The Secret of Dinswood

by Ellen Alexander

  Soon the buses were pulling into the parking lot of Windland’s only motel to disgorge their load of students. Emma and Martha got off first and stood a short distance away from the bus to wait for Doug and Sebastian. When Doug and Sebastian arrived, they talked for a moment and agreed to stick to their original plan. They would split up so that they could each do their Christmas shopping, and then they would meet for lunch at the restaurant at noon. After lunch, they would go to the bookstore to talk to Cal. With everything thus decided, they each went their separate ways.

  Emma’s first stop was the general store. There, after much consideration, she purchased a sketch pad and a set of charcoals for Martha, and a toy fire truck with an extendable ladder and a police car with a working siren for her twin brothers. She had already decided what she would get for Doug a couple of weeks ago. Now it was just a matter of finding the right one. Doug had told her over Thanksgiving break that he had always wanted one of those pocketknives with all of the little gadgets. Emma found that the general store had quite an assortment to choose from. After looking them all over, she decided on one that had a nice array of accessories, as well as a small compass embedded in the handle. With her purchases made, she next headed to the post office where she paid to send the afghan and toy cars to her family. Finally, she went to the candy store and bought a box of assorted chocolates for Sebastian. By the time she had finished all of her errands it was almost noon, so she made her way over to the restaurant, hoping to grab a table before it became too crowded. When she entered the restaurant, however, she saw that Doug, Sebastian, and Martha had gotten there ahead of her. Although the restaurant was already pretty crowded, they had managed to find an open table near the back. Emma was bumped more than once as she threaded her way through the maze of crowded tables. Once, she was jostled a little more forcefully than the situation called for. Surprised, she looked up to see Bobby Wilcox sneering down at her. More than a little unnerved by the animosity she saw in his eyes, she hurried to the table where her friends waited for her. When Emma got to the table, it was apparent that the others hadn’t seen what Bobby had done, and Emma soon forgot about it as she joined in the conversation.

  After lunch they made their way to the bookstore and were dismayed to find that it was crowded with Dinswood students. It was going to be difficult getting Cal alone so that they could speak to him about the castle. He was not behind the counter as they had expected. Assuming he was in the back room or helping a customer, they wandered around the bookstore, hoping that the crowd would eventually thin out. After about half an hour, the crowd had dwindled down to two students who were waiting at the counter to pay for their items. As soon as those two left, they would be able to talk to Cal. There was only one problem; Cal was nowhere to be seen. A middle-aged woman and her teenage daughter were working behind the counter and running the cash register. If Cal had been in the back room, he surely would have made an appearance before now, Emma reasoned. Emma wasn’t the only one who had noticed Cal’s absence.

  “It doesn’t look like Cal’s working today,” Doug said quietly as he came to stand beside her.

  “I was just thinking the same thing,” Emma agreed, disappointment evident in her tone.

  “Maybe we can find out where he lives and go to his house,” Doug suggested.

  “Whose house?” Sebastian asked. He had just joined them and had only heard the last part of what Doug was saying.

  “Cal’s not here, so we thought maybe we could ask where he lives,” Doug explained.

  “Where who lives?” Martha asked as she, too, walked up to where they stood. They had gathered at the front of the store by the wooden table where just a couple of months ago they had shared hot chocolate and cookies with Cal.

  Doug raised his eyebrows and shared a smile with Emma.

  “What?” Martha asked, noticing the exchange.

  “Well, for the third time,” Doug began patiently, “I was saying that since Cal’s not here, maybe we can find out where he lives and go to his house.”

  “Cal’s not here?” Martha asked. Apparently, she was the only one who hadn’t noticed his absence.

  Sebastian slapped his forehead with his right hand. “Good grief, Martha. Where have you been?” he asked incredulously.

  It was obvious from her expression that Martha hadn’t cared for his tone. Emma decided to intervene before war broke out between the two of them. “Look! They’re leaving,” she said as the last customers left the store, the bell above the door tinkling as they went out.

  The others hung back as Doug approached the counter to see if he could find out where Cal lived. While he talked with the lady at the register, Martha fumed silently. The reason she hadn’t noticed Cal’s absence was that she had been preoccupied trying to find a cookbook for Sebastian for Christmas. She had spent several minutes in the cooking section and had finally decided to get him a book on gourmet cooking. Then she’d had to purchase the book without Sebastian seeing. After what he’d just done, she was tempted to take it back; either that or crack him over the head with it. That would be very satisfying, Martha thought to herself, and was unable to keep from smiling at the prospect.

  Noticing her smile, Sebastian asked, “What are you smiling about?”

  “Oh, nothing,” Martha replied, her smile widening.

  Emma looked at her curiously but decided she’d ask Martha what that was all about later. Right now, they needed to focus on the task at hand. Doug was coming back from the counter with a grim expression.

  “Don’t they know where he lives?” Emma asked anxiously.

  “Yeah, they know where he lives all right. I just don’t know how we’re going to get there and back before it’s time for the buses to leave for Dinswood,” Doug answered, running his hand through his hair.

  “Well, where does he live?” Sebastian asked.

  “If you go past the motel on the west edge of town, there’s a gravel road that takes off in a northerly direction. He lives in a log cabin a couple of miles down that road,” Doug answered, repeating what the lady behind the counter had told him.

  “That’s not that far,” Sebastian said. “We could walk that easy.”

  “The thing is, he doesn’t live right on the road. His place sits another mile or so off the gravel road. The lady behind the counter said it’s hard to find the dirt road that leads to his cabin unless you know what you’re looking for.”

  Emma looked at the clock on the wall behind the counter. It was now two o’clock, and the buses would be leaving for the academy promptly at four. Doug was right, even at a brisk pace it would probably take them about forty-five minutes to walk three miles, and that was if they knew exactly where they were going. In addition to the time factor, it was extremely cold outside, a couple of degrees below freezing with a brisk wind that made it seem even colder; and although the main roads had been cleared, the gravel roads may not have been. Walking would be slow and difficult in that case. Similar thoughts must have been going through the minds of the others, because no one said anything for several long moments. It looked like they weren’t going to get to speak to Cal after all. He might not have been able to tell them anything anyway, but at least they would have known for sure one way or the other. It would be spring before they would get down to Windland again. Once again, Doug ran a hand through his hair in frustration and looked at the clock as if hoping that it had miraculously turned back to noon.

  Just when they had given up all hope, the door to the store burst open, bringing in a draft of frosty air and a large man that reminded Emma of a wooly bear. He stood well over six feet tall and was as wide as the door. He had a full beard and mustache and was dressed warmly in insulated overalls and a down jacket. He was wearing hunting boots, lined gloves, and a cap with flaps that came down over the ears. He ignored them as he entered, and in a booming voice said to the lady behind the counter, “Alice, I’m on my way up to the Mitchell place to deliver a load of wood. I’ll be back in ’bout an hour t
o pick you and Becky up.”

  He was just turning to go back outside when Alice stopped him. Looking at the group standing by the window, she said, “Frank, these kids here wanted to go up to Cal Thrabek’s place. You’ll pass right by his road on your way up to the Mitchell’s. Would you care to give them a ride?”

  Frank turned then and seemed to notice the four of them for the first time. He looked at them thoughtfully for a moment, considering the strange request. What could these kids want with an odd duck like Cal Thrabek? After a moment, he shrugged his shoulders and, looking at Doug, said, “I only got room for two in the truck. I can take ya up if you’re sure ya wanna go. I can go on up to the Mitchell’s and unload the wood and then pick ya up again on my way back down.”

  Emma wasn’t so sure that was a good idea, after all, they didn’t know anything about this big bear of a man, but before she could voice her reservations, Doug was agreeing to the plan. “Thanks, sir. That’d be great.” Then he looked at the others. “Emma and Martha, you stay here with our packages. Sebastian, you and I will go talk to Cal.” Seeing the worried look on Emma’s face, he added in a low voice that only she could hear, “We’ll be back in about an hour. It’ll be okay. If we don’t do this now, we’ll have to wait until spring before we get another chance.”

  Emma would have liked to argue, but she was forestalled by Frank. “Well, come on then. Time’s a wastin’.”

  But Doug hesitated. “Ah, sir? We’re not really supposed to leave town like this. It’s against school regulations, but it’s really important that we talk to Cal.”

  “You guys from Dinswood Academy then?” Frank had lived in Windland long enough to know that a group of students came down from the academy each Saturday until the bad weather set in.

  “Yes, sir,” Doug replied.

  Frank considered Doug for a moment, fixing him with a stern look that would have intimidated most people. Doug, however, continued to watch the big man without wavering. Admiring the courage of the young man that stood before him, Frank made his decision, and breaking into a slow smile, he said, “Then we’ll jest have ta make sure you’re not seen, won’t we?”

  Letting out the breath he’d been holding, Doug smiled back and said, “Yes, sir. What have you got in mind?”

  “There’s a storeroom in the back that has a door leadin’ into the alley. You guys go out the back and head west ta where the alley meets the road. I’ll be waitin’ for ya in the truck. Jest give me a few minutes ta get the truck pulled around and then you guys head out the back. Alice here’ll show ya where the back door is.” Then Frank left the store, another gust of cold air swirling in as he exited.

  Emma still didn’t think this was a good idea, but she knew it was useless to protest any further. Doug had made up his mind, and nothing she could say was going to change it. Doug could be very stubborn when it came to the treasure and saving the school. She looked at Martha with an expression of resignation.

  Alice motioned for the boys to follow her, and they soon disappeared through a door behind the counter. Emma noticed that Becky couldn’t seem to take her eyes off Doug as he passed by her and felt a stab of jealousy. Becky was a very pretty girl with blonde hair and blue eyes. Doug, however, didn’t even glance her way as he and Sebastian followed Alice into the backroom.

  The first room they entered must have been where Cal had made them the hot chocolate on their first trip to Windland. Seeing the room, Doug was reminded of how Cal had come to his rescue after he’d been hit on the head by the man he’d thought was Mr. Hodges. The room had a hot plate and a small refrigerator, as well as a desk with a computer on it. Papers were organized in letter trays on the desk, and everything was neat and orderly. Alice then led them through another door and into the storeroom. The storeroom was much larger than the room they’d just come from and contained several boxes of books waiting to be opened and placed on the store shelves. Alice, Sebastian, and Doug threaded their way around the boxes to a door at the far end of the storeroom.

  “This door opens into the alley,” Alice told them. “Just make sure you close it tight when you leave.”

  With that, Alice left them to return to the store. Doug and Sebastian waited by the door for a few minutes. When they figured they had given Frank enough time to pull the truck around, they opened the door and stepped into the alley. There was no need for caution as they were the only two people in the alley. Quickly they made their way to the west end of the alley. As they were nearing the end of the last building on the block, a big flatbed truck hauling an impressive load of wood pulled up right in front of them. After looking left and right to make sure the coast was clear, they hurried across the sidewalk, opened the passenger side door, and climbed in.

  “You boys jest keep kinda low-like until we get outta town,” Frank told them as he put the truck in motion.

  Doug and Sebastian took his advice and hunched down in the front seat so that they wouldn’t be seen by any of the other Dinswood students, or worse yet, by any of the academy’s teachers. Soon they had turned onto the gravel road that led up to Cal Thrabek’s cabin.

  “I reckon it’s okay for ya to sit up now,” Frank told them, knowing how uncomfortable they must be in those crouched positions.

  With a big sigh of relief, Sebastian sat on the seat and stretched his legs. “I was starting to get a cramp in my leg.”

  Doug, whose legs were quite a bit longer than Sebastian’s, was equally relieved. As he adjusted his position on the seat by the window, he noticed that the gravel road on which they were traveling had been cleared of most of the snow. If it hadn’t been, he doubted that Frank would have been able to get his truck up the hill to deliver his load of wood. He looked over at the burly man in the driver’s seat and said, “We really appreciate you giving us a ride like this, sir.”

  “You can call me Frank, son. Frank Munsen’s m’name. My wife Alice and my daughter Becky were the ones workin’ in the bookstore.”

  “Nice to meet you,” Doug said politely. “I’m Douglas Harwood and this is Sebastian Conners.”

  “Any relation ta Dean Harwood?” Frank asked surprised.

  Unable to hide his own surprise and realizing that he could be in real trouble if this man knew his father, Doug nonetheless answered truthfully, “Yes sir, I’m his son.”

  “I thought ya looked like him. I’ve never actually met your dad, but I’ve seen him around town, and I know who he is.” Frank paused for a moment and then asked, “Now you boys ain’t up ta any mischief, are ya? I don’t wanna get in no trouble with your dad.”

  “No, sir,” Doug quickly assured him, his mind racing to come up with a reasonable explanation for why they were so desperate to see Cal. He looked over at Sebastian, but soon realized he’d get no help from him. After an uncomfortable silence, his mind finally hit upon something that might work. “We met Cal the last time we were in Windland, and I asked him to order a book for me. It’s a Christmas present for my dad. When I checked at the store just now, your wife didn’t know anything about it. This is our last trip to Windland until spring, so I have to get it now.” All of this had been said in a rush. Doug hated lying, and since it wasn’t something he did very often, he knew he was terrible at it. He risked a glance at Mr. Munsen and could see from his dubious expression that he wasn’t buying the story, but thankfully he didn’t ask any more questions; instead, he turned his attention back to the road ahead. A few minutes later, he came to a stop in front of a narrow lane that took off in a northwesterly direction and angled sharply upward.

  “Cal’s cabin is ’bout a mile up this road. Jest stick ta the road, and you’ll find it,” Frank told them as they got out of the truck. “I’ll be back ta get ya in ’bout an hour. You’ll have ta meet me right back here ’cause I can’t get this big truck up that little road, especially since it ain’t been cleared.”

  “We’ll be waiting for you when you come back down, Mr. Munsen. Thanks again for the ride,” Doug said as Sebastian followed him
out of the truck and closed the passenger door.

  They stood on the side of the road until the truck had pulled away, and then they set off along the lane that led to Cal’s cabin. A blast of chilly air hit them, and they quickly zipped up their coats and donned their hats and gloves. The snow, which was several inches deep, combined with the steep upward grade of the road, made it difficult to walk with any great haste. Fortunately, both boys had worn their boots to town, so their feet would stay warm and dry as long as they didn’t accidentally step in any deep snowdrifts. They struggled along in silence for a while, and then Doug became aware of something peculiar.

  “Sebastian, have you noticed that there aren’t any tire tracks on this road?”

  “Well, no I guess I hadn’t,” Sebastian replied with a shake of his head. “But that doesn’t mean anything except that Cal hasn’t left the cabin since it snowed Thursday.”

  “Yeah but there aren’t any ruts in the road either. It doesn’t look like anything has come this way in a long time.”