“All right, girls, let’s focus on the real problem,” Cheryl said in a faintly stern teacher-voice. “The diaries. How are we going to deal with people finding their diaries? We can’t let them randomly pull out bricks. Unless they’ve done something special to the cover, they won’t know if a diary is theirs without reading part of it. Do we really want that?”
“No,” Jax and Ryleigh said together.
They stared at each other.
“I could read them to find out whose is whose,” Cheryl offered.
“What? You can’t.” Jax shook her head. “We have to protect the secrets.”
“Yes, but I’m a retired first grade teacher and therefore trustworthy.”
A point, but Jax wasn’t sure it was a good one.
“Wait a minute,” Ryleigh said, pointing to the wall. “Most people have been writing in their diaries for years. They always put it back in the same place, so they’ll have some idea where it is.”
Jax got what she was saying. “You’re right. The sample is kept over here.” She touched a couple of bricks. “I don’t know the exact spot, but I could guess within one or two bricks.”
Ramon flew down and settled on her shoulder, then started playing with her hair.
“Right. People can point to a specific area and tell us their diary is probably there.” Ryleigh walked to the wall. “So howwould we work it? Give them a four-by-four brick area to check?”
Jax pulled a piece of chalk from her back pocket and marked a four-by-four area on the bricks. “That gives someone sixteen chances to find their diary.”
“And read someone else’s,” Cheryl murmured.
“I’m trying not to think about that. I’d like a better solution but I can’t figure one out. Plus, who gets to go first and who goes last?”
There was a moment of silence then Ryleigh blurted, “We’ll do it by lottery. We’ll write down the name of everyone who shows up to collect their diary and draw names. That way it’s random. No one gets an advantage.”
Again Jax was left feeling faintly uneasy, but didn’t have a better suggestion.
“People are going to be pissed,” she said with a sigh.
“Tell them if they’re upset, you’ll give them a complete refund,” Cheryl said firmly.
“But no one pays to store their diaries here.”
Cheryl nodded. “Exactly. That’s the point.”
“You have attitude,” Ryleigh said.
“It comes with age.”
Jax was more concerned about the broken trust the problem would create. She was a small business owner in a small town—she needed the support of her community. Still, a lottery was fair.
“Okay,” she said nodding at Cheryl. “You’ll write up the blast forPort Palmas Talksand run it past me before you post it?”
“You’ll have it within the hour.”
“I hope she likes me,” Noah said, sounding concerned as he walked with Ryleigh toward her condo. “My friend Tyler has a cat, but she’s mostly scared and hides under the bed.”
“That’s not fun for the cat. It’s too bad she’s not more comfortable. Lucy seems friendly but I don’t know if she’s ever interacted with kids before. We’ll go slow.” Ryleigh mentally crossed her fingers, hoping her new pet would warm to Noah. The boy was kind and gentle, which was a plus, and they’d already talked about him keeping his voice low and avoiding quick movements.
She opened the front door and called out, “Hey, little girl. I’m home and I brought a new friend.”
There was a moment of silence followed by a quietmuras Lucy trotted out of the bedroom, toward the front door. She came to a stop when she saw Noah, then looked between him and Ryleigh, as if seeking information or possibly reassurance.
Ryleigh set her bag on the table by the door, then walked into the living room where she sank to the floor.
