by Jo Gibson
Dale was grinning as he took a chocolate-covered doughnut out of Susie’s box. She wouldn’t mind. She’d always been generous about sharing her food.
As Dale munched, he had a very disturbing thought. Tim was an A student at the top of his class and the rest of them were no slouches, either. What if they figured out a way to escape, and they told everyone what he had done? But they couldn’t escape from a locked room with security bars on the window. There was nothing they could do, no way they could spoil his perfect plan.
“You can’t escape! I’m smarter than any of you!” Dale laughed in satisfaction. And that thought made him feel so good, he ate another of Susie’s doughnuts.
“Okay. We’re ready.” Tim gave Jennifer one last hug. “We’re going to find him and capture him.”
Jennifer managed a smile, but she felt more like crying. They’d discussed it all and there was no other choice. The boys had gathered their weapons: a sharp letter opener for Brian, a heavy brass vase for Tim, and Tommy’s club.
“Stay here and wait.” Tommy put his arm around Lexie’s shoulders. “And don’t open the door to anyone except us.”
“We won’t.” Lexie hugged him back. And then she pointed to the two knives she’d brought from the kitchen. “Don’t worry, Tommy. If he tries to break in here, we’ll carve him up like a Thanksgiving turkey!”
“Good girl!”
As Tommy hugged Lexie, Jennifer smiled. Perhaps her dream of a best friend who was also her sister-in-law might come true. But only if the boys captured Dale and got back here safely.
“Ready?” Tim motioned to Brian and Tommy. “Let’s go!”
Jennifer watched as they moved toward the door. Her heart wanted Tim to stay, but her mind knew that they had to defeat Dale. It was like Tim had said. Dale wouldn’t just leave them here. He’d try to kill them and they had to capture him before he could make his next move.
“Good hunting, Tim.” Jennifer put a smile on her face. Even though she’d never experienced it firsthand, she thought she knew how girlfriends and wives must feel, sending their men off to war. But Tim didn’t leave. He just stood there at the door, turning the knob and pushing against it.
“What’s the matter?” Lexie sounded worried.
“I don’t know.” Tim turned around with a frown on his face. “The door won’t open.”
“It must be stuck.” Tommy put his shoulder to the door, but it wouldn’t budge. “This is weird!”
“Let me see.” Brian moved up to the door, but instead of trying to force it open, he got down on his hands and knees and examined the lock. When he turned back to look at them, he was scowling. “Dale locked it from the outside. There’s another bolt. I can see it. And it’s encased in a steel sleeve. I hate to say it, but there’s no way in hell we can open it from this side.”
Dale was humming as he worked at the huge gas furnace by the light of a powerful flashlight. He’d resented it at the time, but now he was grateful that his uncle had asked him to supervise the men when they’d installed it. He’d asked them about safety and they’d told him that there was only one way to make the system back up. Of course they hadn’t known they were providing him with the tools for murder.
The red button on the furnace was the manual override and the blue button would turn on the gas. There was an automatic shutoff if the pilot light was out, but he’d figured out how to defeat that. The gas would hiss out, seeping into every nook and cranny of the lodge, building up until the deadly concentration was at its peak.
Dale frowned slightly as he thought about his friends. When they smelled the gas and realized what was happening, they’d open the window. But that would only buy them a little time. There was no escape from the manager’s office. His uncle had installed security bars after someone had tried to break in last summer. Eventually, they’d all lose consciousness, even if they crowded together at the open window. And that was when he’d execute the final stage of his plan.
He’d climb the hill in back of the lodge with his uncle’s high-powered rifle. And when the time was right, he’d fire a round into the kitchen. There was plenty of metal in there with the stainless steel countertops, the restaurant-sized stove, the huge refrigerator, and the ceiling rack that held pots and pans. His shot was bound to create a spark. His friends would be dead by then, or at least unconscious. They wouldn’t feel a thing when Saddlepeak Lodge blew up like a giant bomb.
Dale smiled as he took out the notebook in his pocket and glanced at his calculations. He owed the success of his plan to Brian, who had tutored him in math. He’d figured out the number of cubic feet and the answer had told him how long it would take for the fumes to reach peak concentration. Once he turned on the gas, his friends would have twenty minutes to live.
He reached out and touched the red button for the manual override. It was time to start the countdown. But then he remembered one other thing that Brian had taught him. It wouldn’t hurt to go over his calculations once more. This was even more important than a final exam and Brian had told him to always check his work.
Dale walked over to the janitor’s worktable and sat down on a stool. One final check, one more opportunity to discover any mistakes. When that was complete he would be fully prepared to become a local hero.
Twenty-Two
“I think it’s safe to assume he plans to kill us.” Brian sat behind the desk. “Does everyone agree?”
One by one, they nodded. Dale had killed all the rest of their friends and it was a safe assumption. Then Tommy gave a short, little laugh. “Okay, Brian . . . tell us something we don’t know.”
“All right. I will.” Brian sat up a little straighter. “He knows about the dead bolt and the security bars on the window. He thinks we’re trapped up here, and that might just buy us some time.”
“To do what?” Jennifer frowned.
“To plan our escape.” Tim turned to face them. He’d been standing at the window and he motioned to Tommy. “Take a look at these bars. They’re attached to the wooden frame and I think we might have some termite damage.”
Tommy hurried over to the window to look. And when he turned back, he was grinning. “Tim’s right. That wood looks rotten. If we dig it out a little with those knives you girls brought, I think we can remove it.”
“And the bars would come off with the frame?” Lexie looked hopeful.
“Maybe . . . if they’re not set in concrete.”
“What are we waiting for?” Brian pushed back his chair and grabbed the knives. “Let’s give it a try.”
It didn’t take long to loosen the frame. The wood was riddled with termite holes. But just as Tommy was about to pull it out, Jennifer ran over to stop him.
“Not yet! It’s going to make noise and we can’t let Dale hear us. If he knows what we’re doing, he’ll come in here to kill us!”
“Right,” Tim said. “We know the frame’s loose and we know we can remove it. That’s enough for now. Let’s figure out how we’re going to get out this window. It looks like it’s at least twenty feet to the ground.”
“We’ll make a rope!” Lexie grabbed one of the lace curtains and pulled it down. “These curtains are perfect.”
Jennifer turned around to look at her in shock. “But the curtains are lace. They’ll tear.”
“No, they won’t. We’ll twist them up and tie a knot every foot. Get the other curtain, Jen. I’ll twist and tie the knots.”
“I hate to raise this question, but do you know how to tie knots?” Brian looked concerned.
“Of course I do. I was a Girl Scout. I earned a badge for tying knots.”
They all watched as Lexie fashioned the rope. When she was through, it looked so sturdy that even Tommy was satisfied. But after Lexie had attached it to the heavy oak cabinet next to the window, everyone could see that it would be much too short.
“Don’t worry. It’ll be fine.” Tommy looked at the rope and then he glanced down at the side of the building. “If we dangle from the end,
it’ll be less than a ten-foot drop.”
Jennifer reached out to steady herself on the edge of the desk. There was no way she could jump ten feet. She wasn’t even sure she could climb down the rope in the first place! But this wasn’t the time to tell the others about her fear of heights.
“What’s our plan?” Brian turned to Tim.
“It’s very simple. Tommy’ll pull out the window frame. He’s the strongest one here. Then he’ll climb down the rope and jump to the ground. Lexie will go next and when she jumps, Tommy’ll catch her.”
Lexie nodded and Tim handed her the keys to the Jeep. “The minute Lexie hits the ground, she’ll run to the Jeep and drive it over to the window. Brian’ll be the next one out. Then Jennifer. And then me.”
“No!” Jennifer thought fast. She couldn’t let them know that she was afraid to climb down the rope. Tim would be brave and foolish, and he’d refuse to leave without her. “Let me be last, Tim. If you go first and you catch me, Tommy can get in the driver’s seat. Then we’ll be all ready to go.”
“Okay, that’ll work.” Tim smiled at her. “Are we ready?”
“Almost. Is there any way you can play some loud music, Brian? We don’t want Dale to hear us.”
“I’ve been thinking about that and I’ve got something better than loud music. Miss Voelker videoed last year’s spring play and I’ve got the audio of Kelly’s part right here. I pieced the words together and I used it that first night at the séance. Remember how freaked Dale got?”
Tommy clapped him on the back. “That’s perfect! I just wish we could play it over the speakers. Then Dale could hear it all over the lodge.”
“We can,” Brian said. “The sound system has a battery backup. All I have to do is flick the switch. There’s only one problem. The audio I have runs a minute max. I can loop it so it repeats, but there’s no time to piece together anymore.”
“That doesn’t matter.” Tim sounded confident. “We’ll be out of here before Dale realizes that it’s a recording.”
Lexie started to cough. “We’d better hurry! I smell gas and I think Dale’s trying to asphyxiate us.”
Jennifer’s face turned pale. She’d been smelling a strange odor, too. Lexie was right. It was definitely gas.
“Okay, let’s go!” Brian pressed the button on sound system and Kelly’s voice started to play at a deafening volume. And then things started to happen very fast.
Tommy grabbed the bars and pulled out the window frame with one giant effort. He tossed it aside like it was a matchstick and climbed out to slide down the rope. Tim was acting as their leader and the moment he heard his brother land, he motioned to Lexie. “Go, Lexie! Go!”
Jennifer held her breath as Lexie went over the sill and out into the darkness. She heard Tommy grunt as he caught her, and then it was Brian’s turn.
Brian didn’t hesitate. He just climbed out, grabbed the rope, and slid down. Tommy grunted again and Tim motioned to Jennifer. “Go, Jen.”
“No!” Jennifer felt the panic begin to start. “I told you before. You first!”
“You’re sure? I saw you on that ladder. I know you’re afraid of heights. You’ve got to promise that you won’t choke up on me!”
“I won’t. I promise!” Jennifer tried to keep her voice from shaking as she said the words Tim wanted to hear. She knew she couldn’t climb down the rope, not in a million years, not even if she died up here. But she knew that Tim wouldn’t leave her if he had any doubts, and she had to make sure that he got to safety.
And then Tim was gone and she leaned out the window, watching as he slid down the rope. He held out his arms, and the tears ran down her cheeks as she gave a little wave. “I can’t, Tim! I just can’t do it!”
Tim was shouting. The tape of Kelly’s voice was so loud she couldn’t hear him, but she knew what he was saying. He was begging her to climb out the window and jump into his arms.
“Go without me! Please, Tim! Go! Now!”
But Tim didn’t move. He just stood there holding out his arms. And then she heard it, the sound of glass breaking on the floor below. There was an almost inhuman bellow as Dale reacted to Kelly’s voice, but it wouldn’t be long before he figured it out. When he did, he’d come up here to stop the tape. And they’d still be out there, waiting for her! If she didn’t conquer her fear and climb out the window, Mousie Larkin would be responsible for killing them all!
I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I HAVE A SECRET AND I MUST TELL YOU. JUST YOU. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE I CAN TRUST. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN HE CAUSED ME. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KNOW THE HORRIBLE THINGS HE DID TO ME. HE KILLED ME! HE KILLED ME!
Dale let out another bellow of pure rage and threw the oval mirror against the river rock fireplace as hard as he could. Kelly was here! The séance had worked! She was screaming, screeching, accusing him of killing her!
I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I HAVE A SECRET AND I MUST TELL YOU. JUST YOU. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE I CAN TRUST. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN HE CAUSED ME. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KNOW THE HORRIBLE THINGS HE DID TO ME. HE KILLED ME! HE KILLED ME!
Dale stopped, a heavy glass vase in his hand. And then, even though he wanted to block out the words that Kelly was screaming, he made himself listen very carefully.
I NEED TO TALK TO YOU. I HAVE A SECRET AND I MUST TELL YOU. JUST YOU. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE I CAN TRUST. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KNOW HOW MUCH PAIN HE CAUSED ME. YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN KNOW THE HORRIBLE THINGS HE DID TO ME. HE KILLED ME! HE KILLED ME!
Dale’s hand was shaking as he set down the vase. Kelly was still screaming about how he’d killed her, but she was saying the same things, over and over again. Why? What did it mean?
The moment he thought about it, he had the answer. It was a tape. They’d put a tape of Kelly’s voice on the loudspeakers to trick him. The tape was looped so it would keep playing, but he’d figured it out. He knew it was only a recording. Kelly wasn’t really here. She wasn’t actually accusing him of anything. Kelly was dead and buried and he’d been listening to a recording of her voice.
Even though he knew he was right, the recording was still making him crazy. Dale put his hands over his ears, but that didn’t help. Nothing helped. Kelly’s voice was coming from the speakers and it was so loud, he couldn’t think. And he had to think clearly so that he could finish his work and get out of here.
He climbed up and pulled the wires on the speaker. But he could still hear Kelly’s voice. They’d hooked up the recording to the PA system and he had to stop it!
Jennifer forced herself to climb out on the ledge. Her knees were shaking and she felt like fainting, but she knew she had to go down that rope before Dale came through the door. She shut her eyes and grabbed the rope. There was no way she dared to look down, not even at Tim’s loving face and his outstretched arms, and the anxious eyes of her good, loyal friends. And then she began to climb down.
It seemed to take forever, hand over hand, slipping down to the first knot, and the second, and the third. There were seven knots and she counted each one of them until finally she was hanging in midair at the very last knot of the rope.
“Jump, Jen! Now!”
It was Tim’s voice. She heard it clearly even though the sound of Kelly’s voice was still loud in her ears. And she made her shaking hands relax, releasing her hold on the rope. As she fell through the air, Jennifer experienced a floating sensation. It was almost as if she were wrapped in a cocoon of love and trust and faith. And then she was cradled in Tim’s loving arms and she reached up to wrap her arms around his neck as he ran with her to the Jeep. She’d done it! She’d conquered her fear! And now they would all be safe!
The windows were down in the Jeep and they heard Kelly’s voice as Tommy drove away. NOW I’M GOING TO TAKE MY REVENGE! YOU MURDERED ME, DALE!
“Nooooo!“ Dale’s voice came out in an anguished howl as he unlocked the door and barreled through. He had to shut it off! The sound of Kelly’s voice was driving
him crazy!
But where was the switch? The room was dark, as dark as a tomb. He had to shut it off, but he couldn’t find it unless he had light.
That was when Dale remembered that his uncle’s manager smoked cigars. He always kept a fancy gold lighter on the desk and Dale felt around in the darkness, trying to locate it. He smiled as his fingers touched the cold metal surface.
Dale didn’t stop to think. He just flicked on the lighter, creating a spark and then an open flame. Almost immediately, there was a tremendous explosion that rocked the very foundation of the lodge. The fireball it created sent flames that seemed to shoot up to the sky itself. And Kelly’s voice came to an abrupt and very timely end.
Dale didn’t know that Kelly’s voice had stopped playing. He wasn’t around to enjoy the silence he’d given his life to create. Dale was now engulfed in a much greater silence, a total stillness that was deep and unending, the perpetual silence of death.
Epilogue
They were all sitting in the Jeep, huddled under blankets to keep warm. They had been parked there all night, waiting for daybreak and hoping that the bulldozers they heard in the distance would finally break through the rock slide.
Lexie tapped Jennifer on the shoulder. “I’ve been thinking about it, Jen. You were meshuga to wait so long. I thought you’d never climb out that window!”
“Neither did I.” Jennifer sighed. “I just kept thinking about how far down it was and telling myself, vey iz mir, vey iz mir. And through it all I was worrying about whether the tape would fool Dale, but he was an even bigger schnook than I thought.”
“At least you finally showed some chutzpah! I’m proud of you, Jen!”
“Me, too.” Tommy grinned at Jennifer and then he turned to Lexie. “Those words were Yiddish, right?”