by John Grisham
At 3:15, Theo and Chase parked their bikes in the Whipple driveway and went inside. Mrs. Whipple was pulling a tray of brownies from the oven. She threw her arms around Theo, welcomed him to their home, said she was so happy to have him as a guest, and so on. She tended to be overly dramatic. Theo sat his red Nike overnight bag on the table, so she couldn’t miss it.
As she served them brownies and milk, Chase said they were thinking about going to the movies, then maybe watching the volleyball game at Stratten College.
“Volleyball?” Mrs. Whipple asked.
“I love volleyball,” Chase said. “The game starts at six and should be over around eight. We’ll be fine, Mom. It’s just at the college.”
In truth, the volleyball game was the only sports event on campus that evening. And girls’ volleyball at that. Neither Chase nor Theo had ever watched a game, live or on TV.
“What’s on at the movies?” she asked, still cutting brownies into squares.
“Harry Potter,” Theo said. “If we hustle now, we can catch most of it.”
Chase chimed in, “And then we’ll go to the game. Is that okay, Mom?”
“I suppose,” she said.
“Are you and Dad still going out for dinner?”
“Yes, with the Coleys and the Shepherds.”
“What time will you be home?” Chase asked, glancing at Theo.
“Oh, I don’t know. Ten or ten thirty. Daphne will be here and she wants to order a pizza. Is that okay?”
“Sure,” Chase said. With a little luck, Theo and Ike should be in Chapel Hill by 10:00 p.m. The tricky part would be avoiding Daphne from eight until ten. Chase didn’t have a plan, but he was working on it.
They thanked her for the snack and said they were leaving for the Paramount, Strattenburg’s old-fashioned movie house on Main Street. After they were gone, Mrs. Whipple carried Theo’s overnight bag upstairs to Chase’s room and placed it on a twin bed.
At 4:00 p.m., Theo, Ike, and Judge left the Boone home in the SUV. Chase was watching the latest Harry Potter, alone.
MapQuest estimated the travel time at seven hours if one obeyed all speed limits, which was the furthest thing from Ike’s mind. As they hurried out of town, Ike said, “Are you nervous?”
“Yes, I’m nervous.”
“And why are you nervous?”
“I guess I’m nervous about getting caught. If Mrs. Whipple finds out, then she’ll call my mother and my mother will call me and I’m in big trouble.”
“Why would you get in trouble, Theo? You’re trying to help a friend.”
“I’m being dishonest, Ike. Dishonest with the Whipples, dishonest with my parents.”
“Look at the big picture, Theo. If all goes well, tomorrow morning we’ll be back home with April. Your parents, and everyone else in town, will be thrilled to see her. Under the circumstances, this is the right thing to do. It might be a little misleading, but there’s no other way to do it.”
“It still makes me nervous.”
“I’m your uncle, Theo. What’s wrong with me and my favorite nephew taking a little road trip?”
“Nothing, I guess.”
“Then stop worrying. The only thing that matters is finding April, and getting her back home. Nothing else is important right now. If it all blows up, I’ll have a little chat with your parents and I’ll take all the blame. Relax.”
“Thanks, Ike.”
They were racing down the highway in light traffic. Judge was already asleep on the backseat. Theo’s phone vibrated. It was a text from Chase: This movie is awesome. U guys OK?
Theo responded: Yep. OK.
At 5:00 p.m., he texted his mother: Harry Potter movie is awesome.
A few minutes later she answered, Great. Love Mom.
They turned onto the expressway, and Ike set the cruise control on seventy-five, ten miles over the limit.
Theo said, “Explain something to me, Ike. The story about April has been all over the news, right?”
“Right.”
“Then, wouldn’t April or her father or one of the guys in the band see the story on the news and realize what’s going on? Wouldn’t they know about the big search for April?”
“You would think so. Unfortunately, though, there are a lot of missing children, seems like a new one every other day. And while it’s big news around here, maybe it’s not big news where they are. Who knows what her father has told his pals in the band. I’m sure they know the family is not too stable. Maybe he’s told them that the mother is crazy and he was forced to rescue his daughter, and that he wants it kept quiet until some point in the future. The band members might be afraid to say anything. These guys are not too stable either. It’s a bunch of forty-year-old men trying to be rock stars, up all night, sleeping all day, traveling around in a rented van, playing for peanuts in bars and frat houses. They’re probably all running from something. I don’t know, Theo, it makes no sense.”
“I’ll bet she’s scared to death.”
“Scared, and confused. A child deserves better than this.”
“What if she doesn’t want to leave her father?”
“If we find her, and she refuses to come with us, then we have no choice but to call the police in Strattenburg and tell them where she is. It’s that simple.”
Nothing seemed simple to Theo. “What if her father sees us and causes trouble?”
“Just relax, Theo. It’ll work out.”
It was dark at 6:30 when Chase texted again: Vball girls r cute. Where R U?
Theo answered: Somewhere n Virginia. Ike’s flying.
It was dark now, and the hectic week finally caught up with Theo. He began to nod off, and then fell into a deep sleep.
Chapter 18
Late in the volleyball game, Chase realized that the only way to avoid Daphne was to avoid his house altogether. He could almost see her sitting in the family room in the basement, watching the big-screen TV, waiting for him and Theo to arrive so she could order an extra-large pizza from Santo’s.
When the game was over, Chase rode his bike to Guff’s Frozen Yogurt near the city library on Main Street. He ordered one scoop of banana, found an empty booth by the front window, and called home. Daphne answered after the first ring.
“It’s me,” he said. “And look, we have a problem. Theo and I stopped by his house to check on his dog, and the dog is real sick. Must’ve eaten something weird. Throwing up, crapping all over the place; the house is a mess.”
“Gross,” Daphne gushed.
“You wouldn’t believe. Dog poop from the kitchen to the bedroom. We’re cleaning up now but it’ll take some time. Theo’s afraid the dog might be dying, and he’s trying to get in touch with his mother.”
“That’s awful.”
“Yep. We may have to take him to the vet emergency room. Poor thing can hardly move.”
“Can I help, Chase? I can drive Mom’s car over and get him.”
“Maybe, but not right now. We gotta get this place cleaned up while we’re watching the dog. I’m afraid he’d make a mess in her car.”
“Have you guys eaten?”
“No, and food is the last thing we’re thinking about right now. I’m about to throw up myself. Go ahead and order the pizza. I’ll check in later.” Chase hung up and smiled at his frozen yogurt. So far so good.
Judge was still asleep on the rear seat, snoring softly as the miles flew by. Theo came and went, napping occasionally, wide-eyed one moment and dead to the world the next. He was awake when they crossed the state line into North Carolina, but he was asleep when they rolled into Chapel Hill.
His 9:00 p.m. text to his mother read: Going to sleep. Real tired. Luv.
He assumed his parents were in the middle of their long dinner, probably listening to endless speeches, and that his mother would not have the chance to reply. He was right.
“Wake up, Theo,” Ike said. “We’re here.” They had not stopped in six hours. The digital clock on the dash gave the time at 10:
05. The GPS above it took them straight to Franklin Street, the main drag that bordered the campus. The sidewalks were packed with noisy students and fans. UNC had won the football game in overtime and the mood was rowdy. The bars and shops were crowded. Ike turned onto Columbia Street and they passed some large fraternity houses.
“Parking might be a problem,” Ike mumbled, almost to himself. “That must be Frat Court,” he said, glancing at the GPS and pointing to an area where several fraternity houses faced each other with parking lots in the center. “I’d guess the Kappa Theta house is somewhere in there.”
Theo lowered his window as they eased by in heavy traffic. Loud music filled the air as several bands played from the houses. People were shoulder-to-shoulder, on the porches, on the lawns, sitting on cars, hanging out, dancing, laughing, moving in packs from house to house, yelling at each other. It was a wild scene, and Theo had never seen anything like it. There was an occasional fight or drug bust at Stratten College, but nothing like this. It was exciting at first, but then Theo thought about April. She was somewhere in the midst of this huge carnival, and she did not belong here. She was shy and quiet and preferred to be alone with her drawings and paintings.
Ike turned onto another street, then another. “We’ll have to park somewhere and hike in.” Cars were parked everywhere, most illegally. They found a spot on a dark narrow street, far away from the noise. “Stay here, Judge,” Theo said, and Judge watched them walk away.
“What’s the game plan, Ike?” Theo asked. They were walking quickly along a dark and uneven sidewalk.
“Watch your step,” Ike said. “We don’t have a game plan. Let’s find the house, find the band, and I’ll think of something.” They followed the noise and were soon entering Frat Court from the back side, away from the street. They moved into the crowd, and if they looked a bit odd, no one seemed to notice—a sixty-two-year-old man with long, gray hair pulled into a ponytail, red socks, sandals, a brown plaid sweater that was at least thirty years old, and a thirteen-year-old kid wide-eyed in amazement.
The Kappa Theta house was a large, white stone structure with some Greek columns and a sweeping porch. Ike and Theo made their way through a thick crowd, up the steps, and around the porch. Ike wanted to scope out the place, check out the entrances and exits, and try to determine where the band was playing. The music was loud, the laughter and yelling even louder. Theo had never seen so many cans of beer in his young life. Girls were dancing on the porch as their dates watched them and smoked cigarettes. Ike asked one of the girls, “Where’s the band?”
“In the basement,” she said.
They inched their way back to the front steps and looked around. The front door was being guarded by a large young man in a suit who seemed to have the authority to decide who got inside.
“Let’s go,” Ike said. Theo followed him as they moved toward the front door with a group of students. They almost made it. The guard, or bouncer, or whatever he was, threw out his arm and grabbed Ike by the forearm. “Excuse me!” he said rudely. “You got a pass?”
Ike angrily yanked his arm away and looked as though he might slug the guy. “I don’t need a pass, kid,” he hissed. “I’m the manager of the band. This is my son. Don’t touch me again.”
The other students moved back a few steps and for a moment things were quieter.
“Sorry, sir,” the guard said, and Ike and Theo marched inside. Ike was moving quickly, as though he knew the house well and had business there. They walked through a large foyer, then a parlor of some sort, both rooms crowded with students. In another open space, a mob of male students was yelling at a football game on a huge screen, two kegs of beer close by. The music was booming from below, and they soon found a large stairway that gave way to the party room. The dance floor was in the center, packed with students engaged in all manner of frenzied jerking and shuffling, and to the left was Plunder, pounding and screeching at full volume. Ike and Theo drifted down in a throng of people, and by the time they left the stairs, Theo felt like his ears were bleeding from the music.
They tried to hide in a corner. The room was dark, with colored strobe lights flickering across the mass of bodies. Ike leaned down and yelled into Theo’s ear. “Let’s be quick. I’ll stay here. You try and get behind the band and have a look. Hurry.”
Theo ducked low and wiggled around bodies. He got bumped, shoved, almost stepped on, but he kept moving along the wall on the far left side. The band finished a song, everybody cheered, and for a moment the dancing stopped. He moved faster, still low, his eyes darting in all directions. Suddenly, the lead singer screamed, then began howling. The drummer attacked and a guitarist lurched in with some thunderous chords. The next song was even louder. Theo passed a set of large speakers, came within five feet of the keyboardist, and then saw April, sitting on a metal box behind the drummer. She had the only safe place in the entire room. He practically crawled around the edge of the small platform and touched her knee before she saw him.
April was too shocked to move, then both hands flew up to her mouth. “Theo!” she said, but he could barely hear her. “Let’s go!” he demanded.
“What are you doing here?” she yelled.
“I’m here to take you home.”
At 10:30, Chase was hiding beside a dry cleaners, watching from across the street as people were leaving Robilio’s Italian Bistro. He saw Mr. and Mrs. Shepherd, then Mr. and Mrs. Coley, then his parents. He watched them drive away, and then wondered what to do next. His phone would ring in a few minutes, and his mother would have a dozen questions. The sick dog routine was about to come to an end.
Chapter 19
Theo and April inched along the wall, sidestepping weary dancers taking a break from the action, and moved quickly through the semidarkness to a door that opened onto a stairway. There was no chance her father would see them, because he was lost in Plunder’s intense version of the Rolling Stones’ “I Can’t Get No Satisfaction.” “Where are we going?” Theo yelled at April.
“This leads outside,” she yelled back.
“Wait! I gotta get Ike.”
“Who?”
Theo darted through the crowd, found Ike where he’d left him, and the three made a quick exit down the stairs and onto a small patio behind the Kappa Theta house. The music could still be heard and the walls seemed to vibrate, but things were much quieter outside.
“Ike, this is April,” Theo said. “April, this is Ike, my uncle.”
“My pleasure,” Ike said. April was still too confused to respond. They were alone, in the dark, beside a broken picnic table. Other patio furniture was strewn about. Windows on the back side of the house were broken.
Theo said, “Ike drove me down here to get you.”
“But why?” she asked.
“What do you mean, ‘Why’?” Theo shot back.
Ike understood her confusion. He took a step forward and gently placed a hand on her shoulder. “April, back home no one knows where you are. No one knows if you’re dead or alive. Four days ago you vanished without a trace. No one—including your mother, the police, your friends—has heard a word from you.”
April began shaking her head in disbelief.
Ike continued: “I suspect your father has been lying to you. He’s probably told you that he’s talked to your mother and everything is okay back home, right?”
April nodded slightly.
“He’s lying, April. Your mother is worried sick. The entire town has been searching for you. It’s time to go home, now.”
“But we were going home in just a few days,” she said.
“According to your father?” Ike said, patting her shoulder. “There’s a good chance he will face criminal charges for your abduction. April, look at me.” Ike placed a finger under her chin and slowly lifted it so that she had no choice but to look at him. “It’s time to go home. Let’s get in the car and leave. Now.”
The door opened and a man appeared. With biker boots, tattoos, and greasy hai
r, he was obviously not a student. “What are you doing, April?” he demanded.
“Just taking a break,” she said.
He stepped closer and asked, “Who are these guys?”
“Who are you?” Ike demanded. Plunder was in the middle of a song, so he obviously wasn’t a member of the band.
“He’s Zack,” April said. “He works for the band.”
Immediately, Ike saw the danger and came through with some fiction. He reached out with a big handshake and said, “I’m Jack Ford, my son Max, here. We used to live in Strattenburg, now we’re in Chapel Hill. Max and April started kindergarten together. Quite a band you got in there.”
Zack shook hands. He was too slow to put together his thoughts. He frowned, as if thinking caused pain, then he gave Ike and Theo a puzzled look. April said, “We’re almost finished. I’ll be just a minute.”
“Does your dad know these guys?” Zack asked.
“Oh sure,” Ike said. “Tom and I go back many years. I’d like to talk to him during the next break, if you could pass that along, Zack.”
“Okay, I guess,” Zack said, and went inside.
“Will he tell your father?” Ike asked.
“Probably,” she said.
“Then we should leave, April.”
“I don’t know.”
“Come on, April,” Theo said firmly.
“Do you trust Theo?” Ike asked.
“Of course.”
“Then you can trust Ike,” Theo said. “Let’s go.”
Theo grabbed her hand and they began walking quickly away from the Kappa Theta house, from Frat Court, and from Tom Finnemore.
April sat in the backseat with Judge and rubbed his head as Ike zigzagged his way out of Chapel Hill. Nothing was said for a few minutes, then Theo asked, “Should we call Chase?”
“Yes,” Ike said. They pulled into an all-night gas station and parked away from the pumps. “Dial him,” Ike said. Theo did so and handed the phone to Ike.
Chase answered his cell phone immediately with, “It’s about time.”