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listening.
    “. . . please make sure she doesn’t leave without you. Otherwise she might get lost.”
    “Sure thing,” Casey assured him.
    “It’s not as easy as you think. She’s crafty. Just watch out for her. OK?”
    Casey laughed.“Don’t worry, kid. Lily’s going to be fine.”
    She paused. “You really like her, don’t you?” Her voice had taken on a teasing tone.
    Dustin didn’t answer. He politely thanked her and left, muttering something about being late for class. I peeked out from my hiding space and saw Casey watching him for a minute, shaking her head. She turned back to the laptop stationed behind her desk.
    Still crouched behind the giant vase, I took a second to think about the conversation I had just overheard. So Dustin didn’t want me to get lost. Yeah, right. He just didn’t want me sneaking around, possibly finding a way to escape. OK, so I had to admit, he was probably trying to protect me too, but I didn’t need any protection. I could take care of myself.
    Casey still had her back to me. It was now or never. I stepped out from behind the vase. She still did not turn.
    Before she could see me, I turned on my heels and walked into another room. It appeared to be a sitting area, which wasn’t quite as nice as the lobby, but still luxurious. The windows were shut tight, of course.
    I searched every room, trying to find another door or an open window. Nada. The only door leading to the outside world was at the entrance, where Casey’s desk was stationed. If there ever happened to be a fire in this place…There had to be some kind of fire escape.
    Maybe if I tried the other floors, I would find it. So I quietly made my way back to the main staircase and began to climb. The second floor turned out to be full of offices and some supply rooms. Most of the doors were closed shut. There was no telling whether people were in there or not.
    I decided to take a chance and knock on each one. If there was no response, then that would be my signal to go inside. I started with the door to my left. One soft knock, then waiting.
    “Yes? Come in.”
    Shoot. Someone was in there. I looked for a good hiding place. Luckily, this place was full of exotic urns tall enough to hide behind. I stepped behind one and carefully watched the door.
    “Hello?” A woman opened the door. She looked left and right, her eyes skimming over the urn I hid behind. After a minute, she shrugged and closed the door.
    Time to try the next one. Feeling like a silly schoolgirl pulling a prank on her neighbors, I hoped I wouldn’t have to do this all day. I tried the next office. Again, there was a muffled response and again I was forced to hide as the occupant opened the door. This time it was a scarecrow of a man, appearing very uncomfortable in his business suit. Grumbling, he closed the door.
    Third time’s the charm, I told myself. This time, when I knocked, there was no response. I waited a couple seconds before knocking again, a little louder. Still no response. I pressed my ear to the door. No voices, no sounds, no nothing. I tried the doorknob. Miraculously, it was unlocked. Bingo! Slowly, I turned the knob and let myself in.
    The room was small and cozy. It resembled a normal, boring office. A large mahogany desk with a silver nameplate faced the door. Two empty chairs sat in front of it; a small shelf nearby held a few dusty books. Of course, there was a fancy vase of flowers in the corner.
    I focused on the window to the far left of the desk, hurrying over to take a closer look. Sure enough, there was a steel platform outside, located a few feet below the window, followed by a short flight of stairs and yet another platform.
    The window had been left open by just a smidgen, letting some air into the stuffy room.
    Hmm. Maybe if I could lift it up a little bit more, I would be able to squeeze through without inflicting any damage to the recording device taped to my back. Placing both hands on the bottom frame, I pushed