this morning and was supposed to meet us for breakfast. I’m getting concerned.”
Willy interrupted. “Honey, I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll wait here. She’s bound to come along. We’ll catch up with you or meet you back here.”
“Do you mind?”
“No. There’s a lot of action going on around here. Maybe you should give me your pin to wear.”
Alvirah smiled. “That’ll be the day.” She fell in step with the others as they followed the Pickenses to the family homestead.
25
O pal had fainted as she was dragged into the house. The men laid her on a lumpy couch in the living room. She came to immediately, then realized it was better to act as if she was still unconscious until she could figure out what to do. The house smelled of burning grease, the windows and doors were open in an obvious attempt to get rid of the odor, and a cold draft made Opal shiver. Through narrowed eyes she could see that Benny and Jo-Jo must have been the ones to help Packy drag her inside.
Those three crooks all together again! Moe, Larry, and Curly, she thought disdainfully. God didn’t bless those twins with good looks, that’s for sure, she thought. I remembered Benny shlumped, and now here I am. I should have told Alvirah where I was going and why. And then she had a chillier thought: What are they going to do to me?
“You can close the windows now,” Packy barked. “It’s freezing in here.” He came over to the couch and looked down at Opal. He started to pat her on the face. “Come on, come on. You’re all right.”
Repulsed by his touch, Opal’s eyes flew open. “Get your hands off me, Packy Noonan! You miserable thief!”
“It seems like you’ve come to your senses,” Packy grunted. “Jo-Jo, Benny, bring her into the kitchen and tie her to a chair. I don’t want her making a dash for it.”
Opal’s cross-country skis were on the floor. The twins hustled her into the kitchen, where a nervous Milo was making another pot of coffee and wondering what the penalty for kidnapping was. The windows in the kitchen were still open. The smell of bacon grease and charred pancakes combined with the cold air made everything seem so much worse to Opal.
She looked at Milo. “Are you the short-order cook around here? If so, it looks as if you could use a few lessons.”
“I’m a poet,” Milo answered unhappily.
Benny and Jo-Jo wrapped a rope around Opal’s legs and torso.
“Leave my hands free,” she snapped. “You might want me to write another check. And I’d like a cup of coffee.”
“She’s a stand-up comedienne,” Jo-Jo grunted.
“No, Jo-Jo,” Benny smiled. “She’s a sit-down comedienne.” He started to laugh.
“Shut up, Benny,” Packy ordered as he came into the kitchen. “I don’t see anybody else out there. She must have come alone.” He sat down across the table from Opal. “How did you know we were here?”
“Give me my coffee first.” Shock and then anger had been Opal’s initial reactions to what had happened. She read the desperation in Packy’s face and realized that he was supposed to be at the halfway house in New York. She was sure he didn’t get a weekend pass to Vermont. Was he up here to get his hands on the money she had always suspected he had hidden, and then get out of the country fast? Was the money up here somewhere? Why else would he and the Como twins have come to Vermont? Certainly not to ski.
“Milk and sugar in your coffee?” Milo asked politely. “We have two percent or skim.”
“Skim and no sugar.” She looked at the twins. “It wouldn’t hurt you two to take your coffee that way.” In a crazy way Opal was beginning to feel a sense of satisfaction at getting the chance to hurl insults at these men who had caused her so much misery. I should be more afraid, she thought. But I feel as if they’ve already done the worst to me.
“I’ve been trying to diet,” Benny said, “but it’s hard when you’re under stress.”
“You’ve been
Willy interrupted. “Honey, I’m sure she’s fine. I’ll wait here. She’s bound to come along. We’ll catch up with you or meet you back here.”
“Do you mind?”
“No. There’s a lot of action going on around here. Maybe you should give me your pin to wear.”
Alvirah smiled. “That’ll be the day.” She fell in step with the others as they followed the Pickenses to the family homestead.
25
O pal had fainted as she was dragged into the house. The men laid her on a lumpy couch in the living room. She came to immediately, then realized it was better to act as if she was still unconscious until she could figure out what to do. The house smelled of burning grease, the windows and doors were open in an obvious attempt to get rid of the odor, and a cold draft made Opal shiver. Through narrowed eyes she could see that Benny and Jo-Jo must have been the ones to help Packy drag her inside.
Those three crooks all together again! Moe, Larry, and Curly, she thought disdainfully. God didn’t bless those twins with good looks, that’s for sure, she thought. I remembered Benny shlumped, and now here I am. I should have told Alvirah where I was going and why. And then she had a chillier thought: What are they going to do to me?
“You can close the windows now,” Packy barked. “It’s freezing in here.” He came over to the couch and looked down at Opal. He started to pat her on the face. “Come on, come on. You’re all right.”
Repulsed by his touch, Opal’s eyes flew open. “Get your hands off me, Packy Noonan! You miserable thief!”
“It seems like you’ve come to your senses,” Packy grunted. “Jo-Jo, Benny, bring her into the kitchen and tie her to a chair. I don’t want her making a dash for it.”
Opal’s cross-country skis were on the floor. The twins hustled her into the kitchen, where a nervous Milo was making another pot of coffee and wondering what the penalty for kidnapping was. The windows in the kitchen were still open. The smell of bacon grease and charred pancakes combined with the cold air made everything seem so much worse to Opal.
She looked at Milo. “Are you the short-order cook around here? If so, it looks as if you could use a few lessons.”
“I’m a poet,” Milo answered unhappily.
Benny and Jo-Jo wrapped a rope around Opal’s legs and torso.
“Leave my hands free,” she snapped. “You might want me to write another check. And I’d like a cup of coffee.”
“She’s a stand-up comedienne,” Jo-Jo grunted.
“No, Jo-Jo,” Benny smiled. “She’s a sit-down comedienne.” He started to laugh.
“Shut up, Benny,” Packy ordered as he came into the kitchen. “I don’t see anybody else out there. She must have come alone.” He sat down across the table from Opal. “How did you know we were here?”
“Give me my coffee first.” Shock and then anger had been Opal’s initial reactions to what had happened. She read the desperation in Packy’s face and realized that he was supposed to be at the halfway house in New York. She was sure he didn’t get a weekend pass to Vermont. Was he up here to get his hands on the money she had always suspected he had hidden, and then get out of the country fast? Was the money up here somewhere? Why else would he and the Como twins have come to Vermont? Certainly not to ski.
“Milk and sugar in your coffee?” Milo asked politely. “We have two percent or skim.”
“Skim and no sugar.” She looked at the twins. “It wouldn’t hurt you two to take your coffee that way.” In a crazy way Opal was beginning to feel a sense of satisfaction at getting the chance to hurl insults at these men who had caused her so much misery. I should be more afraid, she thought. But I feel as if they’ve already done the worst to me.
“I’ve been trying to diet,” Benny said, “but it’s hard when you’re under stress.”
“You’ve been
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