Saving Gracie by Terry Lee Read Free Book Online Page B

her head. “Newcomers have to get clearance from a higher-up.”
    Quinlan’s mind ran full-throttle. “Well, you can do that, can’t you?”
    Ruby thought a minute, rolling the wad of gum from one cheek to the other. She slowly nodded as Quinlan’s words hit their intended target. Her chest ballooned outward. “Yeah, I could, couldn’t I?”
    “Of course you can. You’re way up there.” Ego boosting seemed to work wonders with this…well, Ruby.
    “I am moving in that direction,” Ruby lifted her chin.
    “C’mon, you can do it.” Quinlan schmoozed. “Just crosswords, I promise,” she said, crossing her fingers behind her back. “And besides, you’re the smartest dude around.” Had she just said dude? Don’t push it, goof ball, she warned herself.
    Luckily, Ruby didn’t seem to catch on to the suck-up routine. “Crossword puzzles, eh?” The larger woman surveyed the mostly empty library. Smack. Bubble. Pop. She sat back down.
    “And recipes,” Quinlan quickly added, trying to think what else she could cross. How many little lies equal one big fat one?
    “Okay. It’s like this,” Ruby began. “You take your CI card and swipe it here.” Ruby pointed to a small slot on the side of the hard drive.
    “What’s a CI card?”
    “Your CI card!” Ruby shot Quinlan a good-grief look. “The little plastic card in your welcome packet…looks like AMEX Platinum?”
    “Oh, right.” And the hits just keep on coming. Quinlan mentally scratched her head. What in the heck had she done with her welcome packet?
    “That’s your Celestial Internet card. After you swipe it, just do this.” Ruby typed www.earth-viewing.com in the box on the screen and hit enter. An atlas map of planet Earth appeared.
    “Pretty easy, huh?” she beamed, looking smug.
    Bingo, Quinlan thought, scribbling furious mental notes. “Then what?”
    “Anything you want.”
    “You are brilliant.” Quinlan’s mental hard-drive downloaded at top speed.
    “Watch this.” Ruby clicked on the United States. Then, Illinois. Chicago. Then, U.S. Cellular Field. From there, she edged the cursor to the corner of the screen and clicked an icon.
    Quinlan swallowed hard. A live baseball game displayed on the screen. Pay dirt. Ruby had not only let her guard down, she’d kicked it clean to the curb.
    “I don’t believe it.” Quinlan worked hard to keep her voice even.
    “Yep, sad but true,” Ruby answered.
    “What do you mean?”
    “The Sox are getting their butts kicked.” Ruby shook her head and watched the last White Sox batter strike out to end the game. She logged off the computer. “I’m depressed. Let’s get outta here.”
    “Unbelievable.” Quinlan exited the library behind Ruby, her mind reeling.
    “I know.” Ruby dropped blue-tinted sunglasses on her nose. “They got creamed. At least they weren’t playing Detroit.”
    “What’s wrong with Detroit?”
    “Nothing, if you’re Mr. George,” Ruby said. “That’s his team.”
    “I don’t think I’ve met Mr. George.” Quinlan shaded her eyes against the sun.
    “You will.”
    Quinlan hid a smile, not giving Mr. George a second thought.

CHAPTER 9
    QUINLAN
     
    Leaving Ruby at the curb chewing her Juicy Fruit, Quinlan waved a quick goodbye and took off for Moon Shell Drive, nearly popping a lung racing back to the cottage. She needed time before Meghan returned.
    She threw her book bag across the bed and dove into a pile of plastic bags and open boxes at the bottom of her closet. With wild-woman determination, Quinlan tore through the pile until she found an unopened 9" x 12" manila envelope with the magic words on the front, Welcome Packet .
    Quinlan ripped open the envelope, dumping the contents on the floor. She pawed through the items until her hand touched smooth plastic coating. Her heart pounding, she clasped at the laminated card.
    “Yes. Oh thank you, thank you, thank you.” Quinlan jumped to her feet, doing her version of a victory dance. All she needed