The Super Spies and the Pied Piper (5 page)

“What's going on?” Jackie whispered.

Sarah glanced around the corner and then faced Jackie. “I'm not sure. He stopped.” She looked around the corner again. “Looks like Scott and Alex are crossing the street. Let's see if our guy follows them.”

The boys sauntered across the street. They appeared to be in a deep conversation. After a few minutes, the Stalker trailed them.

Sarah ducked back into the shadow of the door way. “He's definitely following them.”

“I wonder why.” Jackie whispered.

“I don't know.” Sarah frowned. “Let's find out.” She glanced back at Lacey. “Lace, call Scott and tell him to lose the guy now.”

“I think it'll be better if I send a text message.” Lacey pulled out her cell phone and quickly sent the text. “Message sent.”

Sarah glanced across the street. Scott and Alex strolled down the sidewalk as if they didn't have a care in the world. The Stalker kept pace with his prey while still maintaining his distance. Scott grabbed Alex's arm and whispered in his ear, then continued his journey.

With a quick movement, the two boys dashed through the door of a chocolate shop. The Stalker grew alarmed and raced after them. He dashed into the shop minutes behind them.

“Okay, let's go,” Sarah said, motioning for the other girls to follow her.

The girls dashed across the street. Sarah's chest tightened and her heart raced.
Why is
this ma
n
following us? What does he want?

Once she reached the chocolate shop Sarah slowed her pace. She gulped and swallowed the huge lump of fear rising in her throat. She could hear the thrum of her pulse as the blood rushed through her veins. Taking a deep breath, she squinted through the window. The store appeared empty.

“Come on, let's go,” Sarah said in an urgent whisper.

She opened the door, hoping there wasn't a chime above it. Breathing a sigh of relief when she didn't hear one, she opened it wider and tiptoed through.

Jackie traveled behind her. “Where'd they go?”

“I don't know,” Sarah answered with a shake of her head. She frowned and glanced around the shop taking in the scent of chocolate and candy. “There must be a rear exit. Let's head toward the back.”

“I'd like to come back through here when we're done.” Jackie eyed the variety of chocolate on display. “I mean look at all of this.” She waved her hand in front of a display of chocolate covered peanuts and raisins as if she were a presenter on a game show. “There's so much to choose from.”

“Focus.” Sarah spit the word through her clenched lips as she moved toward the rear of the store.

Jackie pouted. “You're no fun.”

“
Whatever
.” Sarah rolled her eyes.

“I bet we would've stopped if there had been a Tootsie Roll display.”

Sarah giggled in spite of her tension. “So? What's your point?”

Jackie snorted and gave her a nudge from behind.

“Come on. We don't want to lose this guy. I think I see the back door.” Sarah pointed.

Without further conversation the girls rushed toward the entryway. They dashed through and found themselves in an alley that wound its way behind all the establishments on Main Street.

Sarah peered down the narrow passage and found it empty. Alex and Scott had disappeared. And so had the Stalker.

“Where'd they go?” Lacey asked, twisting the hem of her shirt in her hands.

“I don't know.” Sarah frowned suddenly feeling ill. She swallowed the saliva that had flooded her mouth and took a deep breath.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted movement to her right. A door opened, and then the Stalker stepped into view. Sarah grabbed Jackie and pulled her into the shadow of the building they had just exited. “He's looking for the guys,” she whispered. “Stay very still.”

Lacey followed her sister's lead, and joined her and Jackie in the shadows. Twirling her long, blond hair around her finger, she bit her lip. A whimper escaped her mouth, earning her a wicked glare from her sister.

The Stalker searched up and down the alley then cursed and pulled a cell phone out of his pocket. He walked further out into the alley and spoke into the phone. His voice sounded gravelly, like someone who smoked all the time. But Sarah couldn't make out what he was saying. He walked toward them, still speaking. Sarah's heart hammered her chest as she inched back toward the safety of the doorway. Bumping into Jackie, Sarah motioned for her to get moving.

The girls made it into the entryway just as the gravelly sound of the Stalker's voice filled Sarah's ears. He walked into view, but kept his back to the girls. Sarah's mouth went dry as cotton.

“They're gone,” the Stalker said, sending some stones from the dirt road flying with an angry kick. “How do I know who they were?” His belligerent tone sliced through the humidity as he sent more stones flying with another kick.

He strolled away from the girls, but didn't speak. Sarah guessed he was listening to the other person. She crouched down into the corner and pulled Jackie and Lacey with her. As the girls huddled, Sarah placed her hand over her heart, trying to calm it. At the same time she took short gulps of air hoping the Stalker couldn't hear her breathe.

“I don't know what they're connection is. I just know they had a picture and were showing it around town,” the man grumbled.

Sarah's heart lurched into overdrive and her throat seemed to squeeze shut as she tried to breathe.
He's talking about us!
How does he know we were showing a picture around town?
She grabbed Jackie's hand and squeezed, willing her to be still.

“All right,” the Stalker said. His gravelly voice had turned into an irritated growl. He disconnected the call and sighed. Then he looked up the alley and back down before he turned and walked east, away from the girls.

Sarah exhaled slowly and then inhaled. Her stomach fluttered.
He had been so close
. She remembered looking at the white of his scalp through his thinning hair as he gazed up at the sky while he spoke on the phone.

The sound of shoes scraping across gravel sent shudders through Sarah's body.
Is he coming back
? Her chest tightened as the sound grew louder, meaning the Stalker was coming closer. She clutched Jackie's hand and tried to make herself invisible by crouching lower in the corner.

“What are you guys doing?” Alex asked, peeking around the corner. He kept his voice low and his eyes on the notorious man in the alley.

Sarah exhaled a sigh of relief. “Am I glad to see you!” She stood and brushed dirt off of the back of her skirt. “I thought you were that guy.”

“He's further down the alley,” Scott reported as he stood at the edge of the entryway like a sentry watching for signs of trouble. “We've got to follow him,” Sarah said, stepping forward. “He was definitely following us and I want to know why.”

“How do you know?” Scott asked.

“Because he was talking on the phone to someone and said that we were passing around a picture.”

“Are you serious?” Alex asked.

Sarah twisted her mouth into a grim line. “Absolutely. That man knows something about our parents and I'm going to find out what it is.” She stepped forward and stared at the Stalker as he walked away. “Let's go.”

Sarah crept along the back of the shops never taking her eyes off the mysterious man who walked a football field ahead of her. The Stalker strode with long, purposeful strides, like he had a destination in mind. He didn't look back, but Sarah decided to play it safe and kept her distance.

The rest of the Super Spies trailed her as she followed the man. He moved to Main Street and led them from town to a residential area. The incline turned steep as the Stalker proceeded up a hill.

“Where are we going?” Jackie whispered in Sarah's ear.

Sarah shook her head. “I'm not sure.”

“I hope we don't get lost.”

“We won't. This town is so small we'll be able to find our way.”

Jackie fell silent as they continued their journey. Questions swirled through Sarah's brain.
What does this man have to do with my parents
?
How does he know them
? She wracked her brain thinking back through the years.
Was he a colleague of my dad's?
The Stalker didn't look familiar. Frustrated, Sarah bit her lip and then tasted blood. Taking a deep breath, she willed herself to relax.

The man disappeared as he crested the hill, and Sarah picked up her pace. The rest of the Super Spies trudged behind her. She heard their heavy breathing as they tried to keep up. When they reached the top of the hill, the spooky house Sarah had seen on the computer loomed into view.

The street dead-ended with an abrupt halt at a tall wrought iron gate hung between heavy stone columns that rose, tall and stiff, like those British sentries that stood guard outside the Windsor Castle. A black, spiky fence stretched along the property line in both directions, like giant arms holding the grounds in a smothering embrace. A small grove of ancient oak tress held court beyond the fence, and the house hid in their shadow, uninviting, it's mossy green paint peeling in places.

Tall, thin windows with ornate dressings resting above them seemed to peer down at the street below. The dressings had been painted a darker green than the house and they reminded Sarah of bushy eyebrows furrowed together, creating a sinister glare. The cracked sidewalk leading up to the structure reached out like a snake's tongue searching for a tasty morsel. Sarah cringed as the image invaded her brain and a cold shudder tiptoed along her spine.

At a movement in the yard, Sarah ducked behind a tree and the rest of the teens were right behind her.
T
he
Stalker
!
He cast a quick glance over his shoulder and then climbed the stairs leading to the porch. With one last look around, he opened the door and disappeared inside.

“Holy cow,” Lacey whispered, grasping Scott's arm and huddling against him. “What in the world is going on?”

Sarah shook her head. “I don't know, but that guy followed us because we showed Mom and Dad's picture around town.” She furrowed her brow. “Does he look familiar to you, Lace?”

Lacey shuddered. “No. Not at all.”

“Isn't that the house we saw on the computer?” Jackie brushed her curls out of her eyes.

“Yeah, it is,” Sarah furrowed her brow.

“He must be the owner,” Scott said.

“Why do you think that?” Lacey asked.

“Because, he walked in without even knocking.” Scott gestured toward the house.

“We have to find out more about that guy and see what the connection is between him and my parents.” Sarah walked out from behind the tree and motioned for the others to follow her. “Come on, it's been about an hour. Let's go talk to the drugstore guy.”

Lacey twisted the hem of her T-shirt in her hands and was the first to follow Sarah. ”Let's get out of
here
. That house gives me the creeps.”

The Super Spies sauntered back down the hill and Sarah cast a quick glance over her shoulder. The house seemed to be watching her with evil intent. She shivered even though the day was warm.

Determined strides carried Sarah back down the hill and the rest of the Super Spies trailed behind her. The group reached the drugstore in record time and Sarah pulled open the door, listening for the tiny bell that signaled the owner a customer had entered the shop.

“I'll be out front in a second,” a male voice called from the bowels of the store.

“Okay,” Sarah called back.

After a few seconds a tall, gangly man appeared. “Hi, I'm Hank. How can I help you?” He brushed at the chestnut curls framing his face and his brown eyes crinkled at the corners much like Dottie's had earlier.

Sarah pulled out her photograph and handed it to him. “Have you seen these people around town?”

Hank pursed his lips as he studied the picture. “I definitely haven't seen the woman, but the man… he does look familiar.” He handed the photo back to Sarah.

“Do you remember when you saw him?” Sarah asked in a calm voice, though her heart hammered her chest with a ferocious beat.

Hank shook his head. “No, I can't. We've been so busy around here that I can't keep my head straight. New baby and all.” He gave the group a tired smile. “Is that all, or can I help you with something else?”

Jackie stepped forward. “What's the story with the house up on the hill?”

“You mean the one at the end of the street?”

“Yeah, that one.” Jackie nodded vigorously, sending her curls dancing.

“That's the Robinson place.”

“Do you know anything about the family?” Sarah asked, trying to keep the eagerness out of her voice.

“Just that their family has been around town since the beginning.” Hank furrowed his brow. “I think the Robinsons started the logging business around here. That's what kept this town alive.”

“Really?” Jackie prodded.

“Yep.”

“Do the Robinson's still live there?” Lacey asked.

“Oh yeah, that house has been passed down from generation to generation. The Missus passed away a few years ago, leaving Mr. Robinson and his young son. It's pretty sad though…”

“What's sad?” Sarah interrupted. Her stomach clenched into a tight knot as adrenaline rushed through her veins.

“Well… the little boy is real sick. In fact, I don't think there's anything more they can do for him.”

“What does he have?”

Hank frowned and rubbed his cheek. “I really don't know… but Mr. Robinson was devastated. You see that little boy is the last in the line of the Robinson family.”