“It’s okay, Mom. Trust me. You’re gonna be okay.”
Somehow Amelia had gotten her mother out of the kitchen and onto the living-room couch. Diane was hunched over, hugging herself. She’d been crying for fifteen minutes, which was awful, and now she wasn’t doing anything, which was worse.
“It’s okay, Mom,” Amelia repeated. “Look, I’m gonna get you some water.”
Diane lifted her head. “Did you know that snake was in there?”
“Um…”
“You could have warned me!”
“I tried! I’ll get the water.”
Amelia hurried to the kitchen, her heart hammering. She’d left King Kong on his own for an awfully long time. Her eyes went straight to the table. Empty.
“Omigod,” she moaned.
She pulled the chairs back and stuck her head under the table, peered in the space between the fridge and the stove, and cautiously opened the oven door. She knew from somewhere that snakes liked warm places, but the oven was cold unless it was being used. And how would he get in the oven anyway when the door was closed? “STOP IT!” she said. “Think.”
Water. She poured a glass and carried it to the living room.
“He’s gone, Mom.”
“Gone? Gone where?”
“That’s the problem. I don’t know.”
“I don’t believe this,” Diane snarled. “There’s a…snake, crawling somewhere inside my house?”
“I don’t think snakes crawl. They slith—never mind. And he might just have gone somewhere to sleep. He was very tired.”
“If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it’s not working.” Diane staggered to her feet. “I’m getting out of here. And I’m not coming back inside until you find it. Is that clear?”
“Crystal.”
This was one of the few times when Amelia was glad that Great-Aunt Mildred’s house was tiny. She’d already eliminated the kitchen, and King Kong couldn’t be in the living room or they’d have seen him. She kept her eyes peeled as she headed down the narrow hall. She searched the laundry room first, counting to ten and then pulling all the dirty clothes out of the hamper. Nothing. Phew! Then she peeked behind the washer and dryer.
Bathroom next. Sink—empty. Nothing lurking behind the stack of towels on the counter. She eyed the pink shower curtain pulled across the tub. She held her breath and yanked it back. No King Kong.
Her bedroom had tons of potential hiding places, including her closet (the door was open a snake-sized crack), the crumpled blankets on her unmade bed and the heaps of clothes scattered on the floor. As she searched, she became more and more frantic. She sank back on her heels after checking out the floor under her bed and brushed a dust bunny from her face. Where was he?
The phone ringing in Diane’s room sent her flying across the hall.
“Hello…Oh, hi, Roshni.”
“Where were you?” Roshni demanded.
“What?” Amelia’s eyes scanned the room. Her mom was a neat freak, which helped. No snakelike bulges sticking up in the smooth, flat bedspread…closet door shut…
“I had to finish our poster all by myself, and it looked crappy because I was in such a rush, so goodbye prize!”
Amelia flipped back the curtains. She could see her mom standing in the middle of the front yard.
“Are you even listening to me?”
“No. I mean, yes. I can’t talk now. I’ll tell you everything later.”
“That poster was important to me. Free movie tickets, Amelia!”
“I gotta go.”
“Fine.”
“Like I really need this right now,” Amelia muttered. She opened the window and yelled, “Did you leave the front door open when you got home from work?”
“What?” Diane called back. “No, I don’t think so—wait a minute, maybe I did! I think I wanted to get some air in the house.”
“Then he must be outside somewhere. I’ll be right out!”
By the time Amelia got outside, Diane had moved to the other side of the street, squeezed between a parked red mini and a van. “You have a lot of explaining to do, Amelia Jane,” she shouted.
Amelia stared hard at the van. She was positive she’d seen a flash of orange.
“Mom! DON’T MOVE!”
She raced across the street, got down on her hands and knees and peered between the tires. “There you are!” she cried.
She lay flat on her stomach and wiggled partway under the van. She filled her arms with thick, rubbery coils of snake and carefully inched her way back out. “Easy boy, easy boy,” she murmured.
“Mon dieu!” said Gabriella’s voice. “That is King Kong!”
Amelia looked up. Gabriella was crossing the street, her high-heeled sandals clacking on the pavement.
Diane stared at Gabriella. “You know this snake?”
“He’s gentle, Mom. He wouldn’t hurt—”
“STAY BACK!” Diane said. “Don’t take ONE STEP closer! Okay, you two. I want to know what’s going on. NOW!”