Squishy Taylor and the Mess-Makers Read Free Page A

staff?’ suggests Vee.
    ‘The Nanny could have done it,’ I say, even though I know she probably didn’t. ‘Anyway. Someone needs to prove it wasn’t Carmeline.’
    ‘And how are you going to do that?’ Jessie asks.
    I explain everything as we climb onto the tram.
    ‘That’s it?’ Jessie asks, as the tram wobbles to a start. ‘That’s your plan?’
    I nod.
    ‘Just walk in and pretend we’re staying there?’ she repeats. ‘What kind of plan is that?’
    Jessie raises her eyebrows and Vee grins .
    ‘And once you’re in, then what?’ Jessie asks. ‘How do you know where to find her? Every grown-up in the hotel is going to know you’re a fake in about one second.’
    ‘Well, do you have a better plan?’ I ask.

Somehow, by the end of school, Jessie and Vee have decided they’re coming too. Jessie is still saying it’s a terrible idea, but she secretly can’t resist an adventure.
    We decide school uniforms would be a dead giveaway, so we go home to get changed first. Baby is howling and arching out of Dad’s arms. Dad’s trying to get him into the sling, but Baby kicks his legs out of the holes faster than Dad can get them in.
    ‘Can we go to the park?’ I ask, pulling on Baby’s toes. The park is half a block away and there are no roads, so mostly they let us if we ask.
    Baby stops howling and reaches his fat little arms out to me. He snuggles his face into my neck. It’s soft and tickly and it makes me laugh. Baby giggles too. He’s super cute.
    ‘We’ll take Baby,’ Jessie says and I meet her eyes.
    Brilliant. Grown-ups are way more likely to treat you with respect if you’re carrying a Baby.
    Dad helps me strap Baby into the sling on my front. He tightens all the clips. Baby is pretty heavy, but he’s still gurgle-laughing and I like cuddling him.

    With Baby strapped on my front, we walk straight through the front doors of the hotel. The Fancy Men don’t even blink at us. I pause in the foyer, feeling a bit nervous. It’s so much nicer than the foyer of our building. The lights are soft and there are mirrors sparkling everywhere.
    Jessie strides to the lift and smiles at the woman waiting beside it. Vee and I follow and the woman makes a cooing noise at Baby. We let her swipe her card and press the buttons. She gets out on the second floor, so we do too. It’s quiet and carpeted with no windows. Next to me, there’s a trolley with lots of folded towels and soap and plastic-wrapped biscuits.
    ‘Now what?’ Vee whispers.
    We stand there as the woman disappears through a door partway down the corridor. We stare at each other. How are we going to find Carmeline Clancy in this building? It’s enormous.
    ‘Should we start knocking on all the doors?’ I ask.
    ‘I told you it was impossible,’ Jessie says.
    Vee starts to giggle. ‘Maybe we should shout her name really loud,’ she suggests.
    ‘Or go back down and mug the Fancy Men for their security cards,’ I say.
    All three of us crack up with laughter. We stand there in the corridor, clutching each other’s arms. Baby gurgles and squeals like he understands the joke.
    The lift dings behind us. We all spin to see Carmeline Clancy’s scary Nanny step out of the lift.
    She stares at us.
    I glance sideways at Jessie and Vee. They both look really guilty.
    ‘What’s going on here?’ the Nanny asks. She folds her arms and frowns at us.
    Carmeline Clancy steps out of the lift behind her.
    ‘We came to meet Carmeline,’ I say, trying to sound brave , but my voice sounds wavery.
    ‘Oh, no you did not,’ says the Nanny.

    ‘Hey there,’ Carmeline says. ‘How’s it going?’ She reaches out to Jessie, who’s the closest, and shakes her hand.
    She sounds so nice, and so much like she does on YouTube, that I want to just tell her how much I like her. But the Nanny doesn’t even let me breathe in.
    ‘Don’t you kids even talk to her. I’m sending this lift down and I’m calling security to meet you at the ground