read ROUND HILL FARM: Holsteins, Merino Sheep. On the left was a white farmhouse with a wide saggy porch in need of paint. An ancient blue truck was parked in front of it. Sure enough, a round green hill rose up behind the barn.
But no lions or tigers or chimps – at least, none were visible. Only three hungry-looking black and white cows stood motionless just beyond the barn.
Of course the kidnappers hadn’t opened up the game park yet. They were waiting for Thelma to hand over the land. Or die.
Zoe’s heart lurched at the thought. At this very moment someone, an unknown partner of the kidnappers perhaps, could be hunting for Thelma. She hadn’t thought of that. A third partner?
The sergeant parked the car behind the barn. She didn’t want the kidnappers spotting it when, that is – if they drove in.
“Wait in the car, stay low,” she told Zoe, and she edged around to the side of the barn. Zoe saw that she had a gun in her holster.
A short time later Zoe heard a car pull in. Instinct told her it was the kidnappers. She couldn’t bear to wait inside a police car. She got out quietly and ran to the other side of the barn where the sergeant wouldn’t see her. It was the white car all right; it was stopped in front of the farmhouse. And there was Spence in the back seat, his hands still tied! Chloe got out first. She yanked on Spence’s arm.
“Spence,” Zoe hissed – but to herself, she mustn’t warn them. “Spence,” she whispered again, and as though he’d heard her he looked toward the sound of her whisper.
“Move away from them,” her inner voice said. And again, Spence hobbled away, on one shoe, toward the barn.
“Where you going? Over here!” Cedric cried, and Spence just stood there, as if disoriented. Chloe went over to pull him back and then Sergeant O’Hare ran forward, brandishing her gun and yelling at the kidnappers that they were “Under arrest!” The policewoman had a big voice for her slim body.
Chloe grabbed Spence’s arm, but Zoe raced out from the side of the barn and yanked him away.
“Get back!” the sergeant called to Zoe, and she did. But she had Spence. She hugged him until he cried out.
“I can’t hug back,” he said. “My hands are tied.” She picked up a sharp stone to set his hands free.
After that it was chaos: two more police cars roaring up and skidding to a stop on the dirt drive. Dust clouding the air, the three cows bellowing. Somewhere, a pair of sheep was bawling, and hens were squawking.
When Zoe could make out shapes again, Cedric and Chloe were in handcuffs. A second officer called for her and Spence to officially identify the pair as kidnappers, and of course, they did. Zoe felt a little sorry for Chloe who was weeping and wringing her hands, her pretty red shoes all covered with dust. But she wasn’t too sorry.
“This is what you get for kidnapping kids and old ladies,” Zoe said, striding up to Cedric, hands on her hips. He looked away. Sergeant O’Hare asked him about the game park he was planning to operate on Thelma’s farm. But Cedric just shook his head, feigning innocence.
“It’s true. I’ve got proof,” said Spence. He drew the letter from the Plum Bush Zoo out of his pocket and read it aloud.
“Try and deny that,” said Spence, looking pleased with himself. And Cedric couldn’t. In fact they could hardly understand what Cedric said, his stutter was so bad.
So they had the kidnappers on three charges. Kidnapping Thelma and putting her in the state mental institution. Kidnapping Zoe and Spence. And trying to illegally establish a big game hunting park on land they didn’t even own.
But the police had no proof that the kidnappers had killed Alice’s grandmother. The Chief back in the Branbury police station that evening shook his head when Zoe insisted that Cedric and Chloe had put the insecticide in poor Agnes Fairweather’s pea soup.
“We’re working on the case,” the chief said, “but we can’t find any
But no lions or tigers or chimps – at least, none were visible. Only three hungry-looking black and white cows stood motionless just beyond the barn.
Of course the kidnappers hadn’t opened up the game park yet. They were waiting for Thelma to hand over the land. Or die.
Zoe’s heart lurched at the thought. At this very moment someone, an unknown partner of the kidnappers perhaps, could be hunting for Thelma. She hadn’t thought of that. A third partner?
The sergeant parked the car behind the barn. She didn’t want the kidnappers spotting it when, that is – if they drove in.
“Wait in the car, stay low,” she told Zoe, and she edged around to the side of the barn. Zoe saw that she had a gun in her holster.
A short time later Zoe heard a car pull in. Instinct told her it was the kidnappers. She couldn’t bear to wait inside a police car. She got out quietly and ran to the other side of the barn where the sergeant wouldn’t see her. It was the white car all right; it was stopped in front of the farmhouse. And there was Spence in the back seat, his hands still tied! Chloe got out first. She yanked on Spence’s arm.
“Spence,” Zoe hissed – but to herself, she mustn’t warn them. “Spence,” she whispered again, and as though he’d heard her he looked toward the sound of her whisper.
“Move away from them,” her inner voice said. And again, Spence hobbled away, on one shoe, toward the barn.
“Where you going? Over here!” Cedric cried, and Spence just stood there, as if disoriented. Chloe went over to pull him back and then Sergeant O’Hare ran forward, brandishing her gun and yelling at the kidnappers that they were “Under arrest!” The policewoman had a big voice for her slim body.
Chloe grabbed Spence’s arm, but Zoe raced out from the side of the barn and yanked him away.
“Get back!” the sergeant called to Zoe, and she did. But she had Spence. She hugged him until he cried out.
“I can’t hug back,” he said. “My hands are tied.” She picked up a sharp stone to set his hands free.
After that it was chaos: two more police cars roaring up and skidding to a stop on the dirt drive. Dust clouding the air, the three cows bellowing. Somewhere, a pair of sheep was bawling, and hens were squawking.
When Zoe could make out shapes again, Cedric and Chloe were in handcuffs. A second officer called for her and Spence to officially identify the pair as kidnappers, and of course, they did. Zoe felt a little sorry for Chloe who was weeping and wringing her hands, her pretty red shoes all covered with dust. But she wasn’t too sorry.
“This is what you get for kidnapping kids and old ladies,” Zoe said, striding up to Cedric, hands on her hips. He looked away. Sergeant O’Hare asked him about the game park he was planning to operate on Thelma’s farm. But Cedric just shook his head, feigning innocence.
“It’s true. I’ve got proof,” said Spence. He drew the letter from the Plum Bush Zoo out of his pocket and read it aloud.
“Try and deny that,” said Spence, looking pleased with himself. And Cedric couldn’t. In fact they could hardly understand what Cedric said, his stutter was so bad.
So they had the kidnappers on three charges. Kidnapping Thelma and putting her in the state mental institution. Kidnapping Zoe and Spence. And trying to illegally establish a big game hunting park on land they didn’t even own.
But the police had no proof that the kidnappers had killed Alice’s grandmother. The Chief back in the Branbury police station that evening shook his head when Zoe insisted that Cedric and Chloe had put the insecticide in poor Agnes Fairweather’s pea soup.
“We’re working on the case,” the chief said, “but we can’t find any
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