Taken

by Virginia Rose Richter

  “I should know all the places. That’s all we’ve been doing since the twins were born,” said Tina. She stood and adjusted the stroller so the sun wasn’t on the babies. “First of all, they need food and formula and diapers. They might already have a supply if they were planning this ahead of time. But they’re going to run out fast. We’d better write this down.”

  Jessie ran into the house and got a pad and pencil. Back on the porch she said, “So we should sort of hang out at the grocery store. What about the drug store? They carry that stuff too.”

  The sun was high in the sky. Tina unbuttoned her jacket. “Yeah. And so do the convenience stores. Let’s make copies of the picture and ask if we can pin them up at some stores.”

  Jessie started writing on the pad. “I’m making a list so we don’t forget stuff. Do we have to ask the police before we post the pictures?”

  “Oh. Maybe. We’d better find out,” Tina said.

  “I’ll bet Miss Tyler at the library will help us make copies of the pictures. I think they have a color copier in the back room. She’s being a lot friendlier these days because she’s friends with Bryce and his family.”

  “Good idea,” said Tina. “Let’s think about this. Where did they go with the baby? Are they still in town? Could they have left Fairfield? If they live here, would their neighbors be suspicious. You know, them just suddenly showing up with a little baby?”

  Jessie flipped her braid back over her shoulder. “If I saw that baby again, I think I’d recognize him. He was really different than babies I see around town. Most of them are blond, but he has really dark hair and eyes. And he looks like he’s been to the barber and had a trim already.”

  “Oh, honestly,” said Tina. Her eyes welled with tears. “He sounds darling. Those poor parents. How will they stand what’s happened.” She pulled a tissue from her pocket and wiped her eyes.

  “Let’s find them!” Jessie stood up and studied the twins. “Would they try to change his appearance somehow? Maybe dress him like a girl or bleach his hair?”

  “That would probably work!” Tina said. “It’s something to think about. Maybe we should see who’s buying hair color or baby girl clothes.”

  The screen door slammed. Phillip hopped down the steps and ran to the yard where piles of leaves had been raked together, ready to be put in bags.

  “Watch this,” said Jessie. “Daddy won’t be thrilled.”

  Phillip took a flying leap and landed on one of the piles. He laughed with glee when the leaves flew in all directions. The twins woke and struggled to sit up. When they saw Phillip, they started giggling.

  “Hi, Pam-a-Tori,” called Phillip. “Watch me!” He ran to the next heap and jumped on it. The twins thought it was the funniest thing they’d ever seen. Their arms went into the air.

  “Want UP?” said Tina. She picked up Tori and Jessie took Pam. They carried them to the lawn and sat them down. The babies could crawl now and they took off toward Phillip. He got on his knees and gave each a kiss. They sat up and clapped their hands, laughing so hard they toppled over. He sat them up again and ran through the rest of the piles swinging his arms like windmills, his red jacket bright among the leaves.

  Jessie and Tina laughed too, entranced by all this happiness and glad that their own siblings were safe at home.

  The screen door slammed. Jessie’s mom said, “What’s so fun…?” She saw Phillip clowning for the babies. “Oh, boy. All your dad’s work—undone! “She sat down beside Jessie and Tina and joined in the laughter.

  Chapter Four

  “Look. Here comes Bryce,” Tina said.

  Bryce leaned his bike against a big oak tree and hurried to the porch. “Hi, Mrs. Hanson. Hi, Tina. Here’s the picture, Jessie. It’s a good one!” He handed an envelope to Jessie.

  They all crowded in to look at the photo. Bryce had blown it up to an 8″ x 10″ size. The baby was adorable. And his hand was in the picture showing the tiny bracelet on his wrist.

  “I can hardly stand this,” said Mrs. Hanson. “I’m going inside and fix something for the Novaks’ dinner tomorrow.” She stood and started toward the door. “Jessie, please keep an eye on Phillip.”

  “Thanks, Bryce,” said Jessie. “We thought we’d make copies and post them around town but I guess we better ask the police if it’s okay first.”

  “Not me,” said Tina. “I have to take the twins home and feed them.”

  Bryce stood and strode into the yard where Phillip was rolling in the leaves. When Phillip saw Bryce, the little boy stood and ran. “Chase me, Bryce,” he shouted. Bryce chased after the little boy, not quite catching him. Phillip screamed with pleasure. The twins laughed so hard they fell over onto their stomachs.

  Farley charged across the street and joined in the fun. Leaves were scattered to the winds. Brother! Wait ’til Daddy sees this! thought Jessie.

  Jessie helped Tina return the twins to the stroller and walked her down the sidewalk. The babies were rubbing their stomachs and whimpering. “Are you hungry?” Tina asked the twins. She rubbed her own stomach when she said ‘hungry.’ “I hope we make it home before they go into full howl. The neighbors will wonder what I did to them. Bye.” Tina took off down the street, pushing the buggy fast.

  Then Jessie remembered and ran after Tina. When she caught up to her she said, “I forgot. Please don’t say that Mom and I were visiting the hospital today. We’re witnesses and Daddy’s worried we might be in danger.”

  “Oh. My gosh!” said Tina. “I promise I won’t say anything to anybody.”

  Jessie collected a laughing Phillip and got him into the house with the promise of a cookie.

  When she came back outside, Bryce was waiting for her. “Want me to go with you when you take the picture to the police?”

  “That would be great. I told Mom I was going. I’ll get my bike.” Jessie ran to the garage and rolled out her bicycle. “Let’s stop at the library and make some copies. Just so we have them on hand, even if the police say not to post them.”

  Bryce smiled a knowing smile. “In other words, copy them first before the police tell you not to.”

  Jessie smiled. “Right!”

  While they rode side-by-side, Jessie told Bryce all the details of the visit to the hospital. “The fake nurse was wearing a white mask. So we didn’t get a good look at her. She also wore tennis shoes.” Jessie steered around a broken patch on the brick street. “I’ve been trying to picture her again. She looked kind of old to be having a new baby. That is if she wanted the baby for herself. She had gray hair. Course maybe it was a wig.” She checked to see if the photo envelope was safely tucked into her bike basket. “But I remember her eyes. They were sort of sleepy looking—half closed and a gray color.”

  “Was she tall? Thin?” asked Bryce.

  “She was about Mom’s height and not really thin. Maybe five feet five.” Jessie was quiet for a minute. “There was something else. A scar or burn or something on the back of her left hand. I noticed it when she took the baby from Mrs. Novak.”

  “Well that’s pretty important,” said Bryce. “It could identify her.”

  “Unless it heals and disappears,” said Jessie.

  Chapter Five

  The library sat in the Town Square along with the white painted bandstand and the red brick County Court House. Shops across the streets faced the Square on all four sides. City workers tended to the lawn, raking leaves and putting flowers to bed for the winter.

  Jessie and Bryce fastened their bikes to the rack near the wide steps that led up to the library. He carried the envelope with the picture of the baby. The concrete lions that guarded the steps looked peaceful with red leaves drifting onto their manes and paws.

  Inside the tall double doors, the two stopped talking. Jessie noticed that Miss Tyler wasn’t at her usual place behind the high desk. Then she spotted her speaking to a patron next to a tall window.

  “We’d better wait,” said Jessie in a low voice. “I don’t think she’d li
ke us interrupting her.”

  After a few minutes, Miss Tyler returned to her station. Jessie thought she looked prettier than a year ago. She was tall and her hair was light brown, but it was cut differently. It was longer and more casual and she wore earrings and dressed more stylishly. Maybe because she was going out with Bryce’s dad.

  “Why, Jessica and Bryce. What brings you here?”

  Jessie was thinking. I’m not supposed to say anything about the hospital. “Hi, Miss Tyler. Is there any chance we could copy a few things on your color printer?” asked Jessie. “We’d pay you.”

  “Well”, said the librarian. “How many items do you want to copy?”

  Bryce spoke up. “About twenty.”

  Miss Tyler liked Bryce. “Maybe just this once. The printer is behind that door. Go ahead.”

  Jessie and Bryce hurried around the desk.

  “Thanks, Bryce. She likes you. I don’t know if she would have let me do this without showing her the picture first,” Jessie said. “My dad doesn’t want me to tell anyone else about mom and I seeing the kidnapper.”

  “I remembered,” he said. “I figured she’d let me use the printer.” The copies began to slide onto the machine’s tray. “These are great!”

  Jessie studied the prints. “The color is just right,” she said. “I know I’d recognize Andel if I saw him again. People say that new babies all look alike. But this one’s different”. She slipped the original photo and the twenty copies back into the envelope. “Let’s go.”

  Back at Miss Tyler’s desk, Jessie and Bryce thanked her and hurried out the door.

  “I’d better get home,” Jessie said. “I can ask Daddy if it’s okay to post the pictures. He’ll know.”

  * * *

  That night Jessie poured over The Fairfield Times to see what the paper wrote about the kidnapping. All the details were there. The story even mentioned “guests” in the hospital room with Mrs. Novak. But no names were given. I’ll bet Daddy fixed that. The account said that the hospital was shut down as soon as it realized the child was missing, but apparently too late because the woman and baby did not turn up despite a thorough search of the facility. Police asked for information from anyone who might have seen the woman flee with the infant. There was no description except that the kidnapper had posed as a nurse and wore high white tennis shoes.

  Jessie carried the paper to the living room and handed it to her dad. “Boy. They sure don’t have much to go on. What will the police do next?”

  Her father read the newspaper account. “We’ll just hope someone saw something and will call the authorities.”

  “Bryce and I made copies of the baby’s picture at the library,” Jessie said. “Do you think the police would want to post them for the people to see?”

  “I’ll take a picture to the police station,” said her dad. “We’ll see what they say.” He picked up the newspaper.

  Jessie sat down at the piano bench and began to practice scales. She stopped. “I forgot to tell you. The kidnapper had some kind of burn or scar on her left hand.”

  Her father lowered his paper and looked at her. “When were you going to tell me? Never withhold evidence, Jessie. In this case a child’s life could be at stake.”

  “Sorry, Daddy.”

  He stood and walked to the hall phone.

  Chapter Six

  The next morning the first snow arrived. It seemed as if it would never stop.

  Jessie was sitting on her window bench when she spotted the Novak car travel slowly up Willow Lane. Mrs. Novak was coming home from the hospital. Without her baby, thought Jessie. The Novaks lived on the next block in a pretty little white cottage with blue shutters.

  “Hi.” It was Phillip. He was bundled up in his red snowsuit and new boots. Blond curls escaped from his red stocking cap.

  “Where are you going?” asked Jessie.

  “Snow man. Want to help?” He smiled up at her.

  “I guess,” said Jessie.

  Her mother called Phillip and took him outside while Jessie dressed and put on her parka and boots. The phone rang. “Hello?”

  “It’s Tina. What’s going on? I mean should we go to the stores and check for odd people buying baby stuff?”

  “Tina! You’re beginning to sound just like me. Where do we start?” Jessie laughed. “You’re the baby expert.”

  “I’m thinking. No one will be out with a baby in this storm. Maybe the snow’s a good thing. Now the kidnappers will be snowbound. But they still have to get baby supplies—diapers, formula. You know.”

  “All true”, said Jessie. I’ll meet you at your gate in fifteen minutes.”

  “Okay. Let’s wander around the stores and see who’s buying what,” Tina said.

  * * *

  Jessie and Tina trudged through the snow, heading for the Town Square.

  “Okay,” said Jessie. “What’s the story we tell if someone gets too inquisitive?”

  “How about—we’re looking around for early Christmas shopping?” Tina said.

  “We haven’t even had Thanksgiving yet,” said Jessie.

  “Well, people know how organized I am,” said Tina “They’d believe it about me and figure I’m just dragging you along.”

  “Actually that makes perfect sense.” Jessie said. “So I should act kind of impatient and irritated.”

  “That won’t be difficult for you,” Tina laughed.

  Jessie laughed too.

  It was a relief to step into the warm drug store. The girls stuffed their mittens into their coat pockets and moved slowly through the aisles. Jessie trailed Tina as if she was not happy to be there.

  A clerk came up to them. “Well, Jessie and Tina, what brings you out in this storm?” she asked.

  Tina gave her best smile. “I’m kind of looking for baby things for the twins’ Christmas gifts.”

  “My you’re going to be prepared early,” said the clerk. “The baby supplies and toys are in aisle nine.”

  “Sometimes I cannot believe Tina,” Jessie said to the clerk. “Is there anyone else in town this eager to get started? Or buying stuff for their baby in this storm?”

  The clerk smiled. “Well actually we’ve had several people in today buying baby supplies.”

  “Who? I can’t imagine anyone else is crazy enough to be out today,” said Jessie. Please say a name, she thought.

  “Bob Smith came in for diapers. And Carrie Post was in for formula.”

  Phooey, thought Jessie. I know the Smiths and the Posts and their babies.

  “Oh. And then there was a woman—I didn’t know her. Buying nightgowns for her new grandchild,” the clerk said.

  “I can understand diapers and formula in a storm. But couldn’t nightgowns wait?” asked Tina.

  “I guess not. She seemed anxious and in a hurry.”

  Jessie and Tina exchanged glances.

  “What…?” Jessie started to say but the clerk dashed off to a man entering the store.

  “Wow,” said Tina. “She must be desperate for company—telling us all that.”

  “Yeah. Are they supposed to discuss their customers with other people?” Jessie laughed. “Or are doctors and lawyers the only ones who have to keep quiet?”

  The girls casually walked the aisle in the baby department. Tina would hold up an item and Jessie would lean against a shelf acting disinterested.

  The same clerk found them in the clothing section. “Well, Tina, did you find anything you like?”

  “Could you show me the nightgowns? I think that was a good idea since it’s getting cold.”

  “Well,” said the clerk. “You’ll probably need bigger gowns than the other customer, since she was buying for a newborn.” The saleswoman directed them to stacks of nightwear for babies.

  Tina held up a nightgown. “What color did the lady buy? Pink or yellow?” asked Tina.

  The clerk sorted through the pile. “Oh no. She bought three of these pretty blue nighties. Look how tiny they are.”
/>   “Must have a boy then,” said Tina.

  “Oh, not necessarily,” said the clerk. “People buy all colors for babies these days.”

  “Come on, Tina,” said Jessie. “Decide.”

  “I’m still just looking, Jessie. Thank you for your help,” Tina told the clerk.

  The girls zipped up their coats and left the store.

  “You were very convincing,” said Tina. “She’ll remember you for being a real kill-joy.”

  Jessie laughed. “Thank you. Maybe I should join the drama club.”

  They hurried down the block to the grocery store.

  Before they pushed through the door, Jessie said, “What are we checking out?”

  “Baby formula, diapers and hair dye,” Tina said.

  Inside the store, the owner, Mr. Schroder, greeted them.

  “Well, Jessie and Tina. What brings you out in this storm?”

  “Mom wanted me to pick up some diapers,” said Tina. “But I forgot the money.”

  “That’s okay,” said the grocer. “We’ll just put it on your account.” He headed to the baby department. “What size?”

  “Is anyone else as absent-minded as me, Mr. Schroder?” asked Tina. “Who would forget the size diaper their baby wears?”

  He laughed. “Sometimes people don’t have a clue. I had a man in here today early. He said he had a newborn then picked a year-old size. I had to teach him all about diapers. Actually he seemed old to be having his first baby.”

  Tina glanced at Jessie who was leaning against the shelf and gazing out the window. Brother, Jessie’s playing this to the hilt.

  “I’m going to come back for the diapers,” said Tina. “I don’t want to go home with the wrong size.” She turned to Jessie. “Let’s look at the hair color—just for fun.”

  Jessie perked up. “Good idea. I always look when I’m here. Not that Mom would even consider such a thing.”

  Mr. Schroder laughed. “Let me know if you need me.”

  At the hair dye shelf, the girls checked the arrangement in the blond section. It looked like no one had touched it for years.