table in the food court. "Nothing to report," said Claudia. "The Artist's Exchange was pretty empty."
"Same with Critters," said Mary Anne. "I did spot Mr. Morton on my way down here, but he was on the "up" escalator. He looked kind of preoccupied."
"We have something to report," said Kristy. "According to this guy Harry, who works at Casa Grande with Logan, somebody used the kitchen again last night."
"So the kids are still around!" said Mary Anne. "What a relief."
"We still have to find them, though," said
Kristy. "And they seem, to be lying low. Charlie and I are going to check the second-floor bathrooms next."
"I'm going to go back upstairs to Cinema World," said Jessi. "Maybe I can find out if anybody slept there last night, if I ask carefully."
"Mary Anne and I can check the women's room down here," said Claud. "Although I doubt we'll find anything there. This is beginning to seem hopeless! How will we ever find three kids in this huge mall?"
"We just have to keep trying," I said. "I want to stop in and see April. How about if we meet by the fountain in a few minutes?"
Five-oh-five: April was busy at Toy Town, so I couldn't really talk to her. But Sarah, her assistant, was setting up a display of new rubber stamps, and I spent some time talking to her. She mentioned that two "really polite kids" had been hanging around about an hour earlier. "I was amazed," she said. "They played with the Legos, but then they put them back neatly."
"I guess their mom came for them?" I asked casually.
Sarah wrinkled her brow. "I don't think so. An older girl stopped by — maybe their sister? — and herded them out of the store. I heard her say something about naptime."
Five-ten: "Naptime," said Kristy, when I met the others (who hadn't found any sign of the kids in the bathrooms or Cinema World) and told them what I had heard. "Where would they go to take naps?" She thought for a moment. "It would have to be someplace quiet, someplace hidden away. I know! There are some empty offices back by security. Let’s check them out."
Five-twenty: After an extensive check of the offices and rooms near security, we had found absolutely nothing. Kristy led us through a maze of hallways that I had never known about, but every room was empty.
"What are we going to do?" wailed Jessi, looking at her watch. "Our time is almost up."
"Naptime," I muttered to myself. "Nap-time." Suddenly I snapped my fingers. "I've got it!" I said. "Those mats the Exercise Shoppe donated for the day-care center! They're piled up in the back room of our storefront."
Five-twenty-eight: We were off and running almost before I had finished my sentence. But as we approached the day-care center, its door and windows soaped up until the center was ready to open, Kristy held up her hand. "Hold on," she said. ''We better do this carefully, so we don't scare them away. If they take off now, we'll never find them in time."
She seemed so sure that they were in there. I wasn't as positive, but I didn't have any better guesses. "Do you still have the key, Kristy?" I asked.
She nodded. "I've had it ever since the painting party," she admitted. "I forgot to turn it in to Ms. Garcia."
"Good thing," Charlie said. "Now, are there any nearby exits from the store?"
"One," said Mary Anne. "Down that hall." She pointed.
"I'll head down there and guard the door," said Charlie.
"Maybe a couple of us should guard this one, too, while the others go in," said Mary Anne. She and Jessi decided to stay by the door.
Five-thirty-one: "It’s okay, we're on your side," Kristy was saying. She and Claud and I had opened the door as quietly as possible, tiptoed through the storefront, and entered the back room.
There, sound asleep on the mats, were the two younger children. The older girl sat nearby, reading a copy of A Wrinkle in Time. She was the one Kristy was talking to. When we entered the dimly lit room, she looked up in alarm. There was no time for her to run, though, so she
"Same with Critters," said Mary Anne. "I did spot Mr. Morton on my way down here, but he was on the "up" escalator. He looked kind of preoccupied."
"We have something to report," said Kristy. "According to this guy Harry, who works at Casa Grande with Logan, somebody used the kitchen again last night."
"So the kids are still around!" said Mary Anne. "What a relief."
"We still have to find them, though," said
Kristy. "And they seem, to be lying low. Charlie and I are going to check the second-floor bathrooms next."
"I'm going to go back upstairs to Cinema World," said Jessi. "Maybe I can find out if anybody slept there last night, if I ask carefully."
"Mary Anne and I can check the women's room down here," said Claud. "Although I doubt we'll find anything there. This is beginning to seem hopeless! How will we ever find three kids in this huge mall?"
"We just have to keep trying," I said. "I want to stop in and see April. How about if we meet by the fountain in a few minutes?"
Five-oh-five: April was busy at Toy Town, so I couldn't really talk to her. But Sarah, her assistant, was setting up a display of new rubber stamps, and I spent some time talking to her. She mentioned that two "really polite kids" had been hanging around about an hour earlier. "I was amazed," she said. "They played with the Legos, but then they put them back neatly."
"I guess their mom came for them?" I asked casually.
Sarah wrinkled her brow. "I don't think so. An older girl stopped by — maybe their sister? — and herded them out of the store. I heard her say something about naptime."
Five-ten: "Naptime," said Kristy, when I met the others (who hadn't found any sign of the kids in the bathrooms or Cinema World) and told them what I had heard. "Where would they go to take naps?" She thought for a moment. "It would have to be someplace quiet, someplace hidden away. I know! There are some empty offices back by security. Let’s check them out."
Five-twenty: After an extensive check of the offices and rooms near security, we had found absolutely nothing. Kristy led us through a maze of hallways that I had never known about, but every room was empty.
"What are we going to do?" wailed Jessi, looking at her watch. "Our time is almost up."
"Naptime," I muttered to myself. "Nap-time." Suddenly I snapped my fingers. "I've got it!" I said. "Those mats the Exercise Shoppe donated for the day-care center! They're piled up in the back room of our storefront."
Five-twenty-eight: We were off and running almost before I had finished my sentence. But as we approached the day-care center, its door and windows soaped up until the center was ready to open, Kristy held up her hand. "Hold on," she said. ''We better do this carefully, so we don't scare them away. If they take off now, we'll never find them in time."
She seemed so sure that they were in there. I wasn't as positive, but I didn't have any better guesses. "Do you still have the key, Kristy?" I asked.
She nodded. "I've had it ever since the painting party," she admitted. "I forgot to turn it in to Ms. Garcia."
"Good thing," Charlie said. "Now, are there any nearby exits from the store?"
"One," said Mary Anne. "Down that hall." She pointed.
"I'll head down there and guard the door," said Charlie.
"Maybe a couple of us should guard this one, too, while the others go in," said Mary Anne. She and Jessi decided to stay by the door.
Five-thirty-one: "It’s okay, we're on your side," Kristy was saying. She and Claud and I had opened the door as quietly as possible, tiptoed through the storefront, and entered the back room.
There, sound asleep on the mats, were the two younger children. The older girl sat nearby, reading a copy of A Wrinkle in Time. She was the one Kristy was talking to. When we entered the dimly lit room, she looked up in alarm. There was no time for her to run, though, so she
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