BooksBarbecue
Back The Year the Maps Changed Save as PDF
Chapters (75)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Map
  6. Prologue
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. 60
  67. 61
  68. 62
  69. 63
  70. 64
  71. 65
  72. 66
  73. Acknowledgments
  74. About the Author
  75. About the Publisher

I watched while Penny moved easily around the kitchen. She’d been here a thousand times before. Her stiff leather boots squealed against the linoleum, and her leather duty belt jangled as she turned toward a cupboard. I once told Luca that he was like Harriet the Spy with that duty belt, and he said I wasn’t too far off; it held his gun in its holster, radio, handcuffs, plus a key, mini first-aid kit, a little flashlight, baton, and a whole bunch of other stuff that made a clattering sound when he walked. But he said it made him ready for just about anything.

I didn’t realize I’d been staring off into space until Penny waved a hand in front of my face, and I finally handed her the milk for the tea. Then she really looked at me and frowned.

“Hey, kiddo,” she said, and gently nudged me again. “It’ll be okay—it was just a scare. Anika’s done this all before, she knows what she needs.”

But I couldn’t shake the feeling that those ripples had started spreading again.

image

14

Be

That night when the news came on, I changed the channel quickly. I couldn’t stomach seeing the people fleeing again. Too much had happened that day, and I didn’t have enough room in my brain for them.

Anika didn’t end up having dinner with us; she only wanted toast in bed, while Luca, Sam, and I quietly ate the tuna salad that Luca had made.

When he finished, Sam asked to be excused, and then it was just Luca and me.

“That was a bit of a scare today,” he said.

I shrugged. “Yeah, but Anika’s okay, right?”

“She seems to be now.” He leaned forward and put his elbows on the dinner table, looking at me carefully. “I’m sorry if you were worried when you saw our car.”

I shrugged again, but I also suddenly felt too warm. “It’s okay.”

Luca shook his head. “I used to come home during the day all the time, in the patrol car—just to say hello, or for lunch, or to check on you and Maria. . . .”

He did. For most people, a police car in their driveway only meant bad news, but when I was growing up it just meant Luca was home. Until one day when it meant something worse.

“Hey, do you want to talk about . . . ?”

“I got detention!” I blurted, to stop Luca from saying anything else.

His eyebrows shot up. “What? Winifred—excuse me?”

I looked down at the table. “It was silly, there were these kids. . . .” I didn’t want to mention Sam or get him in trouble, so I said, “Um, they were sitting in our spot on the rocks so I pushed one of them—accidentally!—and Mr. Harvey saw, so Mr. Khouri gave me detention for two weeks.”