spoke rapidly to Tucker. “The kid’s after me; why didn’t you signal?”
“I never saw him,” Tucker said.
“I have to get out of here,” Mitch said.
“Get on the ride. No one can see you in there.”
“How long does it last?”
“Five minutes.”
“Just long enough for the kid to get a guard and be waiting when I get off,” Mitch said. He glanced nervously over his shoulder.
“You could go down the back stairs,” Tucker said, “the ones I use for maintenance.”
“Good. Where are they?”
“You can’t get to the back stairs until the ride stops.”
“I can’t wait!” Mitch stormed over to the edge of the platform, looked down, and stormed back. “The kid’s coming up.”
“Why did you come up here?” Tucker asked. “Why didn’t you run into one of the buildings?”
“I didn’t think he would see me come up here, but he did. I swear the kid has X-ray eyes.”
“Let’s put the kid on the ride.”
Mitch’s face relaxed into smile. “You’re a genius, Tucker. It must run in the family. And once he’s on it, in the middle somewhere, where he can’t be seen or heard, you can stop the ride. Keep him inside for awhile until Joan and I get away from here.”
“No problem,” Tucker said. “This ride breaks down all the time; no one will think anything of it if I say it needs repair again.”
“Get the other people off first. We don’t want anyone helping him.”
Corey clambered onto the platform. The thief stood on the far side. Corey went straight to the ride operator, mouthing the word, “Help!”
“What’s wrong, sonny?” the man said. “Calm down now and tell old Tucker your problem.”
To the right, a string of boats emerged from the main, enclosed part of the ride and stopped beside the platform. A group of shrieking, laughing people got off and started down the steps.
“Help,” Corey repeated.
“Wait a minute,” Tucker said. “I can’t hear you.”
Corey gripped Tucker’s arm until the people were gone. Then he pointed at the man with the shopping bag and tried to say, “Thief.” He wondered why the thief just stood there, with his back to Corey, looking down at the fairgrounds. Didn’t he realize that Corey had followed him up the steps?
“Come over here, sonny,” Tucker said, “where I can hear you better.” He stepped closer to where people board the ride.
Corey followed. “Thief,” Corey rasped again, as he pointed at the man.
The last customer went down the steps. The thief still looked away from Corey.
Tucker bent so that his face was level with Corey’s. “Now then, sonny,” he said, “what is it you want to tell me?”
Corey tried again to say, “Thief.”
“Thief?” Tucker said. “Is that what you are saying? Thief?”
Corey nodded and pointed at the man’s shopping bag.
“He steals things and hides them in the bag?” Tucker said.
Corey’s head bobbed up and down vigorously. Someone finally understood him.
“You are a brave boy to chase a thief by yourself,” Tucker said.
Corey grinned, glad that someone appreciated his courage.
“Get on with it!” The thief strode toward them across the platform.
Corey stayed close to Tucker.
“This boy claims you’ve been stealing, Mitch,” Tucker said. “It isn’t nice to steal things. Didn’t your mother teach you anything?”
The two men grinned at each other.
How did he know the thief’s name? Corey wondered. Why was the thief smiling? An uneasy feeling spread through Corey’s insides. It was odd that the thief had just stood there while Corey talked to Tucker and odd that Tucker called the man by name and odd that both of them were smiling. Too odd.
He should not have followed the thief up here; he should have let that boy’s mother help him or he should have found a guard. Corey took a step away from Tucker but Mitch quickly blocked his way.
Tucker turned some knobs on the control panel. The volume on the spiel boomed louder.
The stairs were the only
“I never saw him,” Tucker said.
“I have to get out of here,” Mitch said.
“Get on the ride. No one can see you in there.”
“How long does it last?”
“Five minutes.”
“Just long enough for the kid to get a guard and be waiting when I get off,” Mitch said. He glanced nervously over his shoulder.
“You could go down the back stairs,” Tucker said, “the ones I use for maintenance.”
“Good. Where are they?”
“You can’t get to the back stairs until the ride stops.”
“I can’t wait!” Mitch stormed over to the edge of the platform, looked down, and stormed back. “The kid’s coming up.”
“Why did you come up here?” Tucker asked. “Why didn’t you run into one of the buildings?”
“I didn’t think he would see me come up here, but he did. I swear the kid has X-ray eyes.”
“Let’s put the kid on the ride.”
Mitch’s face relaxed into smile. “You’re a genius, Tucker. It must run in the family. And once he’s on it, in the middle somewhere, where he can’t be seen or heard, you can stop the ride. Keep him inside for awhile until Joan and I get away from here.”
“No problem,” Tucker said. “This ride breaks down all the time; no one will think anything of it if I say it needs repair again.”
“Get the other people off first. We don’t want anyone helping him.”
Corey clambered onto the platform. The thief stood on the far side. Corey went straight to the ride operator, mouthing the word, “Help!”
“What’s wrong, sonny?” the man said. “Calm down now and tell old Tucker your problem.”
To the right, a string of boats emerged from the main, enclosed part of the ride and stopped beside the platform. A group of shrieking, laughing people got off and started down the steps.
“Help,” Corey repeated.
“Wait a minute,” Tucker said. “I can’t hear you.”
Corey gripped Tucker’s arm until the people were gone. Then he pointed at the man with the shopping bag and tried to say, “Thief.” He wondered why the thief just stood there, with his back to Corey, looking down at the fairgrounds. Didn’t he realize that Corey had followed him up the steps?
“Come over here, sonny,” Tucker said, “where I can hear you better.” He stepped closer to where people board the ride.
Corey followed. “Thief,” Corey rasped again, as he pointed at the man.
The last customer went down the steps. The thief still looked away from Corey.
Tucker bent so that his face was level with Corey’s. “Now then, sonny,” he said, “what is it you want to tell me?”
Corey tried again to say, “Thief.”
“Thief?” Tucker said. “Is that what you are saying? Thief?”
Corey nodded and pointed at the man’s shopping bag.
“He steals things and hides them in the bag?” Tucker said.
Corey’s head bobbed up and down vigorously. Someone finally understood him.
“You are a brave boy to chase a thief by yourself,” Tucker said.
Corey grinned, glad that someone appreciated his courage.
“Get on with it!” The thief strode toward them across the platform.
Corey stayed close to Tucker.
“This boy claims you’ve been stealing, Mitch,” Tucker said. “It isn’t nice to steal things. Didn’t your mother teach you anything?”
The two men grinned at each other.
How did he know the thief’s name? Corey wondered. Why was the thief smiling? An uneasy feeling spread through Corey’s insides. It was odd that the thief had just stood there while Corey talked to Tucker and odd that Tucker called the man by name and odd that both of them were smiling. Too odd.
He should not have followed the thief up here; he should have let that boy’s mother help him or he should have found a guard. Corey took a step away from Tucker but Mitch quickly blocked his way.
Tucker turned some knobs on the control panel. The volume on the spiel boomed louder.
The stairs were the only
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