might suggest Wendy’s location. Only my sister’s choking sobs interrupted the silence.
“Ni … Nick.” The laryngitis had turned Wendy’s words into a raspy croak. “Please, Nick, just give h —”
“Wendy? Wendy!”
The old man spun in his chair and stared at me.
“Now you listen and you listen good, Caden. No more messing around.”
“Put her back on, please.”
“ID and password.”
Haunted by my sister’s broken voice, I cupped my hand over the speaker and betrayed the trust of my friends from the Crime Watchers site.
“Good boy. Mention this conversation to anyone and you’ll never see your sister again, got it?”
Beads of cold sweat erupted on my forehead.
“Got it?”
A sickly wave of apprehension swept over me. “Yeah,” I muttered. “I won’t say a word.” In the window’s reflection I saw my parents coming up the sidewalk. Neither looked happy. I could imagine why. Obviously Wendy remained missing, but now, even though I knew how much danger she was in, I couldn’t say anything to them. “So what’s next? You want to meet someplace? Exchange Wendy for me?”
“Wave to your parents. I need to know that you know I’m watching your every move.”
I threw my hand up, signaling to Mom and Dad that I’d be right there.
“Dusk. I’ll find you at dusk. That’s when the undead come alive. Enjoy the rest of your day, Caden. It might be your last.”
CHAPTER NINE
THE TIDE WILL TELL
A s I stood on the porch of the marina, the mallet sounds of steel drum music still beat out a festive tune, but the tenor of the day had hit a sour note. In the boatyard the modulated drone of a power washer dampened the
slap-slap
of ropes hitting sailboat masts. I pulled out my cell phone to send the Crime Watchers admin a quick message to let him know the site was about to be attacked, but first I needed to find out what, if anything, my parents learned about Wendy.
I shoved the phone back in my front pocket and joined Mom and Dad in front of a large sport fishing boat.
“Marine Patrol found Wendy’s canoe in some reeds not far from here,” Dad announced. “That’s the good news.”
I couldn’t bear to look them in the face. The guilt of knowing Wendy was alive but being unable to share that news with my parents was killing me.
“She, ah …” My voice cracked under the pressure. I cleared my throat. “Is she okay?”
“Officer McDonald thinks her leaving in the canoe and you claiming a dead person took her might have been a ploy. He wonders if she snuck off to spend the night with friends. Tell the truth, Nick. Did you and Wendy plan all this?”
“What? No! It happened just like I told you.”
Mom speared me with a glare. “See, Frank? Told you. He’s incapable of telling the truth, even when caught in a lie.”
“No, Mom, really. It happened just like I said.”
Dad put his hand on my shoulder. “Officer McDonald also said you picked the lock and stole the canoe. Is that true, son?”
I studied the tops of my sneakers. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt so bad. Wendy was in the hands of some deranged kidnapper dressed as a zombie who at that moment was doing who knew what to my sister. Worse, my parents had no idea how much trouble she was in.
I lifted my head and said as calmly as I could, “I wish you would believe me. Someone or something really
did
grab Wendy. We didn’t plan any of this, honest. They have to keep looking for her — they just have to.”
“Oh, they will,” Dad replied. “Officer McDonald thinks they’ll probably find her hanging out on the beach or in one of the boutiques. That’s where kids on the island usually congregateduring the day. They’re checking the shopping center as we speak.”
Mom turned to Dad. “Come on, Frank. Let’s drive back to the condo and wait in the parking lot. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll spot her on the way.”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“What I want you to do is find your
“Ni … Nick.” The laryngitis had turned Wendy’s words into a raspy croak. “Please, Nick, just give h —”
“Wendy? Wendy!”
The old man spun in his chair and stared at me.
“Now you listen and you listen good, Caden. No more messing around.”
“Put her back on, please.”
“ID and password.”
Haunted by my sister’s broken voice, I cupped my hand over the speaker and betrayed the trust of my friends from the Crime Watchers site.
“Good boy. Mention this conversation to anyone and you’ll never see your sister again, got it?”
Beads of cold sweat erupted on my forehead.
“Got it?”
A sickly wave of apprehension swept over me. “Yeah,” I muttered. “I won’t say a word.” In the window’s reflection I saw my parents coming up the sidewalk. Neither looked happy. I could imagine why. Obviously Wendy remained missing, but now, even though I knew how much danger she was in, I couldn’t say anything to them. “So what’s next? You want to meet someplace? Exchange Wendy for me?”
“Wave to your parents. I need to know that you know I’m watching your every move.”
I threw my hand up, signaling to Mom and Dad that I’d be right there.
“Dusk. I’ll find you at dusk. That’s when the undead come alive. Enjoy the rest of your day, Caden. It might be your last.”
CHAPTER NINE
THE TIDE WILL TELL
A s I stood on the porch of the marina, the mallet sounds of steel drum music still beat out a festive tune, but the tenor of the day had hit a sour note. In the boatyard the modulated drone of a power washer dampened the
slap-slap
of ropes hitting sailboat masts. I pulled out my cell phone to send the Crime Watchers admin a quick message to let him know the site was about to be attacked, but first I needed to find out what, if anything, my parents learned about Wendy.
I shoved the phone back in my front pocket and joined Mom and Dad in front of a large sport fishing boat.
“Marine Patrol found Wendy’s canoe in some reeds not far from here,” Dad announced. “That’s the good news.”
I couldn’t bear to look them in the face. The guilt of knowing Wendy was alive but being unable to share that news with my parents was killing me.
“She, ah …” My voice cracked under the pressure. I cleared my throat. “Is she okay?”
“Officer McDonald thinks her leaving in the canoe and you claiming a dead person took her might have been a ploy. He wonders if she snuck off to spend the night with friends. Tell the truth, Nick. Did you and Wendy plan all this?”
“What? No! It happened just like I told you.”
Mom speared me with a glare. “See, Frank? Told you. He’s incapable of telling the truth, even when caught in a lie.”
“No, Mom, really. It happened just like I said.”
Dad put his hand on my shoulder. “Officer McDonald also said you picked the lock and stole the canoe. Is that true, son?”
I studied the tops of my sneakers. I couldn’t remember a time when I’d felt so bad. Wendy was in the hands of some deranged kidnapper dressed as a zombie who at that moment was doing who knew what to my sister. Worse, my parents had no idea how much trouble she was in.
I lifted my head and said as calmly as I could, “I wish you would believe me. Someone or something really
did
grab Wendy. We didn’t plan any of this, honest. They have to keep looking for her — they just have to.”
“Oh, they will,” Dad replied. “Officer McDonald thinks they’ll probably find her hanging out on the beach or in one of the boutiques. That’s where kids on the island usually congregateduring the day. They’re checking the shopping center as we speak.”
Mom turned to Dad. “Come on, Frank. Let’s drive back to the condo and wait in the parking lot. Maybe if we’re lucky, we’ll spot her on the way.”
“What do you want me to do?” I asked.
“What I want you to do is find your
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