Mr. Hardy, Chet, Phil and Biff, who had been sitting closer to the exit, waited for Joe to appear. Each had noticed the drastic change in the once happy, outgoing boy and were trying to think of something that would lift his spirits.
As Joe stepped off the plane and onto the first step, every memeber of the waiting group was dumbstruck. The blond-headed youth, who had been so reserved on their departure, was now smiling. Even from the distance, they could make out the spark in Joe's eyes and see by the hurried descension that Joe's entire attitude had changed.
Before Joe could head over to his waiting friends, Jima clamped a hand on Joe's shoulder. "Remember, we're right next to the Duvaliers and I, my mother, brothers and grandmother, all speak English. If you need any help, let me know. I would be glad to help. But please," he added in a lower voice. "Don't let my family know. Voodoo is very real here."
"I can see that," Joe said. "I used to think it was just black magic, like witchcraft back in the states. But since our stay here, I've learned it's much more than that."
"See ya 'round," Jima said and headed over to where a boy, not much younger than Joe, stood waiting.
Joe joined his dad and friends. He was about to tell them what he had learned from Jima, but was prevented by the arrival of Dr. Duvalier.
"I'm sorry, Fenton," Dr. Duvalier said, clasping his hand in a firm grip. "I've had my men look for Frank, but he just isn't on the plantation."
"You mean someone took his body elsewhere?" Chet asked.
"Galen, allow me to introduce Chet Morton, Phil Cohen and Biff Hooper," Mr. Hardy said.
"Where do you think he might be?" Joe asked, rudely interuppting the introduction.
Dr. Duvalier looked at Joe. "One of the men told me a truck was seen leaving the plantation shortly after Frank's coffin had been put in the crate," he said. "Frank's body was most likely taken away on it."
"But the crate hadn't been tampered with," Joe pointed out.
"There was probably a mix-up, and the wrong crate was taken," Dr. Duvalier replied a bit nervoulsy.
"Soooo, you're saying there were two crates, each with a coffin inside of it, and the one with Frank was taken by mistake?" Joe asked, his tone voicing his disbelief.
"Joesph!" snapped Mr. Hardy.
"You are right, of course," Dr. Duvalier agreed with Joe. "It does not seem plausible, does it? Perhaps, I was misinformed."
"Who told you about the truck?" Joe asked.
"Mebwa," Dr. Duvalier answered.
"Can we speak with him?" inquired Mr. Hardy.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible," was the answer.
"Why not?" Phil asked, beginning, along with Joe, to think the man was lying.
"He left two days ago," Dr. Duvalier said. "His mother became ill and he had to leave."
"Convienent," Biff murmurred as Dr. Duvalier and Mr. Hardy turned and walked toward the airport's customs center.
"You don't believe him?" whispered Chet in surprise.
"Not a word," Joe confirmed.
"Why would he take Frank's body?" Chet wondered in amazement.
"I don't think he did," Joe replied. "I think he's scared."
"Agreed," Phi stated. "But of what?"
Joe shrugged. "Voodoo," he said softly, moving forward and catching up to his dad and their host.
As Joe stepped off the plane and onto the first step, every memeber of the waiting group was dumbstruck. The blond-headed youth, who had been so reserved on their departure, was now smiling. Even from the distance, they could make out the spark in Joe's eyes and see by the hurried descension that Joe's entire attitude had changed.
Before Joe could head over to his waiting friends, Jima clamped a hand on Joe's shoulder. "Remember, we're right next to the Duvaliers and I, my mother, brothers and grandmother, all speak English. If you need any help, let me know. I would be glad to help. But please," he added in a lower voice. "Don't let my family know. Voodoo is very real here."
"I can see that," Joe said. "I used to think it was just black magic, like witchcraft back in the states. But since our stay here, I've learned it's much more than that."
"See ya 'round," Jima said and headed over to where a boy, not much younger than Joe, stood waiting.
Joe joined his dad and friends. He was about to tell them what he had learned from Jima, but was prevented by the arrival of Dr. Duvalier.
"I'm sorry, Fenton," Dr. Duvalier said, clasping his hand in a firm grip. "I've had my men look for Frank, but he just isn't on the plantation."
"You mean someone took his body elsewhere?" Chet asked.
"Galen, allow me to introduce Chet Morton, Phil Cohen and Biff Hooper," Mr. Hardy said.
"Where do you think he might be?" Joe asked, rudely interuppting the introduction.
Dr. Duvalier looked at Joe. "One of the men told me a truck was seen leaving the plantation shortly after Frank's coffin had been put in the crate," he said. "Frank's body was most likely taken away on it."
"But the crate hadn't been tampered with," Joe pointed out.
"There was probably a mix-up, and the wrong crate was taken," Dr. Duvalier replied a bit nervoulsy.
"Soooo, you're saying there were two crates, each with a coffin inside of it, and the one with Frank was taken by mistake?" Joe asked, his tone voicing his disbelief.
"Joesph!" snapped Mr. Hardy.
"You are right, of course," Dr. Duvalier agreed with Joe. "It does not seem plausible, does it? Perhaps, I was misinformed."
"Who told you about the truck?" Joe asked.
"Mebwa," Dr. Duvalier answered.
"Can we speak with him?" inquired Mr. Hardy.
"I'm afraid that isn't possible," was the answer.
"Why not?" Phil asked, beginning, along with Joe, to think the man was lying.
"He left two days ago," Dr. Duvalier said. "His mother became ill and he had to leave."
"Convienent," Biff murmurred as Dr. Duvalier and Mr. Hardy turned and walked toward the airport's customs center.
"You don't believe him?" whispered Chet in surprise.
"Not a word," Joe confirmed.
"Why would he take Frank's body?" Chet wondered in amazement.
"I don't think he did," Joe replied. "I think he's scared."
"Agreed," Phi stated. "But of what?"
Joe shrugged. "Voodoo," he said softly, moving forward and catching up to his dad and their host.