Stolen Secrets (17 page)

Chapter 66

I kept up with Sam
while Ashley lagged behind. The moon slipped behind a cloud, but the night was clear.

“Danny!” Sam called. “Can you hear us?”

A train whistle blew in the distance. Cars sped by on I-25, their headlights like orderly fireflies. Funny what you think of when you’re looking for somebody who’s dead.

We stayed with Sam and moved up the ledge. He climbed like a gymnast, like he could run along a balance beam without breaking stride. The ledge was easy at first, but then it got narrow and Sam told us to stay where we were.

But he has the flashlight.

Before I could protest, Ashley pointed. “What’s that?”

Sam shined the light below and something moved.

“Hope it’s not a real cougar,” I whispered.

We heard short breaths and moaning, and Sam motioned us back off the ledge. He led us down a steep part of the rock to another path.

When we came around a huge rock, someone said, “Don’t come any closer!”

Chapter 67

Sam moved toward the big rock.
All three of us looked around the edge. The man wore a green army jacket over a white shirt. His jeans were torn at the knee, and his hiking boots were dirty. They were so worn that he had duct taped them together.

Duct tape!
Cammy and Tracy had said he used duct tape on them. Maybe this guy wasn’t innocent after all.

“Danny?” Sam said.

His short beard made him look like a rock star. “Yeah.”

“You hurt?” Sam said.

“Lost my footing.” He tried to point but winced. “Landed funny on my arm, crawled over here.”

“You been taking stuff from our barn?” Sam’s voice didn’t sound angry.

“Vegetables, some corn dogs, and a few pizzas. Those were a real bear to cook. I’m going to pay you back as soon as I get a job.”

“People are looking for you,” Sam said.

“Your parents,” Bryce said.

Danny stared at the ground. “What are people saying?”

“That you hurt some girls,” Sam said.

Danny shook his head. “I never touched anybody.”

Sam pulled out his cell phone and dialed.

Danny tried to stand. “You’re not taking me—” He fell back against the rock, holding his arm.

Sam identified himself and gave our address. “We have an injured climber on the red rocks and need an ambulance. And we need an officer too. We’ve found the guy you’re looking for.”

Sam hung up. “I want to call your family.”

“I don’t want them involved.”

Sam dialed information, but I knew the number was unlisted. Then I remembered my candle order form.

Bryce and I ran toward the house, and Sam stayed with Danny. Bryce told Mom what was going on while I ran to my room and grabbed the order form. I dialed the Ingrams, and Danny’s mother answered.

Chapter 68

Ashley and I rode back
to the rocks on our ATVs as the ambulance and police arrived. Sam sat on a rock a few feet from Danny, and we could tell they had been talking.

Ashley said, “I have to know. Did you make that cougar sound?”

Danny nodded. “Thought it would scare you off.”

“Where’d you get the duct tape?” she said, pointing to his shoes.

Danny cocked his head. “Mr. Crumpus. Why?”

“Just wondering,” Ashley said.

Sam helped Danny up. He wasn’t as tall as I thought he’d be. His face was covered with freckles and he was skinny. This guy didn’t seem like a monster at all.

Ashley and I followed Sam’s truck back to the ambulance and police cruiser. Another car pulled in. Mr. Ingram.

Danny looked at Ashley when he got out of the truck. “Your dad says you think I’m not guilty. You’re right, but no one will believe me.”

“Your father will,” Ashley said.

Danny pursed his lips. “Make those girls tell the truth.”

Chapter 69

I had to get to the truth.
I was responsible for Danny being caught, and if he was innocent and still went to jail, I’d feel terrible.

Danny didn’t speak to his father as he was led away.

Mr. Ingram thanked us for calling him and followed the police cars. The look on his face haunted me through the night and through church the next day. Everyone was talking about the capture.

Hayley called to find out what had happened, and I told her I couldn’t get Danny’s words out of my head.

“What are you going to do?” she said.

I thought about Tracy and Cammy. “I don’t know, but as much as I hate being around those girls, I have to do something.”

Bryce came into the room as soon as I hung up. “Whatever you need, I’ll help,” he said.

Chapter 70

At school on Monday
I switched my minirecorder on and slipped it into my shirt pocket. Then I met Ashley in the lunchroom. She had her brown bag and candle catalog out as she moved toward Tracy. Cammy was nowhere in sight. We heard she was making up an English test.

“Anybody here like candles?” Ashley said in a little-girl voice.

The girls looked at each other and rolled their eyes. Ashley went straight to Tracy and sat across from her. The others stared like Ash had leeches hanging from her.

“Tracy, whose idea was it to make up that story, yours or Cammy’s?”

Tracy dropped her spoon in her chocolate pudding and it slopped on her. She tried to wipe it off with a napkin, but it smeared right into her pink shirt.

Ashley was using our mom’s method of getting the truth. One day, instead of asking if we cut a tree down, she said, “I’ll bet it was pretty hard to cut down that tree.”

I spoke right up. “No, it wasn’t that hard. Ashley bent it down a little and I . . .” I told her everything.

No such luck with Tracy. The pudding distracted her enough to give her time to think. With everyone at the table looking at her, she said, “We told the truth. That guy attacked us. Now the police caught him, and I’m glad.”

“Even though he’s innocent?” Ashley said.

A girl said, “You’re taking up for that drunk?”

“How many more people does he have to attack before you believe us?” Tracy said.

Ashley pursed her lips.

Strike one against us.