Duck Boy (23 page)

“You…You… You’re the whole reason I’m here right now. I’m going to call the
station and turn you in.” He wheeled from the door to find the phone.

“Wait!” Aunt Shannon ordered. Larry froze at the strength of her voice, and
turned around. “You’re the reason you are in this situation,” Aunt Shannon
reasoned. “Steve and I tried to explain to you what was happening, and you
ignored us.”

Larry turned and reached towards the telephone sitting on a table in the
hallway.

“If you turn us in,” Aunt Shannon persisted, “you’ll wreck any chance you
have of solving this case properly.”

Larry’s hand trembled, hovering over the cradled telephone.

“We came here because we need you.”

His hand grasped the phone and pulled it off its cradle towards him. A faint
dial tone underlined Aunt Shannon’s words.

“We can help you solve this case. You can bring it to a close, arrest the
right people.”

Larry turned towards Aunt Shannon, meeting her eyes. Then he slowly set the
phone back in its cradle. “Can you really help me solve this case?”

“I think we can,” Aunt Shannon returned. “But you need us and we need you.”

Larry sighed in defeat. “OK… come in,” he conceded.

The three of them took seats in the living room. Larry began, his eyes on
the floor. “I don’t know what happened that day when we were in the interrogation
room, Steve. And I’m not sure I want to know. But whatever happened there, I
ended up here, on the brink of losing my job—suspended without pay.” His voice
choked through the words.

“You disappeared and I took a couple of shots at you.
The guards opened the door and found me lying on the floor with a few bullets
in the wall and the case file scattered around the room. They thought I’d gone
nuts. They accused me of letting you go, aiding and abetting a criminal,
unlawful discharging of a firearm, and a few other things.” He paused and
looked away from them towards the floor. “They don’t believe the story I told
them. They don’t know what to do with me—let a psychiatrist examine me or
prosecute me as a criminal.”

“Would they think differently of you if you solved part of the case?” Aunt
Shannon asked.

“I think there is no question about it. If I could come up with something,
they’d at least have to admit that I’m half sane.”

“Plus you might live down that awful nickname. What do they call you—‘Clueless’?”

Larry winced and crossed his arms.

Aunt Shannon continued. “Uncle Edward and Lindsay were kidnapped by a group
of alchemists who want to exploit our discoveries and make lots of money,” Aunt
Shannon stated.

“Lindsay? Who’s Lindsay?” Larry asked as he tightened his housecoat belt.

Steve took a few minutes to clue Larry in on the relevant parts of what
happened to Lindsay, and the attempts made to capture him at the bus terminal.
“We don’t know who they are, but we think we can find them, and we need your
help,” Steve said.

“What can I do?”

“We need the ransom note,” Steve declared.

“I can’t do that,” Larry said flatly.

“We have a way of locating them once we have the ransom note,” Steve insisted.
“We thought we could find the place where they’re being held, and then phone
you so you can make the arrest or call in the information.”

“You wouldn’t be able to arrest them for stealing alchemical secrets, which
is what they’re really after, but you could arrest them for kidnapping.” Aunt
Shannon’s voice rose and settled firmly on her last word.

“I see what you’re getting at, Mrs. Pankratz-Bacon,” Larry said and he
drifted into thought. “You didn’t bring the pictures from the case file, by any
chance, did you?”

“Ah, no. No, we didn’t,” Steve said sheepishly. “They were stolen when Uncle
Edward was kidnapped. That’s why the house is a mess. I think they tapped our
phone line, and I happened to mention the pictures to Lindsay in a phone call.”

“She’s a neighbor who is an alchemist, like we are,” Aunt Shannon answered.

“And she’s been kidnapped, too.”

“She has?” One of Larry’s eyebrows raised as he asked the question. “I don’t
think anyone reported her missing.”

“Call her father. He’ll tell you that she wasn’t at home last night. If he
even noticed,” Steve added to himself.

“What’s her last name?” Larry asked.

“Locket.”

Larry fingered through the phone book until he found the right name and
address and then dialed a number.

“Hello, Mr. Locket? This is the Police Department calling.” Larry stared at
the floor as he concentrated. “Was your daughter at home last night?” He
paused. “No, eh? I didn’t think so… I think you should file a report with our
department today. No, you should fill out a report right away.” He paused to
listen to the voice on the other end. “I’m sorry, but I don’t have the time to
explain the details. Your daughter is involved in an investigation, and the
fact that she’s missing is important and needs to be reported.” He listened again.
“Yes, the main office, right on King Street. Thank you. Bye.”

Larry looked up at Steve as he replaced the phone in its cradle. “Hmm. Your
story makes some sense. I’m almost inclined to believe you. Why steal the
pictures?”

“We thought the pictures would help us figure out how my mother disappeared.
They tore Aunt Shannon’s house apart hoping to catch Uncle Edward and me at
home. I hid, and so they left with the pictures and Uncle Edward. I found the
ransom note and read it. That’s why my fingerprints were on it.”

“I’m not sure…” Larry said, shaking his head.

“I’m the one who took the pictures from that file,” Aunt Shannon announced.
“It was my doing entirely.” She took a breath and tried again. “I don’t think
you’d be any worse off if you trusted us. The most we could do is steal the
ransom note. You’re already in so much trouble that even if we did that, I
don’t think it could get much worse.”

“You have a point,” Larry sighed.

“One of us can stay with you, too,” Steve suggested. “That way, if something
doesn’t work out, you can at least turn one of us in.”

Larry almost managed a grin. “Now you’re talking my language,” Larry said.
“I can check out parts of your story, too. If the phone was tapped, I’ll be
able to tell.”

“And if you help this case come to a close, you might just look good to your
superiors again,” Aunt Shannon added.

“Right. Wait right here and I’ll get dressed.”

Larry emerged from a back room dressed for business. He still looked as if
he’d showered with his clothes on and put himself in the dryer for forty
minutes—he hadn’t shaved or combed his hair—but he had clothes on at least.

He dialed the station. “Hello, Jeff, Larry here. Listen, I have some
evidence that should go in the Best file. I’m going to drop by and add it to
the file. Is that all right? Good. I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He hung up
the phone.

“You two might want to wait here. I’ll go and get the stuff and come right
back.” Aunt Shannon nodded and continued sitting in the chair. Steve continued
sitting as well. Larry strode from the room and out the front door.

As soon as Larry left, Steve turned to Aunt Shannon. “What are we going to
do about Mom?”

Aunt Shannon smiled weakly, trying to hide her discouragement. “I’m not
sure, Steve. Your mom, well, um, she’s going to be difficult.”

“That’s true,” Steve admitted. “Do you think I should try the same thing to
get her back, or do you think there is another way?”

She shook her head. “I don’t think there is another way. If there is, I have
no clue what it would be.”

“I don’t know what her Benu stone is either,” Steve added. “I knew yours, so
I was able to bring you back.”

“Hmm.”

Steve’s thoughtful sigh led them both into a contemplative silence. The
quiet quickly numbed his body. In a minute he had nodded to sleep, sitting
upright.

Aunt Shannon let him sleep for three-quarters of an hour, until Larry
returned. The detective jogged into the house and quickly closed the door.
Steve’s eyes blinked open just long enough to notice Larry’s broad smile.

Aunt Shannon shook Steve’s shoulder to return him completely from his
slumber. Larry began to arrange equipment on the coffee table in front of the
couch where he sat.

“Before we get going here,” Larry began. “How does this traveling thing
work?”

“It’s a little strange, but this is how it goes, as far as I know,” Steve
replied groggily. For the next few minutes he recounted what he knew of how
traveling with a Benu stone worked. Aunt Shannon added detail as Steve talked.
Gradually, a troubled look of insight filled Larry’s face.

“I think I understand what you’re saying. I just have trouble believing it.
I did get the note,” he continued. “I also got a little bit of detecting
equipment.” He held up a small black button, about the size of a quarter, and a
small device with a TV screen on it.

“Who’s going to travel to the kidnapper’s base?” Larry asked.

Steve and Aunt Shannon looked at each other.

There is no other choice, Steve thought. And, his mind plunged into pools of
panic as he contemplated the idea.

Duck Boy. Duck Boy.

But his mouth spoke before his mind objected. And he surprised himself with
his own words. “I’ll go.”

“All right, Steve,” Larry said appreciatively. “Though I’m not sure there’s
much choice.”

“What are you talking about, young man?” barked Aunt Shannon, rebuking him.
“I can go, and I am perfectly able to manage myself.” Larry suddenly looked
sheepish. She turned to Steve. “Are you sure you want to go?” Aunt Shannon
asked, probing Steve’s resolve.

“I have to, and I want to,” Steve declared as forcefully as he could.

“All right, Steve,” Aunt Shannon answered.

Larry held the small black button towards Steve. “This will find you
wherever you go. You can take this with you, right? You can disappear with
things in your bag.” Steve nodded. “So, this tracking device will sit in your
backpack.”

“What’s the range on it?” Aunt Shannon asked.

“I think it’s about 25 miles.”

“I hope that’s enough,” she stated. “Steve could end up anywhere in the
world.”

“Really?” Larry asked in disbelief. “That’s some form of transportation. But
he could end up within the 25-mile range, too, couldn’t he?”

“Yes, he could,” Aunt Shannon agreed.

Maybe we’ll have some luck,” Larry said hopefully. “I think things are
looking up right now.”

“Where is this ransom note going to take you Steve?”

“It’ll transport me to the kidnappers’ world—wherever that is, I think,”
Steve replied. “Remember, we’re still experimenting. It’s just a good guess.”

“Try not to wrinkle it or damage it in any way.” He held up a plastic
evidence bag. Inside was the note.

“I’m afraid I’ll have to touch the note directly,” Steve said.

Larry sighed. “I’ll accept that risk. Your fingerprints are on this anyhow.”
A tormented smile wavered on his lips. Larry turned to some other things he’d
brought with him. “I have a few other tools I’d like you to take with you.
Here’s a cell phone.” He passed the phone to Steve. “Some pepper spray. A
bulletproof vest. A helmet with a riot mask. And a couple pairs of handcuffs.”
Steve stood as Larry placed the vest over his head and the riot helmet on his
head. Steve tried to walk around the living room. “I can’t give you a gun, of
course. I did get you a stun gun. They’re pretty safe.” Larry looked up from
his pile of equipment. “Let’s try this stuff on you.”

After several minutes of struggle, Steve stood before the two adults
smothered behind the layers of equipment hanging off of his thin frame. “Ack,”
was all he managed to say.

“What? What’s the matter?” Larry asked as he velcroed a voice-activated
microphone to the SWAT helmet Steve was wearing.

“I don’t think this stuff will work for me. Look at me. I can’t move. It’s
meant for someone your size, not mine.” Steve began to remove the bulletproof
vest.

“What are you doing?” Larry asked.

“I’m going to leave everything here except your cell phone. I’ll take your
phone in case I end up out of the range of your tracking device.”

“Are you sure you don’t want these other things?”

“Absolutely. This stuff works for you because you’ve used it before. It
won’t work for me. But I do know how to use a telephone.” Steve studied the
face of the phone. “This is a weapon I know.”

Larry sighed. “All right. You do need to feel comfortable with what you’re
taking.” He tossed the handcuffs on the couch and began to remove the stun gun
and holster from Steve’s shoulder. Once all of the equipment was off, Steve
picked up the cell phone.

“Can you tell that phone what number to dial so Steve can just push a button
to reach you, Larry?” Aunt Shannon asked.

“Do you mean pre-program the telephone number?” Larry asked. Aunt Shannon
nodded. “Good idea.” Larry pulled the phone from Steve’s hand. He pushed a few
buttons on the phone. “There. That should do it.”

“Let’s see if it works.” Steve pushed the first button on the phone, and
Larry’s home phone number rang loudly.

“Actually, give it back for a second,” Larry asked. “I should put in a
long-distance version of this number, just in case.” He punched the touch
screen, and passed the phone back.

“Good,” Larry said. “You’re ready.”

Steve nodded nervously. He slid the phone into his bag and picked out the
underwear, setting it on the couch. Larry squinted at him oddly.

“They’re clean,” Steve offered.

Then he held the backpack up, and opened its mouth to take a visual
inventory. “Dictionary, notebooks, clock, phone, plaque, and the tracking
thing.” Steve looked up. “I am ready.”

“As soon as you get wherever you’re going, dial the phone immediately,”
Larry suggested. “Let’s check the tracking device to make sure it works.” He
pushed a key on the small TV screen and the machine gave a loud, long beep.
“It’s working.” Larry looked up from his machine towards Steve. “You know
there’s danger involved. This could go badly.”