文档介绍：7. At the Critical Moment
“ Feel better, honey. I love you,” Erica Prater said, kissing her 11-year-old niece's flushed cheek. “ I love you too," Heather Lepage coughed.
When the child had awakened not feeling well enough to pany her sister Stephanie, 10, to school, Erica wanted to stay with her. But she and her husband Harvey had just started new jobs, and neither could skip1 work.
“ I'll be just fine,” Heather had insisted, curling up2 on the couch.
We're just five minutes away, Erica told herself now as she reluctantly left for work.
On her 11:15 . break, Erica phoned to see how Heather was doing. “ I'm fine," she said. But moments after hanging up,Heather heard knocking at the front door. Who could that be? She wondered. Snapping3 off the TV, she crept4 to the blinds and peeked5 out. No one there!
Erica and Harvey had taught the girls never to open the door to anyone at any time. To test them, Harvey would sometimes knock on the door and hide. If they answered, he'd cry, “ It's the boogeyman6!"
But this can't be Uncle Harvey! Heather knew. Grabbing the portable phone, she dashed7 to her bedroom, away from all the doors, as she'd been taught. I'd better call Aunt Erica! She decided. But in her fear, she couldn't recall the phone number!
I've got to get the number from the book in the kitchen, she told herself. Tiptoeing8 down the hallway, she eyed th