by Lisa Orchard
“That would be so awesome,” Sarah said, winking at her sister.
Lacey grinned. “That would be totally cool beans.
“Oh, no! Not you too!” Sarah rolled her eyes.
“It’s just not the same without Jackie here. I’m trying to make up for her absence.”
The girls cracked up laughing and Sarah felt a warm wave of gratitude run through her body. It occurred to her she hadn’t been as irritated with her sister as she usually was when they were investigating a mystery. She must be growing up. Yeah that’s it… or I am. A rueful smile played on Sarah’s lips as the last part of her thought made its way to her consciousness.
“Let’s take a look at the newest product they have available,” Aunt June said, breaking through Sarah’s thoughts.
Aunt June focused on her phone and began her search. Sarah waited with bated breath and questions forced their way into her brain. How did the company release this drug? Clearly they’re supposed to do testing. How did they get around Dad’s data? Sarah inched her way up until she was leaning over the front seat. “Scoop, how does the drug company get their drug out on the market? Do they have to get approval or something?”
Scoop spoke while keeping his eyes on the road. “Yes. They have to get approval from the FDA before they can market any drugs.”
“The FDA?”
“The Food and Drug Administration.”
Sarah bit her lip. “So how did Piper Drugs get the FDA’s approval when my dad had all that data saying it was bad?”
“I’m only guessing but the way I see it…” He glanced at Sarah in the rearview mirror and then his eyes found the road again. “The company must have given them falsified data.”
Scoop’s words hit Sarah like an ice-cold wave. Her body went numb and her throat constricted. She covered her mouth with her hand and coughed. “Do you really think they did that?”
Scoop shook his head. “I don’t know.”
“If we get the memo then Mom and Dad can come home, right?” Lacey asked.
Sarah made eye contact with her sister. “Right.”
“I’ve got Piper Drugs Website,” Aunt June trumpeted.
“Does it say anything about a new drug?” Sarah demanded, biting her lip.
“I’m searching… I’m searching.” She glanced at Sarah with an annoyed expression.
Sarah forced herself to relax. “Sorry. It’s just we’re so close.” She turned and stared out the window, clenching her fists. “How are we going to get the memo?”
Scoop cleared his throat. “I was thinking I could pretend to do a fluff piece on the company.”
“A fluff piece?”
“You know… just a quick article on how great the company is.” He ran his hand through his thinning hair. “That gets me inside the company, but I have no idea where to go from there.”
Sarah’s insides started to warm. “That’s not a bad idea.” She moved back into her original position. A glow of hope ignited in her belly and radiated throughout her body. “I’ll just call Dad and see where the memo is. I can’t believe I didn’t ask him this question already.” She rolled her eyes and shook her head at Lacey and then gazed at her aunt. “Can you look up Mr. Robinson’s phone number on the computer?”
“Sure.” Aunt June began her search and within seconds the number appeared on the screen. She read it aloud.
Sarah punched in the numbers. “Yes, can I speak to my dad?”
“Is this Sarah?” asked Mr. Robinson.
“Yes.”
“Hold on a second.”
Sarah made eye contact with Lacey and said, “He’s getting him.”
Lacey gave her the thumbs-up sign.
“Hello?” Her father voice echoed through the phone. The sound warmed Sarah’s heart and emotion welled in her chest. She bit her lip to keep the sob that was lodged in her throat from escaping.
She took a deep breath before speaking. She was amazed he sounded so natural. As if she were just calling to have him pick her up from a friend’s house. It seemed so normal. “Dad?”
“Yes, honey?”
“Where is your memo?”
“I’ve got it stashed in my office at Piper Drugs. Why?” His tone held a hint of caution as he asked the question.
“Because we were trying to figure out a way to get it and we realized we didn’t know where it was.”
“I don’t want you girls to do anything that’s dangerous.” His voice took on a firm edge.
Sarah stopped herself from rolling her eyes. It was a little too soon to be annoyed with her father already. “We won’t. Scoop and Aunt June are going to help us.” She eyed Scoop in the rearview mirror.
He winked his approval at her.
“So, where in the office is it?”
“I’ve got it saved on a flash drive that I’ve taped to the bottom of the middle drawer of my desk.”
“Would your company have moved your desk or anything since you’ve been gone?”
Her father sighed. “I don’t know. Anything’s possible.”
“Okay, thanks.” Sarah almost disconnected the call before she said, “Dad?”
“Yeah?”
“I love you.” Her voice broke as she said the words and her nose prickled like it always did before she started crying. She sniffed and bit her lip, hoping to keep the tears at bay.
“I love you, too, Peanut.”
“Bye.”
“Bye.”
Sarah disconnected the call and took a deep breath. “His memo is on a flash drive taped to the bottom of a drawer in his office.” She caught Scoop’s eye in the rearview mirror. “Now all we have to do is find out if his desk is still in his office.”
Scoop nodded. “We’re almost into town. Why don’t we stop at Hinkle’s and get some dinner? We can brainstorm while we’re eating.”
“That sounds like a great idea,” Aunt June said. She glanced back at Sarah. “I’m starving. I bet you girls are too.”
Sarah realized she was hungry. The thought of one of Hinkle’s famous cheeseburgers flooded her mouth with saliva like Pavlov’s dog when he heard the ring of a bell.
“How about you Lacey? Are you hungry?” Scoop asked.
“Starving. It would be such cool beans if we could eat.” She slumped in her seat pretending to swoon, much like Jackie would have done.
Sarah laughed and rolled her eyes. “Pu…leese! One Jackie is enough.”
“I just didn’t want to you to miss her.” Lacey snorted and grinned.
“I don’t miss her. I miss you when you act like her.”
Lacey stared at her sister with a shocked expression. “Wow. That’s one of the nicest things you’ve ever said to me.”
Sarah averted her gaze and focused on the zipper of her jacket. When she glanced at her sister and found her still staring, she shrugged. “You know… you are my sister and everything. And maybe I’ve given you too much grief in the past.”
Lacey snickered. “There’s no maybe about it. You have, but I forgive you.”
Sarah grinned but didn’t respond. Instead she looked out the window and exhaled a sigh of contentment. Scoop was close to town and familiar landmarks were flying by as he exited off the highway.
Sarah studied the horizon as he hung a left toward Harrisburg. The sun hung low in the sky, obscured by gray clouds. Day was turning to night and as the sun went down it threw long shadows everywhere, creating a spooky atmosphere.
A thought struck her as they approached the tiny burg Sarah now called home. Where are we going to live when this is all over? Her stomach fluttered at the thought. Are we going to move back to Walker? What about my friends? Her stomach fluttered again and then it tightened into a knot.
Chapter Fifteen
Scoop guided the vehicle into a parking space in front of Hinkle’s and turned off the car. It sputtered and then died.
“Let’s go inside and get something to eat,” He said after unbuckling his seatbelt.
They piled out o
f the car and hurried toward the restaurant. Sarah lagged behind, thinking about her predicament. When she had come to her aunt and uncle’s for the summer she didn’t want to leave her friends in Walker behind. Now she didn’t want to leave Harrisburg. It was home. All she had wanted was to find her parents. Now that she had, everything seemed even more complicated. Sighing, she brushed her hair from her eyes and shook her head as if she were shaking the thoughts from her mind. She picked up her pace and caught up with everyone. They all walked into Hinkle’s together.
The twinkling Christmas lights decorating the walls year round comforted her. They were like a familiar beacon in a snowstorm. Something familiar and comfortable. Something that could always be counted on. Did I ever have a place like that in Walker? The question gnawed at her. The answer came to her quickly… and the answer was no.
The hostess appeared and escorted them to a table. She left menus for everyone and informed them their waitress would be right with them. She scurried away when she spotted a young couple waiting for a table.
Sarah studied her menu while thoughts of leaving Harrisburg paraded through her mind. She knew she didn’t want to leave, but also knew she might not have a choice. With an emotional sigh, Sarah focused on the menu.
Cheeseburger and steak fries, that’s what I’m going to have.
Closing her menu she thought about steak fries, steak fry teepees, and her father. A lump rose in her throat as her thoughts turned to him and his situation. He was in a horrible predicament and she was determined to help him.
The waitress appeared and took everyone’s order, then hustled away to get the drinks and drop the order off to the kitchen.
Sarah cleared her throat. “So Scoop, have you thought about how you can get into Dad’s office?”
Scoop pursed his lips. “No, I haven’t.” He sighed and rubbed his face with a weary hand. “I don’t think they’re going to want me to mention your father in the article and that would be the only excuse I’d have to go in his office.”
Sarah furrowed her brow and sighed. “We’ll think of something.”
“It’s going to be weird going back to school and keeping it a secret we found our parents,” Lacey said in a low voice.
Sarah glanced around to make sure no one heard her.
“You’re right about that.” She frowned. “I don’t even want to go back. I want to solve this case for Dad and get him back home.”
“We’ll figure something out. Don’t worry.” Scoop gave her a compassionate look.
Sarah nodded and nudged her sister. “Any ideas?”
Lacey nudged her back. “Not yet.”
“Sarah, this is all going to work out. You’ll see,” Aunt June stated in the tone only optimistic aunts have.
“I’m sure you’re right.” Sarah looked around the restaurant again. Mixed emotions swirled through her body as she took in the locals during their evening meal.
There was Trucker Joe sitting in a booth with a meal of meatloaf and mashed potatoes in front of him. She grinned. He always seemed to be in a hurry, shoveling his food into his mouth and chewing rapidly. He hunched down over his plate as if he were afraid someone would come along and take if from him. Sarah remembered the day Jackie had pointed him out. He had just come off the road from a long haul and had stopped in for a bite before heading home to shower. He was dirty and grimy because his truck had broken down on Route Six. Jackie had approached him and he had taken the time to fill the girls in on some of the glories of truck driving. Those stories told Sarah she never wanted to be a truck driver. Too boring.
Sarah continued her survey of Hinkle’s, taking in the people that made the restaurant the watering hole for the town. She knew she never wanted to leave Harrisburg. The jingle of the bell above the door caught her attention and she glanced up to see Alex and his family just walking in. They stopped at the hostess stand and waited to be seated.
Sarah’s heart skipped a beat when Alex’s blue eyes met hers and he smiled his impish smile. A tingle traveled through her body and she had to drop her gaze for fear he would see how much she cared. She wasn’t ready to share those feelings with him.
Alex walked over and tapped her on the arm. “Hey there.”
She glanced up and almost melted. “Hi.”
“I looked for you after school.”
Sarah averted her gaze and shrugged. “I had some family stuff.” She waved her hand toward her aunt and sister.
Alex shifted his weight. “Oh… yeah…I’ll catch you later, okay?”
“Sure.”
He stepped away, but held her gaze and gave her a warm smile, before he spun around and walked back to his family.
Sarah loved his smile. It was a smile that seemed to come from some bottomless well within his soul. His eyes lit up, reminding Sarah of a bright beacon from a lighthouse guiding the ships to safe shores. She felt safe bathed in that light and never wanted to leave.
The waitress appeared with their food and everyone stopped talking. Sarah’s stomach rumbled at the smell of the delicious entrees and she couldn’t wait to dig into her cheeseburger.
She caught Lacey staring at her. “What?”
Lacey snickered and leaned toward her. “You’re in lo-o-ove.”
“Shut up.”
“You deserve it.”
“True. I know. Everyone deserves to be loved.” Sarah snickered, pretending to misunderstand her.
“So, you admit it?”
“I admit nothing.” Sarah thrust her nose in the air and bit into her burger, ignoring her sister.
“Sarah and Alex sitting in a tree…” Lacey chanted under her breath.
Sarah kicked her under the table and said out of the side of her mouth. “Stop it.”
Lacey giggled. Her eyes glittered with the secret knowledge of her sister’s feelings toward Alex. Sarah knew that was a moment of great triumph for Lacey and she wouldn’t hear the end of it any time soon.
“You’re having way too much fun at my expense,” Sarah muttered.
“I know.” Lacey gave her a sly grin.
Sarah ignored her and shifted in her seat, focusing on her dinner.
Everyone finished their meals quickly. It had been a long, emotional day and Sarah couldn’t wait to get home and unwind. She wanted to figure out a solution to her current problem, but she was having a hard time thinking when everyone around her wanted to talk.
Scoop stood. “I’ll go pay for this and then we’ll get everyone home. It’s been a long day.”
“Thank you, Scoop. That’s very generous of you,” Aunt June said. She stood and shrugged into her coat. “I want to get home and get into something more comfortable.” She sighed and brushed a tendril of hair out of her eyes.
Sarah looked at her aunt and realized she was dressed in her work clothes; a light green pant suit which highlighted her eyes. She glanced down and winced when she saw her Aunt’s high heels. “Those heels must be getting really uncomfortable.”
Aunt June nodded and offered a tired smile. “I just want to get home and get into a bubble bath.”
Sarah smiled. “I hear you. I wouldn’t mind one of those myself.”
After donning their coats, the group walked out into the cool evening air. Scoop lagged behind to pay for their meals.
Sarah took a deep breath. The cool air entered her lungs, sending a chill through her body. She stopped and zipped up her coat and put her hands in her pockets. After burrowing inside, she caught up to her companions and stood with them as they all waited for Scoop.
Looking into the sky, Sarah searched for the moon. It was obscured behind a group of clouds. Its bright light shone through the haze, but she couldn’t tell if it was a full moon or a half moon. It was a spooky night. A night she imagined would be perfect for staying up late and telling ghost stories.
The tinkle of the bell above the restaurant’s door caught Sarah’s attention. Turning toward the sound, she spied Scoop shuffling toward them. The streetlight filtered throu
gh his thinning hair and reflected off his scalp. He seemed older to her, almost as if he’d aged from the table to outside. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she saw the retired reporter hadn’t really changed. The night shadows had made his features appear aged. Her chest loosened and she relaxed.
Scoop rushed forward. “Here let me get those doors unlocked for you and we’ll get everyone home.” He pointed the remote at the car and pushed the button.
The remote chirped and then the thunk of the doors unlocking sounded. Sarah yawned. I just want to get into my jammies.
They piled into the car and Scoop backed out of the parking space. He drove through the streets of Harrisburg. Sarah stared out at the scenery flashing past, but she didn’t really see it. Her mind wandered back to her parents. How could they have not called us? She understood their reasoning and didn’t understand it at the same time. Confused tears welled in her eyes; she wished this had never happened.
Lacey nudged her. “Sarah?”
She blinked rapidly to dispel the tears. Then she glanced at her. “What?”
“Are you all right?”
Sarah sighed, closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the seat. “Yeah, it’s just been a long day.”
Scoop pulled into the Bennett driveway. “Here you go, girls.” He shifted in his seat and gave Sarah a wink. “I’ll let you know tomorrow if I come up with any ideas.”
“Thanks for everything,” Sarah said with a weary smile.
He beamed at her. “Sure thing, kid.”
“Oh, I can’t believe I did this.” Aunt June slapped her forehead with her palm.
“What?” Sarah and Lacey asked in unison.
“My car is at the police station.” She groaned, closed her eyes and leaned her head back against the headrest.
Scoop gave her an understanding smile. “I can give you a ride over there.”
“I would be forever grateful.”
The Cole girls said their goodbyes and climbed out of Scoop’s vehicle. Sarah hurried to the door and Lacey picked up her pace to catch up with her.