Not until Spence was safe and back in his home, playing his cello.
Oh, Spence.
She told her parents about Spence being missing, and probably kidnapped. Her mother gave a shriek and started for next door to comfort Spence’s mother. She told her husband to “stay with the children till I get back, and lock the door behind you.”
“Three more days,” Kelby hissed down the pipe while her father was deep in a telephone conversation with Spence’s dad. “Only three more day-y-s.”
“I know, I know, don’t remind me,” said Zoe, and sank down helplessly on the sofa.
Chapter Fifteen
The Safe Deposit Box
When Zoe arrived at the Bagley sisters’ house Wednesday morning she found a stranger in the kitchen: a woman in a curly black wig with hot pink lipstick and a shapeless flowered Muu-Muu that made her look like a cross between a mango fruit and a circus elephant.
But the voice was familiar, and when she heard it she had to smile. It was Miss Thelma. Miss Maud was holding up a purple hat with a peacock feather to complete the disguise.
“How will the bank clerk know it’s you under that hat?” asked Zoe, aware that the disguise could create a problem.
“I can take off the wig when I get into the bank, can’t I?” said Thelma.
“And have everybody staring at you? Don’t you have a gray wig?” Zoe asked Miss Gertie.
“Wait right there, dear, I have just the remedy.” Miss Gertie trotted upstairs.
She came back down with a jar of powder in her hand. She draped a kitchen towel over Thelma’s shoulders and sprinkled the powder over the black wig. In moments Thelma was no longer white-haired or black-haired, but more or less gray-haired.
“I just love doing this!” Miss Gertie exulted as she smoothed out the pink lipstick and added a little rouge to her wrinkled cheeks.
She held up a mirror and Thelma gave a shriek. “Who is it?” she cried.
“Don’t worry, it will all wash off,” said Miss Maud, and glanced at her watch. “The bank opens at nine, so shall we go?”
“But I haven’t called the taxi,” said Zoe.
Miss Maud said, “Taxi? Heavens no. We’ll drive.”
Zoe wasn’t so sure about that. Miss Maud’s license had been suspended, Zoe’s mother said, for driving too fast through the village and then knocking down a row of traffic signs.
“I’m not going to drive,” said Miss Maud. “Gertie will.”
Oh well, thought Zoe, it was only five minutes into town. And Miss Gertie’s eyeglasses weren’t quite as thick as Miss Maud’s. So they all piled into the sisters’ twenty-year-old green Dodge and in twelve minutes by Zoe’s watch they were at the bank.
There was no sign of the two-tone blue car as Aunt Thelma went into the bank with Zoe a few feet behind. The clerk looked startled when she saw Miss Thelma, but Thelma produced the proper identification and followed the clerk into the inner sanctum while Zoe stood guard.
The Bagley sisters remained in their car to look out for the police, for it turned out that Miss Gertie’s license hadn’t been renewed either, since the time she’d ploughed into the back of the funeral director’s limousine. Unfortunately, it had a body in it, and he took her to court.
Miss Thelma came out fifteen minutes later, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of the adventure, her wig askew. She nodded at Zoe and exited the bank. Zoe followed her out to the parking lot. Seeing no one watching, she hopped into the car behind her and locked the door.
“Home, James,” said Miss Maud.
Zoe asked, “Who’s James?”
“Just a manner of speaking,” said Thelma.
Miss Gertie ground out of the parking lot, barely missing an elderly man who was tapping his way along with a hand-carved cane. But the old man leapt easily out of the way. His hat blew off in the wind and Zoe saw that he had a long thin nose like Cedric. He jumped into a yellow taxi and it roared off.
“Follow that taxi,” she told Gertie. She explained about
Oh, Spence.
She told her parents about Spence being missing, and probably kidnapped. Her mother gave a shriek and started for next door to comfort Spence’s mother. She told her husband to “stay with the children till I get back, and lock the door behind you.”
“Three more days,” Kelby hissed down the pipe while her father was deep in a telephone conversation with Spence’s dad. “Only three more day-y-s.”
“I know, I know, don’t remind me,” said Zoe, and sank down helplessly on the sofa.
Chapter Fifteen
The Safe Deposit Box
When Zoe arrived at the Bagley sisters’ house Wednesday morning she found a stranger in the kitchen: a woman in a curly black wig with hot pink lipstick and a shapeless flowered Muu-Muu that made her look like a cross between a mango fruit and a circus elephant.
But the voice was familiar, and when she heard it she had to smile. It was Miss Thelma. Miss Maud was holding up a purple hat with a peacock feather to complete the disguise.
“How will the bank clerk know it’s you under that hat?” asked Zoe, aware that the disguise could create a problem.
“I can take off the wig when I get into the bank, can’t I?” said Thelma.
“And have everybody staring at you? Don’t you have a gray wig?” Zoe asked Miss Gertie.
“Wait right there, dear, I have just the remedy.” Miss Gertie trotted upstairs.
She came back down with a jar of powder in her hand. She draped a kitchen towel over Thelma’s shoulders and sprinkled the powder over the black wig. In moments Thelma was no longer white-haired or black-haired, but more or less gray-haired.
“I just love doing this!” Miss Gertie exulted as she smoothed out the pink lipstick and added a little rouge to her wrinkled cheeks.
She held up a mirror and Thelma gave a shriek. “Who is it?” she cried.
“Don’t worry, it will all wash off,” said Miss Maud, and glanced at her watch. “The bank opens at nine, so shall we go?”
“But I haven’t called the taxi,” said Zoe.
Miss Maud said, “Taxi? Heavens no. We’ll drive.”
Zoe wasn’t so sure about that. Miss Maud’s license had been suspended, Zoe’s mother said, for driving too fast through the village and then knocking down a row of traffic signs.
“I’m not going to drive,” said Miss Maud. “Gertie will.”
Oh well, thought Zoe, it was only five minutes into town. And Miss Gertie’s eyeglasses weren’t quite as thick as Miss Maud’s. So they all piled into the sisters’ twenty-year-old green Dodge and in twelve minutes by Zoe’s watch they were at the bank.
There was no sign of the two-tone blue car as Aunt Thelma went into the bank with Zoe a few feet behind. The clerk looked startled when she saw Miss Thelma, but Thelma produced the proper identification and followed the clerk into the inner sanctum while Zoe stood guard.
The Bagley sisters remained in their car to look out for the police, for it turned out that Miss Gertie’s license hadn’t been renewed either, since the time she’d ploughed into the back of the funeral director’s limousine. Unfortunately, it had a body in it, and he took her to court.
Miss Thelma came out fifteen minutes later, her eyes sparkling with the excitement of the adventure, her wig askew. She nodded at Zoe and exited the bank. Zoe followed her out to the parking lot. Seeing no one watching, she hopped into the car behind her and locked the door.
“Home, James,” said Miss Maud.
Zoe asked, “Who’s James?”
“Just a manner of speaking,” said Thelma.
Miss Gertie ground out of the parking lot, barely missing an elderly man who was tapping his way along with a hand-carved cane. But the old man leapt easily out of the way. His hat blew off in the wind and Zoe saw that he had a long thin nose like Cedric. He jumped into a yellow taxi and it roared off.
“Follow that taxi,” she told Gertie. She explained about
Similar Books
