have seen something when she and Spence arrived with Thelma. Or else – and her heart skipped about in her chest – they were waiting for her. Or for Spence. To make them tell where Aunt Thelma was. Suddenly panicked, she ran back to the Bagleys’ house.
But Spence might try to cross the street to meet me and not see the blue car, she thought as she stood looking out the Bagleys’ front door. Taking a deep breath, she plunged outside again and walked quickly back to the blacksmith shop.
The blue car was gone!
And she didn’t see Spence. So she ran across the road and tapped boldly on his door. It was late, but she knew that Mr. Riley was a night owl. Whenever she opened her window at night she could hear him thumping away on his guitar.
She wasn’t prepared for the reception she got. Both parents swept her into the house and lectured her for coming in so late. And where was Spence? they demanded. Mrs. Riley peered into the darkness behind Zoe, expecting to see him.
He wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the house either, they said. He wasn’t at Zoe’s house, for the Rileys had already contacted her parents. And he wasn’t at Tiny Alice’s house, because they’d called there as well.
And he wasn’t at the Bagley sisters’ house. Zoe saw that the lights were out. The night was as black as a blackbird’s eye.
Zoe crossed her arms tightly over her shivering chest. There was only one place he could be. And she had to tell his parents, even though it meant they would call the police. And then it wouldn’t be her case anymore because the police would solve it.
Or try to solve it. She sank down into a chair in the Rileys’ living room and poured out her story of the kidnappers (without mentioning Miss Thelma’s rescue) while the parents looked on, openmouthed. The police arrived – called by a hysterical Mrs. Riley – and Zoe had to tell the story over again and describe Cedric and Chloe. For she was sure they were the ones who had taken Spence.
It was all her fault. Spence hadn’t wanted to get involved in the first place; he hadn’t even wanted to join the Northern Spy Club. He could be badly hurt and all because of her.
Things were even worse, she discovered, when she got home that night. Her parents were upset that she had arrived so late and had fibbed about spending the evening at Lily’s house. They had called Lili’s mother and discovered the truth.
Worse again, an hour ago the police had come to see Zoe’s father. An anonymous caller had warned that there was an insecticide called “malathion” in the Elwood’s apple barn, and the police had a warrant to search there. It was malathion they had found in that fatal bowl of pea soup.
“Sure, I have malathion,” her father protested. “I use it to zap the apple maggots and bagworms. But I certainly didn’t put it in Agnes Fairweather’s pea soup!”
“Of course you didn’t, Dan,” said Zoe’s mother, patting his arm. “We all know you didn’t.”
“But they don’t know,” said Zoe’s father, and balled his hands into fists.
“Can’t you see, Dad?” said Kelby’s voice, echoing down the stovepipe hole. “That’s where the Bagley sisters got it. They came over at midnight and stole it and they put it in the soup. You never lock the barn, Dad.”
“It’s true, I don’t,” said their father, looking thoughtful.
“But the sisters didn’t steal it, I know they didn’t!”
“You can’t prove that,” growled Kelby through the stovepipe hole. “You know you can’t.”
“I can. I really think I can,” said Zoe, frowning at the hole. When her parents looked at her she reddened, and then shrugged. Kelby was listening. She didn’t want him or her parents to know what the sisters had said about the kidnappers’ car being in Alice’s driveway on the day of Agnes Fairweather’s death. Not yet, anyway. Not until she had more proof. Not until she found out exactly what the kidnappers wanted with that safe deposit key.
But Spence might try to cross the street to meet me and not see the blue car, she thought as she stood looking out the Bagleys’ front door. Taking a deep breath, she plunged outside again and walked quickly back to the blacksmith shop.
The blue car was gone!
And she didn’t see Spence. So she ran across the road and tapped boldly on his door. It was late, but she knew that Mr. Riley was a night owl. Whenever she opened her window at night she could hear him thumping away on his guitar.
She wasn’t prepared for the reception she got. Both parents swept her into the house and lectured her for coming in so late. And where was Spence? they demanded. Mrs. Riley peered into the darkness behind Zoe, expecting to see him.
He wasn’t there. He wasn’t in the house either, they said. He wasn’t at Zoe’s house, for the Rileys had already contacted her parents. And he wasn’t at Tiny Alice’s house, because they’d called there as well.
And he wasn’t at the Bagley sisters’ house. Zoe saw that the lights were out. The night was as black as a blackbird’s eye.
Zoe crossed her arms tightly over her shivering chest. There was only one place he could be. And she had to tell his parents, even though it meant they would call the police. And then it wouldn’t be her case anymore because the police would solve it.
Or try to solve it. She sank down into a chair in the Rileys’ living room and poured out her story of the kidnappers (without mentioning Miss Thelma’s rescue) while the parents looked on, openmouthed. The police arrived – called by a hysterical Mrs. Riley – and Zoe had to tell the story over again and describe Cedric and Chloe. For she was sure they were the ones who had taken Spence.
It was all her fault. Spence hadn’t wanted to get involved in the first place; he hadn’t even wanted to join the Northern Spy Club. He could be badly hurt and all because of her.
Things were even worse, she discovered, when she got home that night. Her parents were upset that she had arrived so late and had fibbed about spending the evening at Lily’s house. They had called Lili’s mother and discovered the truth.
Worse again, an hour ago the police had come to see Zoe’s father. An anonymous caller had warned that there was an insecticide called “malathion” in the Elwood’s apple barn, and the police had a warrant to search there. It was malathion they had found in that fatal bowl of pea soup.
“Sure, I have malathion,” her father protested. “I use it to zap the apple maggots and bagworms. But I certainly didn’t put it in Agnes Fairweather’s pea soup!”
“Of course you didn’t, Dan,” said Zoe’s mother, patting his arm. “We all know you didn’t.”
“But they don’t know,” said Zoe’s father, and balled his hands into fists.
“Can’t you see, Dad?” said Kelby’s voice, echoing down the stovepipe hole. “That’s where the Bagley sisters got it. They came over at midnight and stole it and they put it in the soup. You never lock the barn, Dad.”
“It’s true, I don’t,” said their father, looking thoughtful.
“But the sisters didn’t steal it, I know they didn’t!”
“You can’t prove that,” growled Kelby through the stovepipe hole. “You know you can’t.”
“I can. I really think I can,” said Zoe, frowning at the hole. When her parents looked at her she reddened, and then shrugged. Kelby was listening. She didn’t want him or her parents to know what the sisters had said about the kidnappers’ car being in Alice’s driveway on the day of Agnes Fairweather’s death. Not yet, anyway. Not until she had more proof. Not until she found out exactly what the kidnappers wanted with that safe deposit key.
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