needed him downstairs ASAP to keep Lisa occupied.
Kali put her ear against the door and heard socked feet walking hurriedly across the carpet. Greg opened the door. His expression was heartbreakingly hopeful.
“Did you say bacon?”
Kali nodded, feeling slightly guilty. But maybe he wouldn’t notice the difference. She tiptoed down the stairs and located Lisa. Her back was turned. Kali darted through the living room and rushed to the back door. Moses had beaten her there. The cat stood flicking her tail from side to side expectantly.
Rozzy’s face turned bright red as soon as she saw Kali. “Way to go for ditching me last night.”
“Actually, you ditched me first. But I’m sorry.”
“What happened to you?”
I think I was attacked and nearly raped by a tub of butter flavored lard at knife point. But I can’t be certain. The details are fuzzy. Yeah, the truth was a no go.
“You’re not the only one with secrets,” Kali said and pulled her sister inside. She kept talking so Rozzy wouldn’t ask any more questions. “They don’t know you haven’t been home. Go upstairs and put on some sweats or something. You look terrible. Come down in ten minutes and say you had trouble sleeping.” She examined Rozzy again. “But take a shower first. You smell like cheap aftershave. It’s incriminating.”
Rolling her eyes, Rozzy brushed past Kali and disappeared up the stairs. Precisely twelve minutes later, she reappeared looking like she had recently woken up. That probably wasn’t much of a stretch.
At the breakfast table, Greg was very disappointed to see turkey bacon on the plate in front of him. But Rozzy and Kali ate with enthusiasm since both of them had missed dinner the night before. Between bites, they told at least a dozen lies to cover their tracks. Rozzy constructed an artful story about the night of bonding she and Kali had shared. She even summed up the plot of the last movie they saw together, a romantic comedy in theaters two years before Rozzy went to college, and simply took creative liberties with any details she didn’t remember. The parents bought it. Kali listened absently until it was over. When the family breakfast was done, she went down to the basement to watch television.
The rest of the afternoon was uneventful until around four o’clock when the phone rang. Kali let it go a few times, hoping someone upstairs would pick up. Five rings later, no one had. She gave in and answered. Her boss’ voice and a lot of static greeted her from the other end.
“This is Mack Richards. Is Kali available?”
“Yeah, this is she.”
“Oh good, I’m glad I reached you! How is your weekend coming along?” The receiver crackled with his excitement.
Kali suspected the feigned interest in her weekend was just a formality. Mack was typically only nice when he needed something. She decided to test her theory. “I’m fine but last night my dog got hit by a car and might have to be put down. We’re headed to the vet right now.”
“Oh that’s exciting,” Mack said and went on without pause, “Hey sweetie, listen. I know it’s your weekend off but I need you to come into work tomorrow morning. And I need you here a couple of hours early.”
The extra money sounded good. “Sure, what’s going on?”
“I need you to enter some data from my last expedition.”
“That has to be done at five in the morning?”
“I want it done before the rest of the office gets in and you’re too busy with other assignments. I don’t want this muddled up. I need your full concentration because I can’t have any of the mistakes you’ve been making lately.”
Kali sat up from the sunken sofa, wondering what the heck Mack was talking about. She had the lowest error rate in the office and had for a year now. But she wasn’t going to argue with him. “Okay,” she conceded. “I’ll be there first thing.”
“Thanks. I knew I could count on you.”
“No problem. I’ll see you soon.” She
Kali put her ear against the door and heard socked feet walking hurriedly across the carpet. Greg opened the door. His expression was heartbreakingly hopeful.
“Did you say bacon?”
Kali nodded, feeling slightly guilty. But maybe he wouldn’t notice the difference. She tiptoed down the stairs and located Lisa. Her back was turned. Kali darted through the living room and rushed to the back door. Moses had beaten her there. The cat stood flicking her tail from side to side expectantly.
Rozzy’s face turned bright red as soon as she saw Kali. “Way to go for ditching me last night.”
“Actually, you ditched me first. But I’m sorry.”
“What happened to you?”
I think I was attacked and nearly raped by a tub of butter flavored lard at knife point. But I can’t be certain. The details are fuzzy. Yeah, the truth was a no go.
“You’re not the only one with secrets,” Kali said and pulled her sister inside. She kept talking so Rozzy wouldn’t ask any more questions. “They don’t know you haven’t been home. Go upstairs and put on some sweats or something. You look terrible. Come down in ten minutes and say you had trouble sleeping.” She examined Rozzy again. “But take a shower first. You smell like cheap aftershave. It’s incriminating.”
Rolling her eyes, Rozzy brushed past Kali and disappeared up the stairs. Precisely twelve minutes later, she reappeared looking like she had recently woken up. That probably wasn’t much of a stretch.
At the breakfast table, Greg was very disappointed to see turkey bacon on the plate in front of him. But Rozzy and Kali ate with enthusiasm since both of them had missed dinner the night before. Between bites, they told at least a dozen lies to cover their tracks. Rozzy constructed an artful story about the night of bonding she and Kali had shared. She even summed up the plot of the last movie they saw together, a romantic comedy in theaters two years before Rozzy went to college, and simply took creative liberties with any details she didn’t remember. The parents bought it. Kali listened absently until it was over. When the family breakfast was done, she went down to the basement to watch television.
The rest of the afternoon was uneventful until around four o’clock when the phone rang. Kali let it go a few times, hoping someone upstairs would pick up. Five rings later, no one had. She gave in and answered. Her boss’ voice and a lot of static greeted her from the other end.
“This is Mack Richards. Is Kali available?”
“Yeah, this is she.”
“Oh good, I’m glad I reached you! How is your weekend coming along?” The receiver crackled with his excitement.
Kali suspected the feigned interest in her weekend was just a formality. Mack was typically only nice when he needed something. She decided to test her theory. “I’m fine but last night my dog got hit by a car and might have to be put down. We’re headed to the vet right now.”
“Oh that’s exciting,” Mack said and went on without pause, “Hey sweetie, listen. I know it’s your weekend off but I need you to come into work tomorrow morning. And I need you here a couple of hours early.”
The extra money sounded good. “Sure, what’s going on?”
“I need you to enter some data from my last expedition.”
“That has to be done at five in the morning?”
“I want it done before the rest of the office gets in and you’re too busy with other assignments. I don’t want this muddled up. I need your full concentration because I can’t have any of the mistakes you’ve been making lately.”
Kali sat up from the sunken sofa, wondering what the heck Mack was talking about. She had the lowest error rate in the office and had for a year now. But she wasn’t going to argue with him. “Okay,” she conceded. “I’ll be there first thing.”
“Thanks. I knew I could count on you.”
“No problem. I’ll see you soon.” She
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