Now You See Me ... by Jane B. Mason Read Free Book Online

replied. Abby was the queen of putting the cart before the horse.
    â€œThe seed has been planted,” Abby said with a knowing smile. She turned toward the door.
    â€œYou’re such a pest,” Lena teased, lightly pinching her on the arm and following behind. Abby was just reaching for the door handle when a crash echoed from the back of the room.
    Lena knew what had happened before she turnedto look. One of the pictures had fallen off the wall. But which one? Glancing back, she felt her stomach tighten. It was the coffee stain photo she’d just been admiring. The glass in the frame had shattered, and Lena felt her nerves splinter right along with it.
    â€œGoodness!” came a voice as a tall, salt-and-pepper-haired man appeared and rushed to the back wall of the gallery. “What happened here?” he asked the air.
    The girls watched as he stooped to examine the photo and lean it carefully against the wall. Then he disappeared again, presumably to get a broom.
    â€œLet’s go,” Abby whispered.
    Lena thought maybe they should stay, but since they weren’t anywhere near the photo when it fell they obviously weren’t responsible, and the man clearly had the situation under control. Nodding, she followed her friend back into the heat.
    The girls unlocked their bikes and rode side by side up Fourth Street. Neither of them spoke. Lena tried to think happy thoughts, but the spooky mood from earlier in the day was oozing back in, like horror movie slime.
    â€œHey,” Abby suddenly said, breaking the silence and looking like she’d just had a brain wave. “Weshould have a sleepover tonight. Tomorrow’s the last free day before school starts, so our parents can’t say no.”
    Lena hesitated. They had sleepovers all the time, of course. But Lena knew she wouldn’t be very good company. Plus, she had no interest in staying up late. She really just wanted to sleep.
    â€œCome on. We have to live a little before it’s back to the grind,” Abby urged.
    â€œSounds good,” Lena finally replied. It didn’t really, but it did sound better than staying home alone — her parents had plans to go out.
    â€œPerfect. I’ll just gather a few things, get the all-clear from the ‘rents, and see you back at your place.” Abby waved and split off down her own street.
    â€œPerfect,” Lena echoed. But she felt far from it.
    When Abby showed up at the Giffs’ a few hours later, Lena was still in a fog.
    â€œDon’t you ever take that thing off?” Abby wrinkled her nose and pointed at the Impulse as she breezed into the living room. She dropped her bag and her backside on the couch.
    â€œWhat thing?” Lena asked. She glanced down and saw that the camera was still hanging around her neck. She hadn’t even realized it was there, that she’d been wandering around the house with it all afternoon. “I was just about to grab a shot of my dad’s jam,” she lied. “You should see it.”
    Abby followed Lena into the kitchen, where rows of gleaming jam-filled jars lined the counters, waiting for labels. The last batch was still hot, the jars sitting upside down to prevent bacteria from growing.
    â€œCome to admire my handiwork?” Mr. Giff asked, sauntering into the kitchen dressed for a night out and wearing a wide smile. “Hello, my beauties,” he greeted his jam, patting the bottom of a hot jar.
    Lena rolled her eyes and decided not to point out that he was going to be
eating
his little beauties in the very near future.
    Mr. Giff dropped some cash on the counter for pizza and turned back to the girls. “I didn’t see you in jam class today, Abby. You really should come help me and learn some of my tricks. I don’t offer my jam-making secrets to just anyone, you know.” His eyes twinkled.
    â€œI totally want to make jam with you, Mr. G. Wejust got, uh, a little distracted