The Jigsaw Jungle Read online

  Luis zooms in on the piece so it fills the frame.

  CLAUDIA

  One, two, three.

  She flips it over.

  PUZZLE

  EMAIL

  From: Claudia Dalton

  Date: Monday, July 13, 2015 5:23 PM EST

  To: Kate Anderson

  Subject: All the clues so far . . .

  Dear Kate,

  See attached. I’ve organized all the clues for you.

  Claudia

  Piece (Front)

  Piece (Back)

  Letter

  Puzzle

  Place

  Gold—C-3PO’s head

  Find the time capsule

  [none]

  Star Wars

  ??

  Black/white dots—stars in the sky

  Entrance to Skylab

  R

  Orbiting Earth

  Air and Space Museum

  Blue—background behind dinosaur

  Horns on Uncle Beazley

  I

  The Gentle Giant

  Natural History Museum

  Red—flag

  Bobs on the pendulum

  B

  The Star-Spangled Banner

  American History Museum

  Green—??

  Horses in a row

  A

  ??

  ??

  TEXT MESSAGE

  Claudia Dalton’s Cell Phone | Monday, July 13, 2015, 6:05 p.m.

  KATE

  Did you get the spreadsheet?

  Yeah, thanks

  What does the latest clue mean?

  Don’t know

  Maybe another museum?

  An art museum?

  Maybe. There are lots of paintings of horses

  What do the letters mean?

  R, I, B, A

  No clue

  Rib, bar, air, bair

  Bair is not a word

  You never were very good at Boggle

  Ha ha

  Be nice

  I am nice!

  I bought you a present

  You did?!

  Well, actually it’s for your little brother

  No fair!

  It’s so cute

  You’re gonna love it

  And I have some advice for you too

  What?

  It’s from Luis

  He said go to the hospital

  when the baby is born

  Why?

  Boring

  Hours of waiting around

  Bring a book

  Bring a tablet to watch movies

  It’s summer

  You’re gonna do the same things at home

  So why go?

  Be part of it

  I don’t want to see . . .

  Not that!

  But Luis held his sister when

  she was less than an hour old

  Said it made him feel like part of the family

  Hmm

  Maybe

  Luis knows what he’s talking about

  He changes a mean diaper

  Haha

  Did he take a class?

  Nope

  Can he swaddle?

  I don’t think so

  Ha! I’m an expert swaddler

  Kate, you’re gonna be a great big sister

  I hope so

  NOTE TO READER

  WHILE WE ATE dinner, Papa and I talked about all the places we might find “horses in a row.” It had to be another museum, but we’d already visited Air and Space, Natural History, and American History. Maybe this time it was an art museum? The National Gallery of Art. The Hirshhorn. The National Portrait Gallery. We had so much fun talking about it, looking up directions on my phone, it wasn’t until I was doing the dishes that I realized we hadn’t had an awkward pause at all.

  VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

  INT. WEST BUILDING OF NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART—DAY

  Claudia and Papa stand in front of Renoir’s Girl with a Watering Can. They each pretend to hold a watering can.

  * * *

  —————

  INT. WEST BUILDING—LATER

  Claudia and Luis stare at Monet’s Japanese Footbridge.

  LUIS

  If you were a frog, do you think you could hop on all those lily pads?

  CLAUDIA

  Ribbit.

  The camera shakes as Papa laughs.

  * * *

  —————

  INT. EAST BUILDING OF NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART—DAY

  Papa and Luis stare at a modern art painting, paint spattered on a canvas.

  CLAUDIA (O.S.)

  It’s so neat how the colors join together.

  PAPA

  I could paint that.

  Claudia and Luis laugh.

  * * *

  —————

  INT. EAST BUILDING—LATER

  The camera points up at the ceiling. Huge Alexander Calder mobiles sway in the air.

  LUIS (O.S.)

  I thought mobiles were for babies.

  Claudia giggles.

  * * *

  —————

  INT. EAST BUILDING—LATER

  The camera focuses on a statue of a nude woman.

  PAPA

  Look! Another naked lady.

  Everyone starts laughing, so hard, Claudia’s clutching her stomach.

  PAPA (CONT’D)

  (fakely stern)

  Stop it, you two! That guard’s giving us a dirty look.

  Luis turns the camera to face the guard.

  The guard is doing his best not to smile.

  * * *

  —————

  EXT. NATIONAL MALL—DAY

  Papa is filming now. Claudia and Luis sit on a bench, each licking a red, white, and blue Popsicle.

  LUIS

  Mmm. Artificial colors.

  Claudia laughs. Both their mouths are bright red. There is music in the air, like from an old-fashioned organ grinder. Bits of hair that have escaped Claudia’s ponytail dance around her eyes in the light breeze.

  All at once, Claudia’s eyes get really wide. Blue liquid drips down the Popsicle and onto her knee. She doesn’t notice.

  CLAUDIA

  Look!

  She points and Papa turns the camera.

  A merry-go-round is about fifty feet away. It’s brightly colored, with horses going up and down, music playing, kids squealing.

  CLAUDIA (CONT’D)

  Horses in a row.

  LUIS

  Let’s go on it!

  CLAUDIA

  Film us, Papa?

  Papa is silent for a long moment.

  PAPA (O. S.)

  No, I want to come too.

  Claudia grins as the scene goes black.

  VOICE MEMO

  Walter Dalton’s Cell Phone | Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 6:30 p.m.

  [RECORDING B
EGINS]

  Lily, I rode the merry-go-round today. I rode on a carousel! I don’t think I’ve done that since . . . since I was a tiny boy. It went so fast, I felt dizzy. I want to do it again. I wish you had been there too. I’ve been so sad these past few months. And then when Jeff left, I felt like a big ball of regret, knotted up with thoughts of what I could have done differently and what I had lost.

  But doing this treasure hunt with Claudia, it’s like I’m slowly untangling myself, finding the joy in . . .

  Ugh, I sound like a greeting card. A sappy greeting card! On the other hand, if I’m feeling better, who cares what I sound like?!

  Love you, Lily.

  [RECORDING ENDS]

  EMAIL

  From: Claudia Dalton

  Date: Tuesday, July 14, 2015 8:45 PM EST

  To: Jeffery Dalton

  Subject: Horses in a Row

  Oh, Dad, what a great day! Papa, Luis, and I goofed around at the art museum, then we had popsicles, and then I realized the “Horses in a Row” clue was referring to the merry-go-round.

  We all went on it, even Papa! It was so much fun. The ride went so fast the wind blew all the hair out of my ponytail. There was an empty horse beside me, and I kept imagining you were there, riding with us.

  When we got home, Luis and I found “The County Fair.” It had a big carousel on the front, just like the one on the Mall, and another videotape too. The puzzle only had 300 pieces, so we finished it in no time, with one piece left over—a white piece, with one of your clues on the back.

  Papa and I are going to watch the videotape now. I like seeing you as a kid. Please come home, so you can go on the merry-go-round with us—for real this time!

  Love, Claudia

  VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

  EXT. NATIONAL MALL—DAY

  It’s the kite festival. Hundreds of people stand on the lawn in front of the Washington Monument, flying kites. Dragons and butterflies, box kites, and the plain old diamond ones too.

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  Jeff, over here!

  Jeff tilts the camera down. Brian is wearing shorts and a T-shirt. He’s standing next to a tall man wearing a tight purple T-shirt and blue jeans. The sun glints off a diamond stud in his right ear.

  BRIAN

  This is my uncle Gary. He’s visiting from California.

  UNCLE GARY

  You must be Jeff. It’s so nice to finally meet you. I brought you boys a present.

  He holds up a package: it’s a dinosaur kite.

  * * *

  —————

  EXT. NATIONAL MALL—LATER

  Brian and Jeff are holding the assembled kite.

  UNCLE GARY (O.S.)

  Is this thing on?

  JEFF

  Yeah, I can see the red light.

  UNCLE GARY (O.S.)

  Okay, go for it!

  Brian runs holding the ball of string. Jeff follows with the kite.

  UNCLE GARY (O.S.) (CONT’D)

  Now!

  Jeff throws the kite into the air. It immediately catches the wind and sails into the sky.

  All three of them cheer.

  * * *

  —————

  EXT. NATIONAL MALL—LATER

  The camera focuses on the dinosaur kite while the boys talk off-screen.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  You’re moving?!

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  Not until summer.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  But who will I sit with at lunch?

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  Very funny.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  I’m serious.

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  Lunch is serious business.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  I’m gonna miss you.

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  I might miss you too.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  No, you make friends easy. Even Dwight and Jason don’t pick on you.

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  Sure, I get along with people. But it’s not easy to find a good friend. One you want to keep in touch with.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  Me?

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  You might get a letter or two.

  Jeff laughs. The dinosaur kite loops and circles through the air.

  * * *

  —————

  EXT. NATIONAL MALL—LATER

  The merry-go-round sparkles in the sunlight. Uncle Gary and Brian’s little sister are sitting on horses, waiting for the ride to start. Jeff films them.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  Your family is so cool.

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  No, they aren’t.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  Your uncle bought us a kite and is going on the merry-go-round!

  Before Brian can reply, the ride dings and the horses jerk into motion. Brian’s little sister starts to scream. She’s suddenly terrified, gripping onto the pole for dear life.

  The horses move so fast, we see her crying, then wailing, then the next time the horses come around, Uncle Gary has climbed off his horse and is standing beside her.

  The next time, she’s shaking the reins and laughing, the wind blowing back her hair.

  The ride ends. Uncle Gary helps his niece down. She puts her hand in his as they walk back to her mother, both grinning.

  SISTER

  I did it!

  BRIAN’S MOM

  That’s my brave girl.

  The little sister runs off.

  BRIAN’S MOM (CONT’D)

  (to Uncle Gary)

  You’re so good with children.

  UNCLE GARY

  You have awesome kids, sis.

  He puts his arm around her and they walk off.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  (to Brian)

  Is your uncle married?

  Brian laughs.

  BRIAN (O.S.)

  Jeff, he’s gay.

  JEFF (O.S.)

  What?

  The screen goes black.

  NOTE TO READER

  WHEN THE VIDEO ended, Papa muttered, “How could Jeff be so naïve?” I asked him what he meant, and he said, “It was so obvious that guy was . . . not straight.”

  I turned to him and said you can’t tell if someone’s gay just because they wear an earring and a purple shirt. And then Papa said, “Maybe not today, but you could in 1987!”

  And we got into kind of a fight. Arguing about stereotypes and being naïve like my father, and finally I went to my room and slammed the door.

  I’d had a great day with Papa. And now to find out he was so judgmental, well, it made me feel like I didn’t really know him at all.

  VOICE MEMO

  Walter Dalton’s Cell Phone | Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 9:34 p.m.

  [RECORDING BEGINS]

  Lily, I think I messed up tonight. Claudia and I got in a huge fight after watching one of Jeff’s home movies. See, one of his old friends from school had a gay uncle, and I made some stupid comment, and she just let me have it. Apparently, she thinks I’m a homophobic jerk!

  The thing is, I didn’t care if the guy in the video was gay. I was upset because Jeff seemed to admire him in a way Jeff never admired me. You know, Lily, how Jeff and I always struggled to . . . connect, I guess my therapist would say. I asked him to do stuff with me, football and baseball, but he wasn’t into those things. Watching these videos, I don’t know. I think maybe I should have tried more stuff he was interested in.

  And now Claudia’s upset! We had such a fun day, working on that silly treasure hunt. She’s still working Jeff’s puzzles. Claudia’s still convinced her dad’s going to come home if she finds the prize at the end. Maybe she is as naïve as Jeff . . . but I don’t want to make the same mistakes with her.

  [RECORDING ENDS]
r />   PUZZLE

  TEXT MESSAGE

  Claudia Dalton’s Cell Phone | Wednesday, July 15, 2015, 8:40 a.m.

  KATE

  Kate?

  You up?

  It’s summer. Sleeping in

  I know. It’s just . . .

  Another clue from my dad

  “Pieces of the Awakening”

  Isn’t The Awakening some book?

  Is it?

  I think. BRB

  8:50 a.m.

  Yeah, by Kate Chopin

  Real happy story according to the summary I read

  What does it have to do with my dad?

  No clue

  Hmm

  Did you ask your parents about the hospital?

  Yeah

  And?

  They said I can come

  Yay!

  But if I complain, I have to take the bus home

  I’m gonna pack a bag today

  Be ready when Mom goes into labor

  Junky magazines. Couple of graphic novels. Granola bars. Charger

  Cool

  What you doing?

  I guess I’m going to the library to check out The Awakening

  Good luck