answers.”
“And it could be a trick.” Lissa’s white, fearful face said it all.
The phone rang a second time. Lissa struggled with the Velcro on the dress as I counted the rings under my breath. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. “What if Skip’s calling?”
“Let it ring,” Lissa insisted. She held up the black apron. “Which way does this thing go?”
“Here,” I said, positioning it against her as she slipped her arms through the openings. My fingers trembled as I attached the apron with pins. “You’re almost ready. I’ll fix your hair.” I hurried to my dresser in the darkness.
“It doesn’t matter what my hair looks like,” she wailed.
Back inside the closet, I parted Lissa’s hair down the middle and pushed it into a quick bun, securing it with three hair clips. “Now you’re Plain.”
The phone kept ringing.
I was dying to answer it. “How do we know it’s the police?” I said. “Besides, if it’s my parents, they could help us!”
Lissa’s mouth pinched up like she was disgusted. “You couldn’t say anything on the phone anyway. The phone lines might already be tapped.”
Maybe she was right. But right or not, the ringing phone made me feel uneasy. And very homesick to talk to my parents!
Suddenly, I heard Skip’s voice. “Merry! Are you home?”
I flung open the closet door and ran across the bedroom to the locked outer door. “I’m up here,” I called down the steps, never so delighted to hear his voice.
“Will you please answer the phone?” he asked. “We’ve got company again.”
I knew he meant he was talking to the cops. Scurrying to the hall phone, I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello, Merry. I thought you’d never answer.” It was Miss Spindler.
“Uh, we’re sort of busy right now,” I said. Miss Spindler’s nickname was Old Hawk Eyes. She made it her duty to keep close tabs on things in the neighborhood. Seemed to me she had it down to a near science!
I could hear Officer Rhodes’ voice downstairs. There was another voice, too. I clenched my teeth, remembering the voice from the phone call this afternoon. Lissa’s father! He was right here—inside my house!
Old Hawk Eyes’ scratchy voice continued, “I see police cars parked around the side of your house, Merry.”
“You do?”
“Oh dear, it looks like—”
“What?” I interrupted. “What do you see?”
“More police,” she moaned. “Oh, horse feathers! They’re surrounding your house!”
“How many?”
“Well…” She hesitated, as though counting. “I saw at least two at your front door a while ago, but now there are two more behind your house. What in this wide world is going on?”
“Thanks for calling, Miss Spindler,” I said abruptly. “Thank you very much.”
“But, Merry—”
“I’m sorry, Miss Spindler, I have to go now.” I hung up. Thank the Lord for nosy neighbors!
There was no time to waste.
Chapter
12
Downstairs, the muffled voices grew louder. Then, unexpectedly, I heard my name mentioned. If a search warrant was involved, the police would be checking the upstairs room any second!
I flew down the hall to the bedroom and tore into the closet. Cramming the black Amish bonnet down on Lissa’s head, I noticed with relief that her bottom lip was nearly back to normal. “Follow me and don’t make a sound,” I whispered.
Lissa’s lips quivered as she nodded.
“You’ll need this heavy wool shawl.” I snatched it up as we left the room.
“Where are you taking me?”
I pressed my finger to my lips as a wide-eyed Lissa tiptoed slowly behind me toward the back steps.
“Merry!” It was Skip again. “Get down here.”
I cast a silent warning signal to Lissa as we descended the back stairs leading to the dark kitchen. With my hand gripping her tiny wrist, I peered through the window in the back door.
Two policemen were standing across the yard near the gazebo, probably waiting in case Lissa came running out.
One glance at my
“And it could be a trick.” Lissa’s white, fearful face said it all.
The phone rang a second time. Lissa struggled with the Velcro on the dress as I counted the rings under my breath. Finally, I couldn’t take it any longer. “What if Skip’s calling?”
“Let it ring,” Lissa insisted. She held up the black apron. “Which way does this thing go?”
“Here,” I said, positioning it against her as she slipped her arms through the openings. My fingers trembled as I attached the apron with pins. “You’re almost ready. I’ll fix your hair.” I hurried to my dresser in the darkness.
“It doesn’t matter what my hair looks like,” she wailed.
Back inside the closet, I parted Lissa’s hair down the middle and pushed it into a quick bun, securing it with three hair clips. “Now you’re Plain.”
The phone kept ringing.
I was dying to answer it. “How do we know it’s the police?” I said. “Besides, if it’s my parents, they could help us!”
Lissa’s mouth pinched up like she was disgusted. “You couldn’t say anything on the phone anyway. The phone lines might already be tapped.”
Maybe she was right. But right or not, the ringing phone made me feel uneasy. And very homesick to talk to my parents!
Suddenly, I heard Skip’s voice. “Merry! Are you home?”
I flung open the closet door and ran across the bedroom to the locked outer door. “I’m up here,” I called down the steps, never so delighted to hear his voice.
“Will you please answer the phone?” he asked. “We’ve got company again.”
I knew he meant he was talking to the cops. Scurrying to the hall phone, I picked it up. “Hello?”
“Hello, Merry. I thought you’d never answer.” It was Miss Spindler.
“Uh, we’re sort of busy right now,” I said. Miss Spindler’s nickname was Old Hawk Eyes. She made it her duty to keep close tabs on things in the neighborhood. Seemed to me she had it down to a near science!
I could hear Officer Rhodes’ voice downstairs. There was another voice, too. I clenched my teeth, remembering the voice from the phone call this afternoon. Lissa’s father! He was right here—inside my house!
Old Hawk Eyes’ scratchy voice continued, “I see police cars parked around the side of your house, Merry.”
“You do?”
“Oh dear, it looks like—”
“What?” I interrupted. “What do you see?”
“More police,” she moaned. “Oh, horse feathers! They’re surrounding your house!”
“How many?”
“Well…” She hesitated, as though counting. “I saw at least two at your front door a while ago, but now there are two more behind your house. What in this wide world is going on?”
“Thanks for calling, Miss Spindler,” I said abruptly. “Thank you very much.”
“But, Merry—”
“I’m sorry, Miss Spindler, I have to go now.” I hung up. Thank the Lord for nosy neighbors!
There was no time to waste.
Chapter
12
Downstairs, the muffled voices grew louder. Then, unexpectedly, I heard my name mentioned. If a search warrant was involved, the police would be checking the upstairs room any second!
I flew down the hall to the bedroom and tore into the closet. Cramming the black Amish bonnet down on Lissa’s head, I noticed with relief that her bottom lip was nearly back to normal. “Follow me and don’t make a sound,” I whispered.
Lissa’s lips quivered as she nodded.
“You’ll need this heavy wool shawl.” I snatched it up as we left the room.
“Where are you taking me?”
I pressed my finger to my lips as a wide-eyed Lissa tiptoed slowly behind me toward the back steps.
“Merry!” It was Skip again. “Get down here.”
I cast a silent warning signal to Lissa as we descended the back stairs leading to the dark kitchen. With my hand gripping her tiny wrist, I peered through the window in the back door.
Two policemen were standing across the yard near the gazebo, probably waiting in case Lissa came running out.
One glance at my
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