Аврам Дэвидсон - Ellery Queen’s Double Dozen

“What did you do, run Russ Toomey down?” Uncle George asked. “Think he was a police road block or something?”

“A real wise old fossil,” McVey said. “So now get practical, Uncle. There has to be some way out of this godforsaken burg and one of you here better know it. If we can’t get out by car there has to be a way to walk out If that’s the way it is Ray and me are going to walk out, see — with the kid! Because we don’t want you two characters or the doll here to be doing any talking. So we take the boy, and maybe, if we get away, we send him back.”

“You can’t take Joey!” Hector said. “That’d be kidnaping.”

“You amaze me,” McVey said. “What about it, Ray?”

“No gun,” Stack said — he had finished his behind-the-counter search.

“Now let’s talk very rapid turkey,” McVey said. “How do we get away from this town?”

“Lakeview is in a valley between two ranges of hills,” Uncle George said. “You came in one end of it. You know there’s no way out there. The other end is worse — river winds in and out across the highway. Right now the whole south end of the valley is a lake. Unless you’re a first-class channel swimmer—”

“Never mind the comedy,” McVey said. “So we can’t go out either end. So we walk out over one of the ranges of hills.”

Uncle George snorted. “In this kind of a rainstorm and in pitch darkness?”

“If someone smart showed us the way,” McVey said.

“I bet even Uncle George couldn’t take you out on a night like this,” Joey said, holding his head quite still, “and he knows the woods better’n anyone in Lakeview!”

A dry smile twisted Uncle George’s face. “Don’t you figure you’ve done just about enough talking for one night, Joey?”

McVey chuckled. “Helpful kid. So Uncle George is the top guy in the woods around here. So you take us out along with the kid, Uncle George. And we start now, quick, before someone gets thirsty for a cup of coffee and we really have to get rough.”

Janet Graves turned to Uncle George. “You can’t let them do this, Mr. Crowder. You can’t help them to do it.”

Uncle George turned his cold blue eyes to the schoolteacher. “I’ve come across a few genuine killers in my time, Janet,” he said. “I’ve seen a rattlesnake coiled to strike. I’ve seen a wildcat crouched to spring off a rock ledge over my head. There’s times when you move against ’em, and times when you don’t. I’m afraid I think our fat friend here means business. Unfortunately, he’s got his gun on Joey and not on me. I wouldn’t mind taking a slug or two to bring Red and the boys in from outside. But not Joey or you or Hector.” He turned back to McVey. “I’m going to tell you the truth,” he said.

“Make it snappy,” McVey said.

“I’m not sure I can take you out. Streams coming down the mountain may have cut off trails. And one thing is certain. We wouldn’t have a chance without showing a light or two. And lights moving in the woods will bring the sheriff and some of his deputies to see what’s wrong.”

“Fix it so they don’t,” McVey said.

“How?”

“Tell them we’ve offered to pay you well to take us out.”

“And how do I explain taking Joey along?” Uncle George asked.

McVey grinned. “For the adventure of it!” he said. “Boys are strong for adventure, aren’t they, Joey?” The smile went out like a blown light bulb. “And right now, Uncle,” he said. “Every minute we wait somebody’s going to come in here and knock things end-wise.”

Uncle George sighed. He was flexing his fingers nervously. “We’ll need some pure water in your camp canteen, Joey. Maybe Miss Graves’ll make a few sandwiches. We won’t get out the other side till tomorrow afternoon, even if we don’t have any trouble.”

“I’ll get my camping kit out of my room,” Joey said.

“You’ll sit right where you are, Joey,” McVey said. “Let the tootsie get the stuff. You, Ray. You go out with Uncle George while he breaks the news to the sheriff.”

“We’ll need extra flashlights,” Uncle George said. “You got some in stock, haven’t you, Hector?”

Hector nodded, dumbly, eyes on his son — and on the .45 held so close to the boy’s head.

“I’m giving you just five minutes, Uncle, to clear things with the sheriff. Then I’ll know you’ve made a wrong move and little Joey gets it. Clear?”

“Clear,” Uncle George said. He looked at the boy and spoke gently, but his hands were still nervous. “You keep your mouth shut, Joey. Don’t say a word — not a word. I’ll be back inside the five minutes.”

“Leave your gun here, Ray,” McVey said. “I’ll hold ’em both. Don’t want anyone bumping into you or suspecting anything. And keep one thing clear in your head, Uncle. I won’t do anything to try to help Ray or myself without first pulling the trigger on this kid. Clear?”

“Clear,” Uncle George said.

He turned and walked out the door, Stack at his elbow. The street was dark except for the parking lights of the cars that Egan had parked across the road. It was noisy outside, wind roaring down the narrow street, and behind it the distant thunder of angry waters.

When Uncle George rapped on the window of the first parked car, Egan rolled down the glass and looked out.

“These two gents are real anxious to be on the move,” Uncle George said casually. “They got a big deal on in New York. They’ve offered me quite a nice hunk of change if I’d guide ’em out over the west ridge into New York State.”

Red stared at Uncle George as though he was crazy. “Over the west ridge—?”

“We might make it,” Uncle George said. His voice was outwardly calm but his hands, still working, seemed to show his inner anxiety. “Over on the other side things might be so they could get to the railway. We can’t do worse than get lost for a while. I figure if we go south down the road a piece till we come to where Hyland Brook has overflowed we could follow the stream up past the Devil’s Slide to its source. That’d bring us pretty near the top of the Ridge. Be daylight by then and we shouldn’t have any trouble getting down into New York State on the other side.”

“Sounds crazy,” Sheriff Egan said.

“Well, Joey and me are going to try it anyway. Didn’t want you worrying if you saw lights moving around up in the woods.”

“Joey!” Egan cried. “You’re taking the kid!”

“Shucks, he’ll get a kick out of it,” Uncle George said. “Chance to use that new camp kit you gave him.”

The sheriff opened his mouth and then snapped it shut. “I think you’re all crazy!” he said. “I expect we’ll see you all trekkin’ back here by daylight for some grub.”

“Like to get the gentlemen’s car out so we can head south toward Hyland Brook,” Uncle George said.

“Yeah,” Egan said. “Sure.”

Uncle George turned and walked back into the store, Stack still a half step behind him.

“All smooth as pie,” Stack told McVey.

“We’ll go south in your car as far as we can,” Uncle George said to McVey. He looked at the counter where Joey’s canteen and a camp roll lay. Janet Graves, her eyes wide as saucers, said there were some sandwiches in the roll.

“I want a piece of rope or clothesline,” McVey said. “The boy’ll walk right alongside me to the car. But once we start climbing — well, we’ll tie an end of rope around him and the other end around me. Like mountain climbers, eh, Joey? And if you try any tricks I’ll just yank you back to me and blow your brains out Clear?”

Hector Trimble, his face the color of ashes, gripped the edge of the counter for support.

“Please! Please don’t hurt the boy!” he whispered.