started to, well, 'misappropriate funds,' like it said in the newspaper, to cover up his mistakes."
"Ohhh!" said Mary Anne. She was beginning to look excited.
"And then," I went on, "it came out that the
mall was dose to bankruptcy. So he couldn't play around with the accounts anymore. But he didn't want to start saying 'no' to everybody. So then — "
"So then he started stealing things!" said Kristy, jumping to her feet. "All those big things, the camcorders and the treadmills and the wide-screen TVs!"
"Oh, no!" cried Mary Anne, putting her hand over her mouth.
"Oh, yes!" said Kristy. "Stacey, you're a genius! This explains everything. Mr. Morton must be the one stealing that stuff, because he's the only one who would know how to get around security to do it. He'd know how to dodge them on their rounds, and even how to avoid the video cameras so he wouldn't show up on tape."
"He couldn't have stolen all those big things by himself, though," said Mary Anne.
"No, he must have people working for him. People who would know where to sell the stuff, and people to help him take it. Like that guy you ran into in the stockroom, Stacey." Kristy was really excited now, and so was I. Mary Anne just looked dismayed. She can't stand to think the worst of anybody, even if it’s somebody she barely knows, such as Mr. Morton.
"The guy in the stockroom," I mused, remembering that scary, masked face. Then I had a terrible thought. "Maybe those three kids are working for him, too!" I said.
"Oh, no," said Kristy. "He wouldn't do that. Too risky. I mean, that's really serious business, getting kids involved in a crime."
"But what if," Mary Anne said slowly, "what if the kids found out what he was doing?" She glanced up at her and I saw how frightened she looked.
For about thirty seconds, there wasn't a sound in my room. Mary Anne sat staring at her hands. I looked at the basset hound poster, without really seeing it. And Kristy plopped down on the bed again and just sat there, frowning.
"If they found out," I said finally, "I guess Mr. Morton would be pretty scared. Maybe pretty angry, too."
"He'd have to do whatever it took to keep them quiet," said Kristy in a low tone.
"And now they're missing," Mary Anne whispered.
There was another silence.
"Maybe they're just hiding," I said hopefully, after a minute. "Washington Mall is huge, but they probably know every inch of it by now, if they really are living there. I bet they'd know how to stay hidden."
"That’s right," said Mary Anne, grabbing at
the chance to feel optimistic. "They're probably hiding."
"I hope they are," said Kristy. She stood up, and suddenly she looked full of energy. "But I'm not counting on it. It's time we found out. We have to get to the mall right away!"
Chapter 14.
"I'll call Charlie and see if he can give us a ride," Kristy said.
"Who else can help us?" I asked. "We need all the people we can get."
"I bet Claudia's back from art class by now," said Mary Anne. "And maybe Jessi can come. Mal and Shannon are both sitting/ though, and I doubt Logan is done with his tryout yet."
We got busy making phone calls, and before long Claudia and Jessi had joined us at my house. Two minutes later, Charlie (good old Charlie) had pulled up in Watson's van. He honked the horn and we came running out.
On the way to the mall, Kristy explained everything.
"Don't you think you should consider going to the police?" asked Charlie. "This sounds serious. I mean, there are three kids missing."
Kristy thought for a minute. "Okay, how's this?" she asked. "I don't really want to get
the police involved unless we have to. I think it would scare those kids if they saw cops searching the mall, and they might hide themselves even better. How about if we give ourselves a deadline?" She glanced at her watch. "Ifs three-thirty now. If we don't find them by five-thirty, we'll call the police."
"Good idea," said Jessi. "I have to be home no later than six> anyway. I left Becca
"Ohhh!" said Mary Anne. She was beginning to look excited.
"And then," I went on, "it came out that the
mall was dose to bankruptcy. So he couldn't play around with the accounts anymore. But he didn't want to start saying 'no' to everybody. So then — "
"So then he started stealing things!" said Kristy, jumping to her feet. "All those big things, the camcorders and the treadmills and the wide-screen TVs!"
"Oh, no!" cried Mary Anne, putting her hand over her mouth.
"Oh, yes!" said Kristy. "Stacey, you're a genius! This explains everything. Mr. Morton must be the one stealing that stuff, because he's the only one who would know how to get around security to do it. He'd know how to dodge them on their rounds, and even how to avoid the video cameras so he wouldn't show up on tape."
"He couldn't have stolen all those big things by himself, though," said Mary Anne.
"No, he must have people working for him. People who would know where to sell the stuff, and people to help him take it. Like that guy you ran into in the stockroom, Stacey." Kristy was really excited now, and so was I. Mary Anne just looked dismayed. She can't stand to think the worst of anybody, even if it’s somebody she barely knows, such as Mr. Morton.
"The guy in the stockroom," I mused, remembering that scary, masked face. Then I had a terrible thought. "Maybe those three kids are working for him, too!" I said.
"Oh, no," said Kristy. "He wouldn't do that. Too risky. I mean, that's really serious business, getting kids involved in a crime."
"But what if," Mary Anne said slowly, "what if the kids found out what he was doing?" She glanced up at her and I saw how frightened she looked.
For about thirty seconds, there wasn't a sound in my room. Mary Anne sat staring at her hands. I looked at the basset hound poster, without really seeing it. And Kristy plopped down on the bed again and just sat there, frowning.
"If they found out," I said finally, "I guess Mr. Morton would be pretty scared. Maybe pretty angry, too."
"He'd have to do whatever it took to keep them quiet," said Kristy in a low tone.
"And now they're missing," Mary Anne whispered.
There was another silence.
"Maybe they're just hiding," I said hopefully, after a minute. "Washington Mall is huge, but they probably know every inch of it by now, if they really are living there. I bet they'd know how to stay hidden."
"That’s right," said Mary Anne, grabbing at
the chance to feel optimistic. "They're probably hiding."
"I hope they are," said Kristy. She stood up, and suddenly she looked full of energy. "But I'm not counting on it. It's time we found out. We have to get to the mall right away!"
Chapter 14.
"I'll call Charlie and see if he can give us a ride," Kristy said.
"Who else can help us?" I asked. "We need all the people we can get."
"I bet Claudia's back from art class by now," said Mary Anne. "And maybe Jessi can come. Mal and Shannon are both sitting/ though, and I doubt Logan is done with his tryout yet."
We got busy making phone calls, and before long Claudia and Jessi had joined us at my house. Two minutes later, Charlie (good old Charlie) had pulled up in Watson's van. He honked the horn and we came running out.
On the way to the mall, Kristy explained everything.
"Don't you think you should consider going to the police?" asked Charlie. "This sounds serious. I mean, there are three kids missing."
Kristy thought for a minute. "Okay, how's this?" she asked. "I don't really want to get
the police involved unless we have to. I think it would scare those kids if they saw cops searching the mall, and they might hide themselves even better. How about if we give ourselves a deadline?" She glanced at her watch. "Ifs three-thirty now. If we don't find them by five-thirty, we'll call the police."
"Good idea," said Jessi. "I have to be home no later than six> anyway. I left Becca
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