by Margaret S. Hamilton
New Yr’s Eve, Jericho, Ohio
As much as her elbows in mounds of washed lettuce and spinach within the parish corridor kitchen, Lizzie Christopher assembled massive bowls of blended salad garnished with carrot peels and dotted with sliced radishes. The parish corridor could be considered one of many occasion areas serving dinner to the townspeople on First Night time, or New Yr’s Eve, earlier than the night concert events, one-act performs, and fireworks. The entire city would end up for the family-style afternoon and night celebration.
Tommy Pfeiffer, a ten-year-old who did odd jobs round city, knocked on the kitchen door carrying two tote luggage. “Hello, Lizzie, Dolores despatched two containers of her particular salad dressing from the diner.”
Lizzie put down her vegetable peeler to simply accept the salad dressing. “Thanks, Tommy. You’re an enormous assist.”
Tommy had grown taller for the reason that summer season, his curly hair flopping over his brow. “Wish to seize a snack and stick round for a couple of minutes?”
“No thanks. I’m on my regular route, checking issues out.”
“Round one-thirty, I’ll drop by the library to examine on my children operating the crafts and chess actions. Gained’t you be a part of me?”
“Yeah, positive, I haven’t seen Phillip and Claire since day camp final summer season.” He wiped his nostril with a wadded tissue. “Will I would like a First Night time Button?”
First Night time attendees wore massive metallic buttons on their coats, which gave them admission to all of the occasions.
“I’ve an additional I’ll offer you.” Lizzie pinned it to his jacket.
“Thanks for the button.” Tommy flipped via a small pocket book earlier than he tucked it in his coat pocket.
“See ya later.”
5 minutes later, Paul Battelle, a neighborhood legal professional, carried twenty-four packs of sentimental drinks and flavored waters into the parish corridor. “Have you ever seen Tommy Pfeiffer?”
“He simply left together with his little pocket book. Tommy talked about one thing about making his regular rounds.”
Paul furrowed his forehead. “Tommy lives together with his mom and grandmother in one of many duplexes on the opposite aspect of Foremost Road. The owner, Stan Harrison, is harassing the tenants, attempting to pressure them out so he can promote the buildings as tear-downs to a developer who desires to construct luxurious flats. I requested Tommy to inform me if something is amiss, to not collect proof in opposition to his landlord.”
Lizzie smiled. “Tommy’s like me.” Her sleuthing expertise had served her nicely, notably investigating unscrupulous townspeople and their nefarious deeds.
“Harrison is in debt, determined, and actively endangering his tenants.”
“Together with Tommy’s household?”
Paul’s face turned sober. “Particularly Tommy’s household. Tommy’s mom is a succesful enterprise lady. Not solely does she run a non-profit, she organized all of the tenants to combat eviction. I assist the group with their authorized issues.”
“Tommy promised to fulfill me right here at one-thirty.” Lizzie checked her cellphone. “That provides him an hour to snoop across the duplexes.”
Paul pulled out his automobile keys. “I would like to search out him earlier than Harrison does.”
“Tommy calls himself a free-range child. I do know he carries a primary model of a cellular phone.”
Paul unlocked his cellphone. “Good thought. I’ll ask Tommy’s mom for his quantity. You may have mine. Textual content me when he reveals up.”
Lizzie peeled extra carrots and chopped what was left into tiny bits so as to add some crunch to the salads. She put plastic wrap on prime of every bowl and positioned the containers within the walk-in fridge.
Paul known as her at one, requesting her help on the duplexes, close to the intersection of Oak and First Streets.
Lizzie shrugged on her heavy down parka and wrapped a protracted scarf round her neck. She raced to Foremost Road, which was behind barricades to accommodate outside kids’s actions—ice carving, a large bubble machine, and noise parade—on the Inexperienced.
After crossing Foremost Road, she strode down a aspect road to the four-block part of city often known as “the duplexes,” two-family clapboard homes, every with a shared entrance porch, one house on every ground. Many school college students and workers members lived within the close-knit neighborhood.
Lizzie continued to the intersection of First and Oak Streets. Paul waited with Tommy subsequent to a line of fireplace vehicles and police automobiles.
“Hello, guys, what’s up?”
Paul stored his voice low. “Tommy advised me Stan Harrison minimize the fuel to a number of buildings, then entered the flats and left electrical heaters with frayed or broken cords operating full blast. Stan’s not allowed to show off the fuel—solely the utility firm can try this—and the electrical heaters signify a critical hearth hazard. All of the affected flats are unoccupied, as a result of the occupants are out of city. The police have alerted the residents who’re dwelling.”
Lizzie gasped. “But when one of many duplexes catches hearth, others will burn, too.”
“When Tommy noticed what Harrison was doing, he known as 911. Fireplace and police responded.”
“Did the police arrest Harrison?”
“They’ll’t discover him. He could also be hiding in one of many unoccupied models. He has a grasp key to all of the flats.”
Lizzie’s mouth was dry. “He is perhaps in Tommy’s house. Are you able to discretely name his mom?”
Paul stepped behind a hearth truck and made the decision. He joined Lizzie a minute later. “No reply.”
“Tommy,” Lizzie stated, “is your mother operating errands at present?”
“Nah, she’s working at dwelling. After she finishes, we’re going to one of many First Night time dinners and the fireworks.”
“What a good way to spend New Yr’s Eve,” Lizzie stated. “It’s time to ship snacks to the chess and craft applications. Wish to include me?”
“I’ve to examine on Mother and Grandma,” Tommy stated. “I’m not going wherever till I do know they’re all proper.”
“Paul, would you discover a police officer?” Lizzie requested. “Tommy, do you’ve a home key?”
He nodded, pulling out two deadbolt keys on a sequence from underneath his sweatshirt. He handed the chain to Paul. “The important thing with the blue dot is our upstairs neighbor. I’m watering their crops and taking within the mail whereas they’re out of city.”
“Thanks,” Lizzie stated. “Tommy, you stick with me. Let the police do their job.”
“Don’t that you must ship snacks to Phillip and Claire?”
“I’ll textual content them. They’ll run throughout the road from the library.” She patted his shoulder. “You and your loved ones are extra vital.” She smiled. “I do know Dolores on the diner appreciates your assist operating errands.”
“Dolores offers me take-out dinners as an alternative of paying me, so we lower your expenses on groceries. Wednesdays are greatest as a result of it’s sizzling meatloaf sandwich day.” He rubbed his nostril. “Paul isn’t again but. I would like to search out Mother and Grandma.”
“Just a bit whereas longer. First, the police must examine all of the flats for faulty electrical heaters. After which the utility firm will flip the fuel again on. Brrr. The flats should be chilly with no warmth.”
“Harrison’s carried out it earlier than,” Tommy stated. “In the summertime, he turns off the electrical energy so we are able to’t use our window air conditioners.” He paused. “What’s a fourplex?”
“It seems like a constructing with 4 flats, two on the primary ground and two on the second ground.”
“Double the flats in the identical house as a duplex. And no parking. Harrison already gained’t let Mother park within the driveway. And I’m not allowed to go away my bike on the entrance porch. Dolores retains it within the storage shed behind the diner.” Tommy chewed his lip. “Please, Lizzie, can we transfer nearer to my home?”
“Do you promise to stick with me on the sidewalk? That’s a mother query. How would you reply your mom?”
“Sure, Ma’am!”
Tommy led the way in which to his duplex. Lizzie texted Paul that they have been exterior on the sidewalk.
The grey clapboard constructing was quiet. No lights have been on. The shades on the home windows have been drawn.
“Tommy, do you reside up or down?”
“Down. Our upstairs neighbors work for the faculty.” He stared on the duplex. “Within the winter, we all the time have the shades up in the course of the day. Grandma likes the sunshine. And we are able to decrease the thermostat to save cash, too.”
Paul Battelle joined them. He knelt on the sidewalk to speak to Tommy. “Hey, buddy, we’d like your assist. You realize all of the ins and outs of your duplex, proper? Basement home windows, again doorways, what’s locked, all that great things.”
“Come on, I’ll present you.” Tommy trotted to the far aspect of the duplex. “The window on the aspect has a damaged lock. Throughout the summer season we put an air conditioner in it. The display screen lifts out.” He positioned two plastic recycling containers underneath the window and eliminated a chisel taped inside considered one of them. “You possibly can stand on the containers to achieve the window and use the chisel to pry it open. Typically Harrison locks us out of the house, however I can all the time get in.”
Paul made a name to relay the data. “Let’s stand throughout the road.”
“Did you discover Mother? The place’s Grandma?”
“They’re inside your house. The police went upstairs. They may hear Mother and Grandma speaking from downstairs.”
“Harrison’s hiding of their house, isn’t he?” Tommy requested.
“Sure. However we’re going to get him.”
Two extra hearth vehicles screamed to a cease. The firefighters jumped off the vehicles and, carrying massive hearth extinguishers, entered the entrance door to the upstairs unit in Tommy’s constructing.
“There’s a hearth within the house! I must get Mother and Grandma out.” Tommy began to run after the firefighters.
Lizzie grabbed Tommy’s arm. He may transfer at warp pace. Quickest mile runner at day camp. “Tommy, please keep put. My job is conserving you secure.”
He shifted his shoulders. “I do know, I do know.” His eyes teared. “However Mother and Grandma are trapped inside with Harrison. He would possibly damage them.”
Lizzie whispered in his ear. “Your mother is a robust, succesful lady. Belief her.”
Tommy gulped. “Yeah, she lifts weights and does kickboxing.”
The entrance door of Tommy’s house burst open and Stan Harrison emerged. He stumbled down the steps and headed straight for Lizzie and Tommy.
“Tommy, let’s get him!” Lizzie wrapped the strap of her crossbody bag round her hand and charged.
Tommy dove for considered one of Harrison’s legs and held on, not shedding his grip, irrespective of how a lot Harrison kicked.
Lizzie whirled her bag in a circle and slung it into Harrison’s head. He crashed to the bottom. She put her mountain climbing boot-clad foot firmly on his again. “Paul, I may use some assist.”
Paul added his foot to Harrison’s again. “I didn’t study this in legislation faculty.”
“You must get out extra,” Lizzie stated.
Two law enforcement officials took over, cuffing Harrison earlier than guiding him inside a patrol automobile.
Tommy’s mother and grandma emerged from the house. “Tommy, are you all proper?”
Lizzie known as to them. “Seize your coats and boots, girls. I’ll take you for a cup of sizzling espresso.”
She hugged Tommy. “We’ll drop you off on the lightning chess event.”
“Checkmate and blissful new yr!” Tommy raced to greet his mom and grandmother.
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