“Mika.” Her mom touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
For one crazy moment, Mika thought of telling her mom, but then she stopped. No one would believe her, not even Aimee. They’d all think she was simply breaking under the strain of Joseph’s disappearance. And she wouldn’t blame them either; what she had to say seemed impossible. If they’d seen the painting downstairs before Lucinda and Hunter came out of it, there might’ve been a slim chance they’d believe her. But not now.
“I’m fine.” Mika forced herself to walk back to Sarah’s painting and stare into her troubled eyes.
Dad strode into the room. “Are one of these of the woman we saw on the road?”
“No.”
Dad frowned. “Then let’s get home.”
Mika touched the painted girl’s arm, almost expecting to feel skin. She didn’t. It was just paint. Was she imagining all this?
No. Not with Lucinda’s empty portrait downstairs.
“Mika, let’s go,” her dad called from outside the room.
“I’m sorry,” Mika whispered to the girl and turned away.
When they got home, the driveway was lined with cars and trucks. The kitchen was full of people, not just police officers, but townsfolk and neighbours too. A search was being organized. Grandma had told them that the kidnapper was staying in the old house and that there’d been no sign of a vehicle there, so the officers guessed that Lucinda had prepared a place to hold Joseph within walking distance. They quickly reassured Mom and Dad that they’d also set up road blocks to stop Lucinda if she’d had a car hidden somewhere too.
Mika found a corner and watched as the searchers divided into two groups. One team planned to search around Lucinda’s house and the other explore the forest near where Dad had argued with the frightful woman.
When the groups were ready to head out, Mika wove through the crowd. “Dad, can I come too?”
“No, you stay here and help Grandma take care of the twins.”
“Don’t worry, honey. We’ll find him and bring him home,” said Mom. She bent to kiss Mika on the forehead, then hugged her.
“We mean it, Mika. You stay home,” Dad added, then started talking to someone else before she could answer.
When the kitchen was empty, Mika ran to her room and cradled Angel in her arms. The little cat nuzzled close, purring.
“Oh Angel, it was so awful. Now I really understand why you were going insane trying to escape. Those paintings were ... were …” No words were strong enough. “You knew them, didn’t you? You saw what Lucinda did to them. It makes me feel all sick and shivery to think of them locked —”
“Mika! Mika!”
Twin patrol, starting already. “In my room!” Mika yelled, hoping to remove the painted images of Sarah and her family from her mind.
Matt ran through the doorway and threw himself on her bed. “Joseph’s gone!”
Billy sped to Mika’s side, threw his arms around her, and began to cry.
“Don’t worry, Billy. Everyone in town is looking for him,” said Mika, lowering Angel to the bed and putting her arm around his shoulders. “It’s going to be okay. They’ll find him.”
“Really?” asked Matt.
“Yes, really,” said Mika. “Angel knows Joseph is going to be okay too. She thinks he’s out looking for bugs.”
“Is he going to bring some home?” asked Matt.
Billy leaned down to rub his wet cheek against Angel’s fur. White hairs clung to his skin when he looked up.
“I bet he will,” said Mika. “That must be what’s taking him so long. Most of the bugs go into their bug houses when it rains.”
“But he’ll find some,” Billy said in a choked voice. “He always finds some. Then he’ll come home and show us.”
“Ah, there you all are,” said Grandma from the doorway.
“Grandma, can we go look for Joseph too?” asked Billy. “Maybe he’s behind the woodpile.”
Grandma sat on Mika’s bed. “No Billy. Our job is to stay here and make sure everything is the same as always, so it’s just like home when Joseph gets back.”
“Do we go eat breakfast then, Grandma?” asked Matt. “That’s what we always do in the morning.”
“Yes, that means we go eat breakfast.” Grandma took each of the twins’ hands and led them from the room. “Are you coming, Mika?” she asked from the doorway.
“In a few minutes,” replied Mika. “I’m kind of tired.”
“Well, why don’t you get some sleep, dear? That would probably be the best thing.”
“I’ll try.”
But Mika had no intention of sleeping. Alone again with Angel, she began to pace. She had to do something to help. No way was she going to leave her little brother in Lucinda’s hands. Again, Sarah’s sad face flashed into her mind. Mika was the only one who knew what Lucinda could do. She had to save Joseph from such a fate. But how? She didn’t even know where he was.
Angel jumped to the windowsill, and Mika scooped her into her arms. Rain still streamed past the window and thundered against the roof. The police were guessing that Lucinda had prepared a secure, dry place to keep Joseph, but what if they were wrong? What if she had him out in this downpour? Mika began her pacing again. It would take a lot to build a shelter that was not only very waterproof, but secure enough too. Otherwise Joseph would just run away the second Lucinda left him alone. Even if she left Hunter to guard him, Mika was sure Joseph would find some way to outsmart the dog and escape. He was a resourceful kid.
She stopped abruptly. The perfect place to lock up an energetic and quick-witted Joseph already existed.
The fort.
And the two search teams were busy in other places!
Mika left Angel lying on the bed and hurried into her parents’ room. She grabbed the phone, then slowly lowered it. There was no point in phoning Aimee. It was only about ten o’clock; her friend would be at school. She probably didn’t even know that Joseph had been kidnapped yet.
A chill jittered through Mika’s body as she looked out the window. She had to go alone.
If she could just sneak through the trees behind the fort and peek in the windows, she should go undetected. If she saw Joseph and Lucinda, or even Hunter, she’d run back to get help. Unless Joseph was alone, of course. Then she’d grab him and run.
Mika tiptoed down the stairs and paused outside the kitchen door. Grandma was reading out cereal labels. After every cereal name was read, the twins would yell “No” in unison and burst into fresh giggles. The coast was clear. She hurried to the back door, grabbed her winter coat, and slipped on a pair of her mom’s old gumboots. She shut the back door softly, then rushed through the torrents of rain with her head down.
The woods weren’t as wet as the back lawn because the branches intercepted much of the rain, but water still pooled in every low spot. At the first puddle, Mika realized the boots were very old and full of holes.
The air thrummed and vibrated with the roar of the flood when she reached the overgrown logging road alongside the river. She peered through the trees at the chocolate-brown water and shuddered. She’d never seen such raw power, such fearful might.
Closer to the bridge and fort, she crept into the forest, keeping to the thickest brush to ensure she wouldn’t be seen. It took forever to move the distance soundlessly. In a matter of minutes, she wanted to scream in frustration — Joseph needed her right now and she had to move at this snail’s pace, her eyes on her feet so she didn’t rustle any leaves or step on any twigs.
After what seemed forever, she saw the weathered back of the fort through the trees. More than anything, she wanted to stop, to run away. But her choice had been made. No matter how terrified she felt, no matter how stiffened by fear, she would move forward.
Inching closer. Closer.
She paused behind the last big tree and peered around its trunk. One window stared at her from the back of the cabin, no movement behind its glass.
Mika pulled out of
sight. Now for the truly hard part. It would take only a couple of seconds to get from behind the tree to the back wall of the fort, but for those seconds she would be completely exposed. Anyone who cared to look would notice her.
But there was no other way to see inside.
Taking a deep breath, Mika flew across the open space, then flattened, panting, against the back wall. With her heartbeat almost drowning out the sound of rain and river, she slid along the rough logs toward the tiny window, then peeked inside. The cabin’s bedroom appeared empty.
Mika ducked under the window and dashed around the corner. Repeat at the side window. The kitchen seemed empty too.
As a last precaution, she looked around the corner to the front of the cabin. The porch floor was dry. No one had walked through the rain and across the porch since the downpour had started last night — and it had started before Joseph even went to bed. The cabin had to be empty.
Mika dripped on the dry porch as she hurried across it, opened the door, and stepped inside.
She saw the small can of paint on the counter the second she entered the fort, and hurried across the room to pick it up. Yes, it was the exact same shade of pink that was on their garage door.
So how did it get back inside the fort without the porch getting wet?
An icy draught touched the back of Mika’s neck. She spun around.
Lucinda stood behind the door, perfectly dry and looking as cruel and vicious as she had in her hideous painting.
Mika couldn’t move as the woman reached out and slowly pushed the door shut. The sliver of outside narrowed, narrowed ...
Vanished.
A twisted smile crawled onto Lucinda’s perfect face.
Mika opened her mouth to scream, but no sound came out. It was as if an invisible hand had reached into her throat and snatched her voice. She could only watch, horror-struck, as the woman brought one hand from behind her back.
At first, Mika didn’t recognize the bright thing dangling from the pincer grip of Lucinda’s long, elegant fingers, but slowly her reason returned.
The object was usually flopped on the floor near an outside door in their house, and she’d seen it last night in her dream as her little brother pulled it on his head, his eyes blank and unaware, his mouth slack.
Joseph’s hat.
Chapter 12
Mika didn’t realize she’d stepped backward until the kitchen cupboard pressed against her spine. There was nowhere to run — if she even could run. Her legs felt numb.
Lucinda swung Joseph’s hat back and forth like a colourful pendulum. “I think you know what I want.” Her words were deadly soft. “Bring her to the bridge at five o’clock tonight. And no adults, not a single one, or your sweet little brother goes into the river.” Lucinda opened her fingers and let the hat fall to the floor. “Dropped in, just like that.” She stepped on the hat as she moved closer.
Mika could barely breathe. Deadness brushed against her skin like an oily fog as Lucinda drew near. Only sheer force of will kept her looking into the pitiless eyes.
The woman stopped right in front of her. One corner of Lucinda’s mouth twitched upward into a sick smile as she bent down to whisper in Mika’s ear. “If anything happens to him, it will be your fault.”
Mika strained as far away as she could, a scream shuddering inside her throat, struggling to break free. She couldn’t bear this another moment!
There was only one way to escape; she closed her eyes.
A sudden image came unbidden into her mind. She was standing on the bridge, holding Joseph by the scruff of his coat.
His eyes radiated terror. Please, Mika. Save me.
But even though she could hear his thoughts and longed to rescue him, her hand acted of its own accord. One little shove and he was falling, grasping wildly at air. He landed on his back in the river. His mouth opened in a submerged scream, then he was swallowed by the dark water.
The whispered words hissed again, quieter, fading away, “Will ... be ... your ... fault....”
“Nooo!” Mika’s eyes popped open, and she struck out with her fists, swinging hard.
The cabin was empty, the door shut.
Gagging, Mika scrubbed her hands against her face, scratching at Lucinda’s dead aura. She had to get it off!
Then she heard another sound — far away laughter.
Mika froze. Blood rushed to her head and her heartbeat boomed like a massive drum in her ears. How dare she? How dare that hideous woman laugh?
How dare she steal Joseph?
How dare she terrorize Mika’s family?
Mika marched to the door, scooping up Joseph’s soggy hat on the way. She opened the door so hard, it slammed against the wall.
“You listen to me, you old hag!” she yelled from the porch, her voice soaring above the pounding rain and river. “If you hurt Joseph, if you even touch him, I promise I’ll ... I’ll ... I promise you’ll regret it! Big time!”
Breathing heavily, she stomped back inside the cabin, anger spilling from every movement. She wasn’t so mad that she couldn’t think clearly, and the first thing she needed to do was hide the pink paint. She couldn’t take the chance that any searchers would happen by and recognize the colour, just as she had. It made her sick to think what would happen to Joseph if Lucinda saw any adults around the bridge at five o’clock.
When she got home, she tiptoed upstairs and pretended she was getting out of the shower. She hesitated outside her bedroom door, a towel wrapped around her and her wet clothes under her arm. Angel was inside. Would she know something was wrong? Would she sense the turmoil in Mika’s mind?
Angel rushed to her as soon as she opened the door, then wound around her legs, meowing, as she got dressed. Mika couldn’t even stroke her; if she did, she knew she’d burst into tears.
How could she even think of sacrificing her sweet Angel to a life of abuse?
But what other option did she have? If she didn’t take the cat to the bridge, Lucinda would murder Joseph. At least Angel would still be alive if she went back.
Mika was grateful for the distraction when Grandma called her downstairs to help fix lunch for the twins. As soon as she sat at the table to eat, Angel jumped on her lap. Mika fed her small scraps of chicken, happy that the cat at least seemed to be eating well after her beating. Maybe Lucinda hadn’t hit her as hard as Mika had first thought.
Despite her best efforts, tears rushed to her eyes. She was already justifying giving Angel back, trying to believe that Lucinda wasn’t as mean to Angel as Mika knew she had been.
How could she betray the little cat’s trust in her?
But how could she not save Joseph? If she didn’t take Angel to the bridge, it would be as if she pushed him into the raging river.
The phone rang and Mika startled, then shifted Angel to the chair seat beside her and ran to pick up the receiver. It was only the secretary at her school, checking why Mika wasn’t there. Mika gave the phone to Grandma to let her explain.
When they were almost finished eating, Mom and Dad came back. They couldn’t say much because the twins were in the room — arguing of course, this time over who’d eaten the most lunch. The only thing they agreed on was that Mika had lost the competition.
Mom and Dad gave a quick, careful update, but Mika hardly listened. She knew they hadn’t found Joseph, and that they wouldn’t. It was up to her to save her little brother by forcing Angel to return to a frightening and dangerous life.
When Dad walked to the table with his sandwich, Mika looked away from his tortured expression. Mom appeared just as bad. Obviously, they were barely holding their emotions in check. It was a relief when they rejoined the search right after eating.
Mika stayed downstairs all afternoon. The last thing she wanted was to be alone with Angel and the terrible guilt that was gnawing at her. She listened to Grandma read stories to the twins, and afterward they all played a board game. Halfway through the second game, Mika noticed Matt’s eyelids drooping. It had
been a tough day for the twins too.
Grandma noticed his tiredness as well. “Why don’t we play Bears now?” she suggested, a fun lilt to her voice.
“How do we play Bears?” asked Billy. Matt yawned beside him.
“Well, bears love to eat things. They eat bugs and berries and fish all year and get really healthy and fat.” Grandma began rearranging the cushions on the couch. “By wintertime, they’re so full of food that they can’t eat another bite, so they find a cozy den and ...”
Realizing what Grandma was doing, Mika ran upstairs to get some more pillows and blankets. Soon the twins were curled up in their soft bear dens. Matt fell asleep immediately, but Billy growled in his den for a few minutes before drifting off.
When they were asleep, Grandma leaned back in the big soft chair. “I’m going to shut my eyes for a minute too, dear.”
“Maybe I’ll go read,” Mika said and gathered Angel into her arms. She climbed the stairs but instead of going to her own room, walked into her parents’ bedroom and picked up the phone. Aimee would be home from school now.
“Have they found Joseph yet?” Aimee asked immediately.
“Not yet. How did you know?”
“It’s all anyone talked about at school this afternoon. Are you okay?”
“I guess. But I need to talk to you. Can I come over for a while, and bring Angel?”
“Yeah. Mom and Dad are out searching and Seth is at the babysitters, so no one will bug us.”
After hanging up, Mika cradled Angel in her arms. “We’re just going to Aimee’s house right now,” she whispered. “It’s not time to see her yet.” She touched her cheek to Angel’s back and her tears vanished into the plush fur. “I’m so, so sorry.”
Mika zipped Angel into her backpack, leaving the top open, then slid the pack on backward so the cat was in front of her. Angel poked her head out and stretched to soak up Mika’s freshest tears.
In the kitchen, Mika wrote a quick note to Grandma, saying she’d gone to Aimee’s house for a while and not to worry.
The Time Thief Page 8
