Free Has Anyone Seen Jessica Jenkins? by Liz Kessler

side.”
    “And somewhere he can’t slam a door in our faces,” Izzy added.
    “At the park?” I suggested.
    “Perfect,” Izzy agreed. “How about the green bench with all the graffiti by the lake?”
    “Great,” I agreed. “Plus, it’s nice and public, just in case he gets seriously annoyed with us. Tomorrow morning?”
    Tom frowned. “I’ve got Math Olympics practice tomorrow at eleven. I won’t be free till early afternoon.”
    Math Olympics is an interschool math competition, and Tom is one of the star members of our team. Most boys Tom’s age would probably do something like play soccer in the park on a Sunday, but then, Tom isn’t most boys — which is partly why Izzy and I like hanging around with him. He’s good company, even if he can be a tad geeky. And at times like this, geeky was no bad thing.
    “How about we start without you?” Izzy suggested. “Text us when you’re free and we’ll let you know where we are.”
    “Cool. I’ll meet you afterward.” Tom grinned. “Can’t wait. I don’t think I’ll be able to concentrate on math.”
    “Wow,” Izzy countered. “That would be a first!” Then she passed me the card with the scientist’s number on it. “Go ahead.”
    “Wait. Why me?” I asked.
    “I’ve spoken to him too many times already. He might recognize my voice. There’s no way he’ll talk to me after I stopped by twice
and
spilled lemonade all over him.”
    I looked at Tom. He held his hands up in front of him. “Hey, I’m just here as an adviser,” he said. “Plus, well, come on. You know me. I clam up and stammer like an idiot with people I don’t know. I think this should come from you.”
    “I suppose you’re right.” My mouth went dry as I keyed the scientist’s number into my phone.
    “You can do it,” Izzy said.
    The line rang four times before an automated voice kicked in. “I am sorry, but the person you are calling . . .”
    I put my hand over the receiver. “Voice mail.”
    Izzy grimaced. “Leave a message!”
    I calmed my breathing while the voice continued, “Please leave your message after the tone.”
    The line buzzed and went silent. I cleared my throat.
    “This is a message for the scientist at the laboratory on Albany Road,” I said, throwing a “Help me out!” look at Izzy and Tom.
    Izzy smiled encouragingly. Tom gave me a double thumbs-up. “Go on,” he whispered. “You’re doing great!”
    “It’s about the crystals,” I went on, trying to make my voice sound as confident and authoritative as possible. “And it’s about . . .” I cleared my throat again. “It’s about invisibility.”
    I glanced at Izzy and Tom again. They were both nodding vigorously.
    “I believe that we may be able to help each other. If you want to know more, come to Smeaton’s Park, tomorrow, at one o’clock. We will meet you on the graffiti-covered bench next to the lake. Please do not tell anyone about this call. Thank you.”
    I ended the call and put my phone down. My heart was hammering so hard it was giving me chest pains.
    “Fantastic,” Tom said, smiling broadly.
    “We’re on for one o’clock tomorrow,” added Izzy.
    “Yeah,” I said as I tried to gather my thoughts. The only problem was, they refused to be gathered. They were too busy turning into butterflies and chasing one another around my stomach.

    The next day at 12:55, I was standing at the park gates. Izzy arrived a couple of minutes later.
    “Sorry I kept you waiting,” she said breathlessly. “Mom made me clean my room before coming out.”
    “I haven’t been here long,” I said. “Come on, let’s get to the meeting point.”
    We reached the bench by the lake. It was empty.
    “I’m going to stay just out of sight,” Izzy said. “I don’t want the man to recognize me and leave before you’ve had a chance to talk. But I’ll be close by. OK?”
    I nodded.
    “You ready?” Izzy asked.
    “Kind of,” I said with a grimace. I sat down on the bench while she