Chapter 3

Laura woke up late in the afternoon not sure where she was. She looked around and realized that she had fallen asleep on the sofa.

"Oh no," she said to herself. "I've wasted half a day. I have to get back to figuring out the riddle."

She felt a little better knowing that her mother and Lulu were safe at Bobbie's house.

"Triple letters? What could that be?" she thought.

Her thoughts were interrupted by the doorbell. She got up to answer it. Looking out the window she saw Nikolas standing there. She opened the door.

"Nikolas, it's great to see you, but you shouldn't be here."

"What wrong? Mom, tell me."

"Helena has Luke and Lucky."

Nikolas' face went pale.

"Are you sure?" he asked finally.

"Yes and she is sending me these stupid riddles to try to find them. That's why I want you to leave. Every day it takes me to figure them out she is taking away another member of my family. I sent your sister and your Grandmother to Bobbie's, so now I am worried about you."

"I'll be fine. Can I see the riddle?"

She showed him the paper.

"Triple letters, company's office, let me think."

Nikolas sat in silence for a long time.

"I got it! What company do we know that has 3 letters in its name?"

Laura thought hard. "Of course. ELQ! That's so simple. I got to get over there right away."

"I'm coming with you."

"No!" Laura yelled. "I lost Lucky by letting him come with me. I want you to go back to Wyndamere where you'll be safe."

"But you might need my..."

"Nikolas, what I need is to know that you're safe. Now please, go home."

"Ok, but I want you to call me as soon as you get back."

"I will."

Nikolas left and Laura walked out to her car. She drove to the ELQ office building as fast as she could. She parked her car and sat there for a minute looking at the riddle again. She knew she was at the right place, but this was a big building. Where should she start looking?

She got out of the car and walked up to the building. She saw the sign on the wall outside the door.

"Look in the triple letters hanging outside," she read off the paper. "That's it!"

She walked over to the sign and saw a piece of yellow paper sticking out of the Q. She pulled it our and unfolded it. She read it to herself.


Triple letters held the clue once and they will again,
Find the right letters and the next clue you will win.
The letters you want are three of a kind,
Letters once yours, but now left behind.



"Oh great, more letters," she said.

She got back in the car and drove home. She walked up to the door and her heart nearly stopped. Taped to the front door was an envelope. She pulled it down and walked inside.

She sat down on the sofa and closed her eyes. She wasn't sure she wanted to read this note. Laura took a deep breath, opened the envelope and pulled out the piece of paper. Even though she was alone she read it out loud.


Good work you've done, but much too slow,
Faster and faster you must go.
Look around and you will see,
That we've captured treasure number three.



Laura felt faint. She ran to the phone to check on Nikolas, but before she picked it up, it rang.

"Hello?" she said nervously.

"Laura?" Lesley said.

Laura could tell that her mother had been crying. She was not sure she wanted to hear this.

"Mom, what's wrong?" she said, her voice shaking.

"Lesley Lu and I were playing in the back yard at the brownstone. I went inside for just a moment to get her a glass of water. When I came out..." Lesley broke down into tears.

"Mom! What's happened to my baby?" Laura cried.

"When I came out she... she was gone."

"No!"

"Honey, Bobbie and I looked everywhere. There is no trace of her, it's like she was never here."

Laura began to cry. "It's not your fault Mom. Don't worry, I'll find her."

She hung up the phone and sat down on the sofa again.

"Helena, if you hurt her, I'll kill you," she said.

She called Nikolas and told him what happened. Twenty minutes later, Nikolas was there helping her with the next riddle. They planned to work on it all night so she could get to the next clue before someone else disappeared.