Mitch said. “Isn’t he with his sister? I thought you said she came to get him.”
“She did but when the boats came out, they were empty. The little boy must have fallen out of the boat. No telling if he’s alive or not.”
“And the girl?”
“She went inside the ride to look for him.”
“If the girl is inside the ride, looking for her brother,” Mitch said, “maybe we can get to her before she talks to anyone.” He pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine.
“What are you suggesting?” Joan said.
“It would look like they both fell off during the ride,” Mitch said slowly. “A terrible accident.”
“Mitch!” Joan said. “You can’t kill those children just to avoid a pickpocket charge.”
“It isn’t the pickpocket charge he’s worried about,” Tucker said. “It’s the other.”
Joan’s eyes narrowed to thin slits. “What other?” she said.
“You talk too much, Tucker,” Mitch said.
“What other?” Joan repeated. “The charge against Tucker in Oklahoma?”
“Hurry,” Mitch said, as he got out of the car. “We have to keep those kids from going to the cops.”
“There are other ways to do that,” Joan said, “besides murder.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Mitch said coldly, “and if you had not insisted on working the fair, it wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Can I go with you?” Alan said.
“May I go with you?” corrected Joan. “No, you may not. You stay in the car and if anyone asks you where your parents are, you say we’re coming right back. Is that clear?” She opened the glove compartment and removed a flashlight.
Leaving Alan to pout on the back seat of the car, Joan and Mitch strode toward The River of Fear ride, with Joan insisting Mitch was making a mistake and Mitch ignoring her.
Tucker followed, glaring at their backs. Why didn’t they ask him what he thought? Mitch and Joan always made him feel like a bumbling six year old with no brain.
CHAPTER
13
ELLEN WAS glad The Great Sybil was going for help; she had no doubt that it was needed. She was just as certain that she could not wait for it to arrive before she went after her brother.
Tucker’s tool kit sat on the platform, next to the control box. Ellen opened it and removed a hammer. She wasn’t eager to fight with anyone but if she needed to do so, she would have a weapon. Gripping it tightly in one hand, she stepped into the water of The River of Fear ride. She walked past the row of boats and into the enclosed ride where the boats immediately went over the edge of Whiplash Waterfall. Even with the ride turned off, she didn’t see any way to go down the waterfall on foot. It was too steep and too slippery.
She returned to the boarding platform and then climbed into one of the boats and out the other side. To her left, she saw the outline of a door in the painted picture of monsters. She opened it and stepped through to the back side of the ride, the part the public never saw. As she had hoped, there was anotherset of steps. They were more like scaffolding than an actual stairway. There were also two landings, with doors that opened into the ride. Apparently, this was how maintenance was done.
She did not see the ride operator. Had he gone into the ride or had he run down these back stairs and left the area altogether? Maybe he had decided to make his escape before Ellen could go to the police.
Quickly, Ellen climbed down the scaffolding to the first door, which was less than a third of the way down. It probably opened to the middle of the waterfall part of the ride. Since the message specified the tunnel, Ellen continued down the steps to the lower door.
Putting her hand on the knob, she turned it as quietly as she could and pushed the door open. A dank, rotten odor drifted out of the darkness. Ellen put her hand over her nose and mouth, not wanting to inhale it. What was she getting into, anyway? Maybe she should wait for The Great Sybil to return with help.
Ellen
“She did but when the boats came out, they were empty. The little boy must have fallen out of the boat. No telling if he’s alive or not.”
“And the girl?”
“She went inside the ride to look for him.”
“If the girl is inside the ride, looking for her brother,” Mitch said, “maybe we can get to her before she talks to anyone.” He pulled into a parking space and turned off the engine.
“What are you suggesting?” Joan said.
“It would look like they both fell off during the ride,” Mitch said slowly. “A terrible accident.”
“Mitch!” Joan said. “You can’t kill those children just to avoid a pickpocket charge.”
“It isn’t the pickpocket charge he’s worried about,” Tucker said. “It’s the other.”
Joan’s eyes narrowed to thin slits. “What other?” she said.
“You talk too much, Tucker,” Mitch said.
“What other?” Joan repeated. “The charge against Tucker in Oklahoma?”
“Hurry,” Mitch said, as he got out of the car. “We have to keep those kids from going to the cops.”
“There are other ways to do that,” Joan said, “besides murder.”
“I know what I’m doing,” Mitch said coldly, “and if you had not insisted on working the fair, it wouldn’t be necessary.”
“Can I go with you?” Alan said.
“May I go with you?” corrected Joan. “No, you may not. You stay in the car and if anyone asks you where your parents are, you say we’re coming right back. Is that clear?” She opened the glove compartment and removed a flashlight.
Leaving Alan to pout on the back seat of the car, Joan and Mitch strode toward The River of Fear ride, with Joan insisting Mitch was making a mistake and Mitch ignoring her.
Tucker followed, glaring at their backs. Why didn’t they ask him what he thought? Mitch and Joan always made him feel like a bumbling six year old with no brain.
CHAPTER
13
ELLEN WAS glad The Great Sybil was going for help; she had no doubt that it was needed. She was just as certain that she could not wait for it to arrive before she went after her brother.
Tucker’s tool kit sat on the platform, next to the control box. Ellen opened it and removed a hammer. She wasn’t eager to fight with anyone but if she needed to do so, she would have a weapon. Gripping it tightly in one hand, she stepped into the water of The River of Fear ride. She walked past the row of boats and into the enclosed ride where the boats immediately went over the edge of Whiplash Waterfall. Even with the ride turned off, she didn’t see any way to go down the waterfall on foot. It was too steep and too slippery.
She returned to the boarding platform and then climbed into one of the boats and out the other side. To her left, she saw the outline of a door in the painted picture of monsters. She opened it and stepped through to the back side of the ride, the part the public never saw. As she had hoped, there was anotherset of steps. They were more like scaffolding than an actual stairway. There were also two landings, with doors that opened into the ride. Apparently, this was how maintenance was done.
She did not see the ride operator. Had he gone into the ride or had he run down these back stairs and left the area altogether? Maybe he had decided to make his escape before Ellen could go to the police.
Quickly, Ellen climbed down the scaffolding to the first door, which was less than a third of the way down. It probably opened to the middle of the waterfall part of the ride. Since the message specified the tunnel, Ellen continued down the steps to the lower door.
Putting her hand on the knob, she turned it as quietly as she could and pushed the door open. A dank, rotten odor drifted out of the darkness. Ellen put her hand over her nose and mouth, not wanting to inhale it. What was she getting into, anyway? Maybe she should wait for The Great Sybil to return with help.
Ellen
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