and flew out the front door with Doug.
Then I did something very, very stupid.
I ran out to my truck, grabbed a fire extinguisher from behind the driver’s seat, and ran back into the house. Halfway down the steps to the basement, the smoke became so thick I couldn’t see. I got to the bottom step, running my hand along the makeshift two-by-four banister to guide me there, and thought if I started spraying blindly from the extinguisher, I’d hit the source of the fire and save the place.
Really dumb.
I immediately started to cough and my eyes began to sting. When I turned to retreat back up the stairs, I couldn’t find them. I stuck out my free hand and swept it from side to side, looking for the railing.
I hit something softer than wood. An arm.
“Come on, you stupid son of a bitch,” Doug growled, grabbing hold of me. He was on the bottom step, and pulled me toward it.
We came out the front door together, coughing and hacking, as the first fire truck was coming around the corner. Minutes after that, the place was fully engulfed.
“Don’t tell Sheila I went in,” I said to Doug, still wheezing. “She’d kill me.”
“And so she should, Glenny,” Doug said.
Other than the foundation, there wasn’t much left of the place once the fire was out. Everything was with the insurance company now, and if they didn’t come through, the thousands it would cost to rebuild would be coming out of my pocket. Little wonder I’d been staring at the ceiling for hours in the dead of night.
I’d never been hit with anything like this before. It hadn’t just scared me, losing a project to fire. It had shaken my confidence. If I was about anything, it was getting things right, doing a quality job.
“Shit happens,” Doug had said. “We pick ourselves up and move on.”
I wasn’t feeling that philosophical. And it wasn’t Doug’s name on the side of the truck.
I thought maybe I should eat something, so I slid my plate of lasagna into the microwave. I sat down at the kitchen table and picked away at it. The inside was still cold, but I couldn’t be bothered to put it back in. Lasagna was one of Sheila’s specialties, and if it weren’t for the fact that I had so much on my mind, I would have been devouring it, even cold. Whenever she made it in her browny-orange baking pan-Sheila would say it was “persimmon”-there was always enough for two or three meals, so we’d be having lasagna again in a couple of nights, maybe even for Saturday lunch. That was okay with me.
I ate less than half, rewrapped it, and put the plate in the fridge. Kelly was under her covers, her bedside light on, when I peeked into her room. She’d been reading a Wimpy Kid book.
“Lights out, sweetheart.”
“Is Mom home?” she asked.
“No.”
“I need to talk to her.”
“About what?”
“Nothing.”
I nodded. When Kelly had something on her mind, it was usually her mother she talked to. Even though she was only eight, she had questions about boys, and love, and the changes she knew were coming in a few years. These were, I had to admit, not my areas of expertise.
“Don’t be mad,” she said.
“I’m not mad.”
“Some things are just easier to talk to Mom about. But I love you guys the same.”
“Good to know.”
“I can’t get to sleep until she gets home.”
That made two of us.
“Put your head down on the pillow. You might nod off anyway.”
“I won’t.”
“Turn off the light and give it a shot.”
Kelly reached over and turned off her lamp. I kissed her forehead and gently closed the door as I slipped out of her room.
Another hour went by. I tried Sheila’s cell six more times. I was back and forth between my office basement and the kitchen. The trip took me past the front door, so I could keep glancing out to the driveway.
Just after eleven, standing in the kitchen, I tried her friend Ann Slocum. Someone picked up long enough to stop the ringing, then replaced the receiver. Ann’s husband, Darren, I was guessing. That would be his style. But then again, I was calling late.
Next I called Sheila’s other friend, Belinda. They’d worked together years ago, for the library, but stayed close even after their career paths went in different directions. Belinda was a real estate agent now. Not the greatest time to be in that line of work. A lot more people wanted to sell these days than buy. Despite Belinda’s unpredictable schedule, she and Sheila managed to get together for lunch every couple of weeks, sometimes with Ann, sometimes not.
Her husband, George, answered sleepily, “Hello?”
“George, Glen Garber. Sorry to call so late.”
“Glen, jeez, what time is it?”
“It’s late, I know. Can I talk to Belinda?”
I heard some muffled chatter, some shifting about, then Belinda came on the line. “Glen, is everything okay?”
“Sheila’s really late getting back from her night class thing, and she’s not answering her cell. You haven’t heard from her, have you?”
“What? What are you talking about? Say that again?” Belinda sounded instantly panicked.
“Has Sheila been in touch? She’s usually back from her course by now.”
“No. When did you last talk to her?”
“This morning,” I said. “You know Sally, at the office?”
“Yeah.”
“Her dad passed away and I called Sheila to let her know.”
“So you haven’t talked to her pretty much all day?” There was an edge in Belinda’s voice. Not accusing, exactly, but something.
“Listen, I didn’t call to get you all upset. I just wondered if you’d heard from her is all.”
“No, no, I haven’t,” Belinda said. “Glen, please have Sheila call me the minute she gets in, okay? I mean, now that you’ve got me worrying about her, too, I need to know she got in okay.”
“I’ll tell her. Tell George I’m sorry about waking you guys up.”
“For sure you’ll have her call me.”
“Promise,” I said.
I hung up, went upstairs to Kelly’s door and opened it a crack. “You asleep?” I asked, poking my head in.
From the darkness, a chirpy “Nope.”
“Throw on some clothes. I’m going to look for Mom. And I can’t leave you alone in the house.”
She flicked on her bedside lamp. I thought she’d argue, tell me she was old enough to stay in the house, but instead she asked, “What’s happened?”
“I don’t know. Probably nothing. My guess is your mom’s having a coffee and can’t hear her phone. But maybe she got a flat tire or something. I want to drive the route she usually takes.”
“Okay,” she said instantly, throwing her feet onto the floor. She wasn’t worried. This was an adventure. She pulled some jeans on over her pajamas. “I need two secs.”
I went back downstairs and got my coat, made sure I had my cell. If Sheila did call the house once we were gone, my cell would be next. Kelly hopped into the truck, did up her belt, and said, “Is Mom going to be in trouble?”
I glanced over at her as I turned the ignition. “Yeah. She’s going to be grounded.”
Kelly giggled. “As if,” she said.
Once we were out of the driveway and going down the street, I asked Kelly, “Did your mom say anything
