Page 50 of Bringing Chelsea Home

“I’ll tell her when she gets back.” Griff exchanged a knowing look with the others, and they nodded in understanding. After what Martin had suffered, there was no need to scare him more by telling him what was going down. “What’s up?”

The boy’s smile dimmed. “I think I remembered something about where they were keeping us.”

“Go on.” Griff urged, gently.

“It was kinda funny, but me and my parents we were watching an old Star Trek episode–”

“The original or one of the others?” Griff asked.

“The original,” Martin replied. “Do you rememberThe Trouble with Tribbles?’”

“Funniest episode they ever did.” Griff wished the kid would get to the point but forced himself to be patient. “What about it?”

“Remember when Scotty and Chekhov got into a fight with the Klingons in the bar?” Martin asked. “I think that’s it.”

“I don’t understand, Martin,” Griff said.

“Chekhov,” Martin replied “Right before we got to Knoxville, I remember hearing one of our watchers laughing about where they’d keep us and how no one would guess where we were. But he kept saying the name Chekhov. I mean what does Star Trek have to do with where they’d hide us? I don’t think any of them were Russians, so what the fu–I mean what’s up with that? Could it mean something or–what’s wrong, Lieutenant?”

“Holy shit,” Griff gasped. “The girls. They’re next door.”

CHAPTER25

“What are you talking about?”Patrick demanded. “You must have fallen on your head yesterday ‘cause you’re talking crazy.”

“The hell I am.” Excitement coursed through Griff. “One good thing about being the son of a drama professor, is you know plays. Some of them very well.”

“Explain please,” Miller demanded.

“There’s a play calledThree Sistersby the Russian playwright, Anton Chekhov,” Griff explained. “My mom directed a production of it in St. Petersburg, Russia fifteen years ago.”

“But what does that have to do with where the girls are being kept?” Confusion knotted Patrick’s handsome features. “Damn, I need a drink and it’s way too early.”

“This building and the ones next door were originally owned by–”

“The three Taylor sisters!” Miller, a Knoxville native and theater lover, shouted, cutting off Griff’s explanation. “Son of a biscuit eater! They’re in one of the two buildings next door! Three Sisters!”

“Hey what’s going on?” Martin shouted. “Don’t leave me out, man! What are you guys talking about?”

“Martin, you’ve just handed us the key to where the girls are!” Griff praised. “Thank the Lord you’re a Star Trek fan! Me and my friends need to strategize but we’ll be in touch later, I promise.”

“Have Chelsea call me first thing?” Martin pleaded.

“You can bet your ass on it,” Griff promised.

“Cool,” Martin agreed with a grin, and the screen went dark.

“It must be the third building,” Patrick said. “Hank has had me going through the second one to be sure it’s structurally sound.” At Miller’s raised eyebrows, he added, “My background is in civil and structural engineering with an emphasis in architecture. Hank wants to know how much needs to be done to it after he buys it if he can win the bidding war for it.”

“When we get the girls out, Aunt Sally will probably give it to him,” Griff said with grim satisfaction.When we get Elaine and the girls out.“But how do we learn the layout of the third building? It might be different and we sure can’t just knock on the door and ask for a guided tour.”

“Can Aunt Sally get me a copy of the buildings original blueprints?” Patrick asked. “The second building is similar to this one, but it has some differences too.”

“You bet.” Griff sent the text and then the beginnings of an idea came to him. “These buildings were all first built in the mid-nineteenth century,” he said slowly. “Probably lots of adaptations since then. Modern heating and plumbing. Better windows and insulation. Elevators. But any owner with a brain in their head would leave one thing for safety, right?”

Patrick smiled. “Right,” he agreed. “What’s wrong, Miller?”

“I’m still so pissed about Gibbons giving up Elaine to Big Daddy I can’t begin to follow this conversation,” Miller fumed. “What the devil are you two saying?”

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