noticed that Greenleaf Drive wrapped around the side of CeeCee’s property before. As we walked, I tried to imagine what was on the other side of the hedge, inside the yard. The wall of bushes made it so that from out here, I couldn’t see CeeCee’s house or anything else to orient myself and figure out what we were passing. I don’t think Babs paid any attention to what I was saying. Her mind was still on what had happened.
“It has to have been some kind of accident,” Babs said. “But don’t you think it’s strange that CeeCee didn’t know who the person was? How could somebody be up there without her knowing?”
“I don’t know how it happened,” I said. “The front gate has locks now. CeeCee got them a few years ago—she didn’t bother with much security before she got the reality show and then the movie.”
“See?” Babs said, pointing ahead to where Greenleaf Drive ended at a cross street. “That’s Stargazer Lane.”
When we got to the intersection, I stopped, looked to the left, and saw that the hedge continued on across what I now realized was the back of CeeCee’s property. Babs saw me surveying the area.
“When I first got here, I thought it was some kind of private park,” she said. I could understand why—from the street all you could see was some trees. The garage and house were totally blocked from sight.
“CeeCee’s place is really an island,” I said.
“No, it’s more of a peninsula,” Babs corrected, pointing out that there was a neighbor on the other side of CeeCee’s property. “It’s hard to give names to the shapes of yards around here. In Iowa City, the houses are all on rectangular plots.
“You can’t see my son’s house from here, but it’s the third one down from where Greenleaf ends at Stargazer,” Babs continued, pointing at the other side of the street. The houses were all behind ornate walls and had lots of old trees in the yards. I could also see some tall light fixtures and a wire fence with something green inside it. A tennis court, perhaps. Babs started to say something about being okay to go the rest of the way on her own, but a rumbling sound interrupted.
I looked across the street and saw that the gate on the property farther down had begun to slide open. A white BMW SUV drove out and went past us, then screeched to a stop and backed up until it was next to us. The darkened window opened, and a blond woman wearing sunglasses stuck her head out. I noticed she had a tattoo on her finger and realized it was Pia Sawyer—I’d seen it when she pointed at me that morning at CeeCee’s.
I didn’t understand tattoos, especially on middle-agedwomen. Young people might not realize that someday their tattoos were going to fade and their skin was going to sag, making that eagle look like it had a potbelly, but anyone my age should have figured that out already. I couldn’t quite tell what Pia’s was supposed to be—maybe a rose twined around her finger. Or was it a snake?
“What’s going on?” Pia asked. “Those helicopters are making all the dogs howl.”
“You won’t believe what happened after you left.” Babs had recovered from her shock and once again turned into the town crier as she gave Pia all the gory details. I suppose Pia’s eyes must have widened with surprise, but I couldn’t tell, since she was wearing sunglasses. Before Babs had even gotten out all the details, Pia had her cell phone out and was calling somebody. I considered admonishing her about dialing and driving, but despite being in the middle of the street, the SUV wasn’t going anywhere. I heard her telling somebody to come outside right away, then she threw the phone down on the seat and pulled the BMW to the curb.
The gate to the property in front of us opened with a loud groan, and Pia’s almost-twin Kelsey ran out. She was a little taller than Pia, but they were so similarly styled and dressed that they really looked the same. Babs tried to interrupt, but
“It has to have been some kind of accident,” Babs said. “But don’t you think it’s strange that CeeCee didn’t know who the person was? How could somebody be up there without her knowing?”
“I don’t know how it happened,” I said. “The front gate has locks now. CeeCee got them a few years ago—she didn’t bother with much security before she got the reality show and then the movie.”
“See?” Babs said, pointing ahead to where Greenleaf Drive ended at a cross street. “That’s Stargazer Lane.”
When we got to the intersection, I stopped, looked to the left, and saw that the hedge continued on across what I now realized was the back of CeeCee’s property. Babs saw me surveying the area.
“When I first got here, I thought it was some kind of private park,” she said. I could understand why—from the street all you could see was some trees. The garage and house were totally blocked from sight.
“CeeCee’s place is really an island,” I said.
“No, it’s more of a peninsula,” Babs corrected, pointing out that there was a neighbor on the other side of CeeCee’s property. “It’s hard to give names to the shapes of yards around here. In Iowa City, the houses are all on rectangular plots.
“You can’t see my son’s house from here, but it’s the third one down from where Greenleaf ends at Stargazer,” Babs continued, pointing at the other side of the street. The houses were all behind ornate walls and had lots of old trees in the yards. I could also see some tall light fixtures and a wire fence with something green inside it. A tennis court, perhaps. Babs started to say something about being okay to go the rest of the way on her own, but a rumbling sound interrupted.
I looked across the street and saw that the gate on the property farther down had begun to slide open. A white BMW SUV drove out and went past us, then screeched to a stop and backed up until it was next to us. The darkened window opened, and a blond woman wearing sunglasses stuck her head out. I noticed she had a tattoo on her finger and realized it was Pia Sawyer—I’d seen it when she pointed at me that morning at CeeCee’s.
I didn’t understand tattoos, especially on middle-agedwomen. Young people might not realize that someday their tattoos were going to fade and their skin was going to sag, making that eagle look like it had a potbelly, but anyone my age should have figured that out already. I couldn’t quite tell what Pia’s was supposed to be—maybe a rose twined around her finger. Or was it a snake?
“What’s going on?” Pia asked. “Those helicopters are making all the dogs howl.”
“You won’t believe what happened after you left.” Babs had recovered from her shock and once again turned into the town crier as she gave Pia all the gory details. I suppose Pia’s eyes must have widened with surprise, but I couldn’t tell, since she was wearing sunglasses. Before Babs had even gotten out all the details, Pia had her cell phone out and was calling somebody. I considered admonishing her about dialing and driving, but despite being in the middle of the street, the SUV wasn’t going anywhere. I heard her telling somebody to come outside right away, then she threw the phone down on the seat and pulled the BMW to the curb.
The gate to the property in front of us opened with a loud groan, and Pia’s almost-twin Kelsey ran out. She was a little taller than Pia, but they were so similarly styled and dressed that they really looked the same. Babs tried to interrupt, but
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