Free Out of the Deep by Gloria Skurzynski Page A

driving aimlessly. Steven must have figured it out, too; without a word, he headed for the Seaside Motel. After he dropped them off, he’d go to the police.
    â€œYou have your key, Ashley?” Steven asked as they pulled into the parking lot.
    She held it up. “I’ve got it.”
    â€œGood. Would you please run up to the room and check and see if by some wild chance Bindy is there?”
    â€œSure, Dad.” Ashley unbuckled her seat belt, saying, “Be right back.”
    Since the steps leading to the upstairs rooms were outside the building, Jack could see his sister quickly scramble up and run to her door, which was only three down from where the steps ended. A moment later she disappeared into the room.
    Steven sighed and pushed a lock of blond hair off his face. He seemed in no hurry to move, and Jack didn’t want to rush him, so he sat perfectly still and waited. Glancing at his father’s profile, Jack noticed that Steven looked different than he had just a few days before.
    His jawline had softened, and there were pouches under his eyes that seemed smudged with gray. Bindy was wearing him out.
    Ashley appeared at the door and shrugged her shoulders, hands spread apart, palms up.
    â€œWell, as I suspected, she’s not there,” Steven said, his voice tense. “All right, Jack, you’re in charge. I want you two to stay put in the room until I get back. If Bindy shows up or phones the room or you hear from her in any way, I want you to immediately call your mother’s cell phone. Mine’s still with Bindy. It’s not working, of course. Seawater will do that. I tried to dial the number countless times, just in case it started working again and she’d perhaps answer, but…nothing.” Raising his sunglasses, he rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Remember, I’ll be checking with your mother every 15 minutes to pick up messages.”
    â€œWe’ll call if we see or hear anything. Promise.”
    â€œGood.” He gave a quick wave as Jack scrambled out of the car, and then, tires squealing, he drove away.
    Ashley was already using the shower in the connecting room when Jack arrived. He turned on his own shower, standing in the hot steam until his skin turned the color of the lobster he’d seen on the Bar Harbor sign. Lathering up his hair, he rinsed, then lathered again, letting the bubbles run down him in foaming sheets. He could think in here.
    The Landons had lost Bindy twice, which meant his family could be in legal trouble—being a foster parent involved a lot of responsibility. The Bar Harbor police already had a record of Bindy escaping once, which could be bad. Two times might make them think of negligence. What if Marian, Bindy’s adoptive mother, decided to sue them? Even if she herself didn’t want Bindy, she might be the type to cause trouble if she thought the Landons hadn’t done their job properly.
    Jack stuck his head under the water to wash away the thought. He was most likely borrowing trouble. No one would go after his parents, not when they were trying so hard to help. His dad had been a foster child himself, shuttled from one family to another before living his teen years on a ranch for boys. Over and over again, Steven had told Jack to reach out to those who weren’t as fortunate.
    â€œThe easiest thing in the world is to slip-slide into an attitude of entitlement, especially living in this country,” his father had told him. “I want you to see real heroes—kids who’ve been knocked around by life, yet still rise up to take on the world. I want you to see what it is to have grit. Your mother and I want to make a difference in the lives of unfortunate kids.” Now it was Bindy who was making a difference in the Landons’ lives. Except it wasn’t for the better.
    When he came out of the bathroom, he found Ashley spread-eagled on one of the beds, her wet hair spiraling onto