Halfway to Lancaster, Roni’s nerves fired off. Her fingers tap-tap-tapped against the steering wheel while her heart tap-tap-tapped against her chest. “Are you sure you’re okay with this?” she asked Gram.
“Dear, I hate to spoil your image of me, but this isn’t my first time doing this kind of thing. Not even my tenth. If you’re uncomfortable, that’s perfectly fine. We can switch roles. I’ve done both parts, so it doesn’t matter to me.”
Roni shook her head. “Better not. If Darin’s mother sees me, she’ll probably call the police.”
“That wouldn’t do. Best to keep the plan as is.”
Though it would be a solid thirty minutes before they turned into the housing development, to Roni it felt like three. The pale moon cast a dim light across the dark, and the night felt thick. Despite the streetlights and a few houses with signs of life, the shadows encroached upon every surface like hands reaching out. Roni tried to clear her mind of such ominous thoughts, but she could not stop — every shadow bore monsters to her eyes.
“Park here,” Gram said. “We don’t want to get so close that she recognizes your car.”
Roni pulled up behind an oversized SUV. Gram unbuckled, gave Roni a reassuring squeeze on the arm, and got out. Before closing the door, she leaned in. “Give me a few minutes but please don’t take too long. I hate small talk.”
As she left, Roni wanted to laugh. Gram could talk for hours about anything — the more banal, the better. Either she had a false self-image or she did not understand the meaning of the phrase small talk.
Watching Gram waddle along the sidewalk toward Jane Lander’s house, her big bag like an extra appendage at her side, Roni had an image flash in her mind. She saw how Gram must have been in her younger years — walking into danger with that same hefty confidence. That image connected to a slim memory from many years back. Gramps had yet to be ravaged by cancer, and Roni sat on his knee at a park in the summer. She asked him how had he fallen in love with Gram.
“Oh, that’s quite a story,” he said, his rough whiskers white against his brown skin. “A long story, too. Maybe someday, when you’re much older, I can tell you all about it. Now don’t get all huffy with me. I can see that stubbornness in your eye like you’re planning on causing me trouble tonight — won’t eat your vegetables or some kind of fuss. Calm down. I’m going to tell you what I can.” He scooted her closer so that he could whisper his answer. He had warm breath. Warm breath and rough whiskers. “One of the first things I ever noticed about your Gram was the way she walked. She’s a big woman, but she never thuds around. She’s got style and grace and a whole mess of confidence. She knows she’s worth something, always has. Back when we were young, she wasn’t taking sass from nobody. Would hardly accept a date because she was waiting.”
“For you?”
“I hoped so. Don’t think she had me in mind, though. Naw, she was waiting for the right guy, whoever he was, the first one who would see her for the beauty she was — still is. I happen to be the lucky one — met her at the right time.”
Roni remembered that moment so clearly because it changed the way she saw Gram. But it also was the only memory of Gramps that stayed with her. The rest had been lost along with so much else.
Gram turned up onto the walkway leading to the house. Almost time. Roni crossed her fingers and tried to control her breathing. She would need some of Gram’s confidence tonight — any bit would do.
She checked her phone — 10:07 pm. She would have to wait at least five minutes before moving. Hopefully that would be long enough for Gram to do her part but not so long that Gram would be pissed off at having to endure small talk for any significant length. She checked her phone again — still 10:07 pm.
Five minutes — if she could get her mind thinking on something, it would go quick. But her mind blanked. She stared at the street, clenched and unclenched her fingers, and waited. Five minutes. It snailed along, giving Roni’s stomach plenty of opportunity to gurgle and groan. A pain stitched up her side only to ease after she burped. She checked her phone — still that stupid 10:07 pm.
“Come on,” she said. As if in snarky reply, the time moved to 10:08 pm.
Checking the side and rearview mirrors, Roni observed the street for signs of anybody coming. No need, though. The street was empty. The sidewalks were empty. From one house a few mailboxes back, a blue light flashed out from the downstairs window with no other lights on. Probably someone fell asleep while watching television. She wondered what that life must be like — so free of worry, so oblivious to the idea that there was more than one universe, more than one reality, so free from concerns over this world that a person could fall asleep while watching inane and innocuous television shows.
She glanced at her phone — 10:13 pm.
Crap! She was late.
Half-falling and half-jumping out of her car, Roni scurried across the street and onto the sidewalk. Every inch of her skin tingled, shooting off nervous energy like a fireworks display. All the sounds around her amplified in her ears — her clicking footsteps, the rustle of her coat, the chirping crickets, and the hooting of an owl. Loudest of all — her breathing.
As she neared the house, her pace slowed. The outside porch light was on, bathing the front yard in yellow light. The laughter of two old ladies dribbled out from the living room. Amazing. Gram had only met Jane a few minutes ago and already the two were carrying on like old friends.
Bright lights crossed the yard as a car turned onto the street. Roni dashed forward and crouched behind an old Toyota in the driveway. The car cruised right by without indication that the driver noticed anything wrong.
Roni counted to ten, forcing a sense of calm, before scampering along the side of the house to the back. With careful, slow motions, she placed one foot on the back steps. As she increased her weight on that foot, the wooden step groaned. She waited. When nobody called out and no lights clicked on, she brought her other foot down on the next step. Another groan. Another wait. Twice more and she reached the back door.
If Gram did her job right, not only did she have Jane chatting it up in the front, but she also had managed to unlock the back door without getting caught. Roni swallowed against her tightening throat as she reached out for the doorknob. Unbelievable — it turned. Gram had done it.
Roni opened the door enough to slip inside and brought it to a close as softly as possible. Crouching in the kitchen, she listened. Jane and Gram continued to chat. Nothing to indicate Jane had heard the door open or close.
Staying low, she crept across the floor until she reached the open archway leading to a short hall and then the living room. Her thighs burned from the prolonged crouch and duck-walking — she would have to get back to doing yoga before trying this again.
She paused at that thought. Again? She had no intention of ever doing this again. Did she?
Gram’s voice cut into her thoughts. “Really, Jane, it’s fine. I don’t need any tea.”
“Nonsense,” Jane said. “A delightful new friend deserves some hospitality.”
Crap. Roni looked around the kitchen for a hiding place. Under the kitchen table might have been an option if it had a tablecloth large enough to cover the sides. She might have been able to contort her way into one of the lower cabinets if she had the time and flexibility. In the pantry might have been worthwhile if she didn’t have to cross the entire kitchen to get there. Which left an unpleasant option.
She stood straight up, made a fist, and waited at the side of the archway. Once Jane walked into the kitchen, Roni planned to clock the lady on the head and make a run for it. Ugly and distasteful, but probably effective.
Jane’s footsteps came closer. Roni had never punched anybody before. Summoning the courage she hoped resided deep within her, she pulled back her fist, ready to strike.
With an embarrassed laugh, Gram said, “Please, don’t make the tea. I appreciate the offer, but well, if I drink tea this late at night, I’ll be in the bathroom for hours.”
Jane halted. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t even think about that.”
“It’s okay.”
“Look at you, turning all red. There’s nothing to be bashful about. If we old ladies can’t be honest with each other in the privacy of our homes, then what the hell is the rest of the world going to do? Me, I’ve been fortunate. Got a bladder as tight and strong as if I were in my twenties. I can’t boast about the rest of me — more aches and pains than I’d ever thought possible. So, forget about the tea.”
“Thank you,” Gram said, and Roni released a shaking breath. “You mentioned a blanket you made?”
“Oh, yes. Made it for my son a few years ago. It’s up in our guest room.”
“I’d love to go see it.”
“Come with me.”
And like that, Gram had Jane going upstairs. Hands shaking, Roni took a moment to count to ten. Once she had regained her self-control, she strode down the hall and into the living room.
She moved quickly and with purpose. Gram wouldn’t be able to keep Jane up there staring at a blanket for long. Roni went straight to where Jane had kept her photo album. She pulled out a volume and flipped through the pages until she found it — the second ticket stub.
Pulling back the plastic that covered the page, Roni did not even flinch at the ripping sound. She picked the ticket stub loose, put it in her pocket, closed the photo album, and set it back from where she had snatched it. Having that tiny scrap of paper in her pocket sent warm bubbles of excitement through her blood. She had done it.
As she walked back to the kitchen, she heard Gram and Jane clumping down the stairs. Gram hit each step with a strong thud to warn Roni, if necessary. Roni grinned as she headed out of the house.
A few minutes later, after she had crossed a few backyards and popped out on a side street, she slid into the driver’s seat of her car. Almost ten minutes went by before Gram came walking toward the car. She acted casual. Just out for a night stroll.
When she got into the car, Roni wanted to tell her that everything went well. She wanted to describe how it felt to sneak around and what a good job Gram had done diverting Jane. But before Roni could utter a word, Gram pointed at the steering wheel. “You going to drive us away from your crime or are we going to sit here and wait for the cops to show up?”
Roni drove them back to the bookstore in Olburg and never said a word.