started to protest, but then I heard heavy footsteps coming up the sidewalk. Ruth’s eyes grew large, and she whispered, “Go.”
I went. Or at least I started to. I got as far as opening the screen door, but then let it fall shut. Ruth could have left me eavesdropping outside Wanda’s window, but she hadn’t.
And whoever was coming up the sidewalk right now was trouble. Annie wouldn’t have left her alone, and I wouldn’t, either.
There was a small closet pantry next to the back door. Quickly, I opened the door and wedged myself in, being careful not to trip over the mop and bucket in the dark. As I closed the door behind
me, I heard a gruff man’s voice ask, “Where is she?”
He was big—I could tell from the sounds he made hulking around in the living room, and the shuffling sounds Ruth made getting out of his way.
“She just went out the back, Rex. You can still catch her,” Ruth said, and I choked back a gasp.
“Why’d you let her get away?” Rex snarled.
“I didn’t
let
her do anything,” Ruth snarled back. “Now, are you going to stand here and yell at me, or are you going to go after her?”
Footsteps rushed through the kitchen, past the pantry door, and crashed through the screen door.
At first, I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt like it had been crushed and my hands shook. I didn’t have much time. In a few moments, Rex would figure out I hadn’t gone out the
back door and he’d come back. And if I tried to run for the front door, Ruth was there. She’d already sold me out. Maybe she’d scream, maybe she’d do something worse. Still,
I decided, between the two of them, I’d take my chances with her.
My eyes adjusted to the dark pantry, and I felt around on the shelves for something I could use to defend myself. My hands settled on two interesting items. The first was more immediately
practical, a heavy wooden rolling pin. The second puzzled me at first. It felt like a bag of flour, but was too small and the wrapping paper too rough. It was sealed with masking tape, and though
I’d never seen anything like it before, I’d read enough crime novels to know what it was. And I realized what a tough cookie like Ruth was doing in a dump like the Stratford Arms,
rubbing elbows with a thug like Rex. She’d have a ready stream of potential customers among the desperate, disappointed girls Rex put up here, hungry for a dose or two of oblivion.
I put the package down and brandished the rolling pin over my shoulder like a baseball bat. It felt solid, like I could do some real damage with it if I needed to, which reassured me. Slowly, I
opened the pantry door.
There was no sign of Rex, but I caught Ruth rushing out of one of the bungalow’s back rooms. She froze in the center of the kitchen when she saw me.
“Just let me go,” I said, choking up on the rolling pin as I advanced toward the front parlor. “Please.”
Ruth looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. I saw something else in them, too. Maybe it was relief, maybe it was shame, but either way, I didn’t quite believe it.
“Sorry, Alice,” she said. “I didn’t have a choice.”
Didn’t have a choice? I thought. You could have at least given me a head start.
Then I ran out into the parlor, opened the front door, and ran away from the Stratford Arms as fast as my legs would carry me. It was two blocks before I realized I was still carrying the
rolling pin.
I f I was being followed, I didn’t want to risk leading Rex right to Annie’s hospital bed, so I went home instead. It seemed like an
eternity ago that I’d burglarized my father’s office, but to my parents, neither one an early riser, the crime was still fresh.
“Where have you been?” my mother said, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me a little harder than she’d probably meant to.
“I was with Cassie,” I said. “Didn’t you get my note?”
“Note? What note?”
“The one I left in the kitchen.”
“In the kitchen?” she
I went. Or at least I started to. I got as far as opening the screen door, but then let it fall shut. Ruth could have left me eavesdropping outside Wanda’s window, but she hadn’t.
And whoever was coming up the sidewalk right now was trouble. Annie wouldn’t have left her alone, and I wouldn’t, either.
There was a small closet pantry next to the back door. Quickly, I opened the door and wedged myself in, being careful not to trip over the mop and bucket in the dark. As I closed the door behind
me, I heard a gruff man’s voice ask, “Where is she?”
He was big—I could tell from the sounds he made hulking around in the living room, and the shuffling sounds Ruth made getting out of his way.
“She just went out the back, Rex. You can still catch her,” Ruth said, and I choked back a gasp.
“Why’d you let her get away?” Rex snarled.
“I didn’t
let
her do anything,” Ruth snarled back. “Now, are you going to stand here and yell at me, or are you going to go after her?”
Footsteps rushed through the kitchen, past the pantry door, and crashed through the screen door.
At first, I couldn’t breathe. My chest felt like it had been crushed and my hands shook. I didn’t have much time. In a few moments, Rex would figure out I hadn’t gone out the
back door and he’d come back. And if I tried to run for the front door, Ruth was there. She’d already sold me out. Maybe she’d scream, maybe she’d do something worse. Still,
I decided, between the two of them, I’d take my chances with her.
My eyes adjusted to the dark pantry, and I felt around on the shelves for something I could use to defend myself. My hands settled on two interesting items. The first was more immediately
practical, a heavy wooden rolling pin. The second puzzled me at first. It felt like a bag of flour, but was too small and the wrapping paper too rough. It was sealed with masking tape, and though
I’d never seen anything like it before, I’d read enough crime novels to know what it was. And I realized what a tough cookie like Ruth was doing in a dump like the Stratford Arms,
rubbing elbows with a thug like Rex. She’d have a ready stream of potential customers among the desperate, disappointed girls Rex put up here, hungry for a dose or two of oblivion.
I put the package down and brandished the rolling pin over my shoulder like a baseball bat. It felt solid, like I could do some real damage with it if I needed to, which reassured me. Slowly, I
opened the pantry door.
There was no sign of Rex, but I caught Ruth rushing out of one of the bungalow’s back rooms. She froze in the center of the kitchen when she saw me.
“Just let me go,” I said, choking up on the rolling pin as I advanced toward the front parlor. “Please.”
Ruth looked up, her eyes wide with disbelief. I saw something else in them, too. Maybe it was relief, maybe it was shame, but either way, I didn’t quite believe it.
“Sorry, Alice,” she said. “I didn’t have a choice.”
Didn’t have a choice? I thought. You could have at least given me a head start.
Then I ran out into the parlor, opened the front door, and ran away from the Stratford Arms as fast as my legs would carry me. It was two blocks before I realized I was still carrying the
rolling pin.
I f I was being followed, I didn’t want to risk leading Rex right to Annie’s hospital bed, so I went home instead. It seemed like an
eternity ago that I’d burglarized my father’s office, but to my parents, neither one an early riser, the crime was still fresh.
“Where have you been?” my mother said, grabbing me by the shoulders and shaking me a little harder than she’d probably meant to.
“I was with Cassie,” I said. “Didn’t you get my note?”
“Note? What note?”
“The one I left in the kitchen.”
“In the kitchen?” she
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