Chapter 9-A Clue

Two-Bit POV.

I had just got in from a long night/morning and was about to fall asleep when the phone rang. I waited for my mama to pick it up, but she ignored it. Groaning, I rolled out of bed and made my way to the hallway phone.

"Hello?"

"Hey Two-bit, it's Darry. Listen, I need you to get down here right away. I got a lead." I sighed.

"Darry, last time you 'had a lead' it turned out that all you knew was that a white van had taken them." I heard Darry sigh.

"I know, but this is way more important. The police just dropped it off. You're going to want to see this." His tone was urgent so I gave up and agreed to come over. Ever since Ponyboy, Sodapop, and Johnny had been kidnapped, the gang had been looking everywhere for leads. I grabbed my keys and kissed mama goodbye.

"Keith, I don't want you getting any drunker, you here? I don't need you ending up in jail." I grinned.

"Aw mama, you know I'm too smart for that. I'll be back soon.' She shook her head but let me go. I rushed over to the Curtis house, never getting caught by the cops once. When I entered the house I saw that Darry had gone ahead and called everyone. Even Dally. He looked pissed to be there though. I sat down on the floor, in front of the couch.

"Hey Darry," I said to the man pacing in the living room.

"What is it you wanted to show us? Darry stopped and walked over to the fire place mantle. He produced a large envelope. Taking some papers out he handed them to me, the closest. I cautiously took them and looked.

EVIDENCE REPORT

FOUND: Blue Backpack

OWNER: Ponyboy Michael Curtis

LOCATION: 5th Street

REASON FOR CONFISCATION: While police were searching for clues on the whereabouts of the 9 missing children, Police stumbled upon a blue backpack later to be identified as the property of Ponyboy Michael Curtis, one of the 9 missing children. The backpack was found on 5th street, just 25 feet from Ponyboy's home. Contents of backpack had no suspicious qualities but a chemical test has been requested on backpack. Torn shoulder strap and frayed material leads police to believe that there was struggle.

CHEMICAL TEST RESULTS: Traces of Trichloromethane, more commonly known as Chloroform, were found on backpack. Police believe Ponyboy Curtis was drugged before kidnapped.

I finished reading it and looked around. I saw the looks on everyone's face and realized they had already read it.

"They think Pony was drugged?" I asked.

"It makes sense," Steve answered, "how else they supposed to kidnap them without attracting attention."

"They have found a couple of other things that the kidnapped children were wearing and that show a sign of struggle and some traces of Chloroform." Darry added.

"So all the kids were drugged?" Darry nodded and added something else.

"The Cops say that the white van we've been looking out for has been hanging out here for a while, according to friends and family f the kidnapped. The cops think the van might of scoped the place out, you know, to see who they would nab. They think it's been here for at least ten days prior to the kidnappings."

"Wait," I said, ignoring the question, "It's been here for ten days and no one called it in?"Darry scoffed at my question.

"What are people supposed to call it in for? Anyway, I need you guys to think if you have seen a white van round. Near here or anything." There was a beat of silence before Steve exclaimed

"Wait, I think I remember seeing a white van when Ponyboy was doing that scenery thing for art!"

"What scenery thing?" Darry asked.

"He was supposed to capture the 'essence of America' so me and Soda took him to some hill over the town and let him at it. He was more interested in the neighborhood though. Said that it represented America more than some dumb hills."

"Well did you see a white van?"

"I don't know, but Pony might of got something in his pictures." Darry grabbed Steve.

"Do you know where those pictures are?"

"They should still be in the developing shop. Me and Soda were supposed to pick them up the day they were kidnapped." Darry let go of Steve and ran to the kitchen before coming back with a pair of keys.

"Alright, let's go. We gotta get those pictures now; see if Ponyboy captured that van on film."

"What, Darry. It wasn't a 24-hour store. It's probably not open."

"Well we'll just have to see now won't we?" He growled.

It turned out the store wasn't opened yet. So we were all forced to sit in the truck with a very agitated Darry. Even I couldn't sit still. Finally we saw some man come up to the store with a teenager and unlock the door. We made Darry wait ten minutes so they could open, something that didn't sit too well with him. Finally he couldn't take it anymore and he flung open his door. We rushed after him, to avoid any problems, and entered the shop. The teenager was sitting behind the counter, smacking her gum. Steve got to the counter first.

"Hey, we need the photos for Ponyboy Curtis. Right now please." The teenage girl behind the front desk looked at us all before sighing and going into the back. It felt like forever before she came back with an envelope labeled PONYBOY CURTIS.

"That will be $7.99 please." Darry shoved the money across the counter and grabbed the envelope. We didn't even leave the shop, we ripped open the envelope right there at the counter. We all made grabs for the photos and each came back with a handful as we searched through them for this white van. I had to admit, Ponyboy takes a nice picture. I was so busy looking at a pretty shot of a sunset over an empty house on our street I almost missed it. At the corner of the picture, I could just see the end of a big white thing. It was blurred slightly, but I could make it out.

"Darry, Darry, I got something." I shouted. He snatched the photo from me. I looked at the next photo in my hands. This one was of the house next to the sunset one, and right smack in front of it was an unmarked, unmanned white van. I looked at it for a second before handing this one to Darry as well. The others stopped their searching to look at it.

"That's the van? Looks kinda big to not be noticeable." Steve said. Darry grabbed all the photos and ran out of the store. He'd been doing all a whole lot of running this morning. Once we were all in the truck, he spoke.

"We gotta take these to the police station. They're evidence now. We all nodded in agreement. Darry sighed and pulled the truck into reverse.

Alright guys, here's Chapter 8. I have bad news for you though. For at least five days I won't be able to update, so I apologize ahead of time. I promise when I get back to updating, there will be at least four knew chapters. By the way, how did you like the whole Darry finding a clue that big? How did you like the picture clues? Please, I want to hear your opinions, flames or no flames. PLEASE REVIEW!