Prologue

Shelley scrutinized the street before leaning in to unfasten Joey’s car seat belt. No nefarious types lurked. She bent her upper body. The middle seat…they say the middle is the safest place for the baby. But hardest on the back. Joe had thrown out his back early on, and he refused to deal with the car seat. Women have stronger backs, he said. It’s medically proven. So she hoisted little Joey in and out, anxious each time. Facing inward, concentrating on the baby, someone could easily come up behind her and she’d never know. And their street was not especially safe. She’d heard Mrs. Burkheimer had had her purse snatched the week before. Of course, Mrs. Burkheimer did carry around that enormous purse, dangling off her tiny arm. It’s a wonder it survived this long.

An attractive nuisance, that’s what the purse was. Shelley learned things down at the law firm. Even though she just sat at the front desk and directed people to the waiting area, the lawyers said she was part of the team. They were a large Philadelphia law firm, and they told her she was their face to the clients, the first thing people saw. It was a big responsibility, and they treated her with respect. Mr. Biffman sometimes told her about his cases. That’s how she knew about attractive nuisances.

Well, she was sure her bottom hanging out of the car was an attractive nuisance right now. Joe had gone into the building. He wanted to see the football game, and it had already started. She wanted him to dig a sandbox for Joey in their pea patch behind the building. She knew he wouldn’t get to it this afternoon. She had reminded him all week, but he still acted like it was a surprise when she’d mentioned it that morning.

He was mad because she’d taken a long time to pick out the curtains. He said it was her fault he couldn’t dig the sandbox today. She couldn’t decide between the curtains with ducks and the curtains with bears. She thought he could distract Joey so she could concentrate. He didn’t know what a big decision it was. The ducks were yellow, the bears were blue. If they ever had another child, though God knew she could barely convince him to have one, the blue bears would only work if they had another boy. They couldn’t afford to keep buying new curtains. Unless they won the lottery like Joe always hoped, she would have to choose. The bears were a lot cuter than the ducks. But the ducks were more practical. Joe wouldn’t understand so she couldn’t ask him.

Joe didn’t even keep Joey busy. The baby was colicky again. The doctor told her babies usually outgrew it by six months. Not Joey. Joey was nine months, and he still had these crying spells. It was probably never colic to start with. Joe was no use when the baby got like that. So she had to make up her mind with Joey screaming in her ear and Joe pacing back and forth muttering about kickoff.

Even if he hadn’t had a football game, he would still bolt into the house. He hated it when Joey cried, and Joey cried almost every time they got in the car. He’d arch his little back and screech and kick, and it was all Joe could do to get them home in one piece. He usually went right in, leaving her to the howling child. She was used to it.

Still, she felt nervous. She always looked around, making sure no hoodlums prowled the vicinity. Once two teenagers in low-cut trousers sauntered her way. She paused outside the car, pretending to check her watch, but they passed right by. They didn’t notice her at all. Like she was invisible.

Today all she saw was a small man with curly hair, and she thought she recognized him. Probably a neighbor, though he was pretty well dressed for this neighborhood.

She leaned in, cooing to the screaming baby. His chubby face was bright red and wet from tears. Even his scalp was red, underneath his yellow hair. Shelley hummed a little song, and Joey started to quiet. She hadn’t quite unfastened the first car seat strap when something brushed her leg. She jolted up, hitting her head on the door jam.

She saw the arm before the blow struck her head. She fell soundlessly into the car. Joey, too, was suddenly silent.