“Oh, no need to worry. Santa Anna Tours has a perfect record. It’s the other boat company that has had all the problems,” the man said.
“I’ve heard that vandalism is suspected,” Uncle Dan said. The other man suddenly looked uncomfortable.
“I think I may know who is behind the vandalism, too,” Uncle Dan continued.
The captain looked surprised. “Oh, really? Who might that be?”
Uncle Dan leaned closer to the man.
He is such a great actor! thought Elizabeth. He should be on stage!
“Some teenagers have been wandering around here, and they look like they’re up to no good. There are two boys and a girl, and I don’t trust them. If I were you, I’d watch out for—hey! There they are now!” Uncle Dan pointed, and the captain turned to see Joe, Pedro, and Maria walking past.
Dog-napped!
Elizabeth and Kate licked their ice cream cones and watched the scene below, still listening on their tiny speaker. It was almost like watching a movie.
“Hey, you there!” Uncle Dan called out. “Didn’t I see you at the other boat dock? You looked like you were up to no good. I think you’ve been messing with all the boats!”
The teenagers stopped, looking like they’d been caught.
Perfect, thought Elizabeth.
“I don’t know anything about any boats,” said Joe defensively, and the other two agreed.
Uncle Dan wheeled his chair forward. “You’d better stay away from here. I’m onto you, and if I see you hanging around, making trouble, I’ll call the police!”
So far, so good, thought Elizabeth. Some ice cream dripped from her cone, and Biscuit quickly cleaned it up.
Uncle Dan and the teens exchanged a few more angry words before the threesome moved on. Uncle Dan looked at the Skipper and said, “I think I’ll pass on that ride. I’m going to call the police and report my suspicions right now.”
The captain shook Uncle Dan’s hand. “Thank you, sir. You’re a good citizen. If more people would report hoodlums instead of just letting them wander around getting into trouble, we’d all be better off.”
Elizabeth caught a glimpse of someone in the shadows, beneath the bridge. It was Gilligan! He seemed to listen to the conversation between Uncle Dan and the captain.
The hairs on Biscuit’s back stood up, and he gave a low, throaty growl. Kate grabbed his collar. “Easy, boy,” she whispered.
Uncle Dan began to wheel away. When his back was turned, the girls saw the captain motion for his sidekick to come closer.
“It looks like the heat is off, for a while. That guy thinks those teenagers have caused River City’s problems. He’s going to call the police,” the Skipper told his partner.
Gilligan laughed. “That’s perfect. And while everyone is focused on them, we can make another move.”
Kate and Elizabeth looked at each other, wide-eyed. This was going exactly as planned! Now, if the recorder had worked correctly, all they’d have to do was take the recording to the police.
They were startled when a voice below them yelled, “Kate, Elizabeth! What are y’all doing up there? Come down and join us!”
It was Gary, and his loud voice echoed on the buildings around them. To the left and the right, tourists turned to see who Elizabeth and Kate were. The Skipper and Gilligan turned, too. Elizabeth locked eyes with the Skipper and realized he recognized her.
Just then, Gary spotted Uncle Dan, who was trying to wheel back into the hotel lobby. “Dan! Over here! I just spotted your niece and her friend. We’re going to rent a riverboat. Do all of you want to come?”
Oh no. Did Gary just point out to the whole world… and to those men…that I’m Uncle Dan’s niece? That can’t be good.
All of a sudden, the Skipper’s face went white. His jaw clenched, and he seemed to realize he’d been duped. “Hey, you!” he called out to Uncle Dan.
Without warning, Biscuit leaped from the low balcony and dashed straight for the Skipper! The little dog bared his teeth and growled.
“Why, you little mutt…,” the man said, kicking at Biscuit. The little dog backed up, but continued to growl.
“Hey!” Uncle Dan yelled, wheeling his chair around. “Cut it out!”
The Skipper looked around at all the witnesses and took a deep breath. Rage flooded his eyes. But he pasted on a smile and said, “Sorry about that, folks. I get a little nervous when a dog bares his teeth at me.”
By this time Kate and Elizabeth were on the ground, and Uncle Dan wheeled up beside Elizabeth. He didn’t say a word, just gave the Skipper a steely-eyed stare. Even in a wheelchair, Uncle Dan offered a powerful presence. He was a war veteran. A war hero. He’d faced things far more dangerous than a crooked riverboat owner.
The Skipper held eye contact with Uncle Dan, then turned. “Well, folks, the show’s over. Now, who wants to go for a ride?”
The line that had been forming dispersed, causing the captain more frustration. But he continued to stand there, smiling and nodding. “Come back another time,” he said weakly.
About that time, Kate looked around. “Where’s Biscuit?” she asked.
Elizabeth looked to the spot where Biscuit had stood moments earlier, but the little dog was nowhere in sight.
“Biscuit?” Kate called. “Biscuit, where are you?” Her voice came out in a squeak.
Elizabeth put her hand on Kate’s shoulder and said, “He was just here a minute ago. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere. The captain doesn’t have him, and—” She looked around for Gilligan. He was gone, too.
Oh no! It can’t be! God, please don’t let that man have Biscuit! God, please keep Biscuit safe!
Soon, everyone around was calling for the little dog. Even strangers were looking beneath restaurant tables and in shadowy corners, hoping for a sign of Biscuit.
Elizabeth looked at Uncle Dan, who had his eye on the captain and his empty boat. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” she whispered.
“If you’re thinking we need to keep an eye on that man and his sidekick, then yes,” he said. “Do you have the recorder? Let’s go see if we got a good recording of the whole thing. Then we’ll come up with a plan to find Biscuit.”
The recorder! In the excitement, had they left it on the table at the ice cream shop?
“Kate!” she called, scanning the crowd.
She spotted Kate next to Gary, who was trying to calm her. “We’ll find him. There were too many people around for him to have just disappeared. Surely someone saw something!”
Kate continued to look through the crowds. “That man took him. I know he did,” she told her youth minister.
Gary looked confused. “That man? What man? What are you talking about?”
Elizabeth interrupted their conversation. “Excuse me, Kate. I think that little recorder might lead us to Biscuit. Do you have it?”
For a moment, Kate looked dazed, as if she didn’t comprehend. Then understanding dawned, and she began feeling in her pockets. “The recorder! Oh no! When Biscuit jumped off the balcony, I just went after him. I think I left it on the table!”
The girls ran to the ice cream shop. They took the low, curved steps two at a time, and found a mother with two small boys sitting at their table.
“Excuse me,” Elizabeth approached the woman politely. “My friend and I left something at this table. Did you see a small, round, black device by any chance?”
The woman shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. I didn’t see anything,” she said.
“Is this what you’re looking for?” asked one of the boys. He held up the recorder. “I found it in the chair. It’s really cool! I’ve been pushing the buttons.”
Pushing the buttons? Oh no!
Elizabeth took the recorder from the boy and smiled. “Thank you,” she told him.
The girls went down the stairs and found Gary waiting for them at the bottom. “Kate? What man? I think you need to tell me what you’re talking about.”
Kate sighed, b
ut said nothing. Elizabeth knew her friend was too distraught to think clearly.
“Gary, why don’t you come with us? We’re going to talk to my Uncle Dan. We’ll explain everything.” Elizabeth led Kate through the maze of tourists.
They pushed open one of the sparkly, double glass doors of the hotel and found Uncle Dan waiting for them. “Did you find it?” he asked.
“Yes,” she answered. “But there’s no telling what kind of shape it’s in. A little boy had it. He was about James’s age. And he was pushing all the buttons.”
Uncle Dan pushed the PLAY button, and heard a child’s laughter. Then he heard a woman’s voice saying, “Be careful, Joshua. You don’t want your ice cream cone to fall on the floor.” Then, more laughter.
Great, thought Elizabeth. “What are we going to do now?” she asked.
Kate spoke up, seeming to have gained control of her emotions. “We’re going to find Biscuit! That’s what we’re going to do.”
Gary put his arm on Kate’s shoulder. “We’ll do all we can to find Biscuit. But first, I think you need to tell me what’s going on.”
An hour later, a massive search party had been formed. Gary organized the teens from Kate’s youth group into teams, and they were instructed to search the east side of the Riverwalk. Joe, Pedro, and Maria were to search the west side leading to the Alamo. Uncle Dan, Kate, and Elizabeth decided to go through the underground tunnel that led to the mall.
Before they left, however, Uncle Dan turned to Kate. “I need you to bring all of your spy gadgets. You never know what we might need. I have a couple of gadgets of my own. You go get your equipment, and I’ll meet you back here in five minutes.”
The girls wasted no time. While Kate was piling the gadgets into her backpack, Elizabeth sent a text to the other Camp Club Girls: BISCUIT MISSING. SEARCHING NOW. PRAY.
She pressed the SEND button, then did a little praying of her own—out loud, so Kate could hear. “Dear Father, we don’t know where Biscuit is, but You do. Please keep him safe. If those men have him, please don’t let them hurt him. And please help us to find him. Soon.”
Kate wiped a tear from her cheek and whispered, “Amen.” She zipped up her backpack, and they headed to the lobby. In the elevator, she said, “Elizabeth, I’m scared. I’m really scared. This is even worse than at camp, when Biscuit was missing. Then, he just ran away. This time, I really think he was kidnapped. What if…”
Elizabeth put her arm around her friend’s shoulder. “We’re not going to think about ‘what if.’ We’ve asked God to help us find Biscuit, and to keep him safe. Now, we just have to trust God to do that. Remember Mark 11:24, ‘Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.’ “
Kate nodded. “I know. I want to believe. But in this case, that’s easier said than done.”
“I know what you mean,” said Elizabeth. “I guess if faith in God were easy, more people would believe.”
“I wish I’d left that tracking device on his collar!” Kate said. “If only I hadn’t taken it off when I got here!”
The elevator doors opened into the lobby, where Uncle Dan was waiting. After a quick show-and-tell of the gadgets, they headed toward the mall. Instead of the usual way, however, Uncle Dan led them through a tiny door inthe side of one of the buildings.
“Where are we going?” asked Elizabeth.
“We’re still going to the mall,” Uncle Dan answered. “But if Biscuit was truly taken, the kidnappers wouldn’t have him right out in the open. There are dozens of these passageways between the mall and the Riverwalk, and few people even know about them. They were built so store owners would have a back way in and out of their stores, but they are hardly used.” He pointed to a series of doors along the side of the passageway. “These rooms are mostly used for storage, and each one has a door on the other side leading to one of the stores. Most of the store owners prefer to go through the mall, and get to their storage rooms from there.”
“I don’t blame them,” said Elizabeth. “There’s something creepy about this…I wouldn’t want to walk through here every day, either.”
“I think we need to search these passageways,” said Uncle Dan. “I think it’s the only way that guy could have escaped unseen. I don’t know where all the entrances are; most were built to blend in with the landscape of the Riverwalk. They’re difficult to see, if you don’t already know where they are.”
“Wow,” whispered Kate. “It’s like we’ve just walked into a spy movie. Only it’s real.”
Uncle Dan stopped his wheelchair, turning to face them. “Elizabeth, you have your cell phone, right?”
Elizabeth nodded.
“You two go on into the mall, and see what you can find. Remember, you’re not looking for Biscuit, though if you find him, that’s great. You’re looking for doors to these tunnels. Look around, ask around, see what you can find out. Call me as soon as you know something.”
“What then?” asked Elizabeth.
Uncle Dan pulled out a long telescope-looking device. “This is a peephole reverser. It allows you to look the other way through a peephole in a door, so you can see what’s going on inside the room. We have to use these sometimes in the hotel rooms, if we think someone is in danger. If you can find the doors, even if they are locked, we can look inside. As long as there is a peephole, that is.”
The girls’ eyes grew round. “Cool!” Elizabeth said.
“Why don’t you do the honors?” Uncle Dan handed Elizabeth the device and gestured to the doors. Kate was too short to reach the peephole, and Uncle Dan was out of reach, as well.
Elizabeth went from door to door, looking inside the rooms. Most of the rooms were dark, but a couple of them revealed only stacks of cardboard boxes. One had toys and stuffed animals on shelves, and she knew that was the toy store. Before long, she had looked through all the doors. No Biscuit in sight.
“Do you want me to keep this?” Elizabeth asked her uncle.
“No. If you’re caught with it, you’ll have a hard time explaining. Thieves use these to check out the places they want to rob.” Uncle Dan returned the device to his duffel bag and said, “Remember, you’ve got to think like the bad guys. Where would they go? What would they do? Go and see what you can find out, and meet me back here in half an hour. I’m going to find some of the shop owners and ask some questions. Maybe somebody saw something.”
Kate and Elizabeth headed into the mall. After a few steps, Kate stopped. “Wait. Take this,” she said, holding out a small pack of gum.
“Oh, no thanks,” said Elizabeth. “I’m not in the mood for gum right now.”
Kate continued holding the gum out. “Take it,” she said. Then, moving a little closer, she whispered, “It’s a walkie-talkie. See the button? I have one, too.” She held up another pack of gum. “This way, if we accidentally get separated, we can communicate.”
Elizabeth’s eyes grew wide, and she examined the small rectangular device. It looked exactly like a pack of gum. But sure enough, there was a tiny button on the back.
“Kate, you are full of surprises,” she told her friend, tucking the gum into her pocket.
The two girls had only passed a couple of stores when they spotted another passageway. Kate tested it, and sure enough, it was unlocked. “Should we go in?”
“Uncle Dan has the peephole reverser. He said to call when we found something.” Elizabeth pulled out her cell phone, ready to call Uncle Dan, when she heard someone calling her name. She looked up to find Joe, Pedro, and Maria coming toward her.
“There you are!” Joe said, looking out of breath. “We’ve been looking all over for you! Come with us. We think we may have found something.”
Maria grabbed Kate’s arm, and said, “Come on! You’ve got to listen to this.”
“Have you found Biscuit? Do you know where my dog is?” Kate asked, hope filling her face.
“Just come on!” said Pedro, pulling Elizabeth along b
ehind him. They took off, jogging when possible, slowing to a walk when they were in crowds. They had gone almost the length of the mall when Joe gestured to a hidden doorway. “This way!” he said.
The six young people entered the doorway, and Joe led them to a small round hole in the wall. The rim of some PVC pipe was barely visible. Joe leaned and placed his ear against the pipe, then stepped back.
“Listen,” he said to Kate.
She stepped forward and placed her ear against the pipe. Relief flooded her face. “It’s Biscuit! He’s okay! Listen, Beth! It’s Biscuit!”
Elizabeth stepped forward and placed her ear to the pipe. Sure enough, she heard Biscuit’s familiar howling.
“This is great!” Elizabeth cried. “So…where is he? Where can we find him?”
Their new friends looked at each other. “Well…um… we don’t exactly know. These pipes run all through the mall, and even to other places on the Riverwalk. He could be anywhere.”
Searching for Biscuit
Elizabeth pulled out her cell phone. “Let me call Uncle Dan. He was in charge of search-and-rescue missions in Vietnam. He’ll know what to do.” She dialed the number and held the phone to her ear.
Nothing.
She dialed again, with the same results. “I can’t get a signal. I guess these tunnels are too closed in. Come on, Kate. Let’s go find Uncle Dan.”
Kate stood her ground. “I’m not going anywhere until I know how to find Biscuit. I’m staying right here where I can hear him. Hey! I wonder if he can hear me?”
She cupped her hands around the pipe and called into the hole, “Biscuit! Biscuit, it’s me. Calm down, boy. We’re going to find you.”
She placed her ear to the hole and reported, “He heard me! He’s whimpering, but he’s not howling anymore. He knows we’re on our way.”
Elizabeth placed her phone back in her pocket. They had no choice. They would have to split up. Someone had to go figure out where the other end of that pipe was, and Kate wasn’t moving. “Okay. You stay here. I’ll try to find Uncle Dan. If I can’t find him, I’ll at least find out what’s on the other side of this wall. Whatever you do, don’t go anywhere. The last thing we need is to lose you, too.”
Elizabeth's San Antonio Sleuthing Page 8