by Lisa Orchard
“Sarah?”
Sarah stopped and turned toward her sister. “What?”
“What do you think about everything that’s happened today?”
“Pretty wild, wouldn’t you say?”
Lacey sniffed and rubbed her eyes. “Yeah, pretty wild.”
Sarah pulled open the door and held it for her sister. “Come on. Let’s go watch some TV.”
“Good idea.” Lacey walked inside and dropped her backpack in the foyer. “I’m going to get my pajamas on first.”
“Me too.” Sarah dropped her pack and followed her sister down the stairs.
Aunt June had converted the basement guest room into Sarah and Lacey’s bedroom when they moved in three months ago. The walls were covered with lavender paint. Adorning the beds were bright lavender quilts with a heart shape design on them. The hearts were filled with vibrant colors complimenting the lavender background. It was a cheerful room and Sarah relaxed when she opened the door.
She took a deep breath as the tension left her body. “I’m going to light a candle. A candle is a great way to relieve stress.”
“Good idea,” Lacey said before walking to the dresser. Pulling open a drawer, she fished out a pair of pajamas with a flowery print on them. She slipped out of her clothes and put on her pajamas. As she buttoned up her pajama top, her lips formed an angry frown. “I’m mad at Mom and Dad for not calling us.”
“I am too. But… I kind of understand why they didn’t.”
“They could have called and told us not to tell anyone. We wouldn’t have,” Lacey argued. Her tone was flat and unforgiving.
“Good point. But maybe they couldn’t get to a phone or something, you know?”
“Maybe,” Lacey said, wearing a sour expression. “But I’m still mad.”
Sarah sighed and brushed a wayward strand of hair out of her eyes. “I know. I am too. But I’m really mad at Mr. Robinson for kidnapping them.”
Lacey grimaced. “Me too.”
“I can’t believe Dad’s actually helping him.”
“I know. It doesn’t make sense.” Lacey walked over to vanity and picked up a brush. She stroked her long blonde hair with it and then put it in a ponytail. “But when I think about that poor little boy and what some drug did to him. It gives me the willies, you know.”
“I know.” Sarah sat down on her bed and brushed her hair out of her eyes. “Mr. Robinson must have been really desperate.”
“I bet.” Lacey sighed and looked in the mirror at Sarah. “He’s trying to save his little boy’s life, you know?”
Sarah grabbed a pillow and hugged it against her belly. “Yeah. I bet Dad would do the same for us if one of us had a reaction to some drug, don’t you think?”
“Probably.”
“I guess I can understand a little bit about Dad’s reasons for denying the kidnapping.” Sarah frowned. “I mean… think about it… the company you work for puts out a harmful drug even though you told them all about the problems. I guess it would really bother me too.”
Lacey sighed. “Me too.”
“So, the only way I see it is… we’ve got to help Dad blow the whistle on the company.”
“I know, but I’m not sure how we’re going to do that. I mean we don’t even know how it happened.”
“We have to get Dad’s memo.”
“But even if we get it, it still doesn’t tell us who lied.” Lacey turned and faced her sister.
Sarah furrowed her brow and stared at her. “Sure it does.”
“How?”
“It shows the company ignored the memo.”
“But who in the company ignored it?” Lacey asked, growing agitated.
“Whoever the memo was sent to.”
Lacey gave herself a face palm. “Oh… right. That makes sense.” She gave her sister a sheepish look. “Sorry.”
“No problem,” Sarah said with a quick smile.
Lacey put down the hair brush. “I’m going upstairs to see if there’s anything on the tube. Are you coming up?”
“I’ll be there in a second.”
After Lacey left the room, Sarah undressed and put on a new pair of pajamas. The nights were getting cooler and her favorite nightshirt wasn’t doing the trick. The soft fabric of the nightwear against her skin comforted her and she relaxed even more. She hadn’t realized how keyed up she had been all day, but now she was home, she allowed the weariness to invade her muscles.
She laid on her bed and shifted into a comfortable position. As her eyes drifted closed, the events of the day paraded through her mind like a movie.
When she came to the images of her mother and father tears filled her eyes. Her heart swelled with gratitude that they were alive and well. Sighing, she wiped the tears away. The nagging question returned and took up a cadence in her brain. When this is all over are we moving back home? She was afraid to answer but had the sinking feeling her life was going to change abruptly.
She took a deep breath and struggled to sit up. Watching TV sounded like a good idea. She wanted to forget about the predicament she was in, if only for a little while.
Glancing in the mirror, she was pleased with her reflection. Her soft, lime green pajamas brought out her green eyes and highlighted her honey-colored hair. Her image surprised her, she looked like her mother. I guess that’s a good thing. Thoughts of her mother brought her situation crashing back. She struggled for a moment before pushing it out of her brain. I need a break from all of this. She frowned; straightening her clothes, she again studied her reflection. I guess it could be worse. I mean I could have a ton of zits or a huge birth mark in the middle of my forehead. What if I only had one eye? I’d never be able to be a detective with only one eye. Sarah shuddered and picked up her brush.
She skimmed her hair with it and then left the room. The TV blared on about a car sale at a local dealership. Shuffling into the den, she found Lacey sitting in the rocker wrapped up in an afghan.
“Hi,” Lacey greeted her.
“Hey.” Sarah gave her a gentle noogie as she walked behind the chair on her way to the couch. “What’s on? Anything good?”
Lily trotted in from the kitchen, wagging her tail. She jumped up on the couch next to Sarah and nudged her hand with her copper colored nose, demanding attention. Sarah gave her a smile and stroked her head while listening to her sister.
Lacey shook her head. “Not really. I’m just channel surfing right now.” She continued to flip through the channels. “Do you feel like watching a DVD?”
“I guess.” Sarah shrugged then pulled an afghan off of the back of the couch. She wrapped it around her shoulders and snuggled next to the cocker spaniel.”
Lacey yawned. “I’m getting tired.”
“Me too. I just wanted to unwind a little bit before bed.”
“Here.” Lacey tossed the remote to her sister. “I can’t find anything.”
“Then let’s put in a movie,” Sarah said. She dropped the remote and made her way to the TV. Under it sat a cabinet that housed the DVDs. Sarah bent down and looked through the titles. “How about Michael Clayton?”
“Is it a mystery?”
Sarah smirked. “Of course.”
Lacey shrugged. “I guess it’s all right.”
Sarah closed the cabinet and fiddled with the player. While she was doing that, a commercial appeared on the screen catching her attention.
“Lace, check it out.” Sarah pointed at the screen.
Both girls grew silent as they watched the TV. Sarah dashed back to the couch and turned up the volume. On the screen was a commercial for Piper Drugs. A spokesperson explained to the viewers how the company was the Pied Piper for all the other drug companies in the market.
When the commercial was over, Sarah gave her sister a quizzical look. “The Pied Piper of all drug companies? What does that mean?”
Lacey frowned. “Beats me. Wasn’t the Pied Piper the guy who got rid of the rats in that one fairy tale?”
“I think so.
”
“So, what are they saying?” Lacey asked and gave Sarah a confused look.
“I don’t know.” Sarah shrugged. “Maybe their drugs lead the viruses away?”
“Whatever they’re saying, it’s weird.” Lacey gave the television a dismissive wave.
“I know.” Sarah frowned. The commercial brought their situation crashing back into consciousness once again. So much for taking a break.
“We are in an impossible situation,” Lacey whined.
“I know. But we’ll figure something out.”
“I like Scoop’s idea.” Lacey twirled her hair around her finger.
Sarah sighed. The movie forgotten she made her way back to the couch and wrapped the afghan around her. “I do too. The only problem is it doesn’t get Scoop into Dad’s office.”
“I know. And we don’t even know if Dad’s desk is still in there.”
Sarah sighed. “Hopefully, Scoop will figure it all out.”
The girls grew silent and watched television. Sarah wasn’t paying attention to what was being broadcast; questions swirled through her brain, tormenting her.
“Lace.”
“What?”
“Have you thought about what we’re going to do when Mom and Dad come home?”
Lacey sighed. “No, I haven’t. I’m sure we’ll just go home.”
“You mean home to Walker?” Sarah asked.
Lacey’s eyes widened. “Oh man… I didn’t even think about that. I don’t want to move back to Walker.”
“Neither do I.” Sarah sighed and her heart grew heavy. The thought of leaving Harrisburg felt like a huge weight around her neck.
“Let’s go to bed. Maybe all we need is a good night’s sleep and we’ll figure it out in the morning.”
“Maybe.” Sarah stood and made her way to their bedroom. But she knew it would take more than a good night sleep to get them out of this jam.
Chapter Sixteen
The next morning, Sarah woke before the alarm. She glanced at Lacey and found her fast asleep, snoring gently with her lips slightly parted. Smiling at her sister’s innocence, Sarah climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.
She turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up. Questions paraded through her brain like a worn out song. How are we going to get into Dad’s office? Is the flash drive still there? Sarah frowned and stuck her hand into the water. With a yelp, she pulled her hand back and adjusted the temperature. Slipping out of her pajamas, she stepped into the steaming spray. It hit her muscles and soothed the achiness away.
After her shower, Sarah dried her hair and tiptoed back into the bedroom to dress. She found Lacey awake, waiting to take her turn in the bathroom.
”Morning,” Lacey greeted her as she stretched.
“Morning.” Sarah gave her sister a mischievous grin. “The shower’s all yours.”
“Thanks.” Lacey groaned and climbed from beneath her covers. She stumbled toward the door. “I hope there’s some hot water left.”
Sarah giggled. “I saved you a little bit. You don’t need a long shower anyway, right?”
Lacey scowled at her before walking out the door.
Sarah snickered and then went to the closet. Hmmm… hmmm… what to wear today? She glanced out the window, but it was still too dark to tell what the day was going to be like. Deciding to play it safe, Sarah chose a pair of blue jeans and a pink V-neck sweater.
After donning her clothes, Sarah brushed her hair and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her image gazed back as if it were waiting for her to speak. She stared into her green eyes and noticed the tiny freckle in her right one. It had always been there and she’d wonder from time to time how it got there and what it was. Shrugging at her image, she smoothed her sweater over her hips before wandering out the door.
Stepping into the kitchen, Sarah was startled by Lily who had been waiting at the back door. “Gotta go outside, girl?”
Lily whined in response, so Sarah opened the back door and Lily scampered out. Shivering, Sarah closed out the cold morning air. After glancing out the window, she stepped over to the cupboard to get something for breakfast.
Aunt June padded into the kitchen and spied Sarah. “Hi honey, do you want me to fix you some pancakes or something?”
“No, I feel like having cereal today.” Sarah grabbed a box of cereal and poured it into a bowl. “When does Uncle Walt get to come home?”
“I’ll find out today. I’m going up to the hospital to see him before I go to work. Hopefully, the doctors will have some answers for us.”
Sarah walked to the refrigerator for the milk and returned to the counter and poured it on her cereal. “Good. I can’t wait to tell him we found Mom and Dad.”
“I told him last night. I stopped up to see him after I picked up the car.”
“Oh.” Sarah sat at the table and began eating her cereal.
“Do you want some juice?”
“Sure.”
Aunt June opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of orange juice. She found a glass in the cupboard and poured some for Sarah. “He was really happy they were okay.” She handed Sarah her drink.
Sarah accepted the glass. “Me too.”
Aunt June pulled a box of breakfast bars out of the cupboard. “Do you and Lacey want a ride to school this morning?”
“Sure, it’s kind of chilly out.”
“Okay. I’m going to get ready.” Aunt June left with her breakfast bar and a glass of juice.
Lacey appeared wearing a lime green sweater and blue jeans. “Cereal, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Aunt June around?”
“She’s upstairs getting ready. She’s going to give us a ride to school.” Sarah took another spoonful of cereal.
“Cool,” Lacey said, pouring some corn flakes into her bowl.
The sound of scratching at the door pulled Sarah from her chair. Lily’s back! When she peeked through the window, Lily gazed up at her and wagged her tail hopefully. Sarah pulled opened the door, and Lily trotted in, her nails clicking on the linoleum. “Has she been fed yet?” Lacey asked.
“Nope.” Sarah squatted and stroked the dog, ruffling her fur in a playful manner. “Are you hungry, girl?”
Lily’s tail thumped the floor in response.
Sarah stood and went to the cupboard. She rummaged around inside until she found the dog food. After filling Lily’s bowl, she placed it on the floor where the dog proceeded to devour it.
“I’m going to brush my teeth. I’ll be right back,” Sarah said to her sister before leaving the room.
As Sarah brushed her teeth, she spied a bottle of aspirin in the medicine cabinet. It brought back the reality of what Piper Drugs had done with terrifying clarity. I could take an aspirin and have a reaction. How can people be protected from monsters like Piper Drugs? Her stomach clenched into a tight knot as she finished with her morning routine and dashed up the stairs.
“Are you ready?” Aunt June asked.
“Yep. How about you, Lace?”
“I just need to brush. I’ll meet you guys out in the car.”
Sarah nodded and went to the closet for her coat. Aunt June traveled behind her, attempting to put her planner in her purse.
They made it out to the car and Aunt June backed it out of the garage. She idled in the driveway, waiting for Lacey.
As she adjusted the mirrors, she said, “Depending on what we find out from the doctors this morning, I’ll probably go up and see your uncle right after work tonight as well.”
“Okay. Tell him we said hi. Maybe we can go up and see him after school.”
Aunt June pursed her lips and brushed at a wayward strand of her hair. “Maybe. I’ll check with his doctor and see if it’s okay. I’ll leave you a voice mail.”
“Cool.”
Lacey appeared on the porch. She hesitated peering into the darkness. Sarah didn’t know what she was looking for and expelled an impatient sigh. Hurry up, Lace. He
r sister must have heard her telepathic message because she scampered down the steps and hustled to the car.
After she climbed in, Aunt June backed out of the driveway. Sarah stared out the window, watching the scenery rush past. It was still dark and there was no indication from the sun it was going to get any lighter. Sarah shivered and thought of her parents trying to save the Robinson boy.
Facing her aunt she asked, “What drug was that Robinson kid taking? You know the one that made him sick?”
Aunt June frowned. “I don’t know.”
“We saw a commercial last night about Piper Drugs,” Lacey said. She twirled her hair around her finger and gazed at her aunt. “They called themselves the Pied Piper of Drug companies. What do you think about that?”
“I don’t know.” Aunt June shook her head. “It sounds like they think they’re the leader and everyone else follows them.”
“So we’re up against a giant,” Sarah pointed out.
Aunt June sighed. “That’s right. Your father and the Robinson family are in a really tough position.”
“How’s that?” Lacey asked.
“Well, it’s very hard to sue a huge corporation and win. They’ve got a team of lawyers and very deep pockets, so they can afford a long, drawn out case. Most people don’t have that kind of money to spend on a lawsuit.”
“So what are saying?” Sarah asked. Her voice sounded flat and resigned to her ears.
“I’m saying if Piper Drugs plays any kind of legal games, like burying the Robinson team in paperwork, filing ludicrous motions, that kind of thing, Mr Robinson doesn’t have much chance of winning. The longer the suit is dragged out… the more money that’s spent. A lot of times that’s how big companies avoid losing lawsuits because they can out spend their opponent.”
“That really stinks.” Sarah shook her head in disgust.
“Yes it does,” Aunt June agreed.
She turned on her blinker and drove the girls up to the Jr. High. Sarah watched the building loom closer, but her thoughts were far away from school.
Images of sickly Mikey Robinson invaded her brain. She understood now why her father felt compelled to help the family and she wanted to help them too.
