The next morning, Sarah woke before the alarm. She glanced at Lacey and found her fast asleep, snoring gently with her lips slightly parted. Smiling at her sister’s innocence, Sarah climbed out of bed and made her way to the bathroom.
She turned on the shower and waited for the water to warm up. Questions paraded through her brain like a worn out song. How are we going to get into Dad’s office? Is the flash drive still there? Sarah frowned and stuck her hand into the water. With a yelp, she pulled her hand back and adjusted the temperature. Slipping out of her pajamas, she stepped into the steaming spray. It hit her muscles and soothed the achiness away.
After her shower, Sarah dried her hair and tiptoed back into the bedroom to dress. She found Lacey awake, waiting to take her turn in the bathroom.
”Morning,” Lacey greeted her as she stretched.
“Morning.” Sarah gave her sister a mischievous grin. “The shower’s all yours.”
“Thanks.” Lacey groaned and climbed from beneath her covers. She stumbled toward the door. “I hope there’s some hot water left.”
Sarah giggled. “I saved you a little bit. You don’t need a long shower anyway, right?”
Lacey scowled at her before walking out the door.
Sarah snickered and then went to the closet. Hmmm… hmmm… what to wear today? She glanced out the window, but it was still too dark to tell what the day was going to be like. Deciding to play it safe, Sarah chose a pair of blue jeans and a pink V-neck sweater.
After donning her clothes, Sarah brushed her hair and studied her reflection in the mirror. Her image gazed back as if it were waiting for her to speak. She stared into her green eyes and noticed the tiny freckle in her right one. It had always been there and she’d wonder from time to time how it got there and what it was. Shrugging at her image, she smoothed her sweater over her hips before wandering out the door.
Stepping into the kitchen, Sarah was startled by Lily who had been waiting at the back door. “Gotta go outside, girl?”
Lily whined in response, so Sarah opened the back door and Lily scampered out. Shivering, Sarah closed out the cold morning air. After glancing out the window, she stepped over to the cupboard to get something for breakfast.
Aunt June padded into the kitchen and spied Sarah. “Hi honey, do you want me to fix you some pancakes or something?”
“No, I feel like having cereal today.” Sarah grabbed a box of cereal and poured it into a bowl. “When does Uncle Walt get to come home?”
“I’ll find out today. I’m going up to the hospital to see him before I go to work. Hopefully, the doctors will have some answers for us.”
Sarah walked to the refrigerator for the milk and returned to the counter and poured it on her cereal. “Good. I can’t wait to tell him we found Mom and Dad.”
“I told him last night. I stopped up to see him after I picked up the car.”
“Oh.” Sarah sat at the table and began eating her cereal.
“Do you want some juice?”
“Sure.”
Aunt June opened the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of orange juice. She found a glass in the cupboard and poured some for Sarah. “He was really happy they were okay.” She handed Sarah her drink.
Sarah accepted the glass. “Me too.”
Aunt June pulled a box of breakfast bars out of the cupboard. “Do you and Lacey want a ride to school this morning?”
“Sure, it’s kind of chilly out.”
“Okay. I’m going to get ready.” Aunt June left with her breakfast bar and a glass of juice.
Lacey appeared wearing a lime green sweater and blue jeans. “Cereal, huh?”
“Yep.”
“Aunt June around?”
“She’s upstairs getting ready. She’s going to give us a ride to school.” Sarah took another spoonful of cereal.
“Cool,” Lacey said, pouring some corn flakes into her bowl.
The sound of scratching at the door pulled Sarah from her chair. Lily’s back! When she peeked through the window, Lily gazed up at her and wagged her tail hopefully. Sarah pulled opened the door, and Lily trotted in, her nails clicking on the linoleum. “Has she been fed yet?” Lacey asked.
“Nope.” Sarah squatted and stroked the dog, ruffling her fur in a playful manner. “Are you hungry, girl?”
Lily’s tail thumped the floor in response.
Sarah stood and went to the cupboard. She rummaged around inside until she found the dog food. After filling Lily’s bowl, she placed it on the floor where the dog proceeded to devour it.
“I’m going to brush my teeth. I’ll be right back,” Sarah said to her sister before leaving the room.
As Sarah brushed her teeth, she spied a bottle of aspirin in the medicine cabinet. It brought back the reality of what Piper Drugs had done with terrifying clarity. I could take an aspirin and have a reaction. How can people be protected from monsters like Piper Drugs? Her stomach clenched into a tight knot as she finished with her morning routine and dashed up the stairs.
“Are you ready?” Aunt June asked.
“Yep. How about you, Lace?”
“I just need to brush. I’ll meet you guys out in the car.”
Sarah nodded and went to the closet for her coat. Aunt June traveled behind her, attempting to put her planner in her purse.
They made it out to the car and Aunt June backed it out of the garage. She idled in the driveway, waiting for Lacey.
As she adjusted the mirrors, she said, “Depending on what we find out from the doctors this morning, I’ll probably go up and see your uncle right after work tonight as well.”
“Okay. Tell him we said hi. Maybe we can go up and see him after school.”
Aunt June pursed her lips and brushed at a wayward strand of her hair. “Maybe. I’ll check with his doctor and see if it’s okay. I’ll leave you a voice mail.”
“Cool.”
Lacey appeared on the porch. She hesitated peering into the darkness. Sarah didn’t know what she was looking for and expelled an impatient sigh. Hurry up, Lace. Her sister must have heard her telepathic message because she scampered down the steps and hustled to the car.
After she climbed in, Aunt June backed out of the driveway. Sarah stared out the window, watching the scenery rush past. It was still dark and there was no indication from the sun it was going to get any lighter. Sarah shivered and thought of her parents trying to save the Robinson boy.
Facing her aunt she asked, “What drug was that Robinson kid taking? You know the one that made him sick?”
Aunt June frowned. “I don’t know.”
“We saw a commercial last night about Piper Drugs,” Lacey said. She twirled her hair around her finger and gazed at her aunt. “They called themselves the Pied Piper of Drug companies. What do you think about that?”
“I don’t know.” Aunt June shook her head. “It sounds like they think they’re the leader and everyone else follows them.”
“So we’re up against a giant,” Sarah pointed out.
Aunt June sighed. “That’s right. Your father and the Robinson family are in a really tough position.”
“How’s that?” Lacey asked.
“Well, it’s very hard to sue a huge corporation and win. They’ve got a team of lawyers and very deep pockets, so they can afford a long, drawn out case. Most people don’t have that kind of money to spend on a lawsuit.”
“So what are saying?” Sarah asked. Her voice sounded flat and resigned to her ears.
“I’m saying if Piper Drugs plays any kind of legal games, like burying the Robinson team in paperwork, filing ludicrous motions, that kind of thing, Mr Robinson doesn’t have much chance of winning. The longer the suit is dragged out… the more money that’s spent. A lot of times that’s how big companies avoid losing lawsuits because they can out spend their opponent.”
“That really stinks.” Sarah shook her head in disgust.
“Yes it does,” Aunt June agreed.
She turned on her blinker and drove the girls up to the Jr. High. Sarah watched the building loom closer, but her thoughts were far away from school.
Images of sickly Mikey Robinson invaded her brain. She understood now why her father felt compelled to help the family and she wanted to help them too.
Aunt June pulled up to the school and stopped by the front door. “Here you go girls. You can walk home can’t you?”
“Yeah,” Sarah said.
They climbed out of the car. Sarah slung her backpack over her shoulder and hurried inside. Lacey picked up her pace and followed.
Once inside, Sarah slowed and waited for her sister to catch up. “Lace?”
“What?” Lacey responded with a smile.
“That drug company isn’t all they say it is.”
Lacey leaned toward her sister and whispered. “I agree. They’re selling a drug that’s supposed to help people and it’s killing them.”
“I know. The problem is they’ve got all the money to play legal games. You heard Aunt June.”
“There must be some way we can stop them.” Lacey stared at her sister.
Sarah grabbed Lacey’s arm and squeezed. A thought popped into her head and her fingers tingled with excitement. “Do you remember when we were talking to the FBI agents about pinging Mom and Dad’s phone?”
“Yeah?”
“Remember that kid that puked in the lobby of the police station?”
Lacey grabbed Sarah’s arm, she seemed infected with Sarah’s enthusiasm. ”Sure, I do.”
“Do you remember the drug that kid got so sick on?”
Lacey dropped Sarah’s arm and disappointment clouded her eyes. “No.”
“I don’t either.” Sarah sighed. “But I do remember it was made by Dad’s company.”
“Do you think it could be the same drug that made the Robinson kid sick?”
“I don’t know. But I’m going to find out.” Sarah glanced at the clock. “Hey, we’ve got to get to first period. We’ll talk more about this at lunch.”
“Okay. See you then.”
“Bye.”
The girls split and Sarah hurried to her locker. She only had minutes to make it to her English class. Flustered, she hung up her coat, grabbed her books, and slammed her locker shut.
She was lucky. Her first class was on the same floor as her locker, and she made it there with seconds to spare. Sarah slid into her seat just as the bell rang. Her teacher, Mrs. Hopkins, was already at her podium organizing her notes for the morning’s lecture. Groaning silently, Sarah wondered again how she was going to make it through the day. She shifted in her seat as her teacher began speaking in her high, squeaky voice.
Studying her instructor, Sarah took in her thin frame and birdlike features. Her movements were twitchy and she expected her at any moment to peck at the ground and turn her head as if she were listening for a worm or a grub. Mrs. Hopkins’ dull, brown hair appeared thin and fuzzy and only enhanced her birdlike presence. Sarah suppressed a grin and glanced at the other students in the class. They seemed to be noticing their teacher’s appearance as well by the sly smiles that passed between them.
Looking out the window, Sarah zoned out thinking about her father’s situation. How are we going to get his flash drive? She bit her lip and doodled on her notebook. Scoop can get into the building but how do we get into Dad’s office?
She stared down into the street. The morning light had diluted the pitch black night into gray. Everything appeared drab. A telltale sign winter was coming. It started raining and large rain drops splashed across the window appearing to be flaws in the glass. Great! Now it’s going to rain.
Sarah propped up her book and used it as a shield. She pretended to be engrossed in it while Mrs. Hopkins chirped on about Ernest Hemingway. Hoping she could fool her, Sarah began writing in her notebook all the things her father would need to prove his case.
After writing down a comprehensive list, she glanced at the clock and realized she only had one more minute of class. She quickly gathered her books together while her teacher assigned homework for the night.
Dashing out into the hallway, Sarah almost ran into an upperclassman.
“Watch it there, girlie.”
“Sorry,” she squeaked as she rushed toward her second class of the day. It was Math and she wasn’t looking forward to an hour filled with Algebraic equations.
“Hey,” a voice said in her ear.
She recognized it instantly and turned. “Hi.”
“How’s it going?” Alex asked, giving her the grin that she loved.
His blue eyes seemed to brighten at the sight of her, and when she looked into them her insides turned to melted chocolate. I love chocolate.
“Good,” Sarah stuttered. She cleared her throat. “Well as good as can be expected.”
“I know what you mean.” Alex grabbed her hand and led her toward the windows at the end of the hall. “Do you want to talk about what was going down last night?”
Sarah brushed her hair away from her face. “Yeah. But it’s a long story, so I’ll tell you about it at lunch.”
“Okay.”
Sarah pointed to the clock. “We better get to class… we’ll talk more about this later, I promise.”
Alex gave her hand a squeeze. The touch of his warm fingers comforted her, and she gave him a grateful smile. He squeezed her hand again and released it, then dashed off. Sarah walked in the opposite direction and rubbed her hand against her cheek, hoping, the heat from Alex’s touch would still be there.
She made it to her math class and prepared herself for another boring lecture where she’d have to squirm and fidget to pass the time. Mr. Gordinski was up at the front board erasing the math problems from the previous class.
When the bell rang, he put down the eraser and faced his students, then walked to his podium. “Hello class. Let’s open our books to page forty-five.”
Sarah thought about her predicament as she faked paying attention in class, but soon she was engrossed in mathematical equations and the hour passed quickly. She liked math; figuring out the answer by using logic. That must be what makes me a great detective. The bell rang. Sarah jumped out of her seat and dashed to history.
She was the first one to make it to the classroom, so she had her pick of seats. Choosing one in the back, Sarah immediately opened her book and started going through the list she had been making in all her other classes. Hoping to appear as if she were engrossed in her homework, she prayed Mr. Green wouldn’t strike up a conversation. It worked. He gave her a smile but continued organizing his lecture notes.
Within minutes, the classroom filled and he began his lecture on the American Revolution. Sarah sighed and slouched in her seat. This is going to take forever. She fidgeted and chewed her nails the whole hour, but managed to make it through. One more class before lunch.
She made it to her business class and found Mr. Rowlings at the board. When the bell rang he put down the chalk and spun around and faced the students. “Hello, class.”
The students murmured their hellos as they ambled to their seats. The sounds of desk chairs scraping the floor, and papers being shuffled filled the air. Someone coughed and then all was quiet as they waited for Mr. Rowlings to begin.
“I’ve decided we need to go on a field trip,” he began, wiping his brow.
Sarah couldn’t believe he was sweating already. Mr. Rowling was a notorious sweater. She figured it was because he always gave animated lectures; flailing his arms wildly as he made his point. Stifling a smirk, Sarah doodled on her notebook, preparing to tune him out.
“As I said. I’m planning a field trip for this class. It will be an all-day event and I’m taking suggestions on what business you’d like to visit.”
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat and her hand shot up so fast, she was sure her body had been taken over by some sort of demon.
“Yes, Sarah? Do you have a suggestion?”
“I think we should tour Piper Drugs.”
Mr. Rowling raised his eyebrows and pressed his lips together in a line of approval. “That’s a great idea. Good company.”
“Yeah,” Sarah agreed. Yeah, sure it is. “When are you planning this field trip?”
“I don’t know we’ll have to see what kind of schedule the company has and where we can fit in.”
Sarah’s heart raced at the thought of getting inside the building. I’m sure a skinny kid like me would be able to sneak in and out of Dad’s office. Easy Peasy. Especially if there’s a bunch of kids in the building. A chill of anticipation danced down her spine and her fingers tingled. This could be just what we need. “When will you know what company we’re going to?”
“I’ll have to make some calls but I should know in a day or two.” Mr. Rowlings smiled.
Sarah grinned back, realizing he was impressed with her interest. If he only knew. Ideas flooded her mind. Now that we have a way inside… how do we get into Dad’s office and get the flash drive?
Mr. Rowlings began his lecture, but Sarah tuned him out, intent on finding solutions to all their problems. Before she knew it, the hour was up and she was on her way to lunch.
She rushed through the halls, intent on finding Jackie. When she spotted her on the way to the cafeteria, Sarah picked up her pace. “Jack.”
Jackie whirled around, startled. “You scared me.” She put her hand to her chest as if she were stopping her heart from bursting through. “I looked for you after school yesterday.”
Sarah nodded. “I know. I’ve got so much to tell you.”
“What?” Jackie asked, her eyes widened and darkened with the intensity of the moment. She grabbed Sarah’s arm. “Tell me. Tell me now or I’ll just die.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “You are such a drama queen.”
“So, what’s your point?” Jackie asked and then giggled.
Sarah laughed. “I don’t have one. I’ll tell you everything at lunch.”
The girls made it to the cafeteria where they immediately stepped into the à la carte line.
“I don’t want to waste my time in the hot lunch line. It’s goulash today.” Sarah wrinkled her nose.
“No doubt.” Jackie glanced around the cafeteria. “So tell me all your news.”
“Let’s wait for Alex. That way I only have to tell it once.”
Jackie groaned. “The anticipation is killing me.”
“Drama Quee-een,” Sarah replied in a high pitched tone.
“I’m not going to dignify that remark with a response.”
Sarah ignored her and searched for Alex. When she saw him, she waved. His eyes lit up when he spotted her and Sarah decided she liked that. It warmed her insides.
“Hey,” he greeted when he stepped in line.
“Hi.”
“Hi,” Jackie said and then gazed at Sarah with wide eyes. “Now, tell us your news.”
She took a deep breath and told them about the new developments in the case. Speaking in a low urgent voice, she told them everything. She felt like she was in a great hurry, like there was no time to waste.
“Mr. Rowlings is planning a field trip and I suggested we go to Piper Drugs for the trip.” Sarah finished.
“Girlfriend, you’re not serious?”
“I am.”
“Totally?”
“Totally.” Sarah grinned at her friend.
“That gets us in the building, but you’ve got the same problem Scoop has. How are you going to get in his office?”
“I haven’t figured that out yet. But I figure I can use my sneaking around skills and get into the office quicker than Scoop can.”
“I wonder if I could go with you on your field trip.” Jackie furrowed her brow and tugged on a curl.
“I’d like to go too,” Alex added. He looked at Sarah, his eyes clouded with concern. He bit his lip as if he wanted to say something else, but chose not to.
Sarah gave him a perplexed look. “I don’t know. But it would be awesome if you guys could. Maybe your Moms could write the principal a note.”
Jackie snickered. “Maybe. Mom would be so excited I actually wanted to participate in something scholarly she’d sign anything.”
The Super Spies grew silent as they stepped forward in line. After they all had selected a pizza and a soda, Sarah searched the cafeteria for a table. Spotting one, she motioned with her head. “Guys, over here.” She stepped forward as anticipation sent tingles through her body. We finally have a direction. We can take action. She spied Scott and Lacey walking in and waved at them. They waved back, and Sarah pointed at the table where she was about to sit.
When Scott and Lacey joined them, Sarah put down her pizza and stared at her sister. “Guess what!”
“What?” Lacey asked.
“I think I found a way to get into Dad’s company.”
“How?”
“My business class is going on a field trip and I suggested we go to Piper Drugs. Mr. Rowlings is going to set it up… hopefully.” Sarah crossed her fingers.
“Isn’t that the coolest beans?” Jackie asked. She squeezed Sarah’s arm and flashed her grin.
“I guess. But it’s not definite, right?” Lacey gave her sister a worried look.
Sarah stifled a groan. “No… not yet.”
Lacey took a deep breath. “Good, because it sounds dangerous and I think we should let Scoop do his thing.”
Sarah bit her lip. “How dangerous can it be?” She gestured with her hands, holding them up with her palms toward the ceiling. “I mean I’ll be with a bunch of students and a teacher. “Nothing’s going to go wrong.”
“I don’t know, Sarah.” Lacey shook her head.
The sisters grew silent while the group finished their lunch.
“It’s not a bad idea, Sarah,” Alex said. He gave her a quick wink and then faced Lacey. “It’s probably the safest bet… I mean she’ll be with the whole class.”
Lacey sighed. “What’s your plan?”
Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t figured it all out yet.”
“You have to have a plan.”
“No kidding.” Sarah rolled her eyes and sighed.
Picking up her empty plate and cup, Sarah squelched her irritation with her sister. She knew Lacey was just worried about her, but she had this habit of always pointing out the obvious and it got on Sarah’s nerves. She sighed and gazed at the menu. “I’m going to throw this away, I’ll be right back.”
Her sister nodded but didn’t say anything.
Sarah returned and sat down. “I think my idea will work.” She eyed her friend, waiting to hear her opinion.
Jackie gave her a wide grin. “I do too. We’ll just have to come up with a fool proof plan. That’s all. We’re smart…we can do it.”
“I agree.”
“Have you ever been to your dad’s office?”
Sarah shrugged. “A couple of times. But I can’t remember where it is or anything like that.”
“Do you remember what floor it’s on?” Jackie asked.
Sarah glanced at the clock. “Holy cow! Lunch is almost over, guys.”
“Yeah. Everyone was in the à la carte’ line today, so it took longer than normal to get our food.” Alex stood and picked up his refuse from the table.
“I’ve got to call Scoop and tell him my plan.”
“Wait a minute,” Lacey protested. “You don’t have a plan yet.”
Sarah groaned. “No… not yet, but I’ve got an idea. Maybe Scoop can help us put it together.” She stood. “I’ll go call him. Maybe we can meet him at Hinkle’s. I’m sure he’ll want to help us. Meet me after school in front… by the parking lot.”
“Okay.” Lacey brushed her hair back and stood.
“Cool beans,” Jackie said with a grin. “Hold on and I’ll walk with you.”
“I’ll catch you later, Sarah.” Alex winked at her.
Sarah smiled at him. “I’ll see you.”
Jackie stood, grabbed her tray, and then nudged Sarah into motion. “Come on. Quit giving Alex that googley-eyed expression. You’ll scare him off.”
“Shut up.”
Jackie snickered. “Sarah’s in love…Sarah’s in love…” she chanted under her breath so only Sarah could hear.
Sarah pursed her lips to keep the smile from breaking out on her face. “I said… shut up.”
Jackie laughed and put her arm around her friend, giving her a hug. “Don’t be embarrassed. It happens to everyone.”
Sarah giggled and gave her friend a good natured shove. “Get out of here.”
“Nope. You’re stuck with me. That’s just the way it is. You’ll have to accept your fate.”
Sarah gave Jackie her best horrified expression and then pretended to vomit. “Oh… the horror of it all.”
The girls cracked up laughing as they made their way to Sarah’s locker.
Glancing at the clock again, Sarah quickened her pace. “Come on. We’ve got to call Scoop.”
When Sarah reached her locker, she fumbled inside for her phone. Pulling it out, she glanced at the clock a second time before punching in Scoop’s number. He answered on the first ring.
“Hello?”
“Scoop?”
“Yep. It’s me.” He laughed. “Were you expecting someone else?”
Sarah giggled. “No. Of course not. Can you meet us at Hinkle’s around one thirty? I think I’ve got a plan.”
“A plan for what?”
Sarah sighed. “A plan to get into Dad’s office.”
“Oh…gotcha. Sure, I’ll meet you kids at Hinkle’s at one-thirty.”
“Awesome! See you then.”
“Bye.”
Sarah disconnected the call. “We’re on.”
“Cool beans.”
“I’ll see you after class, Jack.”
“See you then.” Her friend took off down the hall.
Sarah watched her go and smiled. Jackie’s hair bounced with the movement of her strides. No truer friend can be found. A stab of sadness invaded Sarah’s spirit. When this is all over are we going back to Walker? Her eyes misted over at the thought. She wiped them quickly and made her way to gym class.
Sarah dressed quickly, and hustled into the gym. The class was still playing volleyball.
Mrs. Anderson blew her whistle, signaling that everyone should get into position and begin. Sarah found her team and stepped into her spot. At least my brain will be occupied this hour and maybe it’ll go by fast. She took a deep breath and focused her attention on the game.
The gym teacher blew two short, shrill blasts on her whistle and Sarah almost cheered. Gym class was over. All she had to do was shower, dress, and meet everyone outside. She rushed inside to shower.
After her shower, Sarah donned her clothes and slammed her locker. She stopped in front of the mirror and studied her reflection. Her cheeks were still pink from the shower and her eyes were bright with anticipation. She brushed her hair away from her face and smoothed her sweater down over her hips. Time to go.
She hustled to her locker and bent down to fill her backpack. Sarah sighed. Why am I taking things home? There’s no way I’m doing any homework tonight.
“Girlfriend,” Jackie greeted in the enthusiastic way she always did. She skidded to a halt right beside Sarah’s locker, banging the door as it stopped her progression.
Startled, Sarah jumped. “Man, you scared me.”
“Good. I’m not losing my touch.” Jackie giggled.
“No, you are definitely not losing your touch.”
“Come on. Let’s get going. I want to meet Scoop and get a plan together.” Jackie pulled on Sarah’s sweater.
“Okay… okay… just give me a second.” Sarah crouched and finished loading her pack.
“Are you actually going to do homework tonight?”
“I doubt it… but I feel funny not bringing anything home.”
Jackie smirked. “Always the scholar, aren’t you?”
“Absolutely,” Sarah replied with a sniff. “After all… without us scholarly types there would be no solved mysteries.”
“Hey… don’t forget it was my fashion sense that saved us not once… but twice.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “How could I forget? You remind me every twenty seconds.”
“You exaggerate.”
Sarah shook her head. “Hardly.”
Jackie giggled and pulled on Sarah’s sweater again. “Come on…let’s go.”
Sarah needed no further urging. She picked up her pack and slammed her locker door. Giving the lock a healthy spin, she took off down the hall after her friend.
Once outside, the girls surveyed the area, searching for their friends.
“Over there.” Sarah pointed.
Jackie looked where Sarah pointed. “Oh… okay. I see them.”
“Come on,” Sarah urged. She dashed off in the direction of the parking lot. Glancing over her shoulder, she laughed when she saw Jackie behind her struggling to stay upright on her high heels. They were sinking down into the muddy earth as Jackie took a step. “Those shoes will be the death of you. I swear.”
“Shut up.”
Sarah picked up her pace. The rest of the Super Spies were standing by Alex’s car.
“Guys,” she called out.
Alex spun around and gave her a wave. He smiled his special smile and Sarah was sure it was just for her. “Hi.”
“Hi, Sarah,” Scott and Lacey said in unison.
Jackie came huffing up behind her and Sarah’s gaze fell to the neon pink two inch heels with straps that were wrapped about Jackie’s feet and ankles. Rolling her eyes, Sarah snickered. “Jack, get rid of those shoes. You don’t always have to make a fashion statement.”
“Sarah,” Jackie put her hands on her hips and gave her friend a reproachful look as if she were a child needing discipline. “You never know when I might be discovered. These shoes match my rainbow skirt brilliantly.”
Sarah rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” Then she stopped and waited for her friend. “Do you actually believe you’re going to be discovered in Hinkle’s restaurant?”
“You never know.” Jackie sniffed and glided past her as if she were walking on a runway. Now that she was on the pavement, she moved faster.
Sarah snorted and hurried to catch up with her friend.
“Come on, guys! Let’s get in the car. We don’t want to be late.” Alex yanked on his door.
It groaned in protest, but he managed to open it and climb inside. Sarah and Jackie slid into the front seat and Scott and Lacey slipped into the back. Alex started the car and with a rumble pulled out of the parking lot.
They made it to Hinkle’s in record time. Alex parked the car and Sarah waited impatiently for Jackie to climb out.
As she crossed the street to the restaurant, Sarah shivered. A brisk wind blew the leaves around. A sure sign winter was on the way. She pulled the zipper on her jacket higher to stop the wind from getting inside and chilling her.
“I’m going to have to start wearing my winter jacket,” Jackie grumbled as she strolled up beside her.
“You got that right.” Sarah glanced at the sky and saw formidable gray clouds swirling past. “I think it’s going to rain.”
Jackie glanced up and frowned. “Yep. Looks like it.”
Sarah picked up her pace and her friend matched her stride for stride.
“Boy, once you get moving those high heels don’t slow you down,” Sarah remarked.
Her friend laughed. “True. I’m practicing my runway walk. You know erect posture and long strides.”
Sarah smirked. “You got that part down.”
Jackie flashed her model smile and then proceeded forward. “Eat my dust, girlfriend.”
“What? Where do you think you’re going?” Sarah broke into a jog and caught up to her friend.
Both girls picked up their pace, each one trying to outdo the other. They made it to the restaurant and rushed inside. Breathless, they scanned the crowd, looking for Scoop.
“There he is,” Sarah cried and pointed as if she had just one a major contest. She held her hands up in victory and Jackie gave her a good natured shove.
The retired reporter sat at a table, cleaning his glasses. He rubbed each lens with a napkin and then inspected each one with a critical eye. “Scoop,” Sarah called out as she walked toward him.
“Hello there, Super Spies.” The retired reporter put his glasses back on and beamed at Sarah.
“Hi, Scoop,” Jackie said with a wave.
The Super Spies trickled into the restaurant and gathered around the retired reporter. He motioned for them to sit down and they all grabbed a seat. A waitress appeared and asked them what they wanted to drink. After taking everyone’s order, she scurried off to get the beverages.
Sarah watched her go and then faced Scoop. “I think I figured out a way to get into my Dad’s office.”
“Let’s hear it,” Scoop said with a smile.
Sarah told him, while the rest of Super Spies listened.
When she finished, she gazed at Scoop and gave him a wide grin. Her heart filled with pride.
Scoop eyed her and stroked his chin. “It could work.”
“It will work.” Sarah sat up straight in her chair and clasped her hands in front of her.
“There are a few holes in it, though,” Scoop continued.
“Like what?” Sarah asked and gave him a challenging stare.
“Well… the same problem that my plan has. Once you’re inside… how are you going to get into your Dad’s office?”
“I can sneak in.”
“Uh huh… you think it’ll be that easy?” Scoop raised his eyebrows when he looked at her. Do you even know where the office is located?”
Sarah averted her gaze, growing uncomfortable trapped in Scoop’s penetrating stare. “I’ve been there once or twice,” she answered squirming in her chair.
“Do you have a plan if you get caught by someone?” Jackie asked, giving her friend a wink.
“I’ll just tell them I’m lost.”
“Sounds good.” Jackie tapped Scoop on the arm. “I think it’ll work.”
He pursed his lips. “Maybe. But your teacher hasn’t put the field trip together yet. So, maybe we should continue my plan until we find out.”
Sarah shrugged. “Okay.”
The waitress appeared with their drinks and the conversation stopped. She passed them out and asked if anyone wanted a menu. Everyone declined and she left to wait on another table.
“Okay, Scoop… what’s your plan?” Sarah asked.
“I thought I’d do a piece about the missing chemist and stop by the company and see if they’d talk with me.”
Sarah shook her head. “I don’t think we should bring my father into this.”
“We don’t want to give them any idea what Dad’s trying to do,” Lacey said. She stirred her lemonade with her straw and eyed Scoop over her glass. “Especially if this company is guilty of what he thinks they are.”
Scoop ran his hand through his thinning hair. “Then what should I go there pretending to do an article on?”
“How about their new drug,” Sarah suggested. “I mean it’s only been on the market a few months, right?”
Scoop stroked his chin and furrowed his brow. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ll do some research on it and work up some questions.”
“So when do you think you can have the interview set up?”
“I’m not sure. I’ll call them and see what I can do.” Scoop took a drink of his iced tea. “While I’m doing that, I want you to find out from your father where his office is located.”
“Okay, I’ll call him and find out.” Sarah marveled as she spoke the words. She still couldn’t believe she could call her father and actually speak with him. It felt like she was in a dream. Taking a deep breath, Sarah smiled as a deep sense of peace took over her body. Everything is going to be all right.
“Let’s meet back here tomorrow,” Jackie said.
“Yeah. We should know something by then,” Sarah agreed.
“Okay. I’ll get the drinks here.” Scoop signaled for the waitress to bring the bill.
“Thanks, Scoop.” The Super Spies said in unison.
Sarah stood and made her way toward the door. She took in the twinkling lights that always gave Hinkle’s a party-like atmosphere. A stab of sorrow pierced her heart. I hope we don’t have to move when this is all over. Hinkle’s had grown on her over the past few months and she knew she’d miss the diner.
Glancing over her shoulder, Sarah’s heart leapt in her chest. Behind her were her two closest friends, Alex and Jackie. She bit her lip to keep the tears at bay. What would I do without them? Sarah eyes misted over and she picked up her pace, not wanting anyone to see her upset. Once outside, she wiped her eyes and forced her thoughts back to their current situation.
“Hey,” Alex said, coming up behind her and interrupting her thoughts.
“Hi.”
“Do you think Mr. Rowlings will be able to set up the field trip?”
Sarah shrugged. “I don’t know. He seemed pretty interested in it though.”
“Yeah.”
They strolled to Alex’s car and the other Super Spies followed them. Sarah kept a leisurely pace not wanting their time together to end. “Hopefully, I’ll find out on Monday.”
Alex furrowed his brow. “You know… you’re the only one in that class.”
“I know.” Sarah stopped and gave him a puzzled look.
“That means you’ll have to find the flash drive by yourself.”
Sarah pursed her lips. “You’re right. I hadn’t really thought about that.” She stared at the ground and scuffed her tennis shoe against the concrete. “Jackie said she was going to try and get her mother to write her a note.”
“Good luck with that… it doesn’t mean the school’s going to let her go.”
“True.” Sarah frowned.
“So, I was thinking… maybe it’d be a good idea if I was close by… you know, just in case things don’t go the way you plan.”
Sarah flashed a wide smile. His concern for her touched her heart. He likes me… he likes me… he likes me… “That would be really cool.”
Jackie walked up behind them and gave Sarah a nudge. “Hey.”
Sarah twirled around. “Jack.”
Jackie glanced from Sarah to Alex and then back to Sarah. She smirked and gave her friend a knowing look. “So… what’s up?”
Sarah gave her friend a mock glare. “Nothing. We’re just talking about a plan for the field trip.”
“I have a feeling she’s going to have to go by herself,” Alex said as he raked his hand through his hair.
“My Mom’s going to write me a note,” Jackie insisted.
“Uh huh.” Alex gave her a look of disbelief.
“Really…” Jackie stared at him with a determined expression. “You’ll see.”
“Just in case it doesn’t work. How would you like to skip school that day and be on stand-by in case she needs help?”
Jackie’s expression brightened. “That would be awesome.” She giggled and then stepped closer to her friends. “Wow… this will be like an undercover operation.”
Sarah laughed. “Now you’re getting it, Jack. And undercover means keeping a low profile. So… you’ll probably want to ditch the heels.”
Jackie smirked and jutted her chin in Sarah’s direction. “Never. Fashion is my life.”
Sarah shook her head in mock despair. “She could’ve been a great detective… if only…”
The two girls burst into laughter while Alex just shook his head and pointed at them.
“What’s going on over here?” Lacey asked. She grabbed Scott’s arm and pulled him toward the group.
Sarah shook her head. “Oh nothing… Jackie just told a funny joke.”
“Let’s hear it,” Scott said.
Sarah and Jackie exchanged a look, and then Sarah said, “Uh… Uh…”
“Super Spies, Come here,” Scoop called as he walked out of the restaurant. He motioned to them and then put his wallet in his back pocket.
The joke forgotten, the teens walked toward the retired reporter.
Sarah and Jackie lagged behind the others and exchanged a look of relief.
“Man… we got lucky on that one,” Sarah muttered under her breath.
“No doubt, girlfriend… no doubt.”
“I don’t think we should tell Lacey what we’re doing. She’ll just want to come along.” Sarah brushed the hair out of her eyes. “You know what a worrywart she is.”
“Yeah… we’ll keep this to ourselves.”
The two friends exchanged a conspiratorial wink and then caught up with the rest of the gang.
When everyone was gathered around Scoop’s car, he said, “Okay. I’m going to start making calls and see if I can get some sort of interview.”
“Okay.” Sarah glanced around at the rest of the Super Spies. “We’ll call my Dad and see where his office is…and see if he needs anything else.”
Scoop nodded his approval. “Call me tonight and let me know what you find out.”
“We will,” Sarah replied.
Scoop thumped the hood of his car with his fist. “Okay then… I’ll talk with you kids later.” He climbed inside and started the engine.
The Super Spies stepped away from the vehicle and Scoop backed out of the parking spot.
When his car turned into a beige dot in the distance, Sarah broke the silence. “I guess we should get to work, wouldn’t you say?”
“So, what’s the plan?” Jackie asked.
Sarah stared at her with raised eyebrows. “I don’t know. I haven’t called my Dad yet.
“What’s the hold up?”
Sarah shook her head and gave Jackie an exasperated look. “I’ll call him when I get home.”
“Cool beans.” Jackie brushed the curls away from her face.
Sarah wrinkled her nose. “That phrase is so… yesterday.”
“Shut up. I like the phrase and I’m sticking with it.” Jackie stuck her tongue out. “Do I have to separate you two?” Alex asked, stepping between them.
The two girls cracked up laughing and eyed each other behind Alex’s back.
“No Dad. We’ll be good,” Sarah said and gave Alex a good natured nudge.
“Good. Now let’s get everyone home.”
“Lace and I are going to walk,” Scott said. He put his arm around Lacey and steered her toward the sidewalk.
“You be good… you two,” Sarah said with a smirk.
“Shut up, Sarah,” Lacey called out, glaring at her sister.
“Okay. I’ll see you guys later,” Alex yelled from the street, interrupting any playful banter that would’ve taken place.
Sarah, Alex, and Jackie made their way to Alex’s car.
“Here we are,” Alex said, giving his car an affectionate kick in the back tire.
“I like your car,” Sarah said, grinning at him.
“You would.” Jackie smirked.
They climbed in and Alex put the key in the ignition. When he turned it, the car made a grating noise and then sputtered and died.
“Oh no!” Alex exclaimed. He tried the key again and the same grating sound filled the air.
Sarah covered her ears. “That noise is horrible.”
“No kidding,” Alex grumbled and tried again. He pumped the gas as he turned the key and the scent of gasoline wafted through the vehicle. “Crap. I think I flooded it.”
“It sure smells like it.” Jackie plugged her nose. She opened the door and climbed out. “Looks like we’re walking.”
“Yep.” Sarah patted Alex’s hand, before she moved over and climbed out of the car. “Do you want to walk with us?”
Alex rolled down his window. “I’m going to keep trying. I’ll call you later.”
“I feel funny about leaving you here,” Sarah cast a worried look around.
“It’s Harrisburg,” Alex said with a laugh. “Don’t worry, I’ll call my sister and she’ll come pick me up.
“Are you sure?”
“Yep. I’ll call her now and make the arrangements.” Alex pulled out his cell phone and punched in his sister’s number. After a minute, he spoke briefly into the phone and then hung up. He gave Sarah the thumbs up sign. “I’m all set.”
“Do you want us to wait?”
Alex shook his head. “No. It’s getting dark and I don’t want you guys out in the dark by yourselves. I’ll call you later.”
“Okay.” Sarah gave him a smile. She motioned for her friend to follow her and began walking toward home.
As the girls walked down the street, the grating sound of Alex trying to start his car filled the air. It set Sarah’s nerves on edge like fingernails on a chalkboard; she shuddered at the sound and pulled her jacket tighter around her.
The wind had picked up and blew the dead leaves on the ground. They swirled at her feet like a tiny tornado. Transfixed by their motion, Sarah stared. Their movement was chaotic, one minute heading in one direction, the next minute going in the opposite direction. Much like her emotions were. One minute she was happy she’d found her parents and the next minute bemoaning the fact her time in Harrisburg was coming to an end. She knew it was. And it was like a stone in her chest. Heavy and hard and unrelenting.
Jackie waved her hand in front of Sarah’s face. “Earth to Sarah… earth to Sarah.”
Sarah couldn’t help but giggle. “I’m here… just lost in thought.”
“Pretty heavy thoughts.”
Sarah nodded and her mind returned to the stone in her chest. “Yeah, you could say that.”
“Care to share?”
“No. Not until I get it all sorted out.”
Jackie nudged her. “It’s good to share, you know.” Her voice had taken on the game show host sound it always did when Jackie was trying to sell her on an idea. She gave Sarah her million watt smile and motioned with her hands as if she were presenting a prize.
Sarah laughed. “I will… I promise… when I get it all figured out.”
“Pinky promise?” Jackie stopped walking and held out her hand with her pinky extended. She wore a solemn expression as if they were signing the Declaration of Independence.
Sarah snickered. “What grade are you in again?”
“Shut up and pinky promise.” Jackie shoved her hand closer to her. “Do it.”
Sarah snickered, and then sighed when Jackie refused to be deterred by ridicule. She held out her hand with her pinky extended. “Pinky promise.”
The girls locked their pinkies, shook, and then dropped their hands.
“Feel better?” Sarah asked.
“Absolutely.”
They strolled toward their homes in silence. Sarah wondered how many more walks she was going to have with Jackie. Her steps grew heavy and she forced her thoughts away from the inevitable.
“You know…” Jackie started. She grabbed Sarah’s arm and pulled her to a stop.
“What?” Sarah stopped and gave her friend a perplexed look.
“What if Alex can’t get his car started again?”
Sarah shrugged. “Then he’ll have to take it to a mechanic.”
Jackie squeezed Sarah’s arm. “What if he can’t get it fixed before the field trip.”
Sarah sighed. “We’ll have to think of another plan.” She faced forward and started walking again. When Jackie didn’t follow she stopped. “We don’t even know if the field trip is going to happen yet. Relax. It’ll all work out.”
“If you say so.” Jackie caught up to her and gave her a friendly nudge.
Sarah nudged her back and the girls continued their journey home. But Jackie’s words echoed in Sarah’s mind. Piper Drugs is a good forty-five minute drive away. Too far to walk. How are my friends going to get there? Am I going to have to do this all alone? With no back up? The stone that had been in Sarah’s chest earlier returned and it was heavier than ever.