strong guy, but it took everything he had to wheel his invention out to the street and lift the thing onto the post.
“I don’t get it,” I said.
“The guy swinging the bat will,” Sam said. “It’ll be like trying to smash granite with a toothpick.”
“Okay if I paint another target?” I said.
Sam smiled. “Put one on both sides this time.”
Chapter 55
I was looking at Danielle’s baby picture Sunday afternoon when Mom walked into my room. “Who’s that?”
The whole story tumbled out like she had opened the door to a stuffed closet.
“Why do you think she hasn’t tried to find Danielle before now?” she said.
“I don’t think she knows where to start.”
“Is Bryce helping with this?”
I nodded and told her about Mr. Cheplosa’s computer program and what we hoped to do with the new photo.
Mom looked at the floor and took a breath. I could tell she was trying to think of what to say that wouldn’t hurt my feelings.
“What?” I said. “You don’t like us investigating this?”
“Ash, I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm, but don’t get your hopes up, okay? Sometimes people . . . well, sometimes they have a hard time letting go of things.”
“You think Mrs. Garcia is crazy?”
She shook her head. “I’m not saying that. But she’s a mom. And for her to involve you . . .”
“Mom, it was my idea. I went to her.”
She nodded. “Go ahead and help as much as you can, Ashley, but don’t be surprised if this goes nowhere.”
Chapter 56
Mr. Cheplosa wasn’t in his room when we got to school Monday morning, so Ashley and I went to our lockers, put our lunches away, then returned. His door was still locked.
Ashley told me what Mom had said, and it didn’t surprise me. I’d had the same feelings but didn’t want to tell her.
A few minutes before the first bell Mr. Cheplosa ran up with an armful of papers and books, fumbling for his keys while kids milled around in the hall.
Inside, Ashley pulled the photo from a big envelope.
“That will work fine,” he said. “I’ve got to start class right now, but I’ll have this done by lunch.”
Chapter 57
I hurried to Mr. Cheplosa’s room just before my lunch period and found the door locked. An envelope with my name on it was taped to it. A folded sticky note read:
Ashley,
Had to leave but here’s the original and three aged photos of what she might look like at 5, 7, and 10.
I forced myself not to peek, wanting to look at the pictures at the same time Mrs. Garcia saw them. I raced to the lunchroom and found her busy with a bunch of kids. Bryce joined me—begging to see the finished products (I refused)—and we ate, watching for our chance.
Mrs. Garcia finally waved us over when there was a break in the line. I opened the envelope and slid the photos out as we approached. She took her plastic gloves off and wiped sweat from her forehead.
Mrs. Garcia put a hand over her mouth as we huddled, peering at the pictures. “She’s beautiful,” she whispered. “How did you do this?”
We told her. Then more kids showed up, and we had to move out of the way. “I’ll make copies of these for you,” I said.
When I got home, I showed the pictures to Mom and asked if we could go to the copy shop in town.
“Did you forget your tutoring? You’re supposed to be in Memorial today.”
Chapter 58
I had painted the targets on the new mailbox, and it looked great. After school I found a package inside with Sam’s name on it. He had told me to be watching for it, and I opened the box like a hungry hyena. It was a surveillance camera you can hook up to any TV set. I strung the cable, just enough to reach near the mailbox, and set the camera in a bush. I plugged the other end to a black-and-white TV we keep in an upstairs closet. The picture was clear.
Next I found an old videotape and set the VCR to record at low speed. I turned it on and ran to the mailbox, walking up and down the road to check the camera angle.
“I don’t get it,” I said.
“The guy swinging the bat will,” Sam said. “It’ll be like trying to smash granite with a toothpick.”
“Okay if I paint another target?” I said.
Sam smiled. “Put one on both sides this time.”
Chapter 55
I was looking at Danielle’s baby picture Sunday afternoon when Mom walked into my room. “Who’s that?”
The whole story tumbled out like she had opened the door to a stuffed closet.
“Why do you think she hasn’t tried to find Danielle before now?” she said.
“I don’t think she knows where to start.”
“Is Bryce helping with this?”
I nodded and told her about Mr. Cheplosa’s computer program and what we hoped to do with the new photo.
Mom looked at the floor and took a breath. I could tell she was trying to think of what to say that wouldn’t hurt my feelings.
“What?” I said. “You don’t like us investigating this?”
“Ash, I don’t want to dampen your enthusiasm, but don’t get your hopes up, okay? Sometimes people . . . well, sometimes they have a hard time letting go of things.”
“You think Mrs. Garcia is crazy?”
She shook her head. “I’m not saying that. But she’s a mom. And for her to involve you . . .”
“Mom, it was my idea. I went to her.”
She nodded. “Go ahead and help as much as you can, Ashley, but don’t be surprised if this goes nowhere.”
Chapter 56
Mr. Cheplosa wasn’t in his room when we got to school Monday morning, so Ashley and I went to our lockers, put our lunches away, then returned. His door was still locked.
Ashley told me what Mom had said, and it didn’t surprise me. I’d had the same feelings but didn’t want to tell her.
A few minutes before the first bell Mr. Cheplosa ran up with an armful of papers and books, fumbling for his keys while kids milled around in the hall.
Inside, Ashley pulled the photo from a big envelope.
“That will work fine,” he said. “I’ve got to start class right now, but I’ll have this done by lunch.”
Chapter 57
I hurried to Mr. Cheplosa’s room just before my lunch period and found the door locked. An envelope with my name on it was taped to it. A folded sticky note read:
Ashley,
Had to leave but here’s the original and three aged photos of what she might look like at 5, 7, and 10.
I forced myself not to peek, wanting to look at the pictures at the same time Mrs. Garcia saw them. I raced to the lunchroom and found her busy with a bunch of kids. Bryce joined me—begging to see the finished products (I refused)—and we ate, watching for our chance.
Mrs. Garcia finally waved us over when there was a break in the line. I opened the envelope and slid the photos out as we approached. She took her plastic gloves off and wiped sweat from her forehead.
Mrs. Garcia put a hand over her mouth as we huddled, peering at the pictures. “She’s beautiful,” she whispered. “How did you do this?”
We told her. Then more kids showed up, and we had to move out of the way. “I’ll make copies of these for you,” I said.
When I got home, I showed the pictures to Mom and asked if we could go to the copy shop in town.
“Did you forget your tutoring? You’re supposed to be in Memorial today.”
Chapter 58
I had painted the targets on the new mailbox, and it looked great. After school I found a package inside with Sam’s name on it. He had told me to be watching for it, and I opened the box like a hungry hyena. It was a surveillance camera you can hook up to any TV set. I strung the cable, just enough to reach near the mailbox, and set the camera in a bush. I plugged the other end to a black-and-white TV we keep in an upstairs closet. The picture was clear.
Next I found an old videotape and set the VCR to record at low speed. I turned it on and ran to the mailbox, walking up and down the road to check the camera angle.
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