster board for a project that was due the next day. In other words, I had no time for Sid.
    Tuesday wasn’t much better, and Madison and I snarked at each other most of the day. I wasn’t sure if it was her fault or mine or a combination, but when Deborah called and asked if I minded her running off with my daughter for the evening, I was delighted to give my blessing. I’d have given her my VISA card to pay for dinner, too, if I weren’t nudging the credit limit.
    As soon as they were out of the driveway, I headed up to the attic and knocked on the door. “Sid? The coast is clear!”
    There was no response.
    â€œSid?”
    â€œI’m reading.”
    â€œYou can read anytime. Come down and visit.”
    â€œI’m getting to a really good part.”
    Now I was partially suspicious, and partially worried. Sid loved to read, but he could read all day and night, whereas I’d