Taken

by Virginia Rose Richter

  Jessie tucked Buster under the rug and rubbed his fur to warm him.

  “Ready?” asked Mr. Sanderson.

  “Let’s go,” said Bryce.

  “Over there,” Mr. Sanderson pointed. “That’s the house you’re looking for.”

  Jessie covered most of her face with her scarf and turned her face away from the house in case someone was looking out the window and might recognize her.

  When the sleigh came to a stop, Bryce jumped to the road with the dog under his arm. He plowed through the deep snow to the front gate of a small yellow farmhouse. On the porch, he pounded on the door. No one answered. Bryce pounded again and yelled, “Anyone home?”

  Bryce turned to the sled and shouted, “No one’s here, I guess. It’s probably not their dog.” He ran down the steps and back to the sled clutching Buster. In almost a whisper he said, “There’s a baby crying in there.”

  Jessie leaned forward. “Please take us to the police station, Mr. Sanderson.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  The horse and sleigh flew over the snowy road. Jessie’s heart was pounding with excitement. Maybe we’ve found little Andel. Oh I hope so! She crossed her fingers.

  The Town Square was quiet except for church bells ringing from steeples all over town. Mr. Sanderson pulled to a stop in front of the police station.

  “Can you kids walk home?” asked the driver. “I should get ready for church. Wife will be waiting.”

  Bryce helped Jessie from the sled and put Buster under his arm. “Sure we can. Thank you for all your help, Mr. Sanderson. We’ll let you know what happens.”

  Mr. Sanderson waved and clicked his tongue for Dolly to start up. “Good luck to you two. You sure are good kids.”

  Jessie and Bryce pushed through the station doors and hurried to the counter. “Could we speak to whoever is handling the baby kidnapping?” asked Jessie.

  The sergeant behind the desk stared at her. “You must be Jessie Hanson,” he said. “I’m new, but I’ve heard of you.”

  “That’s me,” Jessie said.

  Have a seat. I’ll get Detective Olson.”

  A minute later a tall thin man came and stood in front of Jessie and Bryce. He had blond curly hair and wore a tweed sport coat with jeans.

  “Hi,” he said. “I’m Emil Olson. What can I do for you?” He looked at Buster. “This your dog?”

  “No.” Jessie handed the envelope with the newborn bracelet inside to the detective. “I’m Jessie Hanson and this is Bryce Peterson.”

  Detective Olson opened the envelope and shook out the blue bracelet. “Where did you get this?” he said. His voice seemed tight and stern.

  “This dog, Buster, had it in his mouth,” Jessie said. “We think we know where the baby is, but, please, Detective Olson. We have to hurry.”

  The detective headed down a hallway, “Follow me.”

  Jessie and Bryce hurried after him to a room with a metal table and chairs.

  Detective Olson closed the door. “Tell me exactly what happened.” He pulled a notebook and pen from his jacket pocket.

  Jessie explained as fast as she could talk. She hardly took a breath. About the dogs and the bracelet. The ride in the sleigh past the house. The baby crying inside.

  “How did you know where the dog lived?” asked Detective Olson.

  “Buster has a rabies tag. Bryce called his vet, Dr. Carter. He gave us the address.”

  Detective Olson stood and hurried from the room. Three or four minutes later he returned and said, “Okay. We have to get a judge to approve a search of the house. Then a police detail will go there and check it out.”

  “What about Buster?” said Jessie.

  “Someone’s picking him up. He’ll go to a private foster home for a while,” said the detective.

  Tears welled up in Jessie’s eyes.

  “Don’t worry,” said Detective Olson in a kind voice. “They’ll take good care of him.”

  “May we go with you?” asked Bryce.

  “Absolutely not, this is very delicate and could be dangerous,” said the detective. “We’ll keep you informed. Stay here.”

  Jessie and Bryce went back to the waiting room. Phones were ringing. Police were everywhere. Patrol cars were lined up at the curb.

  “I hope it works out,” whispered Jessie. “Or my names’s Mud.”

  Bryce said, “Don’t worry. I have a good feeling about this.”

  “We got an okay from the Judge Parker,” called the sergeant to the gathered policemen.

  “Okay”, said Detective Olson. “We’ll swing past Parker’s house and pick up the order on our way out. Let’s go!”

  “Wow!” said Bryce. “That was fast!”

  “They’ve been looking for a week,” Jessie said. “They probably were ready to act when they got a lead.”

  The police station emptied and the patrol cars headed through the snowy streets.

  A woman came into the waiting room. She looked around, spotted Buster lying between Jessie and Bryce and walked to the bench where they were sitting. “Hi,” she said. “I’m Norma Cole. Is this Buster?”

  “Yes,” said Jessie. “He’s shaking. I think he’s cold and scared, but he’s very sweet.”

  Mrs. Cole sat on the bench next to Jessie. “I’ll take him home and feed him and get him into a warm bed. Look how cute he is.”

  “May I visit him?” asked Jessie.

  “Sure.” The woman took a sticky note pad and pen from her pocket, wrote something on it, pulled the sheet from the pad and handed it to Jessie. “Here are my phone number and address. Call me or come on over for a visit.”

  Jessie looked at the note and slipped it into her pocket. She lifted Buster from the bench and handed him to the woman. “Please take good care of him.”

  Mrs. Cole cuddled the little dog. “I promise. See you soon.” She carried Buster through the doors.

  Jessie and Bryce were quiet for a few minutes. Then Jessie stood and started pacing. “You know, Bryce. Buster’s house isn’t really very far from here.”

  “That’s true,” said Bryce. “We could probably walk to it.” He stood and looked out the window, then at his boots. “The snow’s pretty deep but we have boots on.”

  “We do have boots on,” said Jessie.

  He grabbed her hand. They pushed through the entrance doors and ran down the sidewalk.

  Chapter Twenty

  The deep snow slowed them down. But fifteen minutes later, they could see the little yellow farmhouse. Hiding behind a grove of evergreen trees, Jessie and Bryce peeked through the branches. Patrol cars lined the country road along with an ambulance.

  “Oh no!” whispered Jessie. “What’s an ambulance doing there?”

  Bryce shook his head.

  The front door opened and the “grocery-store woman” appeared with her hands behind her back. A policewoman held the woman’s arm and guided her through the deep snow. “Look, Bryce,” whispered Jessie. “It’s the lady from the garage sale. The one who took off when she saw me.”

  Behind the woman came the man who was also at the sale. His hands were behind his back too. The police helped the couple into a patrol car, which made a U-turn and headed fast toward town.

  “Where’s the baby?” whispered Jessie. Minutes passed. Then from the house a policewoman in uniform stepped from the house carrying a bundle covered with a blue blanket. She hurried to the ambulance. A medic opened the rear doors and carefully took the bundle from the officer. The doors slammed and the emergency light turned on. The ambulance did a U-turn and roared past Jessie and Bryce toward town.

  “I’m worried,” said Jessie. “Let’s sneak into the hospital and try to find out if the baby’s okay.”

  “Maybe if we retrace our steps on our way here, the walk won’t take so long,” Bryce said.

  They hurried toward town and the hospital.

  Ten minutes later, the hospital was in sight. “Wait a minute, Jessie,” Bryce said. “Let’s see if we can figure out
which door they used. They approached the building cautiously. “Look. There’s the same ambulance. I remember the license number. So they must have gone into the Emergency Entrance.”

  “That doesn’t sound good,” said Jessie.

  When they stepped into the waiting room, no one was at the desk. They took seats at the back behind a big potted plant.

  Through the round windows in the wide swinging doors, Jessie and Bryce could see people scurrying back and forth. They waited.

  The door to the parking lot opened and Detective Olson entered with Anna and Ben Novak. They were crying. Jessie put her scarf over her mouth and kept her head down. “I don’t want them to see me,” she said. “Oh, why are they crying?”

  A half-hour passed. The big swinging doors slowly opened. Ben Novak walked out carrying the blue bundle. This time the baby’s dark hair and eyes were visible.

  “Look, Bryce,” whispered Jessie. “It’s baby Andel.”

  “I know!” Bryce said. “I’d know him from his picture. I guess they were crying with joy.”

  The Novaks walked out into the sunshine, carrying their baby.

  “I feel like crying with joy myself,” said Jessie.

  “It’s a happy day, alright,” Bryce said. He squeezed her hand.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  That Sunday night, Jessie went to bed early. Her parents weren’t back from Lincoln and didn’t know the great news. But she was just too sleepy to wait for them.

  Monday morning she got ready for school and went down to the kitchen.

  Her mother was waiting. So was her dad. They hugged her until she could barely breathe.

  “Jessie,” said her dad. “We’re bursting our buttons with pride.”

  Wow. That’s a lot coming from Daddy. “Thanks, Daddy and Mom. How’d you find out?”

  She looked at Phillip sitting at the table in his booster chair. He was signing something. She had to think.

  She pointed at herself, patted her heart, pointed at him and said, “I love you too.”

  “Detective Olson called and told Mrs. Winter last night. She told us. We want all the details.”

  Jessie told them the story of finding the baby. “When I found the baby bracelet, I came right home to tell you, Daddy. Then, I saw your note—about you being out of town. I knew we had to go to the police fast.”

  “Of course. You did the right thing,” said her father.

  Phillip said, “You did the right thing.”

  “I think we have an echo,” said Jessie’s mom.

  Everyone laughed.

  * * *

  On Tuesday morning at breakfast, Jessie’s mother said, “Anna and Ben Novak asked me if you and Tina and Bryce could come to their house today after school.”

  “I can. I’ll talk to Tina and Bryce,” Jessie said. Phillip was still in his footy pajamas. She lifted him into his booster seat and pushed him to the table. “Phillip, where’d you learn to sign ‘I love you’?” asked Jessie.

  “Mama,” he answered. He patted his heart and pointed at his mother.

  Mrs. Hanson signed back. “It’s nice, isn’t it?” she said. “I’m learning it from Tina’s mom. Phillip can talk to the twins that way. They love doing it.”

  “We used some signs ourselves while we were trying to find the baby,” said Jessie. “They come in handy.

  Mom, are you thinking about what I asked about Buster?” Jessie was eating her cereal.

  “I talked to your dad. Careful what you say in front of you-know-who.” She cut Phillip’s toast into triangles.

  “We’re still thinking about it.”

  After school Bryce and Tina came to Jessie’s house and they walked up the street to the Novaks’.

  Ben Novak opened the door. “Come in. Come in. Here they are, Anna. Our Forever Heroes!”

  Anna Novak entered the living room carrying Andel. She handed the baby to Ben and hugged Jessie and Tina and Bryce all together. She was crying. “We’ll never be able to really thank you enough. You are the most wonderful young people. I hope Andel grows up to be just like you three.”

  “We’re so relieved,” said Jessie. “May we see the baby?”

  Ben handed the baby to Jessie.

  “Look at him, Bryce and Tina,” Jessie said. “Isn’t he beautiful?” Everyone fussed over the baby. She handed Andel back to his father.

  “We have something for you, Jessie,” Anna said. She handed her a small white box.

  “What’s this?” said Jessie. She lifted the lid of the box and removed a layer of cotton. Nestled inside was the blue baby bracelet. It was clean and shiny and the letters spelled NOVAK. “Oh, I can’t take this.”

  “Yes, you take it,” said Ben. “Put it somewhere where you’ll see it every day. Then, if you’re ever feeling low, you’ll see it and be reminded that you are someone very special.”

  “Thank you,” said Jessie. “I’ll do that!”

  When Jessie got home, her mom had her coat and boots on and Phillip was bundled up in his blue snowsuit.

  “Going somewhere?” said Jessie

  “Keep your coat on,” said her mother. “You’re going too. It’s a surprise.”

  In the car, her mom drove through the streets, almost free of snow. They pulled up to a house Jessie had never noticed before. “Where are we?” Jessie asked.

  “Where are we?” Phillip asked from the back seat.

  “You’ll see,” said her mom. “Can you unstrap Phillip?”

  They went to the porch and rang the bell.

  Jessie was surprised to see Mrs. Cole open the door.

  “Hi, Jessie,” said the woman. “Please come in.”

  “This is Phillip, Norma,” said Jessie’s mom.

  “Hi, Phillip,” said Mrs. Cole. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

  “Do you two know each other, Mom?” asked Jessie.

  “Well, we just met yesterday. Dad and I came here to visit Buster.”

  “Do you mean we get to keep him?” asked Jessie.

  “If you still want to,” said her mother. “We thought he was very sweet. And he needs a home. His owners will be going to prison for a long time.”

  Mrs. Cole came back into the room holding Buster. Jessie hardly recognized him. He’d had a bath and a trim and was still shaggy but adorable. Mrs. Cole set him on the floor and the dog ran to Jessie.

  “Buster. Remember me?” whispered Jessie. She sat on the floor and put the dog in her lap. He wagged his tail and licked her nose.

  Phillip sat on the floor beside them. “Hi, Buster,” he whispered. The dog climbed into Phillip’s lap and licked his hand. Phillip petted the dog and looked up at his mother. “Can we keep him, Mama?” he said.

  “Yes you can,” said his mother. “He’s coming home with us.”

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Four weeks later, on the day before Thanksgiving, snow began to fall. It snowed the rest of the day and night and all through Thanksgiving Day. It finally stopped that evening. The sky cleared and a million stars appeared. A full moon shone.

  The next morning, the sun was bright and turned Fairfield and the countryside into a white wonderland. Jessie, Tina and Phillip stood on the Hansons’ front porch. Everyone was bundled up against the cold. Jessie held Buster, who wore his plaid flannel dog coat.

  “So,” said Tina. “How’s it going with the new dog?”

  “The vet says he’s actually still a puppy,” said Jessie.

  “Well he’s plenty cute,” said Tina. “And look at those bright eyes peeking out under his shaggy bangs.” She petted the dog. “Do he and Phillip get along?”

  “Best friends,” answered Jessie. “The first night we had him, after Phillip was in bed, I couldn’t find him. He wasn’t in his dog bed in the kitchen. Finally Mom and I tiptoed into Phillip’s bedroom and there he was cuddled up with Phillip. “He’s slept there ever since.”

  “I’m surprised your folks let him sleep in Phillip’s bed,” said Tina. “Mine sure wouldn’t.”

/>   “I’m just as amazed as you,” said Jessie. “But Daddy says ‘a boy needs a dog,’” Jessie laughed. “I guess that means sleeping with one.”

  “Look, Look!” said Phillip pointing to the street.

  “Here they come,” said Jessie.

  The beautiful horse and sleigh pulled out of Bryce’s driveway. Bryce, his sister Sunny, and Farley, the Old English Sheepdog, were on the seats in back. Bryce and Sunny waved and smiled and Farley barked. The driver reined the horse to a stop in the middle of the street. Tina picked up Phillip, and Jessie carried Buster while they trudged through the deep snow to the sleigh.

  Bryce jumped from the sleigh and helped Tina and Jessie up to the seats. Sunny and Tina sat on one long seat with Farley between them. Bryce covered their laps with a bright red woolen blanket. Jessie and Bryce settled into the seat facing them with Phillip and Buster in-between. Jessie fastened Phillip’s seat belt and her own, then pulled the red lap blanket up high to keep her brother warm.

  “It’s a perfect day for a sleigh ride!” said Jessie.

  “Thank you, Mr. Sanderson,” she called to the driver.

  Mr. Sanderson turned and smiled. “Ready?”

  They all called, “Ready!”

  He clicked his tongue at the horse and they started through the deep snow.

  Buster licked Phillip’s nose.

  Phillip pulled his mittened hand from under the blanket, patted his heart, hugged the little dog, and whispered. “I love you, Buster.”