Free Tonight You're Mine by Carlene Thompson

young, Shelley had possessed a strong sense of logic. “Jesse saw the monster, too!”
    Jesse looked at Nicole and emitted two sharp yips, as if in agreement.
    Nicole sat down on the floor, legs folded, and pulled Shelley onto her lap. “All right, tell me what this monster looked like.”
    â€œWell, not like Dracula or Frankenstein or any of your famous monsters,” Shelley explained solemnly. “Also not like an alien with a great big head and huge black eyes.”
    â€œMaybe it was a dog.”
    â€œA dog! I wouldn’t be scared of a dog !” Shelley said disdainfully. “But it did have pointy ears and lots of hair on its face like a wolf, but not a nice wolf like White Fang in the movie. But…” She frowned ferociously, thinking. “I saw something like it on television once with Daddy. It was an old movie and he laughed and laughed. He said the name was I Was a Teenager Wolf .”
    â€œ I Was a Teenage Werewolf ?”
    â€œYeah, that’s it. Whenever there was a full moon, this real cute boy turned into a really awful-looking wolf and tore people apart.”
    â€œSo you think you saw a werewolf.”
    â€œYes. Should we call the police?”
    â€œI don’t think the police would come. They might not believe us. Besides, the monster seems to be gone. Maybe I could go outside and look around—”
    â€œ No! ” Shelley exclaimed, clutching at Nicole. “It could be hiding out there.”
    Nicole thought, The child is showing more common sense than I am.
    â€œWe’ll pull down the shade.” She lowered the patterned window blind beneath the sheer organdy curtains. “That way no one, neither man nor beast, can look in. Tomorrow, when the sun’s out, I’ll check around. Okay?”
    â€œOkay, but I still think you should call Detective DeSoto.”
    â€œDetective DeSoto?” Nicole said in surprise. “How do you know who he is?”
    â€œI heard you talking to him at Grandma’s.”
    â€œWere you eavesdropping?”
    â€œNo, honest !” Shelley protested, having been warned against the impoliteness of eavesdropping. “I was just walking by and I heard him say something about other cops, like he was one, too. Besides, he looks like a policeman.”
    â€œHow do you know what a policeman looks like?”
    â€œI watch TV,” Shelley said indignantly. “I think he looks kind of like Bobby Simone on NYPD Blue .”
    â€œYou mean the actor Jimmy Smits?” Nicole’s mouth dropped. “Have you been watching NYPD Blue ?”
    â€œWell…uh…yeah.”
    â€œWhere? At your father’s?”
    â€œNo, here.”
    â€œHere! When ?”
    â€œOh, sometimes when I can’t sleep,” Shelley said airily.
    â€œI never heard you watching television after nine o’clock.”
    â€œEarphones, Mom. You bought them for me.”
    â€œObviously a mistake.” Nicole paused. “Do you really think Raymond DeSoto looks like Jimmy Smits?”
    â€œAbsolutely.”
    â€œI don’t see it. He’s not as handsome as Smits.”
    â€œBut he is cute, Mom.”
    â€œWell, yes. Also, he’s a sergeant, not just a detective.”
    Nicole jerked her mind back to the issue of television. “But that’s not the point NYPD Blue is too grown-up for you.”
    â€œI understand it. I’m not a little girl, Mommy. I’m almost ten. Anyway,” continued Shelley, master of changing the subject, “Sergeant DeSoto looked nice.”
    â€œYes, he did.”
    â€œI bet he’d believe us about the werewolf and come.”
    â€œMaybe, but he’s probably not on duty. Besides, I don’t think we need a policeman tonight. Right now we both need sleep. Remember, you’re spending tomorrow with Daddy.”
    Shelley sighed. “Do I have to?”
    â€œCome on, Shel. You promised not to be mad at Daddy because he