Jackie arrived at seven. After she said hello to Sarah’s aunt and uncle, Sarah and Lacey whisked her outside. They ambled through the yard enjoying the slight breeze blowing in with the twilight.
The air was still thick with humidity—Sarah took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her chest felt heavy as if the moisture in the air was too thick for her lungs. This feeling brought back the memory of the family camping trip last summer. They had gone to Colorado and hiked through the Rocky Mountains.
On one of their hikes they discovered a river. While sitting on the edge cooling their feet, a herd of elk walked near the Cole family and drank from the water. At that moment, Sarah realized she loved nature. These wild animals just accepted her family as a part of the world, there was no fear or aggressiveness.
She felt at peace as she watched the herd. It was one big family. The older elk kept an eye out for predators, while the calves played in the water. Watching the elk, Sarah realized how important her family was to her. Even my sister, she admitted to herself. All of a sudden, gratitude for her family overwhelmed her, and she couldn’t help but compare her life to the Cat Lady’s.
Tears welled in Sarah’s eyes and her heart swelled with sorrow as she thought about the Cat Lady’s tragic life. The idea she had been haunted until her dying day by the disappearance of her son struck a chord deep in Sarah. A grave injustice had been done, and she felt compelled to rectify it.
Reaching the tent, Sarah stepped inside. Her thoughts turned to Klonsky and apprehension flowed through her body like a raging river. The teens sat in the center of the tent in a circle. Sarah took a few minutes and told the girls about her sighting of the crooked cop.
Jackie’s eyes widened when she heard the tale. Lacey whimpered but didn’t make any other sound.
Jackie took a shuddering breath. “There’s something wrong with that guy.”
“You got that right,” Sarah said.
The girls squirmed for a few minutes getting comfortable on the floor, then Sarah held up a notebook she carried with her. “This is going to be our spy-book.”
“Okay, I’ll bite, what’s a spy-book?” Jackie asked.
“It’s the book we’re using to keep track of all our clues,” Sarah said.
“Cool beans.”
Sarah scrawled the words ‘spy-book’ across the front of the notebook.
“Anyone want a soda?” Lacey asked.
Sarah and Jackie both nodded.
Lacey handed the girls their soft drinks, and they all popped the tops and drank.
Huddling together in the middle of their new shelter, the teens leaned forward as if they were planning a conspiracy. Setting her soda off to the side, Sarah turned on the flashlight and set it in the center of the tent. The light shone on the ceiling. It cast a warm glow, creating a cozy atmosphere.
Sarah grabbed the spy-book. “Okay, this is what we know so far.” She began writing. “The Cat Lady opened her door for her killer. That means she knew Klonsky.”
“Or felt comfortable with him because he’s a cop,” Jackie said, pulling on a curl.
Sarah nodded. “Yeah, that’s right, and we heard him down by the creek last night getting rid of evidence.”
“Scott stepped on a knife,” Jackie pointed out.
“Right, and the Cat Lady was stabbed.” Sarah scribbled frantically in the spy-book.
“Wait a minute, guys,” Lacey said, holding out her arms as if she were stopping traffic. “When I talked to Scott, he said the police have a suspect already.”
Sarah shook her head. “No way.”
“Way. . . I guess there’s been a rash of murders in this state.”
“Are you serious?” Sarah frowned.
“Yeah, it’s some guy posing as a delivery man. That’s how he gets in the door, then he goes after them, kills them, and robs them blind. Scott says this is called a blitz attack.”
“It can’t be true,” Sarah shook her head.
“It’s true,” Lacey insisted. “The cops have a nickname for him. They’re calling him the Death Messenger.”
“Then what were Klonsky and the other guy doing last night?” Jackie asked.
Lacey shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Remember what he said about us when we were leaving the police station? He said we killed the Cat Lady.”
“That was probably before they found out about the Death Messenger.” Lacey pulled on her shoelace.
“I don’t know.” Sarah shook her head and put the spy-book down.
“Yeah, what about the knife we found today?” Jackie asked.
Lacey raised her hands in agesture of confusion. “Beats me, maybe a hunter lost it.”
“Remember, the evidence tells the story,” Sarah frowned and fiddled with her pen. “I think it’s strange we heard Klonsky down by the creek last night getting rid of evidence, and then the next day we find a knife in the water.”
“You’ve got a good point,” Jackie said.
“Plus, the Cat Lady was stabbed to death. It’s all pointing toward Klonsky.”
Jackie nodded. “We just don’t know why.”
“We’ve got to get back inside the Cat Lady’s house.” Sarah furrowed her brow and doodled on the spy-book.
“Yeah, we do,” Jackie said as she shifted her weight.
“What about the Cat Lady’s son?” Lacey asked. She suddenly leaned forward and whispered. “Maybe he’s the Death Messenger.” Her eyes widened as she stared at Sarah.
Sarah stared back at her sister—she could tell images of the Death Messenger were running rampant through Lacey’s brain. “He couldn’t be. We found out he was kidnapped when we were at the library.”
“No way.”
“Yeah, and the Cat Lady paid the ransom and everything,” Jackie added.
“Did they ever find his body?” Lacey asked.
“Nope.”
“How much was the ransom for?” Lacey fiddled with her shoestring.
Sarah fumbled in her backpack and pulled out some of the photocopied articles. She quickly scanned one of them, looking for the ransom information. “It says here… one hundred thousand dollars.”
“She paid it, huh?” Lacey asked, pulling harder on her shoelace and untying her shoe.
“Yep.”
“I wonder if he’s still alive?” Jackie speculated.
“At this point anything is possible.” Sarah scribbled in the spy-book. “We need to find more evidence, guys.”
“Yeah, we do,” Jackie said.
“You know what that means?” Sarah cracked a smile.
“We’re sneaking out tonight?” Jackie asked, matching Sarah’s grin with one of her own.
“We are?” Lacey gulped.
“Yep. We need more evidence to put Klonsky away.”
“But what if it’s not Klonsky? What if it’s the Messenger?” Lacey asked, wringing her hands.
“More evidence will tell us,” Sarah said firmly. “I have a hunch it’s Klonsky.”
Jackie tugged on her curls. “I think Klonsky is looking for a fall guy, someone to blame the murder on.”
Sarah’s stomach fluttered. “You know, I just had a thought.”
“You had a thought? What’d it feel like?” Jackie teased.
“I’ll tell you later,” Sarah snorted. “I’ll describe it in great detail. In fact, I’ll even write it down for you. I know you’ve never had one, so you don’t know what they feel like.”
“Ooooh, you’re soo funny.”
“Why, yes…yes I am,” Sarah laughed.
“A regular comedian.”
Sarah laughed again and then grew serious. “What if Klonsky heard about this other guy and tried to copy him. He murdered the Cat Lady to make it look like the Death Messenger.”
“You mean like a copycat?” Jackie asked.
“Yep.” Sarah doodled on the spy-book.
“He’s smart.” Lacey grimaced. “He’s going to get away with it, isn’t he?”
“Not if we can help it,” Sarah said.
“You guys, this could get dangerous,” Lacey whimpered.
“We laugh in the face of danger,” Jackie crowed. She lifted her hand in the air, and pretended to swing a sword.
“It’s already dangerous.” Sarah gave Lacey a long look. “Klonsky is trying to pin this murder on us. The only way out of this mess is to find more clues.” Sarah placed her elbow on her knee and leaned her head against her fist. Her brow wrinkled as she thought about the Cat Lady.
All of a sudden, she heard an odd snuffling noise from outside the tent. Jackie gazed at her with a confused expression.
“It’s Lily. Uncle Walt must be walking her.” Sarah answered the question lurking in Jackie’s eyes.
“Hi, girls,” he said from outside the tent.
“Hi,” they chorused.
“I just thought I’d see if you girls need anything before I turn in.”
“We’re okay,” Sarah said.
“I think Lily would like to sleep out here with you.”
“Awwww, she’s going to bark at every little noise,” Sarah complained.
“Just keep her in the tent. She’ll be okay.”
“All right,” Sarah grumbled.
Uncle Walt unzipped the tent, and Lily trotted in. She went to work sniffing the far corners of the tent, her coppery nose intent on finding any long forgotten morsel.
“Don’t stay up too late, girls.”
“We won’t,” all three girls said in unison.
Sarah giggled. This was the universal warning given by parents at all sleepovers, along with the universal reply by teenagers.
“Night.”
“Night.”
Sarah put her fingers to her lips, telling the other girls to be quiet. She listened as Uncle Walt made his way back to the house. Minutes later, she heard the squeak of the screen door, and then the loud bang as the taut spring pulled the door shut. Secrets were being shared, and uncles were not allowed.
“What are we going to do now?” Jackie asked.
“Looks like we can’t sneak out tonight.” Lacey sighed with relief.
“We’ll think of something.” Sarah furrowed her brow. “We won’t let Lily ruin our plans.”
“We might as well unroll our sleeping bags and get comfortable,” Jackie suggested.
The girls stood and unrolled their sleeping bags. They put the tops of the bed rolls in the center of the tent, so when they were asleep their heads would be close. All three Super Spies proceeded to lie on top of their sleep sacks.
Lily lay down on Sarah’s bag, with her chin on the teenager’s leg. Sarah stared at the ceiling of the tent. She played with the flashlight, moving it back and forth.
Watching the shadows dance on the side of the tent, Sarah planned the night’s adventure. “We’ll wait until everyone’s asleep and then put Lily back in the house.”
“Okay,” Jackie agreed.
“I don’t know if it’s a good idea to go to the Cat Lady’s at night,” Lacey said, chewing on her lip.
“We can’t go during the day, Klonsky and the other cops will be there,” Sarah reasoned.
“I just can’t figure out why Klonsky would murder the Cat Lady?” Jackie frowned.
“I keep going back to what Uncle Walt said about her being one of the richest people in town.” Sarah continued to play with the flashlight as she spoke.
“Do you think this is about money?” Jackie sat up and scratched Lily’s head.
“I don’t know, but it’s one of the oldest reasons in the book.”
All of a sudden an offending odor engulfed the girls. They wrinkled their noses and scrambled out of the tent.
“Gross, Lily farted!” Sarah grimaced and covered her nose.
“Man, that was bad.” Jackie took several deep breaths of fresh air.
“You can say that again,” Sarah said.
“Man, that was bad.” Jackie snickered and gave Sarah a playful nudge.
The girls burst into laughter.
“But that does give us an excuse to put Lily back inside the house,” Sarah beamed.
“It sure does,” Jackie giggled.
Sarah grabbed Lily. She squirmed in protest, but Sarah kept her under control. “I’m taking her in.”
With Lily squirming in her arms, Sarah walked toward the back door. She stopped when she noticed the stars were out in full force. They littered the sky with their twinkling lights. For a moment, Lily stopped struggling as if their beauty mesmerized her too. After a few seconds, Lily put her cold nose on Sarah’s arm, bringing her back from the heavens. Sarah hurried the rest of the way to the house. Uncle Walt came to the door, and Sarah explained to him why Lily had to sleep inside.
“What did Uncle Walt say?” Lacey asked when Sarah returned to the tent.
“He just laughed. He said he would put her in her kennel for the night.”
“So sneaking out is still on?” Jackie asked.
“You bet. Let’s just wait until Uncle Walt falls back to sleep.”
After checking to make sure there were no more fumes, the girls crawled back into the tent.
“Boy, Lily sure has stinky farts,” Sarah said.
Jackie rummaged around in her backpack and pulled out a small bottle of perfume. She began spraying it in the corners of the tent.
Sarah laughed at her. “What are you doing?”
“Making sure the fart smell is gone.” Jackie continued spraying the perfume until the tent was filled with the flowery aroma.
“Knock it off, you’re making my eyes water,” Sarah protested.
All three girls laughed until tears came to their eyes. Wiping her eyes, Sarah sat down on her sleeping bag; the other girls followed her lead.
The Super Spies lay on their sleeping bags talking, the stories turning to the town of Harrisburg. Sarah and Lacey sat wide-eyed as Jackie regaled them with tales about the quirky characters in the tiny burg. There was Mr. Copinski, a shrunken old man who walked around town sweeping the sidewalks and the streets. Jackie said he wasn’t right in the head, and on a number of occasions he appeared drunk and had to be taken to jail. She giggled as she stood and imitated his hunched, drunken walk.
Sitting back down, her expression turned serious and her eyes darkened when she told the Cole girls about Mr. Dewilde. If the Cat Lady was the town’s crazy lady, then Mr. Dewilde was the town’s crazy man. According to Jackie, he came home from work one day and found his family brutally murdered. The police investigated, but the mystery remains unsolved to this day. Mr. Dewilde locked up the house and left it just the way he found it and has never returned. Another True Crime mystery, Sarah thought to herself.
“Wow, there sure are a lot of crazy people in this town,” Sarah said.
Jackie flopped down on her sleeping bag. “Tell me about it. This town is full of crazy people. It’s amazing that I’m as sane as I am.”
“You’re sane?” Sarah laughed.
“Are you questioning my sanity?” Jackie sat up and put her hands on her hips, pretending to glare at Sarah.
“Okay, okay.” Sarah put her hands up in mock surrender. “What time is it?”
Jackie placed her wrist in the beam of the flashlight. “It’s midnight.”
“It’s time to go.”
“Are you sure we should do this at night?” Lacey whimpered.
“We have to move fast,” Sarah said, casting a sideways glance at Lacey as she sat up.
“You don’t have to go, if you don’t want to,” Jackie said.
“I’m just nervous.”
“Then don’t go,” Sarah said.
“I don’t want to miss anything, either.”
“Here, have some tootsie rolls.” Sarah handed Lacey a handful of the treasured candies. “It’ll calm your nerves.”
“Okay.” Lacey grabbed the candy and pulled it out of its wrapper with trembling hands.
“Let’s head out.” Jackie pulled her curls into a fuzzy ponytail. “Grab a flashlight.”
Armed with flashlights and backpacks, the Super Spies left the safety of the tent and began their journey to the Cat Lady’s.
Sarah sighed as she walked, the moon lighting her way. Listening to the crickets and katydids, Sarah’s mind wandered to the nagging questions haunting her. Why would Klonsky want the Cat Lady dead? Who was the man that was with him by the creek? What is the connection between the Cat Lady and Klonsky? No answers came to her.
Shaking her head, she focused her attention on the streets of Harrisburg. They were different at night. The moon hung in the sky like a half-eaten lollipop minus the stick. Moonlight hit the giant trees and houses, throwing eerie shadows everywhere. A chill ran down Sarah’s spine, and she shivered in the heat. Finally, the girls reached the Cat Lady’s house and once again hid behind the oak tree across the street.
“Cross your fingers, girls. Let’s hope we find some answers tonight,” Sarah whispered.
She peeked out from behind the tree and stared at the house. It sat dark and forbidding. No lights shone in the windows, and the worn out look it had by day turned sinister at night. Sarah’s stomach clenched into a tight knot.
“Are you sure you want to do this?” Lacey gulped.
“We have to. We can’t let Klonsky get away with murder,” Sarah said. Her voice sounded braver than she felt, but she was more determined than ever to put the crooked cop away.
“We don’t even know if it’s Klonsky,” Lacey argued.
“What about the knife we found?” Sarah whispered.
“We don’t even know if it’s the murder weapon.” Lacey peered at the house as she spoke.
“We don’t know it’s not, either.” Sarah rolled her eyes, refusing to believe anything but her own theory.
Lacey sighed. “I don’t think this is a good idea.”
“Then stay here, wimp.”
“No way! I’m not staying here by myself.”
“Guys, we’re wasting time,” Jackie said, drumming her fingers on the tree trunk.
“Jackie’s right. Let’s get going.” Sarah peered out from behind the tree again. “Well, here goes nothing.” She took a deep breath, and sprinted across the street.
Jackie and Lacey caught up with Sarah at the basement window. She sat hunkered down in the dark, waiting for them.
“What took you so long?” Sarah grumbled.
“You do that every time,” Jackie groused.
“I suppose I’m going in first?” Sarah whispered.
“Yep.” Jackie peered into the dark window.
Sarah pushed her backpack through the window, and then backed up and went in feet first. She remembered to arch her back. Once inside she took a deep breath, working up the courage to go down the box stairs. It was so dark she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. Nervous sweat broke out under her arms; she felt swallowed by the inky darkness.
Her heart raced as she fumbled for her backpack. Images of the Cat Lady’s ghost invaded her mind. Her hands trembled and she willed them to stop. Sarah swallowed her fear. It was a huge lump that didn’t go down easily. Reaching into her pack, she pulled out her flashlight. Turning it on, she took several ragged breaths, easing her panic. Finally, she descended the makeshift stairs, the beam of her light casting eerie shadows on the walls and ceiling.
“Okay, it’s safe. Come on down,” Sarah whispered when she reached the floor.
She heard Lacey mutter in a strangled voice. “I want to go next.”
“Hurry up.”
Finally, all three girls were together at the bottom of the box stairs.
“It’s a lot different being here at night,” Lacey whispered.
“You can say that again,” Sarah answered as she watched Jackie come down the box stairs.
All of a sudden Jackie shone her flashlight under her chin and contorted her features. “Blaaaah.”
Lacey shrieked and jumped back, tripping over the box stairs. She landed on her rear and clouds of dust erupted around her. “Knock it off,” she sputtered.
“It wasn’t me, it was the Cat Lady’s ghost,” Jackie snickered.
“Shut up.”
Jackie laughed at Lacey sprawled in the dirt. Sarah’s lips twitched, but she stifled her laughter and took a deep breath. She felt some of the tension leave her body.
“You guys are total freaks!” Lacey snapped.
She coughed spastically. Standing, she brushed the dirt off her sweatpants and adjusted the waistband. Glaring at Jackie, she stepped closer to her sister.
“Okay, you guys, let’s start looking for clues,” Sarah said.
The girls climbed the stairs to the basement door. Sarah opened it and shone her flashlight into the inky darkness of the kitchen. Repugnant air hit Sarah as soon as she stepped into the room. She pulled her collar up over her nose, hoping it would mask the smell.
“What are we looking for?” Jackie asked, covering her nose with her sleeve.
“We’re looking for anything connecting Klonsky to the Cat Lady. Let’s look in the living room.” Sarah walked through the kitchen, her flashlight cutting through the murkiness.
The house was stifling. It had been closed up since the murder, and the foul stench of cat urine polluted the air. Sarah pulled her collar tighter around her nose and mouth. Jackie and Lacey followed her, covering their noses. Taking a deep breath, Sarah stopped between the kitchen and the living room.
“Okay, guys. Let’s look for more pictures, a photo album, or better yet a diary,” she said, in a muffled voice.
The girls fanned out, and aimed their lights on the shelves. Sarah avoided shining her light on the blood spatter and concentrated on the pictures sitting on the far wall. She hoped to find some answers in the faces of the photographs.
“There’s not much down here,” Jackie said after a few minutes. “Just piles of newspapers.”
“Let’s go upstairs.” Sarah gestured for the other girls to follow her.
She tiptoed toward the staircase beginning in the living room. Climbing slowly, she focused on finding clues. The air grew warmer as Sarah ascended. Sweat broke out on her brow, and she wiped it away. All of a sudden, the stairway seemed to narrow. Sarah’s heart beat rapidly, and her breathing came in shallow gasps. Relief flooded through her when she reached the top of the stairs and found a wide hallway. Stopping, she bent down and took huge gulps of breath. The panicky, closed in feeling went away. Turning, she noticed the stairway appeared normal again. Jackie and Lacey were staring at her, both of their faces shiny with sweat.
“It’s hot up here, let’s hurry,” Jackie said.
Sarah nodded and opened the first door at the top of the stairs. It was a boy’s bedroom. She flashed her light around and then stepped inside.
Shining her light around the room, Sarah noticed the airplane wallpaper was peeling away from the walls. A twin bed sat across the room near the window. It had been made, but by a child’s hands. Sarah could tell because the bedspread draped the bed in a haphazard fashion. On one side, it hung all the way to the floor. Perched on top of the bed was a well-loved teddy bear. Its brown fur had been worn away in spots, and one button eye hung by a thread. Strewn about on the floor were toy soldiers, along with a baseball and glove. The closet door stood open, and Sarah caught a glimpse of clothes hanging on hangers. In a heap on the closet floor were clothes that had been hastily discarded, as if the young boy hadn’t had time to re-hang them. Sarah’s throat constricted as it dawned on her this room hadn’t been touched since the day David disappeared.
Her eyes welled up. “The poor Cat Lady, she must have been so sad. Losing her son just ruined her life.”
“She must have been totally grief-stricken,” Jackie sniffled.
Lacey nodded. “Yeah, can you imagine, waking up every day, not knowing where your kid is?”
The girls stood in silence as Lacey’s words washed over them. Sarah felt a deep sense of loss and her heart went out to the weird old woman. Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks, but she forced them back. She cleared her throat. “Let’s go down the hall. I don’t think we’ll find anything in here.”
Jackie wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “Okay.”
The next room appeared to be the master bedroom. Where the rest of the house was cluttered and dirty, this room had been well maintained. There was very little dust on the shelves, and a single baby picture of David sat on the bureau.
“I think the Cat Lady spent most of her time here,” Sarah said.
“It looks like it. Jackie pursed her lips and wiped the sweat from her brow.
“There’s only one picture of David?” Lacey said, raising her hands in a gesture of confusion.
“It might have been too hard to have a bunch of pictures around.” Sarah peered around the room, wondering where to start.
“Yeah, I think this poor woman was tormented by grief.”
“You’re right about that. Why don’t you guys start looking over there on the shelves, and I’ll start going through the night stand.”Sarah’s fingers tingled as she rummaged through a drawer. We’re close. I can feel it. “I so want to get Klonsky, you guys,” she said, closing the drawer. “We have to get justice for the Cat Lady.”
“Absolutely,” Lacey said in a determined voice.
“Guys, I found a photo album,” Jackie whispered. She opened the cover, looking for clues.
“Great, we’ll take that back to the tent, and check it out.” Sarah walked over and grabbed the album. “We don’t have time to look at it now.” She stepped back and placed it in her backpack.
“I can’t seem to find anything,” Lacey complained.
“I can’t either.” Sarah brushed her hair out of her eyes. “You would think the Cat Lady would’ve kept a diary or something.”
“You hide your diary between the mattress and springs,” Lacey pointed out. “Maybe the Cat Lady did the same thing.”
“Have you been reading my diary?” Sarah asked, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at her sister.
“Not at all,” Lacey feigned innocence. “I just know where you keep it.”
“I’m definitely moving it now.” Sarah walked over to the bed and reached between the mattress and springs. Her efforts were rewarded and she felt the leathery binding of a book. “Hey, I think I found it,” Sarah beamed as she pulled the book from its hiding place.
“What is this?” Jackie knelt and pried something from the carpet.
“What is it?” Sarah walked over to where Jackie knelt. She carried her backpack with her, placing the diary inside.
Jackie aimed her flashlight on it. “It’s some sort of tie tack or lapel pin. It has the number ten on it. I think it’s got blood on it!”
“It’s a clue! Wrap it in this tissue and put it in my backpack.” Sarah handed Jackie a tissue and her knapsack.
Jackie wrapped the pin in the tissue, and put it in Sarah’s pack next to the diary. She had just zipped it close when a loud thump came from the rear of the house. Sarah clicked off her flashlight and dropped to the floor. Her companions followed her lead.
“What was that noise?” Lacey whispered. Sarah heard the tension in her voice.
“I don’t know,” Sarah replied in a low voice. Sweat rolled off her forehead and down the side of her face.
The girls stayed frozen in their crouched positions. Sarah listened for more thumping noises.
“I don’t hear anything else,” Jackie whispered.
“I think it’s time to go,” Lacey whined.
“Yeah,” Sarah agreed. “Let’s go.”
Sarah led the girls into the hall. She stopped just outside the bedroom door and listened. The hair on the back of her neck prickled, but she heard no other noise.
“Let’s go already,” Lacey insisted.
Sarah moved forward again. She made it as far as David’s bedroom before the sound of voices startled her.
“Crap.”
She opened the door to David’s room and scrambled inside. Jackie and Lacey were right behind her. Sarah shut the door once her companions were out of the way.
Heavy footsteps thumped up the stairs. “I don’t think it’s a good idea ta be here,” a man whined.
Sarah recognized the voice as one of the men from the creek. Klonsky had called him D.W. Her stomach tightened into a painful knot, and her heart pounded against her ribs.
“I lost something, and I want to make sure I didn’t lose it here.”
Sarah shuddered at the sound of Klonsky’s snarling voice. Pressing her ear against the door, she listened. Jackie followed suit. Grabbing Jackie’s hand, she squeezed as she strained to hear more of the conversation. Her throat constricted and she had a hard time swallowing. Lacey huddled next to Sarah as if she were cold.
“What did ya lose?” D.W. complained.
“My service pin. You know, the one I got when I had ten years on the force.”
“That’s jus’ great,” D.W. fumed, showing a rare spark of anger. “You’re a cop and you lose somethin’ at your own crime scene.”
“Calm down,” Klonsky grumbled. “The lady could have grabbed it in the struggle.”
Sarah heard the two criminals as they reached the top of the stairs. They were right outside David’s door.
“Come on,” Klonsky exhaled an irritated sigh as he stomped further down the hall. “It could have her print on it… even a partial would be bad.”
Sarah couldn’t hear the conversation anymore, but she’d heard enough. Her heart lurch in her chest and goose bumps rose on her skin.
“We found his pin,” Sarah whispered.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” Jackie muttered.
Lacey’s breath was hot and quick on the back of Sarah’s neck, as she grabbed Sarah’s shirt and held on for dear life.
“If we’re going to go, we’ve got to go now,” Sarah said.
She turned the knob on the door and slunk out into the hall. Pausing, she listened to the two men rummaging around in the Cat Lady’s bedroom. Sarah crept toward the stairs—Lacey and Jackie were right behind her.
Sarah held her breath as she tiptoed down the stairs. Her heart pounded against her ribs. She was sure the men would hear it and come searching for the source of the noise. She wanted to get down those stairs as fast as she could. Lacey still clutched the back of her shirt, slowing her down. Jackie took up the rear.
They reached the living room when the sound of a door opening from above stopped the girls dead in their tracks. Sarah searched frantically for a place to hide. She heard heavy footsteps as the criminals moved toward the stairs.
“Over here,” she muttered.
The girls dashed behind a couple piles of newspapers just as Klonsky and D.W. came down the stairs.
“It’s not here. So, we’re fine,” Klonsky said.
“’Less the cops found it already.”
Klonsky laughed. “No problem, I’m heading up the investigation, so I know what they have. Everything’s going like clockwork.”
Sarah heard the arrogance in his voice, and it turned her stomach. The villains’ footsteps grew fainter as they turned toward the kitchen.
Suddenly, Lacey sneezed against Sarah’s back. Sarah’s breath caught in her chest and her throat tightened. She turned and grabbed Lacey’s head, forcing it down into the carpet. Lacey struggled against her and whimpered in protest. Sarah let her up only to keep her quiet. Clamping her lips together, she stifled the groan that was about to escape. I can’t believe my sister’s bad timing. Clapping her hand over Lacey’s mouth, Sarah pressed down tightly. She could feel Lacey’s teeth against her lips. Her sister struggled against her. Sarah was pressing too hard. Reluctantly, she eased the pressure off of Lacey’s mouth.
“What was that noise?” D.W. asked from the kitchen.
Sarah heard footsteps coming back into the living room. All of a sudden, a beam of light flashed around the piles of newspapers. Her heart lurched in her chest and her spirits sank. We almost made it. What will Klonsky do if he catches us? A chill ran down her spine and she held her breath, praying they wouldn’t be discovered.
“Probably one of those cats,” Klonsky said.
“Yeah. You know there’s somethin’ familiar about this here house,” D.W. said.
Sarah watched the beam of his light as it roamed around the room. She heard him amble through the maze of newspapers coming closer to where they hid. Her heart thundered in her chest. I wish I could disappear into the floor.
“You don’t say?” Klonsky asked.
“Yeah, I’m thinkin’ I’ve been here afore.”
“You were here before, with me, the other night.”
“No, I mean afore that.”
“I doubt that.” Klonsky dismissed him. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“Lon, I thinks I been here,” D.W. insisted.
“Let’s go.”
Sarah watched as D.W., in a moment of independence, took a step toward the shelves. He shone his light on the photos and took several more steps to get a better look at them. By doing this he stepped directly on Jackie’s hand. Jackie grimaced in pain as his full weight crushed her hand.
D.W. shone his flashlight on the ground. “What the heck?”
“Yeow!” Jackie howled. She tugged at her hand trying to pull it out from under D.W.’s foot.
D.W. shrieked and dropped his flashlight. He stumbled back against a pile of newspapers. They cascaded to the floor.
“Run!” Sarah shouted.
She grabbed Lacey’s hand and pulled her away from the carnage. Turning toward the kitchen, Sarah saw Klonsky looming in the darkness. He blocked the only way to escape.
All of a sudden, Lacey tripped and pushed Sarah from behind—she stumbled, stopping inches away from Klonsky. She couldn’t see his face, and hoped he couldn’t see her.
“What the heck…” he snapped. He brought his light around to see.
Sarah swung her backpack and knocked his flashlight to the floor. She could hear it rolling away out of reach. Klonsky staggered back and lost his balance. Next, she heard a loud thump as he crashed to the floor. He must have tripped over a kitchen chair.
Thinking fast, Sarah reached around Lacey and grabbed Jackie’s strap on her backpack. She tugged it, trying to pull it off her shoulders. Jackie seemed to understand what she was doing and dropped the backpack to the floor.
“Perfume,” Sarah whispered.
Jackie rummaged around inside and pulled out the bottle and handed it to Sarah. Meanwhile, Klonsky floundered in the dark, looking for his flashlight.
Spying her opportunity, Sarah dashed by the crooked cop, pulling Lacey with her. She heard Jackie fumble with her backpack and hoped she was right behind them.
Sarah made it to the basement door before Klonsky had recovered his flashlight. She heard Jackie yelp and her gut twisted into a tight knot. The dirty cop had just captured her friend.
Clutching the perfume bottle, she pushed Lacey toward the stairs.
Sarah turned and saw Klonsky struggling with Jackie. She dashed toward them and sprayed Klonsky right in the face with the perfume. He yowled in pain. Dropping Jackie’s arm, he balled his hands into fists and rubbed his eyes, then stumbled back against the kitchen counter.
“Got him,” Jackie said in a low voice.
Sarah grabbed Jackie’s hand and raced down the basement stairs. She heard the satisfying bang as Jackie slammed the door behind her. Reaching the box stairs, Sarah was relieved when she found Lacey there. Scrambling to the top of the stairs, she pulled Lacey behind her. Her hands shook as she climbed. Throwing the perfume bottle to the side, she struggled out the window. Glancing back, she saw Lacey and Jackie right behind her.
Once outside, Sarah took several gulps of the cool night air as she stood trying to bring her shaking hands under control. She waited for her two companions to come through the tiny window.
Just as Lacey wiggled out of the casement, the back door burst open and Klonsky lurched into the night.
“Run!” Sarah shrieked.
Sarah pulled Jackie out of the window, and then grabbed Lacey’s hand. She took off sprinting through the Cat Lady’s back yard. The tall grass gripped her ankles as she ran, slowing her down. Jackie ran behind her, and Sarah heard her gasping for breath. Forging ahead, she saw the fence separating the Cat Lady’s yard and Mrs. Farnsworth’s. Turning toward it, she ran, hoping to scramble over it before the crooked cop caught them.
Sarah reached the fence and dropped Lacey’s hand. She placed her hands on the top horizontal board. Putting all of her weight on the board, she pulled her legs to one side. Up and over like a gymnast leaping over the pommel horse. Landing, she turned and helped Lacey over. Jackie imitated Sarah’s move and all three girls were over the fence.
Sarah spied Klonsky running toward them. She hoped he couldn’t see the fence. It was dark and the fence was a rotted gray color, too dark for someone to detect at night. Grabbing Lacey’s hand again, she ran through Mrs. Farnsworth’s yard. Jackie was right behind them.
Sarah stopped when she heard the splinter of wood and a sharp cry of pain. Looking back, she could just make out the image of Klonsky on the ground and D.W. hovering above him. Yes!
Turning, Sarah let go of Lacey’s hand and ran as fast as she could. She could hear Jackie and Lacey behind her, gasping for breath as their feet pounded the pavement. They sprinted blindly down the streets of Harrisburg. Sarah heard strangled shouts as they ran but she didn’t stop. Finally, the girls reached their tent and scrambled inside. All three teens collapsed on the floor and lay there with their chests heaving.
“I can’t believe we almost got caught by the killers,” Lacey gasped, and then started to cry. “I’m not sleeping out here. I’m going inside.”
“Calm down,” Sarah said.
“Don’t tell me to calm down. We almost got caught by the killers!” Lacey looked like she was about to hyperventilate.
“Take it easy.” Sarah patted her on the back. “I’m sure they didn’t get a good look at us.”
“You hope,” Lacey retorted.
“They didn’t. I knocked the flashlight out of his hands before he could shine it on us.”
“Yeah, and Sarah got him with my perfume,” Jackie snickered. “He didn’t see anything.”
Sarah couldn’t help but smile at the memory. “Yeah, we got him good.”
“You think so?” Lacey sniffled.
Jackie put her arm around Lacey. “Absolutely.”
“I never thought I’d say this, but your fashion sense saved us this time.” Sarah snickered.
“There. You see, girlfriend, being fashionable is an asset.”
Sarah and Jackie giggled. The laughter felt good to Sarah and she relaxed.
“I’m still going to sleep inside,” Lacey said. She pulled her sleeping bag around her and jogged toward the house.
Sarah heard the screen door slam behind her sister. She sighed and flopped down on her bed roll.
“That was too close for comfort,” Sarah said.
“You can say that again, girlfriend.”
“I need a soda.” Sarah opened the cooler and pulled out a can, popped the top, and took a long drink. It fizzled down her parched throat, almost burning it with carbonation, but she continued to drink.
“Hey, hand me one of those.”
Sarah pulled another can from the cooler and tossed it to her. Jackie opened her can and guzzled.
“Ah…that hit the spot,” Jackie laughed, and then quickly grew serious. Her expression turned grave as she said, “Now we know Klonsky killed the Cat Lady.”
Sarah frowned. “Yeah, but we don’t know why, and we still have to prove it.”
“We found his service pin at the crime scene with blood on it. Isn’t that our proof?”
“Yeah, but I don’t think it’s going to be as easy as you think.” Sarah gazed out at the night sky, deep in thought.
“Why not?”
“He’s a cop. It will be our word against his.”
“So?”
“Who are the police going to believe, us or one of their own?” Sarah sighed, suddenly bone tired.
Jackie set her pop down. “He’s going to get away with it, isn’t he?”
“No.” Sarah shook her head. “We’ll think of something.”
“You know, I’m trying to figure out this D.W. guy.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, who is he? And did you see what he was wearing? Overalls and a baseball cap.”
“So what? Oh wait, overalls aren’t fashionable, right?” Sarah smirked.
“When have you seen a grown man wear overalls?” Jackie pulled her hair out of her rubber band and shook her curls. They looked like a sea urchin waving its arms in the ocean.
“Maybe he’s a farmer,” Sarah suggested. “This is a farm town, you know?”
“Farmers are in bed early during the summer. That’s when they’re the busiest. The guy’s no farmer.”
“So what do you make of it?” Sarah asked, chewing on her thumbnail.
“I don’t know, I just think it’s strange.” Jackie’s brow furrowed as she concentrated. “There’s just something weird about him. Did you hear him talking?”
“Yeah, I did. He didn’t seem smart.”
“No, he didn’t.”
The girls sat together in a grim silence, drinking their soda. Sarah welcomed the quiet, after the tension of the last few hours it felt good.
“Hey, what about the detective?” she asked.
“Which one?”
“The one who investigated the kidnapping thirty years ago.”
“Yeah,” Jackie said, sitting up and grinning. “He could help us.”
“Let’s call him tomorrow and see if we can meet with him.” Sarah took another swallow of her soda.
“Why don’t we have Scott call him? He might know him, since his dad’s the chief.”
“Good idea. We’ll have Lacey call Scott in the morning.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’m whipped,” Jackie yawned.
“Yeah, me too.” Sarah unzipped her sleeping bag, and crawled inside. “Night.”
“Good night,” Jackie mumbled.
Sarah snuggled deeper into her sleeping bag. She shivered as she thought about their narrow escape. Her muscles tensed as she replayed the events of the night in her head. Thinking back, she was sure Klonsky hadn’t seen their faces.
All of a sudden, Sarah heard the sound of a car. It seemed to slow down and sit idle as if it were at a stop sign waiting for traffic to clear. Crawling out of her bed roll, she crept to the entrance of the tent. With a pounding heart, she pulled the flap back just far enough for her to look out. She glanced at Jackie and noticed she watched her with wide eyes.
Just as she was about to look at the car, the driver revved its engine and peeled out. The car’s screaming tires destroyed the peaceful night. It left the bitter scent of burning rubber. Sarah sighed with relief when she no longer heard it. Without a word, she crawled back into her sleeping bag and snuggled closer to Jackie.