“I was hoping you’d say that,” Kristi told her.
Within minutes, the three girls were crunching through the snow with only the dim light of Kristi’s flashlight to guide them.
“I sure hope that thing doesn’t run out of batteries,” Bailey whispered.
Soon they were standing outside Robert’s building. Counting the windows, they located Robert’s room. There was a dim light.
They approached the window, walking carefully in the knee-high snow. “This is hard,” Elizabeth whispered. “We don’t get this kind of snow in Texas.”
They stood back, not sure what to do next.
“Turn the flashlight off,” Elizabeth whispered. “He’ll see us.”
Kristi switched off the light, then edged to the corner of the window. “It’s no use. It’s too high,” she said. “I can’t see in.”
“We should have brought something to stand on,” Bailey whispered.
Elizabeth looked at Bailey. She was the shortest. And the lightest. “I have an idea.”
Together, Kristi and Elizabeth lifted Bailey to see in the window.
“There,” whispered Bailey. “I can see. Wait, no. I can only see the top of his head. I need to go higher.”
At the count of three, Kristi and Elizabeth lifted Bailey up even higher. For such a small girl, she was heavy!
“There! I can see him. He’s sitting on his bed, facing the other way. And…he’s strumming a guitar! It’s an old guitar, black…and it looks like it has some scratches on it.”
“That sounds like Dad’s guitar!” Kristi exclaimed.
“Wait, he’s getting up. Put me down—he’s going to see me! Put me down!”
Bailey tried to duck, and the awkward movement threw Elizabeth and Kristi off balance. It seemed to happen in slow motion: Bailey tumbled down, down, down into the soft bank of snow, and she took the other two with her.
At any other time it would have been funny. But when they girls landed, they saw the outline of…someone. Standing over them. Watching them.
Star Adventure
Elizabeth gasped, and Bailey squealed. Kristi, on the bottom of the pile, must not have seen the person.
“Gt off mmmm!” Kristi mumbled. “Cnt brth!”
Elizabeth scooted to the side, but kept her eyes on the figure.
Kristi sat up, chuckling, but fell silent when she saw what her friends were looking at.
They sat there in silence for what felt like hours, but was really only a few moments. Elizabeth didn’t know whether she should speak, or let the shadow speak first. She decided to go first.
“Hello,” she squeaked. “Can we help you?”
“Can you help me? It looks like you’re the ones who need help. What in the world are y’all doing?”
All three girls let out deep sighs of relief when they heard Mary-Lynn’s voice.
“Mary-Lynn! What are you doing here?”
“I heard Kristi leave, so I got up to look for her. I left my room just as you all were turning the corner. I was curious, so I followed you.”
The moon shifted, and the girls got a look at Mary-Lynn for the first time. She was in her robe and slippers.
“You must be freezing!” Elizabeth told her. Let’s get out of here, and we’ll tell you all about it.”
The four girls trekked through the snow to the sidewalk.
“Hey, you guys, look!” Bailey whispered. Turning, they saw Robert’s light had gone out.
Back at the room, the girls sipped hot cocoa from the vending machine down the hall. “So you really think you can prove Robert Kranfield stole your guitar?” Mary-Lynn asked.
“Elizabeth heard him talking about it with that Lori girl. I don’t know if we can prove it or not, but we’re positive he’s the one who did it,” Bailey told her.
Mary-Lynn shook her head. “Unbelievable. Does this have something to do with why you wanted a make-over today, Elizabeth?”
Elizabeth nodded.
Bailey paced the room. “Mary-Lynn, you can’t tell anyone. Anyone. If Robert or Lori finds out that we suspect them, there’s no telling what they’ll do!”
“Oh, don’t worry your pretty little head over me. I won’t say a word. I may talk a lot, but I don’t say much.”
The other three laughed. It was an accurate description.
“And if there’s one thing I’m not, it’s a snitch!”
The girls finally went to bed and early the next morning, they shuffled out of their lodge. Elizabeth, still limping from her fall the previous day, squinted against the sun’s glare on the white snow. “I feel as if I’ve been run over by a tractor.”
“You and me both,” agreed Bailey.
After a quiet breakfast, the girls climbed on one of three big Greyhound buses that would take them to Star Records. When the bus was loaded, Mr. Forrest stepped on board and commanded their attention. His eyes rested on Elizabeth for a moment. A smile hinted beneath his serious face, and he winked.
Bailey elbowed her.
“Maybe you’ll meet the real Dolly Parton today, and you can offer to be her stand-in,” she whispered.
Elizabeth stifled a giggle as Mr. Forrest spoke into the microphone.
“Star Records has graciously invited us for a tour. It’s very important that we stay together as a group. The building is large, with some high-security areas. If you wander into the wrong area, you may end up in handcuffs. If that happens, I will pretend I’ve never seen you before. So stay with the group.”
A few people chuckled. Most were too sleepy to appreciate the humor.
As Mr. Forrest exited the bus, Robert Kranfield boarded, carrying his briefcase in one hand and a guitar case in the other. He sat near the front.
All four girls nearly bored a hole in his back with their eyes. As if sensing their stares, he turned and scanned the bus. His gaze rested only briefly on Kristi, and then he turned back around and pulled a newspaper out of his briefcase.
“Do you think that’s the guitar?” whispered Bailey.
Kristi stood up to get a better look at the case, as if she could tell what was inside. “Surely he wouldn’t be that…bold,” she said.
“He’s not very sociable, is he?” whispered Mary-Lynn. “He sits by himself at meals, and I never see him talking to anyone, except Lori.”
“Just another sign that he’s guilty. He doesn’t want anyone to get too close and figure out his little secret,” Bailey replied.
“We’ve got to find out what’s in that guitar case!” Elizabeth told her friends.
“How? We have a bus full of witnesses. There’s no way we can sneak a peek without someone seeing us,” Bailey said.
Elizabeth pulled out her phone and began texting. Maybe the other Camp Club Girls would have a suggestion. She pressed SEND, then held the phone in her hands and waited for a reply. She knew it would be awhile. It was too early on a Saturday for anyone but McKenzie to be awake, and McKenzie would be out tending to her horses.
She stared at the back of Robert’s head, bent over his newspaper. She hadn’t seen him smile much during the conference. He just seemed so…tortured. Then, she looked at Kristi.
Lord, please let Kristi get her guitar back. And Robert…he’s done a really bad thing. But I can’t help but think he let Lori talk him into it. I don’t know what’s going on in his heart. But he mentioned wanting to give the guitar back. Please help him to do the right thing, in the end.
The motor cranked, and soon the bus was rolling out of the snow-laden conference center and onto the Nashville highway.
“Do you think we’ll meet some real stars?” Mary-Lynn asked from across the aisle.
“I hope so!” Bailey replied. “Does anyone know which stars record at this studio?”
Mary-Lynn’s face lit up. “Paul Overstreet, Billy Ray Cyrus, Carrie Underwood…just to name a few!”
“You’re kidding! Oh, I can’t wait!” Bailey and Mary-Lynn continued their excited chatter. On the other side of Mary-Lynn, Kri
sti leaned her head against the window and said nothing.
Elizabeth couldn’t imagine what Kristi was feeling. Lord, please bring that guitar back to Kristi. She needs the money. Please make a way for her to go to Julliard.
She leaned her head against the window and dozed. In no time, the bus was pulling off the interstate and into the parking lot of an impressive looking building. STAR RECORDS, the sign read. The bus drove to the back of the building and parked. The driver instructed everyone to stay seated, but Robert exited the bus as soon as the doors were open.
“What’s his hurry?” Bailey asked.
Before Elizabeth could respond, her cell phone rang. “Hello?”
“Hi, Beth. It’s Mac. I’m in the barn. What’s up?”
“We’re just pulling into Star Records for a tour. Robert’s here, and he’s carrying a guitar case. We need to find out if Kristi’s guitar is in it, but there are too many people around. Any great ideas?”
“Hmmm…can’t you tail him?”
“I suppose we could, but you should see the size of this place. It’s huge!”
“Well, that’s good. The bigger the building, the more places to hide. And if he catches you, you can just tell him you’re lost. Which, knowing you, won’t be very far from the truth.” McKenzie chuckled.
“Ha, ha. Cute,” Elizabeth told her.
“From what Kate said, Robert isn’t the one you need to worry about. Did you read the email she sent late last night?”
“Email? What email?”
“Oh, I guess you didn’t read it. Apparently, Lori is more than just mischievous. She’s dangerous. She’s gotten into some pretty serious trouble in the past.”
Mr. Forrest stood at the front of the bus, waiting for everyone’s attention.
“What do you mean?” Elizabeth whispered.
“What? I can’t hear you. The cows are mooing.”
“What did you mean that Lori is dang—” Elizabeth looked up to find many eyes on her. Including Mr. Forrest’s.
“Gotta go,” she said, and snapped her cell phone shut. She wanted to disappear into the seat cushion.
Mr. Forrest cleared his throat. “As I said before, you are expected to stay with the group. You’ve been a great bunch of kids so far, and I know you’re going to enjoy yourselves today. Have a great time.”
He exited, and the passengers began filing off the bus, row by row. When it was their turn, Elizabeth let Mary-Lynn, Bailey, and Kristi go in front of her. Kristi seemed agitated. No wonder.
Elizabeth knew that, at that very moment, the guitar could be changing hands. We’ve got to find Robert. We’ve got to find out if he was carrying Kristi’s guitar.
As soon as the group entered the colossal building, Elizabeth realized it was more than she could have imagined. The bottom floor was occupied with a museum displaying portraits of various recording artists during their sessions, album covers, drum sets, old soundboards…even guitars. The tour guide gave a brief explanation of each piece.
Bailey and Mary-Lynn hung on every word the woman said, but Kristi kept looking around at the exits.
“What are you thinking about?” whispered Elizabeth.
“I’ve been at this studio dozens of times. Even though it’s been a few years, I think I can remember my way around.”
“Where do you want to go? Do you think you know where Robert went?”
“There’s a good chance he’s one of two places. He’s either on the fourth floor, where they have a special studio and practice rooms for the writers—that’s where Robert probably has an office, or at least a desk with his name on it. Or…”
“Or what?”
“Or he’s on the sixth floor, in one of the recording rooms. Those rooms are soundproof, and so are the fourth floor practice rooms. He could easily meet with someone to sell dad’s guitar, and no one would suspect a thing.”
The guide led them through a door and down a hallway. Elizabeth wanted to enjoy the tour, but how could she? Somewhere in this building, a crime was taking place. Maybe. And she had to find out.
Bailey and Mary-Lynn pushed to the front of the crowd, hanging on the tour guide’s every word. But Elizabeth and Kristi fell to the back of the crowd. Elizabeth noticed Kristi scanning the doors and exits.
Slowly, the two of them fell farther and farther behind the group. With her eyes, Kristi motioned toward a door up ahead, tucked into a corner.
When the group was led through another doorway, Kristi grabbed Elizabeth’s arm. “Come on,” she whispered.
Once inside the small passageway, Kristi led them up two flights of stairs. Elizabeth wanted to question her, but Kristi seemed in a hurry. Finally, they stopped on a landing just outside the third floor.
“We’ll go into the hallway here. This is where the break room is, and there’s a little coffee shop and burger joint. No one will suspect us—they’ll just think we’re trainees or something. One floor above us is the writers’ studio. We’ll have to be careful there.”
Elizabeth tried to process the information. “Maybe we’d better split up. People might believe that a teenager has a job here. But two teenagers, walking the halls together? That would seem a little suspicious, don’t you think?”
“Yeah, you’re probably right. But you don’t know your way around, and I’m still learning this detective stuff. I have to find that guitar, though. I don’t have a good feeling about today.”
Elizabeth took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to find her way around this building. But she was willing to try. “Do you have your cell phone?” she asked.
Kristi nodded.
“Good. Put it on silent. You said the recording studio is on the sixth floor?”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go to the fourth floor and see what I can find. You check out the sixth floor. If either of us finds anything, we’ll call the other right away.”
Kristi looked hesitant. “Okay. But as I said, I don’t have a good feeling about today.”
“All the more reason for us to give this our best shot.” Elizabeth cracked open the door to the third floor and squeezed out. Head held high, she walked down the hallway with more confidence than she felt. Up ahead, she saw a sign for a food court. She might as well try to blend in while she looked for the elevator to the fourth floor.
She stopped in front of a cart selling hot cocoa and muffins. “One large cocoa, please. And two chocolate chip muffins. In a bag.”
The white-haired woman behind the cart smelled of peppermint, and made Elizabeth think of her grandma.
“There you go, dear.” She handed Elizabeth the bag and took her money.
“Thank you,” Elizabeth told her, and dropped the change into a tip jar. Now I’ll fit right in. Everyone will think I’m delivering these muffins to some important person. At least I hope that’s what they’ll think.
Kristi stepped off the elevator onto the sixth floor. Memories came flooding back as she looked around. Not much had changed in the last decade since she’d been in the building. Oh, the paint and furniture had been spruced up—it still looked like a million bucks. But the layout was the same.
Checking to make sure she wasn’t being watched, she caught a glimpse of the security camera in the corner. No use trying to sneak around. It would all be caught on tape.
A cleaning lady passed in front of her, pushing a cart with a vacuum cleaner, a broom, a mop, and various other cleaning supplies. She watched the woman go through the glass doors to her left, then punch a code inside. The woman then opened the inside door and went through, struggling with her cart.
She decided to follow the woman. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?
“Here, let me help you,” Kristi said and held the door open.
“Thank you,” the woman told her.
Elizabeth watched people leaving the food court, and decided to follow the crowd. They’d probably lead her to the elevators.
She was right. She punched the button for the fo
urth floor and tried to fade into the woodwork. She wished she had paid closer attention to what Robert was wearing. Then again, she could always tell people she was looking for Robert Kranfield. The problem was, she had no idea what she would do when she found him.
We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.
Within no time, the door opened, and she stepped onto the fourth floor. It was unlike anything she’d ever seen.
She felt like she was walking into a giant music store. Every instrument imaginable was on display. To her left, a middle-aged man was alternately playing a drum set, then scribbling on a page. He was wearing headphones.
To her right, a woman hummed and played a keyboard. She too wore headphones.
Straight ahead was a row of rooms with windows in the doors. Soundproof, she bet. Some of the rooms had keyboards; others had various band instruments. She watched one man play a trombone, while another one appeared to write down the trombone player’s notes.
Wow. Double wow. Imagine having a job like this, where you get paid to just sit around and write music all day! This would be the coolest job ever!
“Looking for someone?”
Elizabeth jumped when she realized the voice was speaking to her. A balding, middle-aged man with a pencil behind his ear looked at her quizzically.
“Oh! Um, yeah. I mean, yes sir. I’m looking for…” Did she dare tell the man? “I’m looking for Robert Kranfield.”
The man chuckled. “Oh yeah. He was in a few minutes ago. Said he had an important meeting up on the sixth floor.” He eyed the bag of muffins. “Did he order breakfast? I’m surprised he didn’t tell you to go on up. Just take the elevator to the sixth floor, go through the double glass doors. The pass code is three, three, three. Once you’re in, you’re on your own.”
Elizabeth couldn’t believe her ears. “Thank you so much!” she told the man.
He waved her off and picked up a guitar.
She returned to the elevator and punched the six. She said the pass code over in her head. Three, three, three. That should be easy enough. She remembered Psalm 33:3 and smiled. “Sing to him a new song; play skillfully, and shout for joy.” What an appropriate verse for a music studio.
Camp Club Girls: Elizabeth Page 40
