have some ideas, but we haven’t yet located Alicia,” she said, taking a careful bite of her tuna melt. She could never wait until it had cooled off. “Hot,” she mumbled, waving her hand in front of her mouth.
“Do you have any ideas about the motive?”
“Well, keep in mind that we aren’t absolutely certain she has been abducted. She may have gone with someone willingly. We are considering every possibility.”
“But suppose she was abducted. Why would someone do that?”
“That’s easy,” said Mrs. Bain. “It usually comes down to love, money, or revenge. By the way, what on earth were you doing at the Thorns’ today?”
“Ted’s a friend of mine. We did that science project together, remember?”
“Oh yes . . . the potato gun.”
“Dad says that most kidnappings are parents snatching their own kids.”
“That’s true, but that usually involves younger children. Why? Did Ted say something about his father?”
“You mean Mr. Thorn?”
“No, his real father.” His mother caught herself. “I mean his biological father.”
“He mentioned him. He lives in Mankato. They hardly ever see him. Is he a suspect?”
“The Mankato police have been trying to locate him.”
“He’s missing, too?”
“According to his neighbor, he left on a fishing trip. I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
“So why do you think he did it? Love, money, or revenge?”
“I didn’t say he did anything. We just want to talk to him.” Mrs. Bain took another bite of her sandwich and chewed, giving Brian a suspicious look. After she had swallowed she said, “Why so many questions? Are you up to something, Brian?”
“No! Nothing!”
“I see,” she said dryly. “How unusual.”
22
river dance
Alicia felt like throwing up. Was it possible to get seasick on a river? Another gust of wind sent the boat rocking. She imagined the boat tearing loose from its moorings and traveling down the Mississippi River, all the way to New Or-leans. She’d always wanted to go there. She imagined herself floating gently through the Mississippi bayous listening to the sound of Cajun music.
When she was in a tough spot, Alicia could always get away. For as long as she could remember, she had been able to escape to fantasies in her imagination. Maybe that’s how she had survived the last few months without going completely crazy.
A wave slammed against the side of the boat, reminding her where she was.
It was getting dark outside. She hadn’t eaten in hours, not since she’d finished her Snickers bar. She tried to persuade herself that might be good. She was always trying to lose weight. Still, her stomach felt like there was a small rat gnawing away at the inside of it.
She couldn’t think about that. Hunger was the least of her problems. Instead, she imagined herself at the home-coming dance. She saw herself spinning across the dance floor in the perfect dress, black, spaghetti straps, fitting her to a T.
A huge gust of wind grabbed at the boat, tipping it almost on its side. She heard the sharp snap of a rope breaking, and then another, and suddenly the boat was spinning and rocking crazily, and the dress flew from her thoughts, and the dance floor vanished.
23
the curse
Roni stared at the big bloody brick squatting in the middle of the table.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Nick said. “Sit down. We’re ready to eat.”
Roni took her seat at the kitchen table, looking warily at what she feared was her dinner. Nick sat down across from her and used a bread knife to cut a thick slice of the catsup-topped meat loaf.
“You were gone a long time,” Nick said. “You must have gotten on well with Alicia.”
One of the things that amazed Roni about her mother was her eternal optimism. She always thought the best of people. In many ways, this worked to her mother’s advantage—people often behaved better than usual because she expected them to.
“Actually, I never saw her,” she said as her mother
“Do you have any ideas about the motive?”
“Well, keep in mind that we aren’t absolutely certain she has been abducted. She may have gone with someone willingly. We are considering every possibility.”
“But suppose she was abducted. Why would someone do that?”
“That’s easy,” said Mrs. Bain. “It usually comes down to love, money, or revenge. By the way, what on earth were you doing at the Thorns’ today?”
“Ted’s a friend of mine. We did that science project together, remember?”
“Oh yes . . . the potato gun.”
“Dad says that most kidnappings are parents snatching their own kids.”
“That’s true, but that usually involves younger children. Why? Did Ted say something about his father?”
“You mean Mr. Thorn?”
“No, his real father.” His mother caught herself. “I mean his biological father.”
“He mentioned him. He lives in Mankato. They hardly ever see him. Is he a suspect?”
“The Mankato police have been trying to locate him.”
“He’s missing, too?”
“According to his neighbor, he left on a fishing trip. I’m sure he’ll turn up.”
“So why do you think he did it? Love, money, or revenge?”
“I didn’t say he did anything. We just want to talk to him.” Mrs. Bain took another bite of her sandwich and chewed, giving Brian a suspicious look. After she had swallowed she said, “Why so many questions? Are you up to something, Brian?”
“No! Nothing!”
“I see,” she said dryly. “How unusual.”
22
river dance
Alicia felt like throwing up. Was it possible to get seasick on a river? Another gust of wind sent the boat rocking. She imagined the boat tearing loose from its moorings and traveling down the Mississippi River, all the way to New Or-leans. She’d always wanted to go there. She imagined herself floating gently through the Mississippi bayous listening to the sound of Cajun music.
When she was in a tough spot, Alicia could always get away. For as long as she could remember, she had been able to escape to fantasies in her imagination. Maybe that’s how she had survived the last few months without going completely crazy.
A wave slammed against the side of the boat, reminding her where she was.
It was getting dark outside. She hadn’t eaten in hours, not since she’d finished her Snickers bar. She tried to persuade herself that might be good. She was always trying to lose weight. Still, her stomach felt like there was a small rat gnawing away at the inside of it.
She couldn’t think about that. Hunger was the least of her problems. Instead, she imagined herself at the home-coming dance. She saw herself spinning across the dance floor in the perfect dress, black, spaghetti straps, fitting her to a T.
A huge gust of wind grabbed at the boat, tipping it almost on its side. She heard the sharp snap of a rope breaking, and then another, and suddenly the boat was spinning and rocking crazily, and the dress flew from her thoughts, and the dance floor vanished.
23
the curse
Roni stared at the big bloody brick squatting in the middle of the table.
“It’s about time you showed up,” Nick said. “Sit down. We’re ready to eat.”
Roni took her seat at the kitchen table, looking warily at what she feared was her dinner. Nick sat down across from her and used a bread knife to cut a thick slice of the catsup-topped meat loaf.
“You were gone a long time,” Nick said. “You must have gotten on well with Alicia.”
One of the things that amazed Roni about her mother was her eternal optimism. She always thought the best of people. In many ways, this worked to her mother’s advantage—people often behaved better than usual because she expected them to.
“Actually, I never saw her,” she said as her mother
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