Wild Rescue (9 page)

Chapter 32

Instant Oil Change
is the only oil-change place in town and it’s not far, so I left my ATV and walked. I put my backpack on the counter and was welcomed by a girl about Leigh’s age. She wore an Instant Oil uniform with
Jan
on her shirt. A jet-black ponytail stuck out the back of the hat she had pulled low. Her eyes were really pretty and made my stomach flutter.

“Can I help you?” she said in a sweet, soft voice.

“I-I-I was wondering . . . a friend of mine, Mrs. Watson, came by here last Wednesday. Y-y-you weren’t working, were you?”

“I know Mrs. Watson.” She smiled a bright smile that could have been used on one of those teeth-whitening commercials. “Hang on.” She stepped through the garage door and hollered, “Pete, did you help Mrs. Watson last week?”

When Jan returned she said, “Pete says we did her car the middle of last week.” She tapped on her computer and studied the screen. “Yeah, Wednesday. Why? Everything okay?”

I don’t know why I get so nervous around girls. My palms sweat and my throat dries up. It’s the same feeling I get with pop quizzes. “I’m trying . . . to help her . . . her car . . . thing.”

“Her car thing?” she said, clearly enjoying this.

“Did she happen to tell anyone she was headed out of town?”

Jan squinted. “Not me. I can check with Pete.”

“Don’t bother him now. Just let me know if you find out.” I gave her my name and number.

“What’s this about?” she said.

“Some stuff of hers was taken while she was gone,” I said. “I’m trying to help her find it.”

Jan’s eyes grew wide, and she pushed her hat back. “No kidding? Well, you’re awfully nice to help her.”

I chuckled, but I was nervous and my laugh sounded weird. “I gotta go,” I said, heading for the door.

When I got outside, I could finally breathe.

“Excuse me?” someone said behind me. It was Jan, carrying my backpack. “You’ll probably need this.”

“Yeah . . . thanks.”

“Hey, you’re not implying that anybody here knew Mrs. Watson was going to be gone and—”

“Oh no. I’m just looking for any clues I can find.”

“Well, tell Mrs. Watson Jan said hi.”

Chapter 33

Leigh gave me
some deliciously devious ideas. I went upstairs and pulled out my diary. I lit my scented candle and started in on my plan to get back at Denise and Liz. I still had three days to make their lives as miserable as they’d made mine.

1. Liz and Denise walk under a door with a bucket balanced on top.

2. Liz and Denise sit on glue in chairs in band room.

I was coming up with my third idea, something involving the lunch room, ketchup, and mayonnaise, when I thought again about the sticker in my locker.
Is this what Jesus would do?

If my goal was to act like Jesus, I couldn’t try to get revenge.

But they need to be taught a lesson.

I wrote:
Jesus never had band with Liz and Denise. And his dad never got killed by terrorists.

I opened my Bible and looked for 20 minutes for where it says Jesus experienced every temptation we have. I finally found it in Hebrews. It was just after where it says that God’s word is sharp like a knife and cuts into our inner thoughts and desires.

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Jesus must have been tempted to lash out at people who were unkind to him. He must have been frustrated that his family and even his own disciples mostly didn’t understand who he really was.

I wrote:

God, I need to understand how to act toward Liz and Denise. If you’re going to use me to show them your love, you have a lot of work to do, starting with me.

Chapter 34

Before school the next day
I stopped at Mrs. Watson’s. She’s usually there to wave at Ashley and me, but I figured she was still sick. Her car wasn’t in the driveway either, which was odd.

I knocked and heard something strange. Silence. Not even Peanuts barking. What if the robbers had come back? What if she was in there right now, bleeding, and I was her only hope?

Maybe the police had called and found her things. Or maybe she had gone to visit her brother again.

She never answered the door. I thought about calling the police but decided to check back during lunch.

Chapter 35

I walked into school
determined to be the best Christian ever—until, that is, I noticed a sign taped to my locker: “Ashley is a log head.”

A hand reached out and tore it down. It was Skeeter Messler, and he had several other pieces of paper under his arm. The top one read: “Ashley is a spaz. Take your medicine!”

“Sorry you had to see these,” Skeeter said. “Don’t pay any attention to them. Just dumb people trying to have fun, I guess.”

I passed Mr. Forster, our principal, as I headed to band class. He held wadded-up paper in his hands. “Ashley, do you know anything about these notes with your name on them?”

“No, sir,” I said. “I just saw a couple of them myself.”

He frowned. “I heard what happened at Happy Canyons Friday. Meet me in my office after lunch.”

Chapter 36

I was relieved
to see Mrs. Watson’s car in her driveway at lunch. Peanuts barked and scratched on the door when I knocked. Finally, Mrs. Watson invited me in. “I was worried when you weren’t here this morning,” I said.

“Oh,” she said weakly, looking no better than the last time I had seen her. “Had to drive to the Springs to find a pharmacy open that early. You hungry? Can I get you some lunch?”

I wished I hadn’t eaten my sandwich on the way. “No, thank you.” I told her about Jan saying hello and she smiled.

“I’ve known her since she was just a little thing. Makes a nice-looking grease monkey, don’t you think?”

I nodded.

“What took you there, anyway?” she said.

I told her.

“Well, you’re becoming quite the detective, but I don’t know how many times I have to tell you that I didn’t tell anyone I would be gone.”

“Did you take your car anywhere else before the trip?”

She put a hand to her chin and looked at the ceiling. “Not that I recall. Just the grocery store and the gas station. The library.”

“When you get your oil changed, do you leave the keys in the car?”

“Mm-hm. I usually sit in the waiting room, but last week I went to the coffee shop. Why?”

“Just trying to figure this out.”