Missing Pieces (15 page)

Chapter 62

My surveillance video
was still recording the next morning, but rather than watch the whole thing, I looked out and saw the mailbox still in one piece.

I wanted to get my conversation with Mrs. Garcia over with as soon as possible, but I couldn’t find her before school.

At lunch, Jeff Alexander sat beside me. Jeff’s been battling cancer and wears hats to hide his bald head. He was wearing the Rockies cap I had given him, which made me smile.

“I heard about your sister,” Jeff said. “Bet she’s scared.”

“She’s thinking about it all the time.”

“Would it help if I talked to her?”

“She’d like that.”

He promised to call later or just come over. I waited until Mrs. Garcia wasn’t busy and handed her the photocopied picture of Mrs. Z.

“Recognize her?” I said.

“It’s fuzzy,” Mrs. Garcia said, squinting. “Who’s it supposed to be?”

“You tell me.”

Mrs. Garcia cocked her head. “Looks familiar. Her hair is different and her face is not clear, but it could be Tonya. I can’t be sure. Where did this come from?”

Ashley had asked me not to tell. “I-I c-can’t say,” I said. “Ashley will talk with you tomorrow.”

She stared at me.

I always figure an adult who stares at a kid without saying anything wants something. I just stared back.

Chapter 63

The nurse hooked me up
to the EEG machine and smiled. “Didn’t I just see you?”

“My encore,” I said.

It felt like only a few seconds passed before she woke me up, telling me the doctor would call us with the results.

I wanted to get to school and talk with Mrs. Garcia, but Mom made me go to bed. My investigation would have to wait. But as I crawled into bed I got an idea. I went to the computer, looked up a phone number, and dialed it.

“Memorial Elementary,” the receptionist said.

“Yes, I’m calling about one of your kindergarten teachers. It’s Mrs. Zzz . . . uh . . . how do you pronounce it?”

“Zulauf?”

It was close. “Yes, how do you spell that?”

“Z-u-l-a-u-f.”

No wonder I couldn’t find it.
“How long has she been teaching there?”

“I think it’s been two years. Are you a parent?”

“No, it’s personal. I—”

“We can’t give out teacher information. Good-bye.”

Chapter 64

After school I could hardly stand waiting
for Ashley to wake up before I could tell her what Mrs. Garcia had said. While I waited, Leigh and Sam came through the living room, and she looked nervous.

Sam put a hand on my shoulder and whispered, “Gonna give it another try.”

He was talking about the driver’s test. There’s nothing worse than trying to do something when you’re really nervous. Especially when you ran into a curb the first time, and a dog almost went paws up.

Sam stopped at the front door and looked at Mom. “Did the doctor call yet?”

She shook her head and something happened between them—like each knew what the other was thinking.

Mom finally woke Ashley for dinner, and I broke the news about Mrs. Garcia.

Ashley put her head in her hands. “I feel like I’m chasing rabbits. I thought for sure she’d recognize her.”

“It
was
kind of fuzzy,” I said.

“Mom, when’s my next tutoring day?”

“Next week. Why?”

“I’d like to go talk with Mrs. Z.”

The phone rang and Mom answered. “Yes, Doctor,” she said. She moved from the dinner table into the kitchen.

Ashley gritted her teeth so hard they squeaked.

Finally, Mom came back and sat down. She daintily pushed her peas around her plate and didn’t look at us.

“What?!” Ashley yelled.

“What what?” Mom said.

“What did he say?” I said, just as annoyed as my sister.

“He hasn’t had time to look at the results. He’s been at the hospital all day. Said he’d call first thing in the morning.”

“Great,” Ashley said. “More rabbits.”

Chapter 65

Mom paced the living room.
She pulled back the curtain and looked out the front window.

“Just call them,” I said.

“No, that wouldn’t be good.”

“What’s the worst that could happen?” I said. Mom asks me that when I’m worried. Most of the time the worst thing that could happen isn’t that bad, but parroting that back to her made her scowl like a judge on one of those reality TV shows.

“Maybe she hit an elephant this time,” I said.

“Not funny, Ashley.”

“An aardvark?” I said. “That would be funny, wouldn’t it?”

That made her smile. “Not for the aardvark,” she said.

The phone rang and we raced for it. I grabbed it first. It was Derek for Bryce.

Chapter 66

“Want to go to another ball game
this weekend?” Derek said. “My brother’s in a tournament Saturday.”

“If it’s okay with Leigh,” I said. “She’s taking her driving test now.”

“Randy’s gone too,” Derek said. “Practice, I think. He told Mom and Dad he wouldn’t be back until late.”

“Really?”

“Can’t wait until high school when I can stay out as late as I want even on a school night.”

When I got off the phone I rewound my surveillance tape and pressed Record.

A car pulled into the driveway, and Mom rushed to the door. It was Jeff Alexander and his mom.