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Authors: Peg Kehret

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The best news is that we no longer have to hide. The reason I couldn't let Mrs. Reed help us, and why Mama would never ask for help from the food bank or any other agency, was because my uncle, my father's brother, was searching for us.

Two years ago, my father got a sickness called E. coli from eating tainted chicken. When he died, his brother accused Mama of poisoning him! This was not true, but my uncle, who drank too much and didn't think clearly, vowed revenge. Mama took Trudy and me away and used a different last name. We had been hiding from him ever since.

When Mama got out of the hospital, we returned to our apartment, but we could not stay there any longer without paying the rent we owed. We had no place to go. We slept in a shelter for homeless people for a few nights, until a social worker there talked Mama into calling Cousin Joanie. That's when Mama learned that my uncle went to Alcoholics Anonymous a year ago, quit drinking, and admits that his brother was not poisoned.

We are no longer afraid!

Mama is well now and tomorrow she starts her new job in the cafeteria of the school where Joanie teaches. I am in the fifth grade at the same school. I like my teacher because she reads to us every day.

That is all the good news. The bad news is that Midnight escaped the day the ambulance came, and I never found him. Even though I called and called him the day we moved out, he did not come. It broke my heart to leave him behind. Joanie and Doug have two cats, but I still miss Midnight and worry about him.

You have already done so much to help me that I hate to ask another favor of you, but if you could go to my old apartment and look for Midnight I would be so grateful. I don't want him to be cold and hungry.

Thank you again for helping my family. We will stay in Missouri now, so I probably won't see you again. Cousin Joanie's address is on the envelope. If you find Midnight, please let me know.

Your friend,
Sophie

Clearly, Sophie had not heard from Winkowski Associates that I had Midnight. Maybe Sophie's mom hadn't sent them the Missouri address. Any damage deposit may have been kept for rent owed.

When I showed Sophie's letter to my parents, Dad said, “We can send Midnight to her. He can go on a plane.”

“He would be scared out of his mind if he was alone in a cat carrier on an airplane,” I said. “He'd have to ride in the baggage section.”

“Yes,” Dad admitted, “he probably would be frightened. But he is Sophie's cat, and I don't know any other way to get him to her.”

I stared at my shoes. “I wouldn't have to tell her that I have him,” I said.

They waited until I looked up at them.

“Sophie is worried about him,” Mom said. “You need to let her know that he is safe.”

Dad added, “How would you feel if Waggy was lost and you never knew what happened to him?”

I had used that same argument on the secretary at Sophie's school.

If Waggy was lost, I would be devastated. I knew I would want the person who found him to return him, even if it meant he had to ride alone on an airplane. I was afraid Sophie would feel that way, too, but I knew Mom and Dad were right. I had to tell Sophie that Midnight was at my house.

I mailed my letter to Sophie the next day. I would have called her, but she had not told us her cousin's last name so I didn't know how to find a phone number. In my letter, I told her about Midnight being thrown in the Dumpster and how he shredded my stomach on the bus ride home. I told her that he and Waggy were pals, and that Midnight slept on my bed. I said my parents would pay to send him to her but that I loved him now, too, and would gladly keep him. I wanted to beg, “Please, please let me keep him,” and underline it six times, but I controlled myself.

I estimated it would take two days for my letter to reach her, and two days for me to get her reply. I hoped she would answer right away.

Abby bounced into class the next morning with a big grin on her face. “I got my laptop back!” she announced. “We got everything back that had been stolen except the cash.”

“Aunt Karen got her TV back, too,” said Hunter, “but her other things haven't been found yet. The police think the thieves already sold them.”

Mom called Mrs. Spangler to thank her for helping me. Mrs. Spangler said that a contractor was there fixing her ceiling and repairing the apartment above her.

“I'd like to visit her sometime,” I said. “She doesn't get much company.”

“She told me her daughter lives in Atlanta,” Mom said, “and comes once a year. I think it's a fine idea for you to visit her, as long as you tell me when you want to go and let me drive you there.”

“No more secret bus rides,” I said. “I promise.”

Luckily for my nerves, Sophie replied quickly.

Dear Emmy,

I am so happy! When I read that you have Midnight, I jumped up and down and screamed. Mama came running and when I told her and Trudy what had happened, they jumped and screamed, too. Even Cousin Joanie screamed, and she has never met Midnight.

We are furious with that awful man who put Midnight in the Dumpster. The day we moved out, I asked him if he had seen my cat and he said, “No.” I wish Midnight had scratched him instead of you.

Mama and I talked about your offer to send Midnight to us and I thank you for that, but I have decided that he should stay with you. I know you love him and are taking good care of him, and a long plane ride would scare him. Also, he might not get along with Joanie and Doug's two cats, and it will be a few months before we move into a home of our own. I wish I could have him back, but I think this is the best decision for Midnight. I want him to be happy.

Tell Midnight that I love him, and I will always remember him, but he is your cat now and he should be a good boy.

Your friend,
Sophie

As soon as I read
he should stay with you
the words on the page blurred with happy tears. When I had decided to deliver food to Sophie's family, I thought I was giving a gift to a girl in need. It turns out, she gave me a wonderful gift in return. Perhaps letting me keep Midnight was her way to thank me for collecting food when her family needed help. Or maybe she was only putting what was best for Midnight ahead of her own wishes.

I set Sophie's letter down and picked up Midnight. “You're a good cat,” I said as I stroked his fur. “Sophie loves you, and I love you, too.”

Midnight purred and rubbed his head against my hand.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Special thanks:

To everyone at Penguin Young Reader's Group. These are smart, creative people who care about books and children; I feel fortunate to work with them. My editor, Rosanne Lauer, saw promise in my first middle-grade novel in 1986, and has helped me improve my work ever since.

To the good folks at Curtis Brown, Ltd., for their endless enthusiasm and efficiency.

Ginger Knowlton is an extraordinary agent, Dave Barbor makes sure my books are available in other languages, and Mina Feig is always way ahead of me in taking care of details.

To Pete Sheridan, Deputy Sheriff with the King County WA Sheriff's Dept., for explaining how police officers would act in my novel's circumstances.

To Chelsea Kehret for allowing me to tie her to a chair so that I could describe her efforts to get free.

To Marilyn Kamcheff for expert proofreading of the first version of this book.

To Brett Konen for insightful comments and suggestions on the final revision. Her editorial help is so valuable that I forgive her for always winning when we play Bananagrams.

To Erin Karp of Karp Business Law for making sure Dunbar's legal agreements are proper.

For more information about CaringBridge, see www.caringbridge.org.

BOOK: Dangerous Deception
3.76Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
ads

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