inside help with the key to the room where it’s being kept. And they have to do it in the morning before the cup is taken over to the Winter Classic.”
“I say it’s a bank machine they’re after,” said Nish, trying to look and sound serious at the same time. A difficult task for Nish.
“Too heavy for a duffel bag,” said Sarah.
“But it’s money!” Nish protested. “What are you going to do with the Stanley Cup? Hide it in your basement and hold it over your head like you won it or something?”
“Ransom, dummy,” Sam sneered. “You couldn’t find a bank machine with as much money as they’d get for giving the cup back.”
“I think Sam’s right,” said Sarah. “Besides, what would they need to switch a room key for if it was the lobby bank machine they were after? If what you heard is right, Travis, then the plan is to get it away from the hotel as quickly as possible, and without anyone seeing or becoming suspicious. That’s why they have the guy pretending to be a hockey player and why they’re going to use the Incline. Once he gets up top with the cup in the equipment bag, he can load it into a car and be away without anyone seeing.”
“Without surveillance cameras,” Nish said. “They have them all around the hotel parking lot.”
Travis looked anew at his old friend. “You’re sure?” he asked.
Nish nodded knowingly. “I’m sure.”
“Nish always likes to know when he’s on camera,” Sam giggled.
“Har! Har!” Nish sneered.
“Makes sense,” said Sarah. “If they loaded it into a car anywhere near the hotel, they’d have it on video. The cameras would pick up the licenseplate number. But up on top of the hill, there’d be no danger of that.”
Travis posed the question that had been troubling him all along.
“How do we stop them?”
16
A plan was in place.
The four Screech Owls – Travis, Sarah, Sam, and Nish – agreed that there was little point in going to anyone with a story about how Travis, groggy from concussion, had overheard two men planning to do something Sunday morning that involved one of the hotel staff. He had never heard them specifically mention the Stanley Cup. He had never seen their faces, so there was no possibility of identifying them from police photos.Not only would the Owls be dismissed outright, likely even laughed at, but the robbers, if they were indeed robbers, would get away once they realized a security watch had been put on the room where the Stanley Cup was stored.
The Owls’ plan was to assign watches: someone to watch the front desk, someone the room, someone the exit to the fire escape. And, if necessary, they needed to get quickly to the Incline up Mount Washington. That was where, if Travis was right, the thieves planned to take the bag containing the cup to a getaway car waiting at the top. Travis was sure he had overheard that, as sure as he could be of anything lately. Whenever he tried to think it all through, he felt dizzy, almost sick. But he said nothing to the others.
They would keep each other informed by texting. Sam had a phone, and Fahd was happy to hand his over to Travis for the morning. Travis hadn’t explained what it was for – it would be too embarrassing if nothing happened – and Fahd assumed Travis was calling his parents in Tamarack.
They met early Sunday morning, gathering first in a quiet corner downstairs. The four went over the plan carefully, step by step, each one repeating the plan exactly so it would be memorized.
They rapped their fists together in a pact. Sarah had the last words.
“Let’s roll!”
Travis’s job was to watch the front desk. He found a seat in the lobby and pretended to be deeply interested in
The Hockey News
. Reading still bothered him, so he just flicked through the magazine and looked at the pictures. He could hear the kitchen staff setting up for the Sunday brunch, and some of the guests were already gathered about the coffee machine talking and refilling
“I say it’s a bank machine they’re after,” said Nish, trying to look and sound serious at the same time. A difficult task for Nish.
“Too heavy for a duffel bag,” said Sarah.
“But it’s money!” Nish protested. “What are you going to do with the Stanley Cup? Hide it in your basement and hold it over your head like you won it or something?”
“Ransom, dummy,” Sam sneered. “You couldn’t find a bank machine with as much money as they’d get for giving the cup back.”
“I think Sam’s right,” said Sarah. “Besides, what would they need to switch a room key for if it was the lobby bank machine they were after? If what you heard is right, Travis, then the plan is to get it away from the hotel as quickly as possible, and without anyone seeing or becoming suspicious. That’s why they have the guy pretending to be a hockey player and why they’re going to use the Incline. Once he gets up top with the cup in the equipment bag, he can load it into a car and be away without anyone seeing.”
“Without surveillance cameras,” Nish said. “They have them all around the hotel parking lot.”
Travis looked anew at his old friend. “You’re sure?” he asked.
Nish nodded knowingly. “I’m sure.”
“Nish always likes to know when he’s on camera,” Sam giggled.
“Har! Har!” Nish sneered.
“Makes sense,” said Sarah. “If they loaded it into a car anywhere near the hotel, they’d have it on video. The cameras would pick up the licenseplate number. But up on top of the hill, there’d be no danger of that.”
Travis posed the question that had been troubling him all along.
“How do we stop them?”
16
A plan was in place.
The four Screech Owls – Travis, Sarah, Sam, and Nish – agreed that there was little point in going to anyone with a story about how Travis, groggy from concussion, had overheard two men planning to do something Sunday morning that involved one of the hotel staff. He had never heard them specifically mention the Stanley Cup. He had never seen their faces, so there was no possibility of identifying them from police photos.Not only would the Owls be dismissed outright, likely even laughed at, but the robbers, if they were indeed robbers, would get away once they realized a security watch had been put on the room where the Stanley Cup was stored.
The Owls’ plan was to assign watches: someone to watch the front desk, someone the room, someone the exit to the fire escape. And, if necessary, they needed to get quickly to the Incline up Mount Washington. That was where, if Travis was right, the thieves planned to take the bag containing the cup to a getaway car waiting at the top. Travis was sure he had overheard that, as sure as he could be of anything lately. Whenever he tried to think it all through, he felt dizzy, almost sick. But he said nothing to the others.
They would keep each other informed by texting. Sam had a phone, and Fahd was happy to hand his over to Travis for the morning. Travis hadn’t explained what it was for – it would be too embarrassing if nothing happened – and Fahd assumed Travis was calling his parents in Tamarack.
They met early Sunday morning, gathering first in a quiet corner downstairs. The four went over the plan carefully, step by step, each one repeating the plan exactly so it would be memorized.
They rapped their fists together in a pact. Sarah had the last words.
“Let’s roll!”
Travis’s job was to watch the front desk. He found a seat in the lobby and pretended to be deeply interested in
The Hockey News
. Reading still bothered him, so he just flicked through the magazine and looked at the pictures. He could hear the kitchen staff setting up for the Sunday brunch, and some of the guests were already gathered about the coffee machine talking and refilling
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