Harper looked at the children’s list of tasks, then at the calendar. She would need another place. And she would need it quickly.

CHAPTER FIVE: THE PLACE WITHOUT A STAGE

On Friday morning Harper drove past three possible venues and rejected them all. The school auditorium was under renovation. The church fellowship hall could hold the audience but had a low ceiling that would hide the tallest puppets. A private event studio offered a discounted rate that still exceeded everything Harper had in her checking account.

She stopped at a bakery to buy coffee. Inside, the owner, Tamsin Reed, was arguing gently with a delivery driver about a missing crate. Harper had known Tamsin since the bakery opened, and Tamsin had watched the Open Door children perform two short sketches the previous winter.

‘You look as if the roof fell in,’ Tamsin said when the driver left.

‘It might actually be easier if it did.’

Harper explained what happened at the hall and what the children wanted. Tamsin listened without interrupting, then walked her toward a side window overlooking a narrow courtyard bordered by the bakery, a florist, and a closed bicycle shop.

‘We used to hold music nights here before the bike shop shut,’ Tamsin said. ‘The owner still allows the bakery to use the courtyard for delivery access. I can ask whether we can borrow it.’

Harper studied the space. The floor was level, with two broad doors opening onto an alley. It could hold a small audience if the chairs were arranged in three rows and the fire lane remained open. A brick wall offered a sturdy backdrop; the open sky would ruin the effect of projected shadows during daylight, but the children could perform after sunset.

‘What time do you close?’ she asked.

‘Six. The florist closes at five. We’d have three hours to set up.’

‘It’s smaller than what they planned.’

‘Ask them whether smaller is impossible.’

Harper called Nell, who answered after two rings. ‘Did you find a place?’

‘Maybe. It’s outdoors, but sheltered on three sides. We would have to perform after dark, and we’d need to change the way the sets move.’

‘Can we visit?’

‘Yes. Bring two other kids who can make decisions with you.’

An hour later Nell, Sachi, and Milo toured the courtyard. They measured the brick wall using lengths of string, paced the audience area, and discussed sightlines. Harper made herself say nothing until they finished.

‘We’ll need to shorten the city,’ Sachi said. ‘But we can put the characters closer to the audience. People might see how the shadows are made.’

‘Would that spoil it?’ Harper asked.