‘Yes, Mum,’ said Jacinta, dropping her eyes.
Lucy’s gaze fell on the tray of morning tea things in Mrs Preston’s hands.
‘We’re having a bite to eat if you two would like to join us.’
‘No thanks, Mum,’ said Jacinta. ‘We don’t feel like any, do we, Lucy?’
Lucy shook her head no, even though her tummy said yes.
‘Don’t be silly, Jacinta. That’s no way to treat a guest. Come on, girls, you first.’
Lucy and Jacinta exchanged helpless looks. They could leave the pram in the kitchen, of course, but what if Miss P. escaped? There was no choice but to take her with them.
When they came into the lounge room, Dad made room for Lucy on the couch. Jacinta sat on an ottoman. Between them was the pram, facing the window. Their only hope was that Miss P. kept quiet and stayed still.
‘Cake, anyone?’ offered Mrs Preston.
Dad sat up eagerly. ‘Yes, please.’
Lucy gasped. ‘You promised Mum you wouldn’t eat any cake! You know, because of your spare tyre.’
A couple of the grown-ups laughed. Dad blushed. Lucy didn’t see what was so funny. She’d never been able to figure out what a tyre had to do with Dad’s diet.
‘Just don’t tell your mother, eh?’
Lucy’s jaw dropped. Again, she remembered the lecture he’d given her about lying. Now, here he was, asking her to fib for him! She gave Dad a stern look, but all he did was wink at her.
Lucy’s lie-detecting skills swung into action. It seemed to her that grown-ups thought they could make up a whole lot of rules that kids had to stick to but grown-ups were free to ignore. Did a person’s age really make a difference? Could she tell as many lies as she wanted when she was older? That didn’t seem right. Adults got arrested for lying all the time.
Further opportunities for lie detecting flew out the window when Miss P. chose that very moment to poke her nose out from under the blanket. Any second now she would climb out of the pram and jump onto the floor. Lucy stared meaningfully at Jacinta. Eventually, Jacinta noticed. She looked down at Miss P. then back at Lucy. Do something, her eyes seemed to say.
With no idea of what that something might be, Lucy got to her feet. She cleared her throat. She raised her hand for silence. ‘I have to tell you something,’ she announced. ‘And it’s really, really important.’
Chapter Fifteen
‘What is it, love?’ asked Dad.
Everyone stared at Lucy, announcement. waiting for her really important
‘I, ah, it’s just that, I ...’ Lucy looked from Dad to Mrs Preston to the other committee members and finally to Jacinta and her pleading eyes. ‘I can put my foot under my armpit! See?’ She bent over, contorting herself into a pretzel shape.
‘Ah, thank you, Lucy,’ said Dad, rubbing his bald patch. ‘That’s very ... skilful, but I think it might be best if you girls took your cake and played outside, if that’s okay with you, Judy?’
Mrs Preston nodded. ‘Yes, the house –’
‘Is not a playground,’ whispered Jacinta at the same time Mrs Preston said it.
‘Just be careful not to get your dress dirty, dear, and don’t forget to put on some wellies.’
The two girls grabbed the pram and darted out the door.
‘Five more minutes?’ said Lucy, when Dad came out to fetch her at the end of the meeting. ‘Jacinta’s been telling me all about guinea pigs. Did you know they can’t run in a wheel like mice can? Their legs are different or something. Also, guinea pigs don’t smell bad.’
Jacinta nodded. ‘They don’t have musk glands like other rodents do.’
Mrs Preston, who had also come outside, made a face at the word ‘rodents’.
‘Maybe I could have a guinea pig?’ said Lucy. ‘I’d take good care of it, Dad. Promise!’
‘We’ll see,’ said Dad, jingling his keys.
Lucy pouted. ‘We’ll see’ usually meant ‘no’.
‘Actually,’ said Mrs Preston, ‘I wonder ... we’re going away tomorrow. Staying with my sister in Queensland for a couple of days. I was going to ask the neighbour to look after Miss P. but I’ve just found out they’re going to be out of town. Do you think your little girl might like to pop by and feed Miss P. each day? If it’s not too much trouble.’
‘It’s not too much trouble!’ cried Lucy. ‘Go on, Dad. Say yes!’
Jacinta hadn’t been at all sure about Lucy looking after Miss P. She’d made Lucy swear on her life that she would take good care of her and be responsible. Lucy had been greatly insulted. ‘I’m always responsible!’ she’d declared. Jacinta had stared at her for a very long time, and Lucy had changed the subject.
And now it was Lucy’s first day being a guinea pig keeper. Dad drove her and Calvin over to Jacinta’s so that she could attend to her duties. Lucy leapt out of the car, holding a bag of vegie scraps in one hand and Nathan in the other. She jigged up and down on the white-as-teeth driveway while Dad tried to get Calvin out of his booster seat.
‘Please cooperate, zoontje. Let me unbuckle you.’
‘No, thanks,’ said Calvin.
Dad unbuckled him anyway, but when he tried to lift Calvin out of his seat, Calvin went limp like wet washing. Dad turned to Lucy. ‘I suspect a certain someone hasn’t quite forgiven me either. Can you handle this yourself, Lucy, while I stay here with His Majesty?’
Lucy nodded and ran down the side of the house, the bag of vegies swinging from her hand.
The garden beds in Jacinta’s backyard were in exact squares. The flowers looked as though they were standing to attention. Lucy thought of her own backyard with the chooks roaming free, clucking their cheery hellos each morning. Then there was the old bathtub which served as a fort or a secret cave or a mighty ocean. For once, Lucy didn’t want anything Jacinta had.
Apart from Miss P., of course.
The little red-brown guinea pig was in her cage, curled up in the corner like a pastry roll with hair. When Lucy poked her finger through the wire, Miss P. blinked rapidly.
Time to use my animal mind-reading powers, thought Lucy. She looked into Miss P.’s glossy black eyes and concentrated. ‘What do you want to tell me?’
Miss P. stared back. She seemed to be saying, ‘I miss Jacinta.’
Lucy frowned. She did not share this feeling. Nevertheless, she knew what it felt like to miss someone. Lucy took a carrot out of her bag and pushed it through the wire. Miss P. sniffed the air but stayed back.
Wondering if Nathan might make Miss P. feel more comfortable, Lucy propped him up against the wire. Miss P. trotted forward, twitching.
‘This is Nathan,’ said Lucy.
‘Good morning, Nathan,’ Lucy imagined Miss P. replying.
‘What’s that, Miss P.?’ said Lucy. ‘You want to come out and meet him properly?’
She unlatched the lid and lifted Miss P. out of the cage. As she held her close, the guinea pig’s whiskers tickled her hand like the strings on the end of a guitar.
After a while, Dad came into the backyard. ‘Time to go,’ he said. ‘Calvin’s doing blowfishes at passers-by.’
Reluctantly, Lucy put Miss P. back in her cage.
‘You know what?’ said Dad. ‘I wish I’d asked the Prestons if we could keep Miss P. at our place. It’d be so much easier.’
Lucy looked at Miss P.’s sad eyes. Jacinta had said guinea pigs got lonely if they were left by themselves. ‘Take me with you, Lucy,’ Miss P. seemed to be saying.
‘Jacinta said we could take her with us,’ Lucy blurted out. She didn’t dare look at Dad.
Before he could answer, there was a loud howl from the driveway. Dad looked over his shoulder, only half listening. ‘That’s a relief. Why didn’t you say so before?’
And just like that, Lucy had a new pet. She decided it wasn’t a proper lie because Jacin
ta would have agreed if Lucy had only thought to ask her. Well, she probably would have agreed. Anyway, even if it was a lie, it was a little lie. A white lie. Dad had asked her not to tell Mum he’d had a piece of cake so he obviously thought white lies were fine. Or maybe it was lies where no one got hurt. Or was it if no one found out? Anyway, thought Lucy, as long as they returned Miss P. before Jacinta got home, there’d be no harm done.
At least, that was the idea.
Chapter Sixteen
‘I think it should go there,’ said Lucy, pointing at a spot along the back fence.
Dad bent over and put Miss P.’s cage on the ground. Calvin plonked himself down in the sandpit with his back to them. Apricot and Abigail huddled in the opposite corner, clucking like school kids gossiping about the new girl.
‘Goed zo,’ said Dad. ‘Good. I’m sure Miss P. will love it here. Hey, what do you know? Calvin’s binoculars!’ He plucked them out of the long grass. ‘I really should give this lawn a mow.’
‘Miss P. likes it this way,’ said Lucy. ‘Jacinta told me guinea pigs used to live in grassy places in the wild.’
‘Then I shall leave the lawn unmown with a clear conscience,’ said Dad with a wink. He went back inside, passing Calvin his binoculars on the way.
Calvin, who had been busy making tractor noises, stopped, held up the binoculars and peered over his shoulder at Lucy. When he met her eye, he quickly turned away.
‘Want to play with Miss P.?’ asked Lucy hopefully.
Calvin dropped the binoculars and returned to his tractor, scooping up a pile of sand.
‘That’s a pity,’ said Lucy, ‘because she keeps looking at you.’
Lucy leant down and unlatched the lid. Miss P. was busy exploring her new home, sniffing every corner while her whole body vibrated. When Lucy picked her up, Miss P. wriggled about. Lucy patted her gently and she eventually calmed down and snuggled against her.
Stealing a look behind her, Lucy caught Calvin watching them. She went over and sat down a little distance from him.
‘You’re a good girl, aren’t you, Miss P?’ She held the guinea pig up to her ear. ‘What’s that you say? Who’s that boy? He’s my little brother.’
Calvin stopped making tractor noises. His expression was fierce but curious.
Lucy listened some more. ‘Aha, aha. I’ll have to ask.’ She turned to Calvin. ‘Miss P. wants to know if you’d like to hold her.’
‘She never said that,’ he replied, but his fierce expression softened.
Lucy inched closer. ‘She really likes carrot tops,’ she said, holding one out to him.
Calvin stared at it for a long time, then reached out, took it and offered it to Miss P. She, in turn, nibbled on it gratefully.
After a time, Lucy put the guinea pig gently in his arms. Miss P. twitched and shivered before settling against his chest. Calvin smiled.
‘Told you she likes you.’
That night, Lucy lay in bed and thought about Miss P. all alone outside in the dark. While Lucy had a night-light and Nathan, Miss P. had nothing and no one. She had to go and see her!
Dad was watching TV in the front room. Calvin was asleep in his bedroom. Mum was working the late shift. Lucy crept through the house as quietly as she could. When she creaked open the back door, Apricot and Abigail started clucking.
‘Shh,’ said Lucy. ‘Go back to sleep.’
She made her way down to the back fence. It was dark and the compost heap looked an awful lot like a fat troll crouched and ready to pounce. Lucy knew it probably wasn’t a troll, but even so, the thought that it might be a troll made her shiver.
‘Don’t be scared,’ said Lucy, bending down by Miss P.’s cage. ‘It’s only me.’ She unlatched the lid and lifted out the guinea pig. The animal’s body was warm as a wheat bag. ‘You were lonely, weren’t you?’
Miss P.’s eyes gleamed in the dark.
‘Did you want to tell me something?’ Lucy held her breath so she could read Miss P.’s mind. ‘Do you want to come inside? Is that it? You want to sleep in my room tonight?’
Since this seemed like a perfectly logical idea to Lucy, she saw no reason why she shouldn’t do it. And in less than a minute, Miss P. was safely in her room and crawling inside the World Cup soccer T-shirt Lucy had left lying on her bedroom floor. Meanwhile, Lucy lined a washing basket with some torn-up newspaper. Then she sticky-taped some old stamps inside the basket so Miss P. had some pretty pictures to look at.
‘This is your holiday home,’ she said. ‘And look! Nathan lives next door.’
She pushed Nathan’s shoebox bed up against the washing basket so they were proper neighbours. Then she lowered Miss. P into the basket and spent some time practising her mind-reading skills.
From what Lucy could gather, Miss P. seemed to be hungry.
‘Be right back,’ said Lucy.
After listening care fully at the door, she slipped into the kitchen. There was a small piece of broccoli left in the crisper. That would do nicely. Miss P. would be sure to love her if she kept giving her tasty treats.
Bobbing down behind the kitchen counter, Lucy hunted around for a bowl to serve the broccoli in. While she was down there, she heard someone come into the kitchen. A cupboard door opened and closed. Then there was rustling.
What do I do now? thought Lucy.
Chapter Seventeen
Mum, still in her uniform, leant over the bench, a biscuit packet in one hand and a Tim Tam in the other. When Lucy stood up, Mum gasped. ‘My secret stash,’ she explained sheepishly. ‘Don’t tell your father.’
Lucy didn’t have time to be shocked at yet another parent asking her to fib. She merely nodded.
‘Isn’t it past your bedtime?’ said Mum, taking another bite of her Tim Tam. ‘Mm, lekker. Yum.’
‘Um ...’ began Lucy.
Mum polished off the biscuit then, noticing the bowl of broccoli in Lucy’s hand, said, ‘What are you doing with that?’ Lucy looked down at her hand. ‘Hungry,’ she replied.
‘I thought you didn’t like broccoli.’
‘Changed my mind,’ said Lucy. She took a bite to prove it. ‘Mm.’ She chomped down on the raw green stalk. ‘Lekker.’
Mum shrugged. ‘Wonders will never cease.’
Lucy kept chewing and smiling when what she really wanted to be doing was spitting and rinsing.
‘When you’re finished with that, you’d better get back to bed, love,’ said Mum. ‘I’ll come and tuck you in.’
Lucy had just enough time to race into her room and throw a jacket over the washing basket before Mum came in behind her.
‘I know it’s late,’ said Mum, smoothing down her sheet, ‘but, just this once, I could read you a bedtime story if you like.’
Normally, Lucy would have jumped at the chance. Since Mum started working extra shifts, Lucy had missed her regular story time with her. Having a guinea pig in her bedroom, however, changed everything.
‘No, thanks,’ said Lucy. ‘I just want to go to sleep.’
‘Turning down a story?’ said Mum. ‘That’s a first.’ A sad look passed across her face. ‘Well, if you’re sure.’ She finished tucking Lucy in. ‘I’ve got the day off tomorrow so hopefully we can spend some time together. Your father and I will be sleeping in, however, so if you and Calvin wouldn’t mind keeping it down until we get up, we’d be very grateful.’ She kissed Lucy goodnight, flicked off the light and closed the door behind her.
Unfortunately, Mum hadn’t shut the door quite as firmly as she’d thought. And as Lucy drifted off to sleep, the door swung open; a fact that did not go unnoticed by a certain guinea pig with sharp black eyes.
Chapter Eighteen
A car started in the street the next morning, waking Lucy. She stretched her legs and rubbed her eyes. It was so nice in bed but something in the back of her mind was troubling her – som
ething she had to take care of, perhaps, but what was it?
Still groggy, she rolled over and gazed around the room. There was her rug, her bin, her glitter pens in a cup on the dressing table. There was her plaster cast of a chicken’s footprint, her crystal echidna and an overturned washing basket with a trail of torn-up newspaper leading towards her open door. That’s weird, she thought. What’s a washing basket full of newspaper doing in my bedroom?
Then she remembered. Lucy’s skin turned cold as if someone had poured a tub of melted ice-cream all over her. Miss P.!
Lucy leapt out of bed. The washing basket was most definitely empty. She searched under the bed. She lifted up the clothes on the floor. She hunted in her drawers, inside the toy box, even behind the wardrobe. But there was no sign of her.
She could be anywhere, thought Lucy desperately. Then again, maybe Calvin had taken her. Yes! That’s what had happened! She dashed into his room.
‘Wake up!’ she whispered, shaking Calvin’s shoulders. He was curled up, cuddling his helicopter.
‘Wake up!’ she hissed again, prising open his eyes with her fingers.
‘Hey!’ he said, pushing her away sleepily.
‘Where’s Miss P.?’
‘Don’t know,’ he said, rubbing his eyes. ‘Cage?’
‘You don’t have her?’
Calvin sat up slowly, frowning with concern. ‘Is she gone?’
‘Yes,’ said Lucy, throwing back his sheets and tugging on his arm. ‘Come and help look for her.’
Calvin’s concerned frown changed to a stubborn frown. ‘I’m busy,’ he said, shaking off her hand.
Lucy the Lie Detector Page 4
