I Know Lucy (A Fugitive #1)(6)

My friends were laughing over AJ’s latest culinary class. He told the best stories about his teachers. Everyone was in hysterics except me. I was too busy watching Dani disappear around the corner.

Watching.

Wondering.

My parents always said that they found out more about a student during parent/teacher conferences than any other time of the year.

“To some degree, everyone is a product of their upbringing.” That’s what Mom always said.

I couldn’t help wondering what Dani’s parents said about her.





Chapter 4





LUCY


February 2009





The table was set, the meal was cooked. Lucy’s mom placed the plates of hot food at each setting and they were all pulling their chairs out to sit down when Lucy couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“I got the part.” She beamed.

“The part of Milly?” Edith Tate’s eyes grew wide with excitement.

“Uh-huh!” Lucy’s head was bobbing stupidly, but she didn’t care. The look of pride on her dad’s face would keep her happy for weeks. He stepped away from his chair and enveloped her in one of his bear hugs. She nestled her head against his chest and squeezed back.

“So, so proud of you, Lulu.” He kissed the top of her head and pulled back, holding her at arms length to give her a wide smile.

She grinned back and bit the edge of her lip.

“Let’s eat before the food gets cold.” Her mother pulled out her chair and sat down. Flicking out her napkin, she laid it over her lap and clasped her hands together. They said a quick grace and as soon as everyone had said Amen, Edith touched Lucy’s hand. “Have you got the script? We can start practicing tonight.”

“Yeah, it’s in my bag.” Lucy picked up her fork and pierced a carrot slice.

“So how did you find out? Tell us the story.” Her father cut off a square of meatloaf and smothered it with mashed potato.

Forgetting about her food, Lucy dove into a lengthy story, not leaving out one detail. She even talked about how Patrick congratulated her at the end of the day. She was sure she was blushing up a storm. Her parents both grinned at her, obviously trying to hide their laughter.

“Shut up, you guys.” She flicked her hand.

This set them off and they were all soon laughing.

At the end of the meal, Lucy’s mom suggested they treat themselves to ice-cream to celebrate.

“Sweetie, run down to the freezer and grab it for me, will you?”

“Sure.” Lucy jumped up and headed for the basement stairs off the kitchen, listening to the clink of cutlery being gathered up for rinsing.

She never liked the basement much. It was always so dark and creepy. That was probably because she never bothered turning on the light when she was down there. Her priority was only to run to the chest freezer and back out again so she didn’t see the point of fussing with the string light switch that dangled in the middle of the room.

Above the freezer was one tiny window that was never opened. A large cobweb covered the left pane of glass; she couldn’t see a spider in it, but yuck! She shivered, dashing over the cold concrete on her bare feet.

Most of the surfaces were covered with dust. Her parents often talked about gutting the area, re-walling it and putting carpet in. They had plans to make it a fun rumpus room area for Lucy and her friends. They had plans…and that was all.

Still on tiptoes, Lucy lifted the chest freezer lid, wriggling the ice cream tub free from beneath a loaf of bread and a frozen meal. Holding it with her finger and thumb, she slammed the freezer closed and looked up at the little window. With another shiver, she raced out of the room and up the stairs.

She was about to swing the door open, but the tone of her parents’ conversation made her pause. The cold ice-cream container was freezing her fingertips, but somehow she just knew she couldn’t interrupt this conversation. She shifted, spying her mother through the crack in the door. She was stacking the dishwasher with the last plate. Shutting the door with a concerned frown, Edith turned back to Lucy’s father.

“Well, have you gathered enough evidence?”

“I think so.” He rubbed his forehead. “I guess I’m just worried if I jump too soon that it’ll get squashed. I need to play this right.” Her dad sighed.

“Sweetie, you will,” Edith placed her hands on his shoulders, squeezing gently. “You can’t ignore what you’ve found. You have to expose him.”

“I know. I know.” He ran his finger down the chain of her necklace, squeezing the emerald pendant he’d given her two weeks earlier. She’d swooned over the birthday present every day since. “But I’m only an analyst and he’s…”

“He’s a criminal.”

“People don’t see him that way, Eddie.”

“I don’t care what his job title is, he’s acting like a criminal and therefore he is one.”

“Not until he’s caught and convicted. If he finds out what I’ve been doing.” Her father shook his head.

“Honey, he’s breaking the law. It’s your duty to stop him.”

Lucy couldn’t see her father’s face, but she guessed his expression was grave. Her mother’s forehead wrinkled with sympathy as she touched his face.