Girl Squad

by Kim Hoover

  “Maybe somebody doing their grocery shopping is headed out to the lake,” I said.

  We picked up some supplies—milk, cereal, peanut butter and jelly, bread, and some hot dogs. Jane took the poster and put the address of the house on it. We held it up at the driveway of the store parking lot. It didn’t take long for someone to roll down their window and ask if we needed a ride.

  She was in her fifties, probably, with wispy blond-gray hair and a big easy smile. “Hop in, girls,” she said.

  She had a car full of groceries.

  “I’m Marge. You can help me unload. I live just down the block from the Jacksons. How do you know them?”

  “I’m at school with Jenny Jackson,” Jane said. “She’s letting us stay there for a few days.”

  I waited for her to ask why, but she didn’t. She just nodded and drove us out to the lake. We unloaded her car and helped her put away everything.

  “You girls should come over for dinner one night this week. My boys will be here,” she said, winking.

  “That would be great,” Jane said. “Let us know.”

  We walked down the block to the Jacksons’ house. Jane knew a little of the history of it from what Jenny had told her.

  “It was built in the twenties,” she said. “They used these places for people who had tuberculosis. I guess the air was good for that. You have these big porches on the back where you can sit and breath it in.”

  The house was all wood—the floors, the paneling on the walls, and the ceilings with rafters extending high into the roofline. There were animal heads all over the walls and animal skins all over the floors. The place smelled musty mixed with cold fireplace ashes. There were six bedrooms, most of which had bunks or twin beds in them. There was a huge fireplace, the opening as tall as we were, in what Jane called the great room. The bathrooms were small and had tiny sinks and bathtubs that sat on the tile floor. There was a dock leading to the lake. And that lake was amazing.

  “Look at this!” I said.

  The lake was lined with trees, like a forest shooting out of the water up a cliff all around it. I had never seen anything like it before, not even in Colorado.

  “We can kayak on the lake tomorrow,” Jane said.

  “It’s like I’m a million miles from home,” I said.

  “Speaking of home,” Jane said. “Let’s get Rachel on the phone. See what she can find out.”

  When we told Rachel our plan, she was all in. She would make a point of listening in on her mom’s phone conversations to see if Joyce was in touch with her. I relaxed a little after that. At least we had a plan. I didn’t feel totally helpless.

  “But before you go,” Rachel said as we were saying goodbye. “I don’t want to scare you even more, but there’s a reward out for information on Cal.”

  “What?” we both said.

  “Yeah, it’s on the radio, and I heard it’s even in the papers back East. Because of Jane.”

  “That just means we have even less time than we thought,” I said. “Get to work!”

  We hung up the phone and, exhausted, looked through the rooms of the house to find one we liked. We picked one with twin beds and made them up with the rough cotton sheets and wool blankets that were in the closet. The mattresses were thick and heavy and not comfortable at all. But we didn’t care. I could barely say goodnight as I pulled the covers up to my chin in the chilly air.

  “Hey,” Jane said, reaching her hand across the space between our beds. “You’re a brave girl.”

  “Hmm?” I couldn’t wake up enough to open my eyes. “I don’t know why you say that.”

  “I love you,” she said.

  I was too far gone to respond.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  We got up early the next morning and went kayaking. Jane told me it was called a tandem. I had never been in a kayak before. The lake was still and a fog lay across the surface, but eventually the sun rose higher and dissolved the fog. We paddled past house after house with docks onto the lake. I could not have felt further from my life. At the same time, I knew it was there and I knew I would have to face it again.

  “Look!” Jane said.

  Fish jumped through the surface of the water, flopping on their bellies.

  “I bet we could catch one with our hands,” I said.

  “Don’t—” Jane said, but I didn’t listen.

  I reached for the next one I saw, losing my paddle and my balance. I flipped the kayak over, throwing us both into freezing cold water.

  “Oh my god! I can’t believe you did that!”

  We were close enough to our dock that we swam the kayak back to the shore and pulled it out, shaking like crazy from near hypothermia.

  “I’m going to kill you!” Jane said.

  She came after me and I ran onto the porch, pulling towels out of the bin and throwing one around her.

  “I’m so sorry,” I said.

  “I’m getting in the shower. I think I’m going into shock.”

  She was shivering badly. We ran to the nearest bathroom and I turned on the faucet and pulled the shower tab up. I helped her get her clothes off and step into the claw-foot tub.

  “Get in with me,” she said. “You’re just as cold.”

  I undressed and got in, still shivering. The hot water felt like heaven and we stood there for a long time soaking it in. Once we were warm again, she pulled me closer and kissed me. I melted and fused into her. I didn’t want to turn the water off, not only because it felt so good, but because the air was chilly and we hadn’t thought to get our bath towels out of the closet.

  “I’ll go,” I said.

  I ran to the hallway and brought back the bath towels. I hadn’t let myself really look at her while we were standing under the water, but now I did.

  “Give me that towel!”

  “Sorry, I was just—”

  “I hope you learned a lesson,” she said when we were back in the bedroom.

  She opened a drawer and found a couple of thick cable sweaters. “I’m sure Jenny won’t mind.”

  “Can you make a fire?” I said, grinning as sweetly as I could. “You’re so good at it.”

  She sneered at me. “You’re lucky I like you so much.”

  She built the fire out of wood that was stored around the side of the house. It was roaring in no time. We lay on a bearskin rug in front of it. Soon the phone rang with Rachel’s signal of two and a half rings. We called her back.

  “Bingo,” Rachel said.

  “You heard them talking?” I asked, huddled on the receiver with Jane.

  “Yes. My mom is losing her mind over this. She can’t believe Joyce won’t leave the gang.”

  “Did you figure anything out about where she is or how we can get in touch with her?”

  “No, but I have an idea.”

  “Go ahead,” I said.

  “Why don’t we ask my mom to help? She’s so upset. If she knew Joyce is in even bigger trouble, wouldn’t she want to help us get to her?”

  “Maybe,” I said hesitantly.

  “We haven’t told Rachel exactly where we are,” Jane said. “Even if Frankie tells on us, they still don’t know where we are. All she has to do is give us a phone number and a time to call Joyce.”

  “It’s worth a try,” Rachel said. “Unless y’all have another idea.”

  “Okay,” I said. “See what you can do. If it backfires, just know that I owe you.”

  “I’ll give you the signal when I’m ready to talk again.”

  Marge had invited us for dinner that night. Her two sons were right about our age and she wanted us to all meet. I wasn’t that excited about going over there, but at least it would be a home-cooked meal, better than PB&J or hot dogs for dinner.

  “Come in, girls,” she said. “Meet my boys, Harry and Thomas.”

  It was awkward since Marge was pretty clearly trying to set us up as a double-date. Jane offered to help in the kitchen and I asked to look around outside. Harry and Thomas
came out with me.

  “Where’s that accent from?” Thomas asked.

  I felt a little embarrassed. I didn’t think I was that obvious.

  “Texas,” I said.

  “That’s where you live?”

  “Yeah. I’m visiting Jane. We know each other from home.”

  I walked out to the edge of the dock and stared up at the sky. It was a clear night and I could see a thousand stars. I thought about Mom. I wondered where she was—what she was thinking, whether she worried about me. Being away from there and having time to think was getting to me. Something welled up inside and I felt a cry about to force its way out. I couldn’t let that happen, not in front of these strangers. I bolted back inside as fast as I could without running. I found Jane in the kitchen. By the look on her face, she could tell I was about to lose it.

  “Hey,” she said. “Here, shuck this corn.”

  It was good she gave me a job to do. I peeled the husks back and got rid of the silk. Then I smoothed the husks back on the cob. I ran water over them and asked for some foil. “I learned this from my grandmother,” I told her. “You roast them in the husks. The water keeps them moist. It’s really good this way.”

  The boys cooked steaks on the grill and roasted the corn. Marge made fresh asparagus, something I had never tasted before. She nudged me and asked if I thought her boys were cute. I nodded and asked what else we could do to help. She put us in charge of a lettuce and tomato salad. The more I worked in the kitchen, the more I relaxed. We set the table in the great room and took our seats.

  Harry went for Jane and Thomas went for me. It was annoying. Jane and I played footsie under the table while we laughed at their silly jokes. When dinner was over, the boys asked us to go for a walk, so we did. The boys pushed at each other and generally acted stupid.

  “We have a ski boat,” Thomas said. “Do you want to go out tomorrow?”

  “The water is freezing,” I said.

  “We have wet suits,” he said.

  I guess neither one of us could think of a reason not to, so we ended up agreeing to go out on their boat. We said goodbye to them and walked back to the house.

  “That wasn’t bad, huh?” Jane said.

  “It was good. They’re nice people.”

  “But you don’t look so good.”

  “I’m nervous. I just wish this would all go away.”

  “It’ll be over soon. One way or another.”

  We sat on the porch in the back, looking out on the lake, while Jane smoked a cigarette. “When this started, it was like a game. I really thought I could figure it out. That I could save her. Now I feel ashamed and silly for thinking I could be some kind of hero.”

  “Don’t give up hope. Rachel may come through.”

  We stayed quiet for a long time. I sensed Jane wanted to come up with something to comfort me, but there was really nothing to say.

  I reached for her hand. “I’m sorry for dragging you into the middle of all this.”

  “Don’t be,” she said. “First of all, you didn’t drag me. I went after you, you know?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, c’mon. Do you think it was an accident that I was in the prayer garden that day?”

  I smiled. “You were looking for me?”

  “You bet I was. I had my eye on you for a while.”

  “I can’t believe it!”

  “I set my little trap and you fell right in.” She smiled and squeezed my hand. “So don’t be apologizing to me for anything.”

  Just then, Rachel signaled us to call her.

  “Well?” I said, anxious.

  “You have a date,” she said. “Of course, Joyce doesn’t know it’s gonna be you calling. She’ll think it’s my mom.”

  “Was your mom mad about me running away? Did she say anything about that?”

  “I wouldn’t say she’s mad. She just thinks the whole world has gone to hell. But she is hoping you can talk sense into Joyce.”

  “When are we supposed to call her?”

  “Tomorrow at four o’clock. After that, you better be ready to move. I can’t believe the Rangers or the FBI won’t figure out where you are by then.”

  “That’s probably right,” I said, saying goodbye.

  The next day, since we had to kill time until four p.m. anyway, we met up with Harry and Thomas at their dock.

  “At least this will take your mind off things for a while. I think you’ll like skiing.”

  I was nervous about the boat and the skiing. I didn’t know how to ski. Of course, Jane was an expert. She assured me that it wasn’t hard and that she would tell me exactly what to do.

  She got in the water behind the boat and demonstrated. “Once you get your feet in the bindings, get the ski tips up out of the water. Hold the rope between the skis. Bend your knees. As the boat takes off, keep your knees bent until you’re up on the water. Then straighten your legs.”

  She handed Harry one of the skis. “Slalom?” he asked.

  She nodded. On only one ski, she popped up out of the water like a rocket.

  “Look at her go!” Harry yelled.

  I just shook my head. Was there anything Jane wasn’t good at? I gave it a try, doing exactly what she said and it worked. I liked it well enough, and they all pushed me to do more. In the end I even tried to slalom and I managed to stay up for a few seconds.

  “Awesome!” Jane called out.

  They all congratulated me as they pulled me back into the boat. We ate the lunch that Marge had made for us as we sat out in the middle of the lake with our wetsuits peeled down to the waist. The boys had snuck some beers into the cooler so we all had one. Every time I tasted it, I got a little more used to it, and now I sort of like it.

  “Do you like it out here?” Thomas asked, moving to sit next to me on the bench seat.

  “Sure,” I said. “Thanks for bringing us out here. It’s really nice of you.”

  “You have really pretty skin,” he said, touching my cheek.

  I drew back and didn’t say anything. He leaned toward me and tried to kiss me. I ducked away.

  “Hey, that’s a little fast,” I said, sneaking a look at Jane, who frowned at me.

  “Okay, we can take it slow,” he said, moving even closer to me on the seat.

  “I don’t think she’s interested at any speed,” Jane said, giving him a disdainful look.

  “That’s kinda rude,” Harry said to her.

  “Sorry,” I said, realizing I needed to head this off and smooth it over. “I…I have…I have a boyfriend.”

  “That’s okay,” Thomas said. “It’s not like I’m trying to go steady. It’s just a vacation thing.”

  When they finally took us back to the dock, I couldn’t wait to get off the boat. They offered to have us for dinner again, but we thanked them and said we had other plans. As we stripped off the wetsuits, they were both trying to look at us without being obvious. I laughed as we slipped our clothes on as fast as we could.

  “What’s wrong with you?” Jane asked as we walked back into the house. “You practically invited him to make out with you.”

  “What are you talking about? I didn’t do anything.”

  “With boys, you have to be crystal clear or they think you’re saying yes.”

  “Don’t be mad. I was just trying to be nice.”

  She pushed me up against the wall, pinning me, kissing me hard. “I can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you.”

  “You don’t have anything to worry about, silly, so stop.”

  We dropped onto the couch and kissed until I realized it was time to make the call.

  “I’m nervous,” I said. “I feel like this is my last chance with her. How can I make her listen to me for once?”

  “You can’t make her do anything,” Jane said. “All you can do is tell her what you know and hope for the best. It’s not your fault if she won’t listen.”

  “I know, but still, if I hadn’t gone to the plant
and taken those pictures, maybe they would have given up on this crazy idea that they can break into the petroleum reserve.”

  “Cal, listen to me. You are not to blame for anything here. I don’t want to hear you talk like that ever again.”

  Jane lit a cigarette as I stood over the phone, poised to dial.

  “Go ahead,” she said. “You’re already a minute late.”

  “Hello?” It was my mother’s voice.

  “It’s me, Mom.”

  “Where the hell are you?”

  “Mom, listen to me. I need to tell you something.”

  “What you need to do is get your butt back home. I don’t know where you are or how you got there or even who you think you are. I’m not listening to this.”

  “Mom! Wait! The codes. They’re not enough. You’re headed into a trap!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “What I got from the plant. It’s only half of what you need.”

  “And how would you know that?”

  Just then there was a brutal banging on the front door.

  “What the hell?” Jane said, running to the door.

  Before she could get to the door, it burst open and several cops pushed into the room. In the commotion, I realized Mom had hung up. I shouted uselessly into the phone.

  “What’s going on here,” Jane asked. “You can’t just barge in here.”

  “Carrie Ann Long. Jane Rawlings. You’re under arrest.”

  “What? I don’t understand,” Jane said, backing up to hold my hand.

  “You need to come with us. Get your things together.”

  Jane and I looked at each other helplessly. The policemen hurried us out and into a squad car. As they sped us away to the airport, I caught sight of Harry and Thomas, their arms crossed, watching us go.

  “They did it,” I said.

  “What are you talking about?” Jane said.

  “Harry and Thomas, and probably Marge. They turned us in.”

  Jane put her head on my shoulder and cried softly.

  Jane and I were separated as soon as we landed in Amarillo. Apparently, the police in Texas weren’t going to hold us. Jane’s parents had sent separate cars for us. We managed a hug before they pushed us to our rides. Mine dropped me at my dad’s.