* Jane's Apartment * *
Nicki groaned and groaned. "You want me to watch a fifteen-year-old
girl?"
Jane nodded. "For cash . . . and I'm sure you need it. You don't have
a job."
"I know I don't, but I remember me at fifteen. Addicted to fluffy
music and watch Boy Meets World reruns."
Jane gave Nicki a look. Then, the doorbell rang. "That'd be her, you
be nice. I'll be here for a while before I go meet Sam."
Nicki nodded and plopped down on the couch. Jane opened the door; the
girl was about five foot-seven inches, with brunette hair and
mysteriously robotic aqua eyes. "You must be Carli."
Carli nodded. "Yup, that's me. Jane Porter?" her eyebrow shot up.
"Yeah, that's Nicki. She's your baby---"
"She's not my babysitter, you're my watcher," Carli corrected. "I'm
only here because Andy and Emma are totally twitching about my safety."
The only reason I am here is to lead you on the trail that Andy and Emma
are watching John for a while, she thought.
"OK," Jane said. "Why don't you sit on the couch with Nicki? I'll be
right back."
Carli didn't say anything but nodded and walked to the couch and sat
down. Nicki turned around and faced Carli. "So . . . where did you used
to live?"
"L.A."
"You don't look like Andy much," Jane replied as she unplugged her
cell phone, she rapidly changed her mind about staying for a while.
"We're adopted," Carli said, she was used to telling a lie about their
heritage.
"So, what kind of music do you like?" Nicki asked. "Hilary Duff?"
Carli almost choked on herself. "No!" she exclaimed. "Good Charlotte
and Fefe Dobson."
"I like Good Charlotte and Fefe Dobson too!" Nicki said.
Well, duh, sweetheart. I read your mind. But Fefe Dobson is cool,
Carli thought. "No way!"
Kathleen's Apartment
Jane walked through the jungle looking greenhouse. "John?" she asked.
"Are you there?"
She heard the trees' leaves ruffling. "John?" she repeated.
There was a whoosh and then John was crouched on the ground after he
landed from the tall platform above the trees. Jane stepped back a
little.
"John, there you are," she mentioned.
John looked deep into her eyes and his eyebrows inched closer to the
top of his nose. "You're worried," he stated.
Jane nodded. "A girl, she's missing from her home. She was taken while
she was sleeping."
John nodded solemnly; he was a little disappointed that Jane came just
to tell about a girl. But she's in trouble. Jane would like it if he
helped. "I can help you find her."
Nicki groaned and groaned. "You want me to watch a fifteen-year-old
girl?"
Jane nodded. "For cash . . . and I'm sure you need it. You don't have
a job."
"I know I don't, but I remember me at fifteen. Addicted to fluffy
music and watch Boy Meets World reruns."
Jane gave Nicki a look. Then, the doorbell rang. "That'd be her, you
be nice. I'll be here for a while before I go meet Sam."
Nicki nodded and plopped down on the couch. Jane opened the door; the
girl was about five foot-seven inches, with brunette hair and
mysteriously robotic aqua eyes. "You must be Carli."
Carli nodded. "Yup, that's me. Jane Porter?" her eyebrow shot up.
"Yeah, that's Nicki. She's your baby---"
"She's not my babysitter, you're my watcher," Carli corrected. "I'm
only here because Andy and Emma are totally twitching about my safety."
The only reason I am here is to lead you on the trail that Andy and Emma
are watching John for a while, she thought.
"OK," Jane said. "Why don't you sit on the couch with Nicki? I'll be
right back."
Carli didn't say anything but nodded and walked to the couch and sat
down. Nicki turned around and faced Carli. "So . . . where did you used
to live?"
"L.A."
"You don't look like Andy much," Jane replied as she unplugged her
cell phone, she rapidly changed her mind about staying for a while.
"We're adopted," Carli said, she was used to telling a lie about their
heritage.
"So, what kind of music do you like?" Nicki asked. "Hilary Duff?"
Carli almost choked on herself. "No!" she exclaimed. "Good Charlotte
and Fefe Dobson."
"I like Good Charlotte and Fefe Dobson too!" Nicki said.
Well, duh, sweetheart. I read your mind. But Fefe Dobson is cool,
Carli thought. "No way!"
Kathleen's Apartment
Jane walked through the jungle looking greenhouse. "John?" she asked.
"Are you there?"
She heard the trees' leaves ruffling. "John?" she repeated.
There was a whoosh and then John was crouched on the ground after he
landed from the tall platform above the trees. Jane stepped back a
little.
"John, there you are," she mentioned.
John looked deep into her eyes and his eyebrows inched closer to the
top of his nose. "You're worried," he stated.
Jane nodded. "A girl, she's missing from her home. She was taken while
she was sleeping."
John nodded solemnly; he was a little disappointed that Jane came just
to tell about a girl. But she's in trouble. Jane would like it if he
helped. "I can help you find her."