Page 44 of Rescuing Sara

“She means the vegetable and fruit truck,” Robin explained, and Alice nodded her understanding.

“We’re gonna volunteer to come in early to help Cook,” Sara continued. “That will show Miss Arthur and Sir that we’re being cooperative and compliant. That means we’ll do what they say without arguing. Adults love that.”

“My mom sure does,” Robin sighed.

“So, we’ll be here in the kitchen when the truck comes,” Sara continued as she scrubbed a large skillet and gave it to Robin torinse. “Cook is sweet on the driver. When he finishes emptying those big black bins, he and Cook always go to her office or sometimes the pantry and close the door. I don’t know what they’re doing in there, but they sure laugh a lot. Sometimes it sounds like they’re singing ‘cause I hear their voices going up and down.”

“But what will we do then?” Elsa frowned.

“We’re gonna get into the bins,” Robin explained. “He’ll drive back to a town and when he makes his next stop, we’ll get out of the bins and go find help.”

“But what about Cook?” Elsa’s lips trembled. “What if she sees us?”

“Cook always tells us to go back to the dorm when we’re done,” Sara explained. She’s so crazy stupid about that driver she won’t know something’s wrong until he’s gone.”

“But won’t they start looking for us?” Elsa asked. “Sir doesn’t like us to be late for those training classes he makes us take. I don’t want to train to be someone’s wife. I want to train to be a doctor.”

“And how do you know the driver’s next stop?” Alice asked. “What if it’s far away?”

Sara grinned. “He came last Thursday,” she said. “So, while he and Cook were doing whatever they were doing in the pantry, I put some cookies in a bag and snuck out to the truck and put them on his seat. He left his clipboard there and saw where he goes after he leaves here. It’s at a restaurant near The Main Place in Knoxville. I told him and Cook what I’d done, and said I was so grateful for the food he brought us so I left him the cookies. It made them happy.”

“You’re sneaky,” Sara,” Elsa giggled.

Adult voices grew closer, and Sara hissed, “Remember. We don’t take anything with us. Elsa, bring your drawings but put them in your pocket. OK, here they come.”

And as one group, the girls turned and curtseyed–Sara hated this stupid ankle long dress they were made to wear–and sang out, “Good morning, Cook. Good morning, Sir.”

Later that morning.The Safehouse

“We got ‘em!”

Danni stared at Grant Miller’s triumphant expression on the office’s wide screen from her place on the sofa. “Got who?”

“She who erased The Larson case file,” Miller exulted. “Thanks to our amazing IT crew, they tracked her to a local Internet café using digital footprints and website use and stuff way over my head. We’ve sent a cruiser to pick her sweet ass up and she will be in the hot seat with Captain Haggerty and yours truly within the hour. The captain will have her squawking and talking by second breakfast.”

“That’s great!” Patrick praised, snuggling closer to Danni. “Can you at least tell us her name?”

“I can do that,” Miller agreed. “Suzy Templeton who’s a file clerk in our records department. That it was someone who works there really stinks, but I have a feeling she was put there for nefarious reasons.

“Do you think she might work for The Cadre?” Danni asked, half wondering if Miller had noticed she and Patrick were wearing their bathrobes.

“Anything is possible at this stage of the game,” Miller declared. “Not to worry though. She’s ours and we ain’t cutting her loose no matter how fast she lawyers up, especially if we tell her she’s under arrest for conspiracy to kill a police officer. That can carry the death penalty, you know. And if this has anything to do with Sara Turner being snatched, we can hit her with the threat of conspiracy to help kidnap a minor child.”

Patrick laughed. “I think you’re really enjoying this, Miller.”

“You bet I am.” Grim satisfaction settled over Miller’s features. “Thank Kristopher for that file he sent. I’m going to look at it while I wait for the arrival of our little chart-erasing hussy. Holler at you later.”

The screen went blank, and Danni released a sigh of satisfaction. “Finally, I feel like we’re getting somewhere.”

“You’ve had an amazing seven days.” Patrick’s tone was reflective. “And still here.”

“Thanks to you.” She slipped her arm through his. “And you were amazing last night.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Do you want to talk about last night?”

“Not especially,” she murmured. “Well, one question. Do you have anyone waiting in the wings, so to speak?”

“Nope. Do you?”

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