Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                        Chapter 52

                                                                                 The Chase Begins

     Detective Burns huffed and puffed for a few more moments before he took a seat beside Alex.  Then he said, "Well firstly, Principal Fuller called me this morning and told me what happened with Avery Thorn and how you, Jed, accompanied him to his office to report the beating.  He gave me a copy of Avery's statement.  But I just wondered Jed, if you might have more information for me on these two boys?"

     Jed heaved a great sigh, and then said, "I do."  Then as Detective Burns pulled out his pad and pencil, Jed told him about Ben's suspicions that Larry and Will had robbed a convenience store, and Ben's belief that both of them were on the dangerous drug "Meth."  Now it was Detective Burns' turn to sigh.

     Then he continued,"I called the boys' parents before coming here.  They are very worried about their sons, since the principal called them and told them of Avery's beating; and they gave me names and phone numbers of Larry and Will's friends.  Mrs. Kidd and Mrs. Arnold had called the parents  but they said neither Larry or Will had come by before school or since.  Principal Fuller had called and text Larry and Will earlier today and got no response; not that he had really expected them to answer, or text back."

     "Jed, do you have any suggestion as to where Will and Larry would go?"  "No.  Sorry.  If they're not at any of their friends' houses, I can't imagine where they would be," Jed said sadly; sorry that he couldn't be of more help.  Detective Burns saw the look on his face and said, "Don't worry Jed.  Will find them.  Won't we ?" He said looking around the table.  "We will," Anna piped up.  The others nodded in agreement and gave Jed encouraging looks.  Alex just smiled, knowing that Anna was going to be a part of this case.

     Chet evidently realized too, that Anna was going to be a detective helping to solve this mystery, because he put in, "I want in on this one."  Dawn's eyes were suddenly wide and she gaped at him.  "Really?"  she asked.  "Yes," he answered.  "This is kind of a life or death situation for Larry and Will."  Dawn gave him a smile and a kiss on the cheek.

     Detective gave Anna and Chet a smile too and said, "Glad to have you two on board."  Anna and Chet gave him a grin.  "Okay," the detective started again, "Don't be alarmed by what I say now," he said, looking around the table, as the final bell rang and the other teens raced out of study hall.  In the next minute Detective Burns and his Jr. investigators were alone.  "Oh my," the detective said, "I didn't realize it was so late."

     "Let me say this, and then you all can go," he told them.  "I put out an "A.P.B. saying the boys were wanted for questioning on the convenience store robbery.  It really upset Larry and Will's parents to give me photos of the boys for the A.P. B.  But they agreed that it might be the best way to find them."  "I agree with you and Larry and Will's parents," Jed said.  "I'd rather see them in jail than dealing with drug dealers.  That's a dangerous business."

"Yes," the detective agreed.  "We'll all do what we can to get them out of that life."  "Hey Alex," Jed spoke up as everyone grabbed their books and shoved them into their book bags, "Me and the guys want in on this one too."  "Alex grinned and said, "I just assumed you would."  Jed grinned back at him and then at Anna.

     That day before he left school, Jed visited the principal's office and asked him if he could address the student body, concerning the "Bully" problem in the school.  Principal Fuller said he would call for an assembly the following Monday during study hall.  Jed called Avery that day and asked him if he would like to be by his side when he addressed the student body.  Avery gave him an immediate "Yes."

     Alex called a meeting of the North Side Detectives that Saturday morning to be held in the head quarters' shack downtown.  Jed, Tom and Ben rode with Alex that day.  Alex figured it would be easier than Jed following him.  Jed and his buddies had never been to the shack before and he didn't want Jed to get lost.

    Dawn, Glenna and Anna arrived first,(Dawn having the key to the shack's door) and parked on the side street opposite the headquarters.  Alex, Jed, Ben, Tom and Hank arrived next, followed by Lee, Fletch and Chet, who parked on the side street also.  The group walked across the street and then down the dirt road to the shack.

     Dawn unlocked the door and they all filed in.  "This is cool!" Jed said as soon as he was across the threshold.  "Thanks," Dawn said with a big smile, "We like it."  Everyone took seats around the table, either in chairs or on milk crates that Dawn and Glenna has salvaged from various places around town.

     "So do you guys meet here often?"  Ben asked of anyone.  "When we have a case to solve," Fletch answered.  "Just being here seems to help us think more clearly," he ended as Dawn handed out spirals and pens to those at the table who didn't already have them.  "Okay," Alex said.  "Let's get down to business."

     "So....we don't know at this time where Larry and Will are "hiding," I guess that's the right word.  And we are here to share ideas about where they might be.  Do any of you have any ideas where we might start looking?  Then Alex added before anyone could answer, "Or do any of you think the boys could've left town?"

     "I talked to Larry's mom the other night and she has naturally been thinking of where Larry and will would go," Jed put in, "and she remembered that Larry had a friend that moved to Indianapolis.  But then she put the question to me, as to how the boys would get there.  But then she remembered what Detective Burns told her about the robbery, and after she stopped crying she said, If they hadn't spent all the money, they might have had enough for bus fare to get there."

     "Does she know the name and address of Larry's friend?"  Lee asked eagerly.  "She didn't." Jed said, "But she said she'd go through Larry's shoe boxes in his room where he kept all his stuff and see if by chance there was a name and address for his friend in Indy."  "And did she?" Fletch asked him excitedly.

     Jed grinned at him and said, while pulling a worn out piece of paper from his jean pocket, "she did." He handed the paper to Alex who smoothed it out and read aloud:  "James Durbo,  Green Way Drive, Indianapolis, IN. Thanks Jed," Alex told him, "We don't usually get a clue this early in an investigation."  Jed grinned at him.  "Too bad there isn't a cell number to go along with the address," Ben said.  "If it was too easy, where would be the adventure in that?"  Anna said, with a grin at him.

                                                                                   End of Chapter 52