Page 118 of Grave Danger

“Yasmin,” she said, louder this time. “I’m not fooling around. Open the door, please.”

Zahra could hear the television playing in the other room, which did nothing to ease her concern. She listened more intently, blocking out the noise of the TV show, straining to hear any other sound. She thought she heard Yasmin’s voice.

“Yasmin!” she shouted. “Who are you talking to? Open the door!”

She heard footfalls on the other side of the door. Someone was coming.

“Just a minute, Mommy.”

Zahra felt a moment of relief, then anger. “No, not ‘just a minute.’ Open the door. Now!”

She could hear Yasmin climbing up on the chair in the foyer. Zahra pulled the door shut, and the chain rattled off the slide on the other side. She pushed the door open quickly but carefully, so as not to knock Yasmin off the chair. Zahra hugged Yasmin, then looked her squarely in the eye and shared some tough love.

“What were you doing?”

“When?”

“Don’t give me ‘when.’ Who told you to put the chain on the door?”

“Nobody.”

“Were you talking to someone?”

“When?”

“Yasmin, stop asking me when! I heard you talking.”

“I was on the phone.”

Zahra’s heart skipped a beat. “Myphone?”

“Yeah, I wanted to play a game. I found your phone in the bedroom.”

“The phone that was wrapped in aluminum foil?”

“Yeah. It was like a present.”

“It’s not apresent. You weren’t supposed to use it!”

“I just used it to play a game.”

“So, you were talkingtothe phone? Is that part of the game?”

“No, I wasonthe phone. It rang, so I answered it.”

“Yasmin, no! Who called?”

Her shoulders slumped. “You’re going to be mad at me.”

“No, I won’t be mad—madder. Who were you talking to?”

Yasmin hesitated. “Mr. Swyteck.”

Zahra kept control. Better Jack than the police. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing,” Zahra said quietly.

“Did you tell him where we are?”