A Timely Vision

“I know how you like to worry these things, darlin’. But you don’t have to think about it that way. You’ll never be alone. I guarantee it. Which reminds me, there was an awful lot of white makeup on Kevin’s shirt. I guess you owe him a new one, huh?”

Wednesday morning dawned bright and clear, and I was running late. I was surprised at first that I’d slept at all. I looked at the clock and realized I’d forgotten to set the alarm. It was after nine and the auction was at ten.

I hurried out of bed, glanced at my wig-flattened hair and groaned. Nothing that washing and some blow-drying couldn’t help. I showered quickly and gave in to my impulse to wear something bright and cheerful. I paired a bright orange Duck T-shirt with white shorts, slipped my feet into tennis shoes (I figured I’d be running a lot today) and got out the door without Gramps yelling at me to eat breakfast.

I was surprised to find he was already gone and even more surprised he hadn’t left a note about where he was. I figured he was probably trying to organize the members of the Turtle Rescue League, who would no doubt be missing their fearless leader this morning. Mary Lou was the heart and soul of that little group. Thinking about her brought on a quick bout of depression. But I had an auction to stop, and I couldn’t let anything stand in my way.

I met Trudy at the end of the drive. She was riding her new red scooter and offered me a ride. It was small. I wasn’t completely convinced it could hold both of us. But I strapped on the extra helmet and sat behind her. “Where are you off to?” she asked as she waited for a break in traffic.

“I’m headed over to Miss Mildred’s house. They’re planning to auction it off today, but I’m planning something different.”

“Can you do that? Is that something mayors do?”

“I don’t know yet,” I yelled over the buzzing of the scooter engine. I’d ridden on motorcycles before. This was like a cross between a motorcycle and a bicycle. “I’ll let you know.”

“I saw you with Kevin Brickman yesterday. Is something going on there that Shayla should know about?”

“Shayla? I thought she was dating Tim again.”

“She was. They broke up, like always. I don’t know why they bother. Tim isn’t going to be happy with anyone but you. And Shayla isn’t going to be happy with anyone at all. But of all those losers, Kevin is on top of the pile, don’t you think?”

I didn’t want to dwell on that, especially not this morning. I wasn’t sure whether there was anything special between Kevin and me. We’d gone through some extraordinary events together, and sometimes that kind of mutual experience created a bond. But bonds like that don’t necessarily last. I didn’t have enough information to make an informed decision yet. I’d have to think about it after the auction.

“I heard Mary Lou Harcourt was arrested last night,” Trudy yelled at me. “Think she had too many overdue library books or something? I mean, can you imagine her doing anything illegal? I guess we’ll have to wait and hear the rest of it. There have been some crazy goings on this summer. I’ll be glad when fall gets here and everyone goes home. I know it’s not good for business, but I like the quiet.”

I knew everyone in Duck would be shocked when they learned the truth about what had happened to Miss Elizabeth. Some people wouldn’t believe it even when they heard all the details. I felt sure we’d be talking about it way after Duck Road was quiet in winter. I wondered what would happen to Mary Lou. I hoped she’d receive a light sentence despite her desperate attempts to hide what happened. I believed it was an accident, like she’d said. No one really knew what they’d do until they were in the middle of that kind of situation.

Trudy dropped me off at Miss Mildred’s house. A large group of cars, even a few limousines, were parked up and down the road. Plenty of people were interested in the auction. What Chuck had said was true—land was at a premium in Duck. It had to be because there was so little of it between the Atlantic and the sound.

“Looks like they have a good crowd,” Trudy observed. “Good luck convincing them not to auction everything.”

“Thanks. Say, would you do me a favor and check for UPS packages? You still have a key to Missing Pieces, right? Maybe you could throw them inside if there’s anything there.”

“You got it.” She revved the scooter engine. “See you later!”

I tugged my shirt down and wished I’d worn some kind of official-looking jacket. There was a police car in the driveway to ensure that everyone else parked in the street. Not only would I have to argue with Chuck and Jerry, but I’d also have to argue with police officers. But that was okay. I was ready to take on whoever needed taking on.