There was a bike rack near the town office building and next door was the sheriff’s substation. They parked their bikes and went into the substation. Inside was a single sheriff’s deputy who was manning the reception desk. “How can I help you folks?” the deputy asked.
“We have information about a crime that happened earlier today. Who should we talk to about it?”
“All of our deputies are out because of the storm. I guess you should talk to our station chief.”
The deputy went into a back office and could be heard talking to his chief. “There is a man here who wants to provide information about a crime. Should I send him in to see you?”
“Did he say what the crime was? I am swamped here with calls and reports due to the storm,” the chief replied. “Can you get more information out of him and then take his statement?”
“He didn’t say. Would you like me to check?”
“Yes, deputy. I would like you to take his statement down in writing, and then we can see what to do about it.”
A minute later the deputy returned. “I will be happy to take your statement, sir. Can you give me an idea about what type of criminal activity we are dealing with here?”
David answered back, “Yes, actually the person you should hear from first is….” As David was speaking, he turned to introduce Daniel, but Daniel was nowhere to be seen. “Davey, where did Daniel go?”
“I don’t know, Dad. He suddenly ran outside!”
“I’m sorry,” David said to the deputy. “I think we need to get the story straight before we go any further. Sorry to have bothered you.”
“All right, sir. Be careful driving on the wet pavement.”
David and Davey then left the substation office and went back outside. They found Daniel hiding around the side of the building. “Daniel, what’s going on? Why did you suddenly run away?”
“That voice!” Daniel exclaimed. “I recognized that voice! I heard that voice while I was blindfolded and handcuffed. That station chief’s voice was exactly the same as the voice of the man in that house by the barn. The two cops who kidnapped me brought me to that man. The last thing I wanted was for him to know that I escaped. We would all have been in danger had he spotted me!”
“Are you sure, Daniel?”
“Oh yes, Mr. Molinari. I have a good ear for music and recognizing voices! I will never forget the sound of his voice! Plus if he is the station chief, probably the two cops who kidnapped me are working for him! What if they show up? We have to get out of here!”
“What you are saying is very serious, Daniel. Are you absolutely sure?”
“You saw how those men left me tied up in the barn. I didn’t make that up! Why would I lie about this! I want to get help to Ethan Savage, but I don’t want to alert whoever is responsible for his disappearance and my kidnapping!”
“All right, Daniel. I didn’t mean to offend you. About a mile or so down the road is a produce farm that has a store and snack bar. Let’s bicycle there and I will have my wife Marie meet us there and we can ride home in our van.” David then got out his cell phone and called Marie. She said she would meet them there in about thirty minutes.
While David Molinari was calling his wife, Daniel called home to talk with his parents. There was no answer, so he left a message to call him back. He remembered that they were going away for the weekend and most likely had left already. He was going to call Jason also, but he could see that David Molinari had finished his call, and thought it would be better to get out of this area as fast as possible.
Daniel, David, and Davey put their helmets on, Daniel strapped his guitar on his back, and within a minute the three were back on Valley Road, heading toward the Garlic ‘n’ Things produce farm. They made good time on the road, and within ten minutes had arrived at the produce farm.
After they dismounted from their bikes, David asked the boys if they were hungry at all. Both gave him an enthusiastic “yes”, so the three of them went into the snack bar area of the store.
Other than a small protein bar, Daniel hadn’t eaten since his bowl of cereal that morning, so he ordered a full meal of submarine sandwich, chips, and a drink. Young Davey wanted a cherry slurpee drink and a cookie, and David ordered a piece of pie and coffee.
After they had eaten most of their food, Daniel and David started talking. “Mr. Molinari, I have some money in my mini pack. Let me reimburse you for my food.”
“No, Daniel, this is my treat. For what you have been through today, it’s the least I could do!”
“Thank you, I was really hungry and hadn’t eaten a meal since 7:00 this morning.”
“I figured as much, the way you wolfed that sandwich down!”
“I still can’t get over the lucky coincidences that came together for my rescue. I am sure I would still be tied up in that loft if the storm hadn’t hit when it did.”
“I guess sometimes things are just meant to be.”
“I am happy that playing with my favorite toys led to us finding you!” Davey added. “Now what are you going to do about those bad guys who hurt you?”
“I definitely would like to get them caught and put behind bars, but right now my first priority is to get help to Ethan Savage. I don’t know exactly how to do it either. Clearly there is a very organized plot against him, and I am probably the only witness who even saw anything.”
“If there are rogue cops involved,” David said, “there must be a lot of money behind this whole conspiracy. Obviously your appearance at the crime scene was totally unanticipated. What I don’t understand is why they didn’t just give you a knock out sedative like they did to Ethan Savage? They went to a lot of trouble to move you over to the barn, take you to the loft, and leave you tied up there. The fact that they left you blindfolded, gagged, and knocked out emphasizes how important it was to them for you to be totally isolated from the outside world!”
“It’s because I saw Ethan Savage being replaced by a look-alike double. They must have some sort of plan to get at the money he is giving away. Otherwise why would they go to such elaborate means to kidnap Ethan Savage and then me when I accidentally stumbled on their switchover.”
“I think you are on to something there, Daniel. But I also think that the house somehow comes into play. Why didn’t they just leave you locked up in the house? They could have easily left you tied up in one of the back rooms or the basement. By moving you, it was clear that they wanted no association whatsoever between the owners or occupants of that house and your kidnapping.”
“I wish my friend Jason was here. He is really good at helping me figure things out. Right now I have to decide who I can tell this story to, who has the capacity to first of all believe me, and then do something about it.”
“You know that Davey and I will testify that you were left a prisoner in the barn.”
“Yeah, Daniel,” Davey added. “I don’t like what those men did to you! Those bad guys need to be put in jail!”
“Give me five, Davey!” Daniel exclaimed holding out his hand. “I’m really glad you are on my side!”
Davey hit his palm back in response, and then came up to Daniel and put his arms around him. “Nobody hurts my friends!”
“You’ve really touched a chord in Davey, Daniel. I’ve never seen him this worked up about another person before.”
“Your son has a lot of heart, Mr. Molinari!”
“Yes, he does, Daniel. Thank you for reminding me how lucky I am!”
A few minutes later, Marie Molinari arrived with the family van. After quickly getting everything loaded up, and introducing her to Daniel, they drove off to the Silicon Valley. All during the drive back, Marie was amazed at the series of adventures that David, Davey, and Daniel had experienced that day.
JASON INTERVENES
(Friday Evening)
Just before Marie had arrived with the van, Daniel had put in a call to Jason on his cell phone. As soon as Jason heard some of the details of Daniel’s day and how he had
stumbled onto the Ethan Savage double switch and had been kidnapped himself, Jason insisted that Daniel come over to his house right away so they could figure out what to do.
When they arrived at the Hunter house to drop Daniel off, Daniel thanked the Molinaris again for all of their help. David wrote down his home and cell phone numbers for Daniel in case he needed to contact him again or if authorities needed to in the future. David then helped Daniel unload his bicycle, guitar, and other things. By this time, Jason was aware that Daniel had arrived and he went out to help also.
Jason’s parents, Bill and Edith Hunter, were at the front door to greet Daniel when the two boys came in the house. All during the ordeal and aftermath of Jason’s kidnapping earlier in the summer, Daniel had been totally supportive of them and, of course, Jason. As a result, they considered him to be one of the family. Edith embraced Daniel and gave him a big hug when he came in the door. “Daniel, are you all right? We have been so worried since we heard that you were captured and held prisoner against your will!”
“I have had the most incredible day, Mrs. Hunter, full of awesome highs and gut wrenching lows!”
“Daniel, please sit down and tell us everything. Can I get you anything?”
“I’m okay, I just had a late lunch at the snack bar where we were waiting for Mrs. Molinari to arrive.”
“Daniel, that is a nasty looking bump on your head,” Jason said. “Did those cops beat you up?”
“No, but they knocked me unconscious after they tied me up.”
“We need to take you to a doctor right away,” Jason said emphatically. “Last time you were hit, I don’t think you ever went, but not this time!”
Bill Hunter then interceded. “I think we should hear Daniel’s story first. Then we can decide on a course of action.”
“Well I know one thing,” Jason replied. “You are staying with us, Daniel! You shouldn’t be alone anywhere until this whole case is resolved! Since your parents are out of town, you need to be here where you are safe!”
“That is a good idea, Jason,” Bill added. “Now let Daniel tell his story without interruption!”
Over the next twenty minutes Daniel recalled his entire day, starting with his bike ride up Valley Road and how he camped out with his guitar and sign, waiting for Ethan Savage’s limousine to pass by. The Hunters listened with rapt attention as Daniel described his meeting with Ethan Savage, his encounter with the cops he thought would help him out, his captivity in the barn, and his lucky chance rescue by the Molinaris. When Daniel finished with how he heard the voice of one of his kidnappers in the sheriff’s substation, Jason couldn’t keep still any longer.
“Daniel, somehow the stars are aligned to work for you today! It must be your destiny to help out Ethan Savage. How else could anyone explain the extraordinary things that have happened to you today!”
“I can’t explain it either, Jason. All I know is that Ethan Savage needs help, but I have no idea as to how to start the process of helping him! We need to have one of our brainstorming sessions to figure out what to do!”
“Before you boys get too involved in solving this mystery, we need to take care of Daniel’s health,” Edith said. “You have already pointed out what a nasty bruise he has on his head, and he could be suffering from a concussion. We need to get him medical treatment first!”
“You are absolutely right, Mom. I’m going to call Dr. Cartwright and see if he is available,” Jason replied. He immediately got on his cell phone and called Dr. Cartwright’s service. A few minutes later there was a call back. “Daniel, your day of amazing coincidences continues. Tonight is the one night of the month that Dr. Cartwright is on emergency call in the county. He says for us to meet him at his office in half an hour.”
The Hunters and Daniel then discussed among themselves a plan of action. It was decided that Bill would take the boys first to the doctor’s office and then swing by Daniel’s house so he could get some personal things, and check on the place like his parents had requested. Daniel had tried calling his mom’s cell phone again but there still was no answer. Bill didn’t like the fact that they had suddenly gone out of the picture, and he didn’t like the fact that Daniel was supposed to be at his home alone when it was very possible that the rogue cops who had kidnapped him knew his address and could go after him.
When Daniel mentioned how he felt a little estranged from his parents, Bill said “I definitely don’t want you to be there alone until they come back and this whole situation is resolved. There are too many strange factors going on and I think you could very well be in harm’s way. I am calling in our security service. I think it would be a good idea to put a car at Daniel’s house and also here for the time being.” Bill went out of the room to his office to take care of that. Edith went to get dinner started and to prepare the guest room for Daniel to spend the night.
When the boys were alone in the living room, Jason said, “I feel terrible that you were treated so poorly by those crooked cops. What they did to you was as bad as what my kidnappers did to me earlier this summer.”
“I certainly understand now what you went through, Jason. I can’t believe how lucky I was that the storm hit and the Molinaris took refuge in the barn.”
“I know it’s not particularly funny to you, Daniel, but I absolutely love the part about how you were able to fling your high top to signal that you were there when you were tied up in the barn, and that little kid thought he was seeing flying chucks!”
“If it wasn’t for young Davey deciding to play his airplane games in the barn, I would probably still be stuck in the loft, bound and gagged, and at the mercy of those creeps!”
“Just the thought of what it would be like to face the ordeal of a kidnapping again makes me want to pin a medal on that kid! But thankfully you are free, and just like you were there for me, I am here for you, Daniel. After we go to Dr. Cartwright’s office, your house, and have some dinner, we will brainstorm this whole thing out. I do think we need to get the police involved. We just have to be sure that we are talking to honest cops. I really think we should talk to Lieutenant Garcia and get his advice. He seemed very honest and straightforward when he was working on my kidnapping, and he knows us, and knows that we are trustworthy. You have to admit that your story sounds pretty fantastic to the average person!”
“Right now I am real suspicious of authority figures. Can you blame me after what I went through? I still feel very betrayed by those so-called cops who kidnapped me!”
“I sympathize with what you are saying, Daniel, but think of all the hours gone by, and no one is even aware of the Ethan Savage kidnapping! We have to start the process somewhere.”
“All right, Jason,” Daniel replied. “Call Garcia if you think that is the right thing to do.”
Jason still had Lieutenant Garcia’s cell phone number. He put in a call, but Lieutenant Garcia didn’t answer, so he left an urgent message for him to call back as soon as possible. “Sorry there is no answer, Daniel.”
Just then Bill Hunter came back in the living room. “Come on, guys. Let’s hit the road. Daniel, grab anything you would like to leave at your house.” Soon Daniel, Jason, and Bill were driving to Dr. Cartwright’s office in Bill’s SUV.
When they arrived at Dr. Cartwright’s office, they found that the doctor had just arrived and was waiting for them. Daniel was quickly ushered into an examination room, while Jason and his dad waited in the reception area. After Dr. Cartwright took Daniel’s blood pressure, checked his pupils, and examined the bump on his head, he asked him if he had experienced any kind of headache, dizziness, vomiting, or weakness in his arms or legs. When Daniel replied no, he then asked if he felt dazed or confused at all, and if he had forgotten any events of the day.
“Today was such an incredible day of highs and lows, I don’t think I will ever forget anything that happened to me.”
“Those are all very good signs, Daniel. It appears that you have not suffered a concussion so I am giving you a c
lean bill of health for the moment. However, it is possible for symptoms to set in later. If there is any change in your physical condition, call me immediately. Now let me treat that bump on your head.” Dr. Cartwright took some cotton balls and cleaned around the bump with alcohol. “There doesn’t appear to be any lacerations in your skull. This bump will take some time to reduce in size. Put an ice pack on it to help reduce the swelling. I think you have been very fortunate, Daniel. Probably the fact that you didn’t see the blow coming helped, because you didn’t provide any resistance when you were knocked unconscious.”
A few minutes later, Dr. Cartwright and Daniel came out to where the Hunters were waiting. “Daniel doesn’t appear to have a concussion, but symptoms could develop later, so I want him to take it easy for the next few days.”
“I’ll do my best,” Daniel replied, “but we have a rock star to save!”
“You boys sure have had quite a summer! Do be careful. I would much prefer to see you in my office for a regular checkup than to treat an injury from a bad guy!”
“Thanks again for your medical assistance, Dr. Cartwright. We appreciate your concern and your good medical care!” Jason said as they were walking out the door.
Their next stop was at Daniel’s house. Everything was quiet there. Melinda, Daniel’s mom had left a note with $20 and a list of things he was supposed to do around the house. He quickly completed the list and then went to his room to pack up some extra clothes and toiletries to bring to the Hunters. Jason brought in Daniel’s bike into the garage and Bill went outside to talk to the security company guy whose car had just pulled up. Soon everything was locked up and they were on their way back to the Hunter’s residence.
When Jason, Daniel, and Bill came into the house, there was a wonderful aroma of hot food. “Dinner’s all ready, guys. Wash up and come sit down,” Edith called out. Edith had baked a whole chicken with mashed potatoes and gravy, carrots, peas and cranberry compote. Bill carved off slices of the meat while Edith passed around bowls with the vegetables and gravy. Soon everyone was enjoying the fine meal.
Double Fugue Page 9
