Part One
Carol packed the way one would expect a librarian to pack—not that her clothes were arranged by the Dewey Decimal system, but everything was rolled tight and fit perfectly. When the small black bag was zipped shut, Lewis never would have guessed that it contained almost everything his mother owned.
“Where are you going?” Lewis asked.
“I’ve killed someone,” said Carol. “I have to hide.”
“What? Who did you kill?” Lewis asked, although he already knew. Betty basically cut her own head off with the paper cutter when she started that campaign to ban Harry Potter books.
“I don’t want to incriminate you.”
“I’m a lawyer, mom. I know my way through an interrogation.” Lewis picked up a copy of Alice in Wonderland that lay on the bed. He hadn’t read that book since he was a child and still, all he could remember was the cartoon. “Where will you go?”
Carol took the book from Lewis’s hands and flipped it open to the page where Alice follows the rabbit down the hole. “I’m going there,” she said.
“Where? Down the rabbit hole?”
“Yes. I’ll be safe there.”
“How do you know? Alice faces her own dangers.”
“True, but she’s alright in the end, isn’t she?”
“Yes, I guess she is.”
“They’ll ask you where I’ve gone.”
“Don’t worry. They wouldn’t believe me anyway.”
Carol laughed. “I suppose they wouldn’t.” She placed the book open on the floor. “Goodbye,” she said and stepped into the story.
***
Part Two
Lewis had just enough time to close the book behind his mother and tuck it under his arm before he heard the solid knock of a policeman at the front door.
He opened the door to find nearly 52 men in the front yard. The detective standing on the stoop held up a badge and said, “We’re looking for Carol Hodges.”
“So am I,” said Lewis. “She’s not here.”
“You won’t mind if my men take a look around?”
“Of course not.” Lewis stepped aside, and the detective dealt his men into the house.
“What are you reading?” the detective asked as he pulled Carol’s hiding place from Lewis’s dry armpit.
“Alice In Wonderland.” said Lewis.
“You know,” said the detective as he flipped through the pages, “I never read the book. Just saw that cartoon when I was a kid. Can I borrow this?”
“Well, I wasn’t finished…”
“It’s funny. Since this librarian hunt began, I’ve been reading more. Used to be more of a TV guy, but shit, books can be pretty wild too.”
“Yeah, they can be.”
An officer approached the detective and announced that Carol was not on the premises.
“Didn’t think we’d find her here. Mr. Hodges, if you think of where your mother might have gone give me a call. Here’s my card.” The detective shuffled his men back together and headed out the door. He held the book above his head and said, “Thanks for the loan!”
“Mom always wished the police department would read more,” Lewis said to the detective in retreat.
