Darlene found Lena stacking chairs fifteen minutes later.
“Does she do that often?” she asked.
“She has been doing it more often lately.”
Darlene watched the theater students through the open doorway.
“My youngest actor asked whether the building was going to collapse.”
Lena put down the chair she was carrying.
“I’m sorry.”
“You didn’t tell him that.”
“I was part of the argument he heard.”
Darlene considered her for a moment.
“Then you can help me explain the difference between a real emergency and a person using the word emergency.”
Lena agreed.
After rehearsal, she spoke to the children with Darlene present.


She did not describe the traps or name Celia.
She told them that if a grown-up warned them about a hazard, they should move somewhere safe and ask a trusted adult for help.
One boy asked whether a person could pretend something was dangerous.
“Yes,” Lena answered.
“That doesn’t mean you should ignore warnings.”
“How do we know?” he asked.
“You don’t have to solve every mystery yourself,” she said.
“You have to know who can help you check.”
The boy thought about that.
“Like our teacher?”
“Exactly.”
Darlene thanked Lena after the children left.
“That was much less dramatic than what happened in the lobby,

” she said.
“I was hoping for less dramatic.”
Darlene smiled.
“Then you’ve come to the wrong theater.”

Chapter Thirteen N: The Night the Street Went Dark

The lights on Alder Street failed shortly after nine on Tuesday evening.
Lena was washing dishes when the kitchen went black.
A few seconds later, a generator started somewhere down the block.
She dried her hands and checked her phone.
The utility company reported a localized outage affecting three streets.
Lena lit a battery lantern and called Tomas to let him know she was fine.
He answered on the second ring.
“You sound too cheerful for someone sitting in the dark,

” he said.
“I have a lantern and a half-finished crossword.”
“Are you going to tell me what happened with the neighbor?”
“When you stop asking the question as though it has a short answer.”
Tomas laughed, then grew serious.
“You left your old job because you were exhausted.”
“I remember.”
“You don’t have to turn every problem into your responsibility.”
Lena looked toward the dark window.
“I didn’t create this problem.”
“I know.”
“But I live here.”
Tomas was quiet for a moment.
“Call me if you need a place to stay.”
“I will.”
She ended the call and went to check the front porch.


A child was crying somewhere near the corner.
Lena took the lantern outside and found Maisie standing beside Ben’s front steps.
Ben was trying to open a stuck garage door manually while his wife, Nia, searched for a flashlight.
Maisie had dropped a glass jar and frightened herself with the noise.
Lena set the lantern on the sidewalk.
“Nobody is hurt?” she asked.
Nia shook her head.
“Just startled.”
Lena helped them gather the broken glass without letting Maisie approach it.
Ben finally released the garage door and retrieved a battery lamp.
Across the street, Celia’s porch remained dark.
Her front door was open a few inches.


Ruth appeared at her own gate carrying a flashlight.
“Has anyone checked on her?” she asked.
Ben looked uncomfortable.
“I haven’t.”
Lena said she would knock from the sidewalk while Ruth stayed nearby.
Celia answered after several minutes.
She looked pale and angry.
“What do you want?” she demanded.
“The power is out,” Lena said.
“We were checking whether you needed anything.”
“I can manage my own house.”
“All right.”
Lena turned to leave.
Celia called after her.
“You think this makes you look generous.”
Lena stopped.
“No,” she said.
“It means the power is out.”
She returned to Ruth without another word.