"Ann," said Wanda, "Can I come in for a minute?"
"Sure. The Hush between the Eights is just over, but I have to be off soon. So be quick."
Wanda entered the room and closed the door. Glancing around anxiously, Ann made sure that Wendell was concealed in the makeshift tiny room she had set up for him on the shelf.
"You must have slept through it, but I heard a burglar snap the branch of the tree outside our windows last night. He must have been climbing up to break into one of our rooms. Did he ever leave quickly, when he snapped that branch? It cracked like an egg!"
"Well it wasn't me," thought Ann, "Wanda, what time was this?"
"I didn't look at the time. I was too excited. You're the only one I've told. Let's announce it at breakfast."
"Good idea. We don't want any more night trip visits from this man, whoever he is."
They told the staff at breakfast, which was a brief meal before the school bus arrived.
"We'll be ready to call the police if anything else happens tonight. All girls must shut their windows and go to sleep as usual. I shall stay up and see if I can catch any surprise visitors before they attempt to come in. I'll ring the police today, just to let them know about last night. Ann, did you two have your windows open?"
"Well I did for the fresh air," said Ann, "But Wanda said she kept hers closed."
"Oh" said the Lady, "Are you sure nothing's missing or disturbed in your room?"
"As far as I can see: yes," said Ann.
She didn’t want the staff searching and finding Wendell.
* * * *
As she rode to school in the bus, she knew that she had made the right choice. A police investigation would restrict her activity for a while, but there was nothing in Wanda's story to arouse suspicion about Ann herself. If there was another attempted burglary, then Ann might be able to secretly help the others at the orphanage, but the police would indeed be interested.
"I would have aroused suspicion if I had attempted to keep it quiet. I checked out the window when Wanda was telling me about it. The branch was broken, that dead one that I always avoid hitting as I float up and down. Whoever it was wouldn't have known, especially at night. He probably started climbing, reached for it with his hand, fell out of the tree and ran for his life. If I had stayed home instead of going flying in Wildstar, I might have caught the man myself."
* * * *
The school bell rang loudly, heralding the final lesson for the day, and Ann soon waited outside for the bus. A man approached and spoke to her.
"Hello Ann, I'm Mark Logan from the local newspaper. I understand you were watching the blaze in Mona Vale Road yesterday."
"Why yes," said Ann, "Did you see me there?"
"I saw you leaving as I arrived. If you walk with me for a while, I'll buy you an ice cream at the milk bar, and maybe you could answer some of my questions about the fire."
Remembering him as the man who had been driving the green car, Ann agreed.
"He must have followed my bus to find out where I live, and then tried to break in to see me last night. Well I'm safe. If I get into real trouble, then I can always fly away with my unfolding bracelet triangles."
"Wow, Ann's going to be in the newspapers," said one of Ann's friends from Northern High School.
"Can we come too?" asked another.
"Well I just wanted to talk to Ann, because she is a witness to the fire. I can drive her home afterwards, but you other young ladies do not want to miss your bus."
They walked away, and Mark Logan paid for a large strawberry gelato ice in a double sized cone.
"Hmm, maybe it is not strawberry," thought Ann, "Well it's pink anyway. I had better play along with him and find out what he is up to."
They continued along the street, and Mark spoke some surprising words.
"Actually I don't need to ask you about the fire. I know all of that story already, and that is old news now. I know you made that strange floating flight because I saw you. I thought you would be there yesterday, because I have seen you before. You have a special costume, and a voice controlled grey spaceship called Butler One."