cigarette lighter next to the steering wheel. He pushed it in three times and then turned it twice to the right. With a jangling sound, a set of keys popped out.
He revved up the engine. "Callie, do you have extra keys?"
She shook her head no. "But my mom will bring me a set."
"Good. Drive everyone home. I'm going to get Ruppenthal."
He slammed the van into gear, made a noisy U-turn, and roared off into the street.
Looking left and right, he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the white station wagon.
Suddenly Frank noticed something in the passenger-side mirror. A person—hanging on to the door for dear life.
He slowed down and stopped in the middle of the road. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted.
Tessa's face popped into the window. "That was so exciting! I have always wanted to try that!"
"What, ride holding on to a van going sixty miles an hour?"
Tessa nodded, grinning.
"You must like to put your life in danger!" Frank shook his head. "Come on, get in — we're wasting time!"
She plopped into the front seat and Frank resumed the chase. He went to the end of the street, where it branched off to the center of town. He drove in the opposite direction, toward the parkway entrance. There he saw a line of cars, waiting to get on.
None of them was the white station wagon.
"We've lost him," said Frank. "He could be anywhere by now."
He spun back through the streets of Bayport, again seeing no sign of Ruppenthal. Dejected, he headed back toward the Carpenter mansion.'
"That was fantastic, Frank! I felt like I was in a movie!"
"Yeah," said Frank dryly "with one exception. Most movies have happy endings."
"Don't worry, maybe he's on his way to flee the country—and good riddance!"
"Tessa, what was he saying about 'waiting till the end of the day'?"
Tessa rolled her eyes. "Oh, how bizarre! Imagine him calling me a murderer! I think this whole thing has cracked the poor man's mind!"
Soon they were climbing up the driveway to the mansion. Frank flicked the ignition off sharply as he parked the van.
"Easy, Frank," said Tessa in a soothing voice. "I think you need to relax a bit."
"Uh — okay! Let's go inside and wait for the others!" Frank said and quickly slid out the door.
Tessa followed him into the mansion. He went straight into the sitting room and paced around.
"Well!" he said. "I have to admit, nothing seems to fit in this case. If Ruppenthal took the dagger, then — "
Tessa sidled up next to Frank and gently put her finger on his lips. "Shh," she whispered.. "Let's forget about the case for a moment, okay?"
Frank took her hand and led her to the couch. Together they sat down. "I'm sorry, Tessa, I don't mean to hurt your feelings—but you know that Callie is my girlfriend. We're very happy together. This — what you're doing is not right."
"How can you say that, Frank? You're not married to her!"
"Tessa, don't you feel funny about all this? I mean, betraying Harley behind his back — "
Tessa looked shocked and hurt. "Harley has meant nothing to me — absolutely nothing, from the instant I met you, Frank. I can't help it!" For the first time, she moved her eyes away from Frank. "I — I love you."
Frank sank back in the couch. He watched the glistening outline of a tear form in Tessa's eye.
"I don't know what to say," he whispered.
Tessa wiped her eyes and sat up straight, a brave smile etched across her face. "Well," she said, "that's that, I guess." She fanned herself with her right hand and looked at the window.
"Imagine that," she continued. "We've been sitting here the whole time with the window shut. This room sure could use some air."
"Yes! Good idea!" Frank stood up and reached over Tessa for the front window behind the sofa. He gave a yank, but the window held fast. "Must be locked or something."
Tessa looked up from beneath him. "Oh, there's a special pin you have to pull. Here, let me help you." She reached up toward the center of the window as Frank continued to
He revved up the engine. "Callie, do you have extra keys?"
She shook her head no. "But my mom will bring me a set."
"Good. Drive everyone home. I'm going to get Ruppenthal."
He slammed the van into gear, made a noisy U-turn, and roared off into the street.
Looking left and right, he kept his eyes peeled for any sign of the white station wagon.
Suddenly Frank noticed something in the passenger-side mirror. A person—hanging on to the door for dear life.
He slowed down and stopped in the middle of the road. "What do you think you're doing?" he shouted.
Tessa's face popped into the window. "That was so exciting! I have always wanted to try that!"
"What, ride holding on to a van going sixty miles an hour?"
Tessa nodded, grinning.
"You must like to put your life in danger!" Frank shook his head. "Come on, get in — we're wasting time!"
She plopped into the front seat and Frank resumed the chase. He went to the end of the street, where it branched off to the center of town. He drove in the opposite direction, toward the parkway entrance. There he saw a line of cars, waiting to get on.
None of them was the white station wagon.
"We've lost him," said Frank. "He could be anywhere by now."
He spun back through the streets of Bayport, again seeing no sign of Ruppenthal. Dejected, he headed back toward the Carpenter mansion.'
"That was fantastic, Frank! I felt like I was in a movie!"
"Yeah," said Frank dryly "with one exception. Most movies have happy endings."
"Don't worry, maybe he's on his way to flee the country—and good riddance!"
"Tessa, what was he saying about 'waiting till the end of the day'?"
Tessa rolled her eyes. "Oh, how bizarre! Imagine him calling me a murderer! I think this whole thing has cracked the poor man's mind!"
Soon they were climbing up the driveway to the mansion. Frank flicked the ignition off sharply as he parked the van.
"Easy, Frank," said Tessa in a soothing voice. "I think you need to relax a bit."
"Uh — okay! Let's go inside and wait for the others!" Frank said and quickly slid out the door.
Tessa followed him into the mansion. He went straight into the sitting room and paced around.
"Well!" he said. "I have to admit, nothing seems to fit in this case. If Ruppenthal took the dagger, then — "
Tessa sidled up next to Frank and gently put her finger on his lips. "Shh," she whispered.. "Let's forget about the case for a moment, okay?"
Frank took her hand and led her to the couch. Together they sat down. "I'm sorry, Tessa, I don't mean to hurt your feelings—but you know that Callie is my girlfriend. We're very happy together. This — what you're doing is not right."
"How can you say that, Frank? You're not married to her!"
"Tessa, don't you feel funny about all this? I mean, betraying Harley behind his back — "
Tessa looked shocked and hurt. "Harley has meant nothing to me — absolutely nothing, from the instant I met you, Frank. I can't help it!" For the first time, she moved her eyes away from Frank. "I — I love you."
Frank sank back in the couch. He watched the glistening outline of a tear form in Tessa's eye.
"I don't know what to say," he whispered.
Tessa wiped her eyes and sat up straight, a brave smile etched across her face. "Well," she said, "that's that, I guess." She fanned herself with her right hand and looked at the window.
"Imagine that," she continued. "We've been sitting here the whole time with the window shut. This room sure could use some air."
"Yes! Good idea!" Frank stood up and reached over Tessa for the front window behind the sofa. He gave a yank, but the window held fast. "Must be locked or something."
Tessa looked up from beneath him. "Oh, there's a special pin you have to pull. Here, let me help you." She reached up toward the center of the window as Frank continued to
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