"Quinn, say grace," said Mrs. Cooper as her family, sans Odette, sat around the
dinner table for a meal of roast duck.
"For what we are about to receive, dear Lord," Quinn began, "we give thanks. Please watch over Odette and bring her home safely, and pour out thy fury and wrath upon the people responsible for her kidnapping. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And help us to be patient and..."
Quinn's supplication was interrupted when the doorbell rang. "Oh, who is it now?" she muttered angrily. "Amen."
Rising from the table, she went to answer the door, only to find Muffy Crosswire standing on the doorstep, her pack strapped to her shoulders.
"This is not what I prayed for," said Quinn with an annoyed tone.
"May I come in?" asked Muffy pleasantly.
Quinn turned her head toward the dining room. "Can Muffy come in?" she called.
"Yes," said Mr. Cooper, his mouth full of white meat.
"No," said Quinn, closing the door in Muffy's face.
Undaunted, Muffy rang the doorbell again. Quinn opened the door. "Weren't you just here?" she asked petulantly.
"Come in, Muffy," called Mrs. Cooper from the dining room.
Muffy walked into the house and made her way to the dinner table, Quinn scowling at her all the way. "Hey, Muffy," said Van when she arrived.
"Van told us all about the loss of your friend," Mr. Cooper said to Muffy. "We're terribly sorry."
"We all are," said Muffy, who started to sniffle. "I cared more about Francine than anybody else in the world. Except for my parents. And my baby brother Tyson. And Nick Carter."
"Have a seat," Mr. Cooper offered. "A little roast duck will cheer you up."
"Dad, are you sure there's room at the table for Muffy and all her servants?" asked Quinn as she returned to her seat.
Muffy pulled out a chair, removed her backpack, and sat down. "I didn't come here to eat, Mr. Cooper. I know who took Odette."
Mr. Cooper spit out his mouthful of food.
"It was a man named Gus Coleman," Muffy continued. "He's a member of the Church of the Higher Power."
"Gus...Gus..." Mr. Cooper stammered. "Gus Coleman? Are you sure?"
"How do you know that?" Van asked Muffy.
"I, er, described the kidnapper to a friend of mine, who knew somebody who matched the description. She gave me a drawing she made of him." Reaching into her pack, Muffy pulled from her notebook the drawing that Marina had made of the kidnapper's face.
Mr. Cooper scrutinized the drawing. "Yes, that's Gus, all right. Except his hair and beard weren't that long, and he didn't have the scar."
"You know him?" asked Muffy, surprised.
"I knew him," said the lawyer. "He was a contractor. I hired him to fix our roof after last year's blizzard. He seemed like a decent, God-fearing man, though a little eccentric. You say he's gone and joined that cult now?"
"Dude, that's the religion that lets you have, like, ten wives," Logan remarked. "I wanna join."
"They're nothing but fanatics," Quinn commented.
"Yeah, you'd be right at home, Logan," Van joked.
"If Odette's been taken to that compound of theirs, I can only suppose the worst," said Mrs. Cooper fearfully.
"And what's that?" asked Muffy.
"She's been married off."
Muffy gasped. "She's only twelve!"
"Yes, twelve is a bit young," Mrs. Cooper went on. "But I've heard of them marrying girls as young as fourteen."
"Omigosh!" cried Muffy with horror. "We've got to get her out of there!"
"We'll let the police handle that." Mr. Cooper rose from the dinner table and went to the phone to call the investigators.
----
Later that night, Francine's friends gathered at the Crosswire mansion for a memorial service in honor of the fallen girl. In addition to Muffy, the sorrowful crowd included Arthur, Beat, Prunella, Marina, George, Jenna, Fern, and Binky.
In one corner of the large living room, Fern and George were discussing the tragic event of the previous day.
"I've combed through the cafeteria again and again," said Fern, "and I still haven't found any clues. But I'm not giving up."
"You're wasting your time," George told her. "I'm sure it was the aliens. Francine must have gotten a little too close to the truth."
Muffy and Marina sat on the couch, talking about the Odette Cooper case without moving their mouths.
"That was a good idea, Muffy," Marina told her mentally. "Now I don't have to take matters into my own hands."
"Well, it only made sense," Muffy replied. "So many kidnappers turn out to be friends of the family."
In another part of the room, Arthur and Prunella considered other possibilities.
"Have you tried using your fortune-telling abilities to find out how Francine died?" Arthur asked.
"No way, Jose," Prunella responded. "I'm not going near another crystal ball for as long as I live."
Meanwhile, Beat and Binky were engaged in a lively debate.
"I knew that crumby cafeteria food would kill somebody sooner or later," said Binky.
"It had nothing to do with the food," Beat insisted. "The forensic evidence determined..."
"Mark my words," Binky went on, "if they don't shut that place down permanently, kids are gonna start dropping like flies."
Beat shook her head. "You're a silly goose, Binky."
"Stop calling me that," Binky complained.
"Okay," said Beat. "You're a silly git."
As the kids conversed and commiserated, the doorbell rang and Muffy went to answer it. Into the mansion walked Alan and another boy--one who wore a white plastic mask to obscure the lower part of his face.
"Hi, Alan," said Muffy. Gesturing toward the other boy, she asked, "Who's your masked friend?"
"It's Jason," Alan answered. "Where he comes from, it's traditional to wear a mask when mourning for a loved one who has passed on."
"He looks a little taller than when I saw him yesterday," Muffy remarked.
"It's also traditional to wear platform shoes when mourning," said the masked boy.
"Hmm," Muffy mused. "Walla Walla must be a weird place."
A short while later, the kids sat in a circle on the floor of the palacial living room. Muffy stood and called the memorial service to order. Her manservant, Claude, stood nearby, holding a box of Kleenexes and a wastebasket.
"Dearly beloved," she said somberly, "we are gathered here to share our fond memories of our dear departed friend and comrade, Francine Frensky."
Beat started to bawl like a child. Muffy snapped her fingers, and Claude hurried to Beat's side. He pulled out a Kleenex and handed it to the girl, who blew her nose with it and then tossed it into the wastebasket.
"Don't be afraid to cry," Muffy told the kids. "It only shows how much you loved Francine. So cry all you want. Even you boys."
Arthur raised his head. "I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I sorta think that Francine would rather see us laugh than cry."
All the other kids in the circle immediately began to weep loudly. Claude had his hands full giving out Kleenexes to all the crying children.
"She had such a keen sense of humor!" wailed Jenna as tears gushed from her eyes.
Muffy waited for a few seconds while the weeping subsided. "Yes, this is a difficult and painful time for us all," she finally spoke. "Now, I want each of you to stand and share your feelings about Francine with the group. We'll go in a circle, starting with Fern, and then I'll be last."
Fern stood and pulled a slightly crumpled sheet of paper from her pocket. "This is a little poem I wrote," she announced.
"Two arms, two legs, a heart of gold, You died before you could grow old. Two eyes, two ears, a soul so pure, I'll miss your friendship, to be sure."
Fern sat down again. "That was beautiful," Prunella commended her.
"Thank you," said Fern. "I originally wrote it to be read at my own funeral."
One by one, the other kids stood and shared their memories of the good times they had enjoyed with Francine.
Finally, as the memorial service came to a close, Muffy handed every one of her friends a free box of Kleenexes. She then bid them a good night as they filed out the door.
Clad in her nightgown, Muffy climbed into her water bed and picked up a remote control from the end table. Pointing it at the CD player, she started to play once again the final movement from Mahler's Ninth Symphony. She then lay down and sobbed quietly.
The music finally meant something to her.
(To be continued...)
"For what we are about to receive, dear Lord," Quinn began, "we give thanks. Please watch over Odette and bring her home safely, and pour out thy fury and wrath upon the people responsible for her kidnapping. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And help us to be patient and..."
Quinn's supplication was interrupted when the doorbell rang. "Oh, who is it now?" she muttered angrily. "Amen."
Rising from the table, she went to answer the door, only to find Muffy Crosswire standing on the doorstep, her pack strapped to her shoulders.
"This is not what I prayed for," said Quinn with an annoyed tone.
"May I come in?" asked Muffy pleasantly.
Quinn turned her head toward the dining room. "Can Muffy come in?" she called.
"Yes," said Mr. Cooper, his mouth full of white meat.
"No," said Quinn, closing the door in Muffy's face.
Undaunted, Muffy rang the doorbell again. Quinn opened the door. "Weren't you just here?" she asked petulantly.
"Come in, Muffy," called Mrs. Cooper from the dining room.
Muffy walked into the house and made her way to the dinner table, Quinn scowling at her all the way. "Hey, Muffy," said Van when she arrived.
"Van told us all about the loss of your friend," Mr. Cooper said to Muffy. "We're terribly sorry."
"We all are," said Muffy, who started to sniffle. "I cared more about Francine than anybody else in the world. Except for my parents. And my baby brother Tyson. And Nick Carter."
"Have a seat," Mr. Cooper offered. "A little roast duck will cheer you up."
"Dad, are you sure there's room at the table for Muffy and all her servants?" asked Quinn as she returned to her seat.
Muffy pulled out a chair, removed her backpack, and sat down. "I didn't come here to eat, Mr. Cooper. I know who took Odette."
Mr. Cooper spit out his mouthful of food.
"It was a man named Gus Coleman," Muffy continued. "He's a member of the Church of the Higher Power."
"Gus...Gus..." Mr. Cooper stammered. "Gus Coleman? Are you sure?"
"How do you know that?" Van asked Muffy.
"I, er, described the kidnapper to a friend of mine, who knew somebody who matched the description. She gave me a drawing she made of him." Reaching into her pack, Muffy pulled from her notebook the drawing that Marina had made of the kidnapper's face.
Mr. Cooper scrutinized the drawing. "Yes, that's Gus, all right. Except his hair and beard weren't that long, and he didn't have the scar."
"You know him?" asked Muffy, surprised.
"I knew him," said the lawyer. "He was a contractor. I hired him to fix our roof after last year's blizzard. He seemed like a decent, God-fearing man, though a little eccentric. You say he's gone and joined that cult now?"
"Dude, that's the religion that lets you have, like, ten wives," Logan remarked. "I wanna join."
"They're nothing but fanatics," Quinn commented.
"Yeah, you'd be right at home, Logan," Van joked.
"If Odette's been taken to that compound of theirs, I can only suppose the worst," said Mrs. Cooper fearfully.
"And what's that?" asked Muffy.
"She's been married off."
Muffy gasped. "She's only twelve!"
"Yes, twelve is a bit young," Mrs. Cooper went on. "But I've heard of them marrying girls as young as fourteen."
"Omigosh!" cried Muffy with horror. "We've got to get her out of there!"
"We'll let the police handle that." Mr. Cooper rose from the dinner table and went to the phone to call the investigators.
----
Later that night, Francine's friends gathered at the Crosswire mansion for a memorial service in honor of the fallen girl. In addition to Muffy, the sorrowful crowd included Arthur, Beat, Prunella, Marina, George, Jenna, Fern, and Binky.
In one corner of the large living room, Fern and George were discussing the tragic event of the previous day.
"I've combed through the cafeteria again and again," said Fern, "and I still haven't found any clues. But I'm not giving up."
"You're wasting your time," George told her. "I'm sure it was the aliens. Francine must have gotten a little too close to the truth."
Muffy and Marina sat on the couch, talking about the Odette Cooper case without moving their mouths.
"That was a good idea, Muffy," Marina told her mentally. "Now I don't have to take matters into my own hands."
"Well, it only made sense," Muffy replied. "So many kidnappers turn out to be friends of the family."
In another part of the room, Arthur and Prunella considered other possibilities.
"Have you tried using your fortune-telling abilities to find out how Francine died?" Arthur asked.
"No way, Jose," Prunella responded. "I'm not going near another crystal ball for as long as I live."
Meanwhile, Beat and Binky were engaged in a lively debate.
"I knew that crumby cafeteria food would kill somebody sooner or later," said Binky.
"It had nothing to do with the food," Beat insisted. "The forensic evidence determined..."
"Mark my words," Binky went on, "if they don't shut that place down permanently, kids are gonna start dropping like flies."
Beat shook her head. "You're a silly goose, Binky."
"Stop calling me that," Binky complained.
"Okay," said Beat. "You're a silly git."
As the kids conversed and commiserated, the doorbell rang and Muffy went to answer it. Into the mansion walked Alan and another boy--one who wore a white plastic mask to obscure the lower part of his face.
"Hi, Alan," said Muffy. Gesturing toward the other boy, she asked, "Who's your masked friend?"
"It's Jason," Alan answered. "Where he comes from, it's traditional to wear a mask when mourning for a loved one who has passed on."
"He looks a little taller than when I saw him yesterday," Muffy remarked.
"It's also traditional to wear platform shoes when mourning," said the masked boy.
"Hmm," Muffy mused. "Walla Walla must be a weird place."
A short while later, the kids sat in a circle on the floor of the palacial living room. Muffy stood and called the memorial service to order. Her manservant, Claude, stood nearby, holding a box of Kleenexes and a wastebasket.
"Dearly beloved," she said somberly, "we are gathered here to share our fond memories of our dear departed friend and comrade, Francine Frensky."
Beat started to bawl like a child. Muffy snapped her fingers, and Claude hurried to Beat's side. He pulled out a Kleenex and handed it to the girl, who blew her nose with it and then tossed it into the wastebasket.
"Don't be afraid to cry," Muffy told the kids. "It only shows how much you loved Francine. So cry all you want. Even you boys."
Arthur raised his head. "I don't know how the rest of you feel, but I sorta think that Francine would rather see us laugh than cry."
All the other kids in the circle immediately began to weep loudly. Claude had his hands full giving out Kleenexes to all the crying children.
"She had such a keen sense of humor!" wailed Jenna as tears gushed from her eyes.
Muffy waited for a few seconds while the weeping subsided. "Yes, this is a difficult and painful time for us all," she finally spoke. "Now, I want each of you to stand and share your feelings about Francine with the group. We'll go in a circle, starting with Fern, and then I'll be last."
Fern stood and pulled a slightly crumpled sheet of paper from her pocket. "This is a little poem I wrote," she announced.
"Two arms, two legs, a heart of gold, You died before you could grow old. Two eyes, two ears, a soul so pure, I'll miss your friendship, to be sure."
Fern sat down again. "That was beautiful," Prunella commended her.
"Thank you," said Fern. "I originally wrote it to be read at my own funeral."
One by one, the other kids stood and shared their memories of the good times they had enjoyed with Francine.
Finally, as the memorial service came to a close, Muffy handed every one of her friends a free box of Kleenexes. She then bid them a good night as they filed out the door.
Clad in her nightgown, Muffy climbed into her water bed and picked up a remote control from the end table. Pointing it at the CD player, she started to play once again the final movement from Mahler's Ninth Symphony. She then lay down and sobbed quietly.
The music finally meant something to her.
(To be continued...)
