Ghost of the Overlook

Chapter 12: Kidnapping? Or Do I Just Have a Really Good Imagination.

A short time later, Tabby and her parents were crowded into April and Walt's little living room.

"Tabby discovered something quite extraordinary," her dad said, "And we just wanted to ask you two about it."

He laid the sheets of paper down in front of April and Walt.

April touched them. "You found these inside that table leg?"

Tabby nodded. "Yeah. There was a carving of a rose that popped out. In the space inside, we found these three pieces of paper."

Walt and April examined all three notes carefully.

Then Walt read, "Your daughter will be returned to you safe and sound as soon as I have the money."

He lifted his head. "Obviously, this is a second note. There had already been at least one."

"Why do you say that?" Tabby looked down at the note.

"Because there is no amount. It just says 'the money'."

"Huh. We never noticed that," her dad said.

"I think there was a real crime committed here," April said. "But something happened and the rest of the notes were never delivered."

"I agree." Tabby's mom nodded. "I think that someone started out on a kidnapping but, for whatever reason, never finished."

April looked at her. "But had they already kidnapped—?"

"I guess we'll never know." Tabby's dad shook his head.

"Oh, the poor parents!" April put her hands to her face. "The poor child!"

"Now, dear, we don't know anything," Walt said, patting his wife's arm.

April gave an unladylike snort. "Well, why else would someone do this? For fun? They obviously took some time." She held up the last note. "These were very carefully printed out. And stored with equal care where no one would find them."

Her husband nodded. Then shuffled the three pages, examining each one in turn. "I'd say this is fairly expensive paper."

April snapped plump fingers. "I'll be right back!" She disappeared through the doorway into the kitchen.

A moment later, she was back, carrying a sheet of paper. "Look! I was right. It is the same kind of paper as this letter we found in the trunk!"

Tabby leaned closer. "I think you're right."

April nodded. "See? It matches the writing on that letter as well." She handed the letter around to the others.

Walt agreed. "I think the printing was done with a fountain pen. Quite common in the early fifties."

"I've never used one, but I've seen them," Tabby's dad said.

Tabby looked around. "I don't even know what they are."

"They were pens that used tubes of ink," her mother told her. "With a nib similar to a calligraphy pen."

"Oh."

"The leg was also found in that man's trunk," April said.

"Mike Plunkett," Tabby said. "Who disappeared after the ghost was sighted." She looked at Walt. "Did you know him?"

Walt shook his head. "Knew of him. But if I remember correctly, he's one of the men who kept mostly to himself."

"So this Mike Plunkett must have been mixed up in a kidnapping," Tabby's mom said.

Her dad snorted. "Unless someone else was trying to hide some evidence. In Mike's trunk. With Mike's writing."

"Doesn't seem likely," Walt said.

"If only we could find out how the table leg got into the trunk," April said.

Tabby looked at her. "Maybe Ted could help."

Walt shrugged. "Well, it's certainly worth asking him."

* * *

The whole group walked over to the senior's home, then stood back while Walt rang the bell.

A woman came to the door. For a moment, she stared through the screen at the group gathered there. "What can I help you with?" she said finally, pushing the screen open.

"We'd like to talk to Ted, if he's available," Walt said.

She smiled. "I'll see what he's up to. Please, take a seat." She waved a hand toward the chairs on the sunny porch.

Tabby and her parents squeezed into the glider while Walt and April took chairs beside them.

"Well, this is a nice surprise," Ted said as he wheeled himself out the front door. "I didn't expect a visit quite this soon!" He shook hands with April and Walt.

"You remember Tabby," Walt said.

Ted grinned his toothless grin and nodded at Tabby. "How can I forget her? And I'm assuming these are your parents?"

"Yes. My dad, David and my mom, Rose."

"Very nice to meet you." Ted shook their hands. He looked around. "Well, with this many people here, I can only assume that something important has happened."

Walk cleared his throat. "That would be right. And we have a lot to tell you. But first, we want to ask you about the stuff you moved out of that man's room that day."

Ted frowned. "I'm glad to tell you what I can remember. But I don't know if there's much more."

"Do you remember a washstand in the room?"

Ted pursed his lips and frowned thoughtfully. Then his face cleared. "Now you mention it, I do. Big old marble-topped atrocity. Mrs. F wanted it gone. It took four of us to get it up to the attic."

"Do you remember if it was missing a leg?" April asked.

"Sure do. The leg fell off just as we lifted it. None of us were about to drop what we were doing to retrieve it, though. We just threw the leg in with the other junk."

Everyone looked at each other excitedly.

"Then that means—!" Tabby began.

Her dad put a hand on her shoulder. "All it means is that the leg was in the room of this mysterious Mike."

Ted slapped his leg. "Mike! That was his name! Imagine forgetting that one!"

Walt grinned.

"But it means that Mike is our man!" Tabby said. "He must be the one who wrote the notes!"

Ted's eyebrows went up. "Notes?"

"Maybe we should fill you in." April looked at Tabby. "It's Tabby's story. We'll let her tell it."

Tabby quickly brought him up to date, then showed him the notes and the unfinished letter.

Ted sat back. "Wow! That is something. A kidnapping!"

Tabby's dad was watching him. "Did you ever hear about a kidnapping here?"

Ted shook his head. "Never."

"Well, maybe it happened somewhere else," April said.

"But the washstand was here," Walt pointed out. "Unless Mike carried those notes with him when he moved here. But what would be the point of that?"

"Yeah. If you weren't going to go through with it, why wouldn't you just destroy the notes?" Tabby's mom said.

"So it had to be something he was planning here," Walt said.

"And started to carry out," her dad added.

"But with whom?" April said.