The Super Spies and the Pied Piper (3 page)

Jackie tugged on her arm. “So… you got the hots for old Alex up there, huh?”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Oh pu-
leeese
.”

“You can't fool me. I can tell.” Jackie giggled and gave her a nudge.

Sarah pursed her lips trying to keep from smiling like an idiot
.

“So, do you have a picture of your mom and dad on you?” Jackie asked.

Sarah took a deep breath, glad for the change of subject. “It's right here.” She patted her backpack.

“Cool beans.”

“Are you ever going to stop saying that?” Sarah gave her friend an annoyed look. “I mean really, it's so
juvenile
.”

“So what? I like it,” Jackie said with a theatrical flourish of her hands.

Sarah laughed and put her arm around her friend and gave her a quick squeeze. “You crack me up.”

They reached the car where Alex was busy moving some basketball equipment from his back seat and placing it in his trunk. “Hop in, guys.”

Sarah and Jackie climbed in the back seat and Scott and Lacey decided to ride shot gun.

Alex climbed into the driver's seat and started the car. Sarah suppressed a grin when the loud rumble of the motor filled the air. The vibration of the vehicle increased when Alex gunned the engine. He turned and flashed a grin at Sarah. “Like I said, she ain't pretty but she'll get us where we gots to go.”

She laughed and gave him a wide smile.

Alex glanced out the back window and then pulled out of the parking spot. “So we're going to Alden, right?”

“Yep.” Sarah bit her lip and clenched her hands into tight fists. The butterflies in her stomach had turned into a knot as she thought about what they might find in Alden.

Alex shifted in his seat and switched gears. “Okay… it's a straight shot right up highway ninety-six. We'll be there in no time.”

“Cool,” Sarah said, raising her voice above the din of the motor.

The Super Spies grew silent as they drove toward the highway.

Sighing, Sarah gazed out the window. She thought about the last time she'd seen her parents and her heart grew heavy. She had been upset with them because she was stuck spending the summer with her aunt and uncle while they went on a cruise. She remembered giving them the silent treatment as they climbed on the plane.

Her mother had hugged her and Sarah had refused to hug her back. Then her mother had given her an exasperated smile and said. “You'll have fun, you'll see.”

Sarah had given her mother a “yeah, right” look along with a loud “harrumpff” and turned away. Looking back on that moment, regret coursed through her body like a slow-moving landslide. It never occurred to her she might not see her parents again. She cleared her throat as a lump rose. Tears welled in her eyes and she blinked quickly to dispel them.

She glanced at her watch, startled to see forty five minutes had already gone by. Sighing, she searched for her backpack and found it at her feet. She opened it and pulled out her math book.

“What are you doing?” Jackie asked, furrowing her brow.

“I figure I might as well get my math done.” Sarah shrugged and reached inside her pack again for her notebook.

“Oh… you scholarly types drive me nuts,” Jackie grumbled.

“It's not like we can shop in the car.” Sarah rolled her eyes and shook her head.

“That's not entirely true.” Jackie giggled and pulled out her laptop.

Sarah groaned. “You've got to be kidding me.”

Jackie laughed and said. “I've got this satellite internet thingy going on here. We can shop to our heart's content.”

“Only you, Jack. Only you.”

“Scooch on over.”

Sarah moved toward Jackie as far as her seat belt would allow her. “Do you think you'll get a signal?”

“There's only one way to find out.” Jackie opened her laptop and tried to sign on to the internet.

The girls waited in silence as the computer searched for a signal. After a few minutes they were successful and Jackie gave her a triumphant grin. “Isn't modern technology wonderful?”

Sarah giggled. “You got that right.” She leaned forward. “Let's find out about the town of Alden.”

Jackie exhaled an exaggerated sigh. “Oh… all right. I guess shopping can wait.”

Sarah nudged her. “What are you shopping for anyway? You've got everything.”

“So what? A girl can always use a new cute sweater.”

Sarah rolled her eyes and shook her head again. “Type in Alden, Michigan. Let's see what we find out.”

Jackie bent her head, sending her curls cascading around her face. She bit her lip as she typed and her dark eyes watched the screen as the computer searched. Taking a deep breath, she said, “Okay, this is what we've got.” She turned the computer so Sarah could get a better look.

Sarah read from the screen. “Okay, it says here… Alden has a population of five thousand during the summer months.”

“Wow, that should make it easy to spot your mom and dad,” Jackie said. She stared at Sarah with her dark, intense eyes.

“Yeah.” Sarah continued to read. “It says… the population drops down to about two thousand in the fall and winter months.”

“Sounds like it's a tourist town.”

“It sure does.” Sarah furrowed her brow and leaned forward to get a better look at the screen. “Click on ‘history'.”

Jackie moved the cursor over to history and clicked on it. Another window popped up and Sarah continued to study the screen. Pictures of Main Street came into view. They showed women wearing long dresses and carrying parasols as they strolled by the storefronts lining the streets.

Sarah read the narrative explaining how the town developed. “Wow, it was a shipping town, right on Torch Lake.”

“Cool, maybe we'll have time to walk on the beach.”

Sarah ignored her and continued reading. “It says here it was developed in the eighteen hundreds. And there was a prominent family that owned the shipping company.”

“Really?” Jackie shifted the laptop so she could read along with Sarah. ”You're right. It says right here, the Robinsons.”

“Is that their house in the picture?” Sarah asked, knitting her brows together.

“Wow, it's huge.”

“And spooky.” Sarah studied the structure with its wrap around porch and wide veranda on the front. An involuntary shudder went through her body as she scrutinized the home.

“I think it's still standing.” Jackie squinted at the screen. “Yeah, they've listed it as a historical home and it sits at the top of a hill, overlooking the town.”

“We'll have to check it out.”

“What are you two doing back there?” Alex called from the front seat.

Sarah looked up and caught his eye in the rearview mirror. “Just research.”

“On what?”

“The town of Alden.”

“You better hurry and get it done. We're making good time and we're almost there.”

“For real?” Sarah asked in a voice filled with shock.

“Yep. Probably have just another forty five minutes.”

Sarah stared at Jackie and her skin prickled with anticipation. She slid back across the seat and put her forgotten math book back in her pack, then pulled out the photo of her parents. She held it up for Jackie and said, “Pretty soon.”

Jackie reached over and squeezed her arm. “That's right. Pretty soon.”

Sarah felt a grin prick at the corners of her mouth. “Dad, how much longer?” she asked in a whiny voice and then giggled.

“Dad, I've got to pee,” Jackie piped up and then joined Sarah in a round of hysterical giggles.

“Shut up, you guys,” Alex yelled above the sound of the motor. “I'll turn this car around and go back home if I have to.”

The whole group cracked up laughing. Sarah wiped the tears from her eyes and made eye contact with her friend.
He sounds fun
. She hoped Jackie got her message telepathically.

Jackie winked back and then focused on her computer once again. Sarah figured her wink confirmed her message had been received. A warm flush spread through her body, she loved having a friend that she was so in tune with. She exhaled a contented sigh, shifted her weight, and stared out the window. As the landscape sped past, a billboard caught her eye. It had a picture of a young child grinning and the caption read.
Piper Drugs. The Drug
C
ompany that takes care of you like you were
family.

Sarah furrowed her brow as images of her father filled her mind. It had been the day he had received the job offer from Piper Drugs. He had been so excited that he took everyone out to dinner to celebrate. Tears prickled in her eyes.
He worked for the
company for ten years.
If we find my dad will they give him his job back
? Sighing again, she leaned her head back and closed her eyes.

Sarah woke with a start. She glanced around the vehicle and found Jackie shopping on her computer. In the front seat Scott helped Lacey with her math homework.

“What time is it?” She asked, before yawning widely. She stretched, raising her arms above her head and touching the ceiling with her fingertips.

“It's about two forty-five,” Jackie answered.

“Awesome, we're almost there.” Sarah glanced down and eyed the photograph. It had slipped out of her hand while she dozed and landed in her lap. Picking it up, she tapped the photo to her chin and pursed her lips.

“When we get there, where should we start?” Lacey asked, looking into the backseat.

“How about a grocery store?” Sarah said with a furrowed brow. “I mean they have to get food, right?”

“Good idea, Sherlock.” Jackie gave her a nudge. “I designate you the brains of the group and I'll take care of our fashion statement.”

“Tsk. Detectives don't have a fashion statement,” Sarah responded with a wry laugh.

“Girlfriend, you know sometimes it's good to think outside the box.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

The car's speed decreased and Sarah sensed they were getting closer. She stared out the window. Her heart increased its beat, pounding wildly against her ribs. Pressing her hand to her chest, she tried to calm it. She took several deep breaths as she eyed the sign.
Welco
me to Alden
.

“Okay, guys. This looks like Main Street. I'll park along here and we'll start our search,” Alex said.

The road curved tightly and the town came into view. Sarah moved forward in her seat and peered out the windshield. Studying the tiny burg, she took in the quaint shops along the street. “Wow, it hasn't really changed since the eighteen hundreds.”

“It sure hasn't,” Jackie said, looking out her window. “They've updated things but I bet these are the same buildings.”

Sarah nodded as she surveyed the tiny town. The shops were housed in buildings that seemed ancient. She took in the peeling paint and the old fashioned construction. The newer buildings stuck out like a sore thumb. They seemed sleek and modern compared to their archaic counterparts. The aged shops reminded Sarah of a favorite pair of slippers, old and worn but very comfortable.

She sighed and asked, “By any chance did you see that spooky house anywhere?”

“Nope, but I bet we'll be able to see it once we're out of the car.” Jackie craned her neck to get a better look out the window.

Alex pulled into a parking spot along Main Street and turned off the car. It sputtered and died. When the noisy engine quieted the void became so apparent that Sarah and Jackie convulsed into giggles.

“Hey, quiet back there… you better quit laughing if you want a ride home,” Alex threatened in a good-natured way.

Sarah pulled her lips into a grim line and Jackie did the same, pretending to zip her lips, lock them, and then toss out the key.

The group climbed out of the car. As Sarah stepped onto the street, a blanket of suffocating humidity enveloped her. Even with the sun hidden behind a thick layer of ominous clouds the heat wilted her already tired body. Sarah turned toward the lake; the wind lifting her hair from her face seemed to whisper of deep secrets and ancient warnings. She shivered in spite of the humidity. Looking at the water, she took in its agitated state; whitecaps formed where the wind met the lake. The town sat nestled against the shoreline, a buffer against the wind and the angry crash of the water against the rocky beach. The water seemed to be warning her. Turning, she gazed at the shops and took a deep breath. “Why don't we start over there at the drugstore?”

“That's a good idea,” Alex said with an approving nod.

The tiny burg seemed deserted as the group traveled across the street. The drugstore sat on the corner next to the hardware store sporting a big, bold sign that read “Robinson's”. Sarah took a deep breath and smelled bread baking. Looking down the street, she found a bakery next to the hardware store. Loaves of bread sat in the window enticing patrons to come in for a free sample
.

Upon reaching their destination, the Super Spies strolled inside. Sarah led the way and immediately stumbled on the uneven flooring. Alex reached out and grabbed her arm before she fell into a display of new and improved pain relievers.

“Thanks,” she said with a sheepish grin.

Alex winked. “No problem. These old buildings are hard to navigate.”

After giving Alex a sweet smile, Sarah spun around and peered into the dim interior. Shelves containing knickknacks lined the walls. Even the most frugal tourist would be tempted by the plethora of trinkets. More shelves stood in the center of the store, filled with over-the-counter medications like aspirin, poison ivy cream, and calamine lotion.

Things for the novice camper
. Sarah smirked and continued her scrutiny of the store. “Hello, is anyone here?”