Wendy shook the gate at the bottom of the staircase to make sure it was secure. She had just installed the large fixture to keep the boys at Mrs. Nancy's from going upstairs. The fire had done a lot of damage to the second floor, but it wasn't beyond repair. Mrs. Nancy's home insurance would cover the costs of fixing everything back up, but until that time they had to rearrange the rooms so that everyone could stay downstairs.
Wendy was immensely glad that no one had been harmed, but she wasn't sure how things would be going forward. They might have to send some of the boys to other homes, and they'd have to take action with Trevor. His antics in the past had been mostly harmless, but they couldn't ignore the gravity of this last infraction.
"Wendy, could you come here a moment?" Mrs. Nancy called from the kitchen. Wendy inspected the gate one more time and then headed down the hall. She found Mrs. Nancy in the far corner of the kitchen where the woman had partitioned off a living space for herself until her room upstairs was habitable. There was a small bed and a desk covered with papers. The woman had deep circles under her eyes, and her usually cheery expression was replaced by one of defeat.
"I'm putting some new safety procedures into effect," Mrs. Nancy said, handing Wendy a folder. "Would you take a look at those and make sure I haven't missed anything?"
"Of course." Wendy started to open the folder, but Mrs. Nancy kept talking.
"I'm also going to install cameras throughout the house so I can monitor the boys' behavior." She made a face, as if spying on the boys were the last thing she wanted to do. "In addition, I've got to put locks on all the doors and cabinets..." she trailed off, closing her eyes and breathing heavily.
"Mrs. Nancy, are you alright?" Wendy started forward, alarmed at the woman's demeanor.
Mrs. Nancy waved her off. "No, no, I'm fine. It's just..." her lip quivered, "I don't know if I can do this anymore." Tears spilled down Mrs. Nancy's cheeks. "I love these boys, and I love providing a place for them when they have nowhere else to go, but this is just too much."
Wendy was at a loss for words. She couldn't imagine the strain this last incident had put on Mrs. Nancy. She put her arm around the woman's shoulders as she cried. After a few moments, Mrs. Nancy straightened and wiped her eyes. She opened a drawer and pulled out a flyer.
"I've called this institution," Mrs. Nancy said. "They're going to come for Trevor on Saturday."
Wendy's heart constricted as she looked at the flyer. It was a center for troubled boys. She knew that Trevor couldn't stay at Mrs. Nancy's, but surely there was a better option.
Just then, there was a rustling sound from the front room. Wendy walked down the hall to investigate, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She went to the rooms to check on the boys, but they were all studying or playing quietly. She started back towards the kitchen, but then a sudden realization hit her. She ran back to the rooms and looked in the closets and under the beds and in the bathrooms. She rushed to the kitchen and looked in the pantry. She raced outside and searched all around the house and down the street, but the red-haired boy was nowhere to be seen.
Trevor was gone.