Hide and Seek

"Not too tight, is it?"

"No, it's fine. Do me a favor, though?"

"What's that."

"Play this smart, Clan. If you find everybody as fast as you found me

it's going to be over in five minutes- and you know Casey. She'll want

another round. So if it looks that easy, play it a little stupid, will

you?" I nodded. "I'll give you a hint, though. Kim's up here

somewhere."

"Any ideas?"

"Not really. I just heard her follow me up the stairs. I think she

got rid of her shoes on the landing, because then I couldn't hear her

anymore." <

"Don't mention it. And I mean that literally. Kim would kill me."

"Don't worry."

"Casey too."

"Jesus, Steve."

"Okay, okay."

I walked out and closed the door behind me. First I tried the empty

room, though I didn't think that very likely. Steve would have heard

her if she'd come that far. Besides, there was nowhere to go but the

closet.

I was right. It was empty.

I walked down the hall, my footsteps sounding very big to me. For once

my habits paid off. I was staring down ahead of me. And there were

her sneakers right by the landing, off to one side. I'd walked right

by them before while my eyes were adjusting to the light. I picked

them up. So she was barefoot now.

I heard two sets of sounds just then. One set came from below, from

the first floor or the cellar. A voice. And then something metallic,

like something falling. Casey. Probably stumbling over something or

other.

The other sound was nearer. A scuffling in the master bedroom. It

could have been Kim, and then again it could have been mice. I opened

the door quietly and looked inside.

Something was different.