said Nell. “It’s really nice of you to offer, Cora. But I really don’t want any.”
“All right, dear,” said Cora, “but I worry about you, Nell. Since your mama passed, we all want to watch out for you. Are you upset about this Eliza Blake situation? I know how much store you set by her with your scrapbooks and everything.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it, Cora. And anyway, I’ve got to get home. I don’t like leaving my uncle to take care of things by himself.” Nell turned and made her way to the locker room to change.
CHAPTER 37
T hey would be taking a chance but it was worth a try.
She wondered why it hadn’t occurred to her earlier and she cursed herself for not thinking of it when she had gone into the camp office to pick up Janie yesterday.
Mrs. Garcia waited until the next time Janie asked to go to the bathroom. The kidnapper, masked as Popeye again, untied their hands and took off their blindfolds.
Once they were in the bathroom, Mrs. Garcia carefully disconnected the skinny wire that ran from the microphone on the shirt collar to the transmitter on her waistband. She leaned close to Janie’s face and stared directly at the child. “Listen to me, chiquita, ” she whispered. “This is very important.”
Janie stood still, her eyes wide.
“I am going to boost you up and you climb through that window. Then you are going to run as fast as you can. Just run out to the road and follow it.”
“I don’t know where I’m going,” Janie whispered back.
“Just follow the road, mi hija. Keep going until you meet up withpeople. Then you tell them who you are and that your mommy is looking for you. They will help you. Tell them you need to tell the police.”
Janie jumped at the loud pounding on the door.
“What’s going on in there?” came the voice from the other side.
“In a minute,” Mrs. Garcia called out.
“Hurry up,” demanded the voice. “I have better things to do with my time than stand here waiting for the both of you.”
Mrs. Garcia looked at Janie. “Ready?” she whispered.
“I want you to come with me,” Janie whispered back.
“I can’t, Janie. I’m too big and there is too little time for me to try to squeeze through. Be a brave girl. You run and get help.”
Pacing back and forth across the room, the kidnapper waited, not particularly concerned. The housekeeper may have been on the chubby side, but she would be no match for him physically if she should get the bright idea to come out and attack him. Actually, there wasn’t anything for her to attack him with. He’d made sure there was nothing in that bathroom but a towel and some toilet paper.
“Popeye’s waiting,” he called. “How much longer?”
“Coming,” said Mrs. Garcia.
But the door didn’t open—and it dawned on him that he was hearing her actual voice, not a voice transmitted through the microphone.
He grabbed for the doorknob and pushed his way through.
Janie ran down the road, breathing hard, her sneakers pounding on the ground. Why wasn’t there anyone around to help her?
She looked over her shoulder, afraid of what she might see. But the road behind her was empty. The man wasn’t coming after her, she thought with relief. She kept running until she tripped. She fell forward,the beaded necklace she had made in camp coming from her neck and flying to the side of the road. Janie put out her hands to block her fall but she felt the burning pain as her knees scraped along the ground. She pulled herself up and kept running.
Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she felt the strong hands come from behind and grab hold of her shoulders.
CHAPTER 38
S pecial Agents Gebhardt and Laggie stood in the kitchen doorway and watched as Eliza sipped a cup of tea at the table with her in-laws. Eliza, Katharine, and Paul Blake were pale and quiet. Eliza’s hand trembled as she brought the cup to her mouth.
“Let’s take a walk outside,” Agent Gebhardt said to her
“All right, dear,” said Cora, “but I worry about you, Nell. Since your mama passed, we all want to watch out for you. Are you upset about this Eliza Blake situation? I know how much store you set by her with your scrapbooks and everything.”
“I really don’t want to talk about it, Cora. And anyway, I’ve got to get home. I don’t like leaving my uncle to take care of things by himself.” Nell turned and made her way to the locker room to change.
CHAPTER 37
T hey would be taking a chance but it was worth a try.
She wondered why it hadn’t occurred to her earlier and she cursed herself for not thinking of it when she had gone into the camp office to pick up Janie yesterday.
Mrs. Garcia waited until the next time Janie asked to go to the bathroom. The kidnapper, masked as Popeye again, untied their hands and took off their blindfolds.
Once they were in the bathroom, Mrs. Garcia carefully disconnected the skinny wire that ran from the microphone on the shirt collar to the transmitter on her waistband. She leaned close to Janie’s face and stared directly at the child. “Listen to me, chiquita, ” she whispered. “This is very important.”
Janie stood still, her eyes wide.
“I am going to boost you up and you climb through that window. Then you are going to run as fast as you can. Just run out to the road and follow it.”
“I don’t know where I’m going,” Janie whispered back.
“Just follow the road, mi hija. Keep going until you meet up withpeople. Then you tell them who you are and that your mommy is looking for you. They will help you. Tell them you need to tell the police.”
Janie jumped at the loud pounding on the door.
“What’s going on in there?” came the voice from the other side.
“In a minute,” Mrs. Garcia called out.
“Hurry up,” demanded the voice. “I have better things to do with my time than stand here waiting for the both of you.”
Mrs. Garcia looked at Janie. “Ready?” she whispered.
“I want you to come with me,” Janie whispered back.
“I can’t, Janie. I’m too big and there is too little time for me to try to squeeze through. Be a brave girl. You run and get help.”
Pacing back and forth across the room, the kidnapper waited, not particularly concerned. The housekeeper may have been on the chubby side, but she would be no match for him physically if she should get the bright idea to come out and attack him. Actually, there wasn’t anything for her to attack him with. He’d made sure there was nothing in that bathroom but a towel and some toilet paper.
“Popeye’s waiting,” he called. “How much longer?”
“Coming,” said Mrs. Garcia.
But the door didn’t open—and it dawned on him that he was hearing her actual voice, not a voice transmitted through the microphone.
He grabbed for the doorknob and pushed his way through.
Janie ran down the road, breathing hard, her sneakers pounding on the ground. Why wasn’t there anyone around to help her?
She looked over her shoulder, afraid of what she might see. But the road behind her was empty. The man wasn’t coming after her, she thought with relief. She kept running until she tripped. She fell forward,the beaded necklace she had made in camp coming from her neck and flying to the side of the road. Janie put out her hands to block her fall but she felt the burning pain as her knees scraped along the ground. She pulled herself up and kept running.
Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she felt the strong hands come from behind and grab hold of her shoulders.
CHAPTER 38
S pecial Agents Gebhardt and Laggie stood in the kitchen doorway and watched as Eliza sipped a cup of tea at the table with her in-laws. Eliza, Katharine, and Paul Blake were pale and quiet. Eliza’s hand trembled as she brought the cup to her mouth.
“Let’s take a walk outside,” Agent Gebhardt said to her
Similar Books
