“J.J. seems fine, but I’m worried about Jill. She’s been very quiet. I told you about that cut on her hand? Well, it’s not healing right.”
“I’m sure her parents will keep an eye on it this weekend. If it gets worse, they can take her to the doctor.” Kristofer licked a spot of jam from his finger. “Speaking of things getting worse, the tap in the bathroom is dripping again. I’ll fix it today.”
The hardware store was next to Kristofer’s favorite pizza place, and he often looked for an excuse to pop into the former so he could patronize the latter. Una smiled. “So, you’re having two slices of pepperoni for lunch. I should go to the library early because you’ll need the car.”
“You know me too well. Want anything from the market while I’m out?”
“Some cod? I thought we’d have baked fish with our bread tonight.”
Kristofer removed a little notepad from his pocket and turned to a fresh page. “Any fruit? You haven’t had a nectarine yet this summer.”
Una laughed. “You knowmeso well. Pick whatever looks good. A little sunshine on a rainy day.”
After breakfast, Una folded the laundry she’d started in between her first and second cups of tea. When all the clotheswere put away, she glanced at the clock. The library would be opening in fifteen minutes, and Una planned to be there the moment Mrs. Stapleton unlocked the door.
She packed her library books in her tote bag and zipped up her raincoat. After tying the strings of her rain bonnet under her chin, she rooted around in the hall closet for her umbrella, then shouted good-bye to Kristofer.
The wipers of her VW Bug swished furiously as she drove from Cold Harbor to Greenlawn. She pulled into the library lot, parked the car, and hurried to the front door. Though the library had been open for only three minutes, Una was not the first patron inside. That honor belonged to a twelve-year-old girl in a dripping yellow slicker, wet jeans, and soggy sneakers.
“Jill!” Una cried. “You’re soaked.”
Jill passed a hand over her damp forehead. “I rode my bike here.”
That’s almost three miles, thought Una.Why would she make such a trip in the rain?
Mrs. Stapleton came out from behind the circulation desk carrying a towel. She handed it to Jill. “It’s not pretty, but it’s clean.”
“Thanks, Mrs. Stapleton. Sorry about the carpet.”
Una looked down and saw shoe prints dampening the smoke-gray carpet.
“That’ll dry in no time. The carpet can handle anything except for gum, and I haven’t caught you with a piece of Bazooka since you were Justin’s age.” Mrs. Stapleton cocked her head. “Are kids still chewing Bazooka? Or am I hopelessly out of touch?”
“I like Bubble Yum, but J.J. likes Bazooka because of the comic.”
Mrs. Stapleton grinned. “Me, too. Now, is there something I can help you find or are you just browsing?”
Jill fidgeted with the zipper pull on her jacket. “I’m looking for books on Medusa.”
The librarian’s gaze slid over to the wooden card catalog drawers. “I think you’ve already read most of our Greek mythology books.”
“What about monsters like her? From other places besides Greece.”
The librarian nodded enthusiastically. “Sure, sure. You can check out myths from other cultures first and then see what we’ve got in the fables and folklore section. So, you’ll start in 291 and end up in 398.2.”
“Okay.”
Jill was about to move off when Mrs. Stapleton grabbed her arm. “Why don’t you leave your jacket with me? I’ll hang it on the coatrack, and by the time you’re ready to head home, it’ll be nice and dry.”
Shucking off her jacket, Jill flashed Una a small, apologetic smile before hustling away.
“That child and her creatures. Gorgons. Sharks. Dragons. I remember when she was obsessed with unicorns.” A wistful expression came over Mrs. Stapleton’s features. Then, she sighed and beckoned for Una to follow her to her office. “I hope you didn’t ride a bike because I’ve got a whole box of stuff for you, which you’re welcome to take home. All I ask is that you’re gentle with my father’s papers. They were very important to him.”
“I’ll be very careful. Thank you for trusting me with his things.”
In her office, Mrs. Stapleton pointed at a cardboard box markeddad’s research—cold harborand said, “I don’t know what you’re looking for, and I don’t think anything in here will explain what happened to those boys, but if there’s the slightest chance it can help, then it’s worth the effort. Now,if you’ll excuse me, I need to get back on the floor. I’m by myself until noon and I have a pile of returns to process.”
Picking up the box, Una trailed after the librarian. When they reached the circulation desk, Una said, “May I leave this here for a minute? I want to see if I can give Jill a ride home.”
