about David,” the
teenager continued. “It seems Mr. Thomas’s reaction to him, from
what you have said, was fuelled by anger instead of fear. If he
were trying to keep the stolen horses a secret, would he not have
sounded more afraid of discovery than angry?”
“Yes,” said Joanna, amazed. Mr.
Thomas hadn’t sounded a bit afraid, only furious at David. “And he
called him by another name, remember? He was mad at some other guy
and mistook David for him. That’s probably important.”
“It is possible that the person
he mistook David for did something to him in the past, and if so,
in kidnapping David, did he feel he was achieving revenge?”
“Sure, it’s possible.”
“But why? What was he
avenging?”
“I don’t know. I just hope Cally
finds him quick.” Joanna heard a door slam and leaned to look
around the corner. The red highlights in Cally’s hair caught the
sunlight as she ran toward them, her eyes on the shed.
“I can’t find him,” she blurted,
opening the door. Joanna knocked on the back wall, and a moment
later Cally was around the corner. “I looked everywhere.” She
sounded panicky. “And Grandpa’s awake now. He’s coming outside in
just a minute. You have to go.”
“We will go to Raven,” said
Angelica. She put her hand on Cally’s arm. “You come too.”
“Who’s Raven?”
“My pony,” Joanna said. “Come
on.”
The girl nodded, and the three
of them raced toward the fence. On the other side of the barrier,
the forest welcomed them, a pine-scented haven. Already the sweat
on Joanna’s face was cooling.
Raven whinnied to them as they
drew near and pawed the ground. Obviously, he felt he’d been
waiting far too long.
“Oh,” said Cally, and breathed
deep. “He’s adorable.”
“Yes, he is,” Angelica agreed,
and smiled.
“Come meet him,” said
Joanna.
Cally stepped to Raven’s side
and the pony nuzzled her arm. “He’s so sweet,” she said, touching
his face. “And he’s just the right size. Not too big and
scary.”
“He’s getting too small for me,
actually,” Joanna said, then squeezed her lips together, surprised
she’d confided in Cally so quickly.
“What will happen to him when
you get bigger?”
Joanna shook her head. “I don’t
know. Mom and Dad might sell him, or lease him out to a smaller
rider.”
“I wish I was smaller.”
Joanna just sighed.
“You were able to check the
entire house?” Angelica asked, bringing them back to their
problem.
“No. When I went into Grandpa’s
room, he woke up. He hadn’t taken off his hearing aids and he heard
me.” She stroked Raven’s sleek neck.
“If he takes his hearing aids
off tonight, we can come inside the house to help you look for
David,” Angelica offered.
Joanna didn’t say anything. The
idea of sneaking about Mr. Thomas’s house while he was asleep
seemed creepy. And scary. What if he woke up and discovered them?
She’d get in such massive trouble. And Robbie would never let her
or their parents forget it.
“Okay,” said Cally. “You wait at
the shed after dark and I’ll come out to get you as soon as he’s
asleep.”
“But…”
Both girls looked at Joanna.
“You do not have to do this,
Joanna,” said Angelica.
What was she supposed to do now?
Wimp out? Say she was too scared? “No, I was just going to say, I
might be a little late. My parents don’t go to bed until after the
11 o’clock news. But you can count on me.”
Angelica nodded her head in
approval.
“I have to go home now though,”
Joanna continued. “My big brother and his wife are coming over for
lunch, and Mom said I had to be there.”
Cally patted Raven on the
shoulder in farewell. “Bye, Ravie Roo,” she murmured, then threw
her arms around his neck to give him a quick hug. “I’ll see you
tonight,” she said to Joanna.
Joanna leapt to her pony’s back.
“I’ll be here,” she said, then added, “Try not to worry, Angelica.
We’ll find him.”
“Yeah, we’ll
teenager continued. “It seems Mr. Thomas’s reaction to him, from
what you have said, was fuelled by anger instead of fear. If he
were trying to keep the stolen horses a secret, would he not have
sounded more afraid of discovery than angry?”
“Yes,” said Joanna, amazed. Mr.
Thomas hadn’t sounded a bit afraid, only furious at David. “And he
called him by another name, remember? He was mad at some other guy
and mistook David for him. That’s probably important.”
“It is possible that the person
he mistook David for did something to him in the past, and if so,
in kidnapping David, did he feel he was achieving revenge?”
“Sure, it’s possible.”
“But why? What was he
avenging?”
“I don’t know. I just hope Cally
finds him quick.” Joanna heard a door slam and leaned to look
around the corner. The red highlights in Cally’s hair caught the
sunlight as she ran toward them, her eyes on the shed.
“I can’t find him,” she blurted,
opening the door. Joanna knocked on the back wall, and a moment
later Cally was around the corner. “I looked everywhere.” She
sounded panicky. “And Grandpa’s awake now. He’s coming outside in
just a minute. You have to go.”
“We will go to Raven,” said
Angelica. She put her hand on Cally’s arm. “You come too.”
“Who’s Raven?”
“My pony,” Joanna said. “Come
on.”
The girl nodded, and the three
of them raced toward the fence. On the other side of the barrier,
the forest welcomed them, a pine-scented haven. Already the sweat
on Joanna’s face was cooling.
Raven whinnied to them as they
drew near and pawed the ground. Obviously, he felt he’d been
waiting far too long.
“Oh,” said Cally, and breathed
deep. “He’s adorable.”
“Yes, he is,” Angelica agreed,
and smiled.
“Come meet him,” said
Joanna.
Cally stepped to Raven’s side
and the pony nuzzled her arm. “He’s so sweet,” she said, touching
his face. “And he’s just the right size. Not too big and
scary.”
“He’s getting too small for me,
actually,” Joanna said, then squeezed her lips together, surprised
she’d confided in Cally so quickly.
“What will happen to him when
you get bigger?”
Joanna shook her head. “I don’t
know. Mom and Dad might sell him, or lease him out to a smaller
rider.”
“I wish I was smaller.”
Joanna just sighed.
“You were able to check the
entire house?” Angelica asked, bringing them back to their
problem.
“No. When I went into Grandpa’s
room, he woke up. He hadn’t taken off his hearing aids and he heard
me.” She stroked Raven’s sleek neck.
“If he takes his hearing aids
off tonight, we can come inside the house to help you look for
David,” Angelica offered.
Joanna didn’t say anything. The
idea of sneaking about Mr. Thomas’s house while he was asleep
seemed creepy. And scary. What if he woke up and discovered them?
She’d get in such massive trouble. And Robbie would never let her
or their parents forget it.
“Okay,” said Cally. “You wait at
the shed after dark and I’ll come out to get you as soon as he’s
asleep.”
“But…”
Both girls looked at Joanna.
“You do not have to do this,
Joanna,” said Angelica.
What was she supposed to do now?
Wimp out? Say she was too scared? “No, I was just going to say, I
might be a little late. My parents don’t go to bed until after the
11 o’clock news. But you can count on me.”
Angelica nodded her head in
approval.
“I have to go home now though,”
Joanna continued. “My big brother and his wife are coming over for
lunch, and Mom said I had to be there.”
Cally patted Raven on the
shoulder in farewell. “Bye, Ravie Roo,” she murmured, then threw
her arms around his neck to give him a quick hug. “I’ll see you
tonight,” she said to Joanna.
Joanna leapt to her pony’s back.
“I’ll be here,” she said, then added, “Try not to worry, Angelica.
We’ll find him.”
“Yeah, we’ll
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