CHAPTER 35In the few minutes it took Mara to drive over to Mrs. Zimmerman’s, traffic had suddenly intensified to rush-hour levels. It was as if the entire city had decided to go home early at the same time. Probably some sort of mass hysteria brought on by the news reports of the spreading disease, the so-called shedding.
Sam stood outside the stately Victorian house waiting by the sidewalk, so Mara didn’t even have to park. She swung the car up to the curb and popped the lock on the passenger door. Her brother tossed a book bag into the back and flopped into the passenger seat.
“What is Mom so freaked-out about? You would think I was completely incapable of taking care of myself in a pinch. I mean, look where I came from. It wasn’t exactly Disneyland,” he said.
“If you are going to han
