around. “Hello again, ladies. It’s nice to see you.”
“Hi,” Dayla said. Rana picked at her fingernails and stared out the windshield.
Scott turned his attention to Levin. “My dad–Dr. Craig–called me back.”
“And?”
“He told me to stay out of it.”
“Well, there you go. I guess I didn’t need to call you after all.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m hoping to pick up on patterns in case PR does this to another family.”
“Do you think they will?”
“Can’t say for sure. I hope they don’t.”
Rana directed Levin to Jason’s house. She gritted her teeth and tried to decide how to explain herself. I hear you belong to Project Renovatio, too! Nope. Can you tell me where your dad lives? Terrible. So, you come to this gene pool often? Ugh.
Scott faced the back seat again. “How did you know they meant that family in the email?”
“I . . . um . . . saw Jason trip into the wall and dent it. The walls tell the story . I don’t understand how they could have known that, though.”
“Who did you tell about it?”
“Just my friend, Jacey, and Levin. But lots of other people came to the party. I suppose one of them could have said something to someone.”
“Hmmm.” Scott typed into his phone.
They arrived much sooner than Rana would have liked. Of course, if she had the choice, they wouldn’t be there at all.
“What should I do? Go by myself?” she asked.
“No. I’ll go with you. Dayla, stay in the car with Scott.” Levin looked at Scott. “Is that okay?”
“Of course. She’ll be fine.” He smiled towards Dayla in the back seat.
Levin and Rana left the car, walked to the porch, and rang the doorbell. A tall woman with short, brown hair answered. She examined the two standing adjacent to each other on her porch.
“Hi . . . um, are you Mrs. Burke?” Rana asked.
“Yes. Can I help you?”
“I’m Rana Davis. I go to school with Jason. This is my brother, Levin.”
“Oh, how nice. Would you like me to get him for you?” She turned and pointed up the stairs.
“No, thank you. I actually need to ask you a question. It’s gonna sound kinda weird.”
Mrs. Burke shifted her feet and crossed her arms. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“Does the name ‘Project Renovatio’ mean anything to you?”
Mrs. Burke’s jaw dropped. She gently pushed them outside and closed the door behind her. “How do you know about that?” She glared at Rana.
“We’re part of it.”
Mrs. Burke glanced at the closed door. “Jason doesn’t know about Project Renovatio. He thinks my husband is his biological father.” She looked at the car. “Can I ask what’s going on here?”
Rana’s eyes burned as she fought back tears. The idea that she and Jason were alike overwhelmed her. She stared at Levin, hoping he would take over the explanation.
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Someone kidnapped our mother last night. PR is behind it–it’s a long story. Anyway, they said we’d find her when we follow a set of directions. The first one suggested you have the next clue we need.”
Mrs. Burke looked past them for a moment before her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness. Wait here a minute.” She went back into the house, then reappeared holding a blue envelope.
“I found this under my windshield wiper. It doesn’t mean anything to me; I put it into our recycling bin. Maybe it will mean something to you.” She handed it to Levin.
He opened the envelope and removed a yellow paper with a message written on it in blue ink. Rana read the message to herself.
Now you must go to the Paddle Dog Motel.
“What’s the Paddle Dog Motel?” she asked Levin.
“I have no idea.” He faced Mrs. Burke. “Thank you. This looks like what we need.”
“I’m glad. I hope you find your mother safe, and soon. I must say, I’m disturbed the Project would do something like this. Should I be concerned?”
“I don’t think so. This was personal. We’ll call if you need to know more.”
“I appreciate that.
“Hi,” Dayla said. Rana picked at her fingernails and stared out the windshield.
Scott turned his attention to Levin. “My dad–Dr. Craig–called me back.”
“And?”
“He told me to stay out of it.”
“Well, there you go. I guess I didn’t need to call you after all.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m hoping to pick up on patterns in case PR does this to another family.”
“Do you think they will?”
“Can’t say for sure. I hope they don’t.”
Rana directed Levin to Jason’s house. She gritted her teeth and tried to decide how to explain herself. I hear you belong to Project Renovatio, too! Nope. Can you tell me where your dad lives? Terrible. So, you come to this gene pool often? Ugh.
Scott faced the back seat again. “How did you know they meant that family in the email?”
“I . . . um . . . saw Jason trip into the wall and dent it. The walls tell the story . I don’t understand how they could have known that, though.”
“Who did you tell about it?”
“Just my friend, Jacey, and Levin. But lots of other people came to the party. I suppose one of them could have said something to someone.”
“Hmmm.” Scott typed into his phone.
They arrived much sooner than Rana would have liked. Of course, if she had the choice, they wouldn’t be there at all.
“What should I do? Go by myself?” she asked.
“No. I’ll go with you. Dayla, stay in the car with Scott.” Levin looked at Scott. “Is that okay?”
“Of course. She’ll be fine.” He smiled towards Dayla in the back seat.
Levin and Rana left the car, walked to the porch, and rang the doorbell. A tall woman with short, brown hair answered. She examined the two standing adjacent to each other on her porch.
“Hi . . . um, are you Mrs. Burke?” Rana asked.
“Yes. Can I help you?”
“I’m Rana Davis. I go to school with Jason. This is my brother, Levin.”
“Oh, how nice. Would you like me to get him for you?” She turned and pointed up the stairs.
“No, thank you. I actually need to ask you a question. It’s gonna sound kinda weird.”
Mrs. Burke shifted her feet and crossed her arms. “Okay. Go ahead.”
“Does the name ‘Project Renovatio’ mean anything to you?”
Mrs. Burke’s jaw dropped. She gently pushed them outside and closed the door behind her. “How do you know about that?” She glared at Rana.
“We’re part of it.”
Mrs. Burke glanced at the closed door. “Jason doesn’t know about Project Renovatio. He thinks my husband is his biological father.” She looked at the car. “Can I ask what’s going on here?”
Rana’s eyes burned as she fought back tears. The idea that she and Jason were alike overwhelmed her. She stared at Levin, hoping he would take over the explanation.
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. Someone kidnapped our mother last night. PR is behind it–it’s a long story. Anyway, they said we’d find her when we follow a set of directions. The first one suggested you have the next clue we need.”
Mrs. Burke looked past them for a moment before her eyes widened. “Oh my goodness. Wait here a minute.” She went back into the house, then reappeared holding a blue envelope.
“I found this under my windshield wiper. It doesn’t mean anything to me; I put it into our recycling bin. Maybe it will mean something to you.” She handed it to Levin.
He opened the envelope and removed a yellow paper with a message written on it in blue ink. Rana read the message to herself.
Now you must go to the Paddle Dog Motel.
“What’s the Paddle Dog Motel?” she asked Levin.
“I have no idea.” He faced Mrs. Burke. “Thank you. This looks like what we need.”
“I’m glad. I hope you find your mother safe, and soon. I must say, I’m disturbed the Project would do something like this. Should I be concerned?”
“I don’t think so. This was personal. We’ll call if you need to know more.”
“I appreciate that.
Similar Books
