Free Hard Hat by Bonnie Bryant Page B

chance to tell them all the fun stories about her trip. And all they’d have to tell her was how fast Maxi had run into which stall at which time. They could tell her how much Maxi loved to ride the ponies. Stevie would like that. It wouldn’t surprise her, but she’d like it.
    Carole’s eyes drifted closed again. It was silly to think about what Stevie was doing at that moment, because it was obvious that she’d be sleeping. Anybody with any sense would be sleeping at 2:13 in the morning, even in New York where there were so many street noises it must be impossible to sleep. Yes, even Stevie would be asleep then.
    Carole’s last thought before she fell back to sleep was of Stevie standing on the top of the Empire State Building, waving at her.
    “S TEVIE !” A WHISPERING voice penetrated Stevie’s sleep.
    “Wha—”
    “Stevie!”
    Her eyes fluttered open.
    “Did you hear that?”
    The only thing she’d heard was Regina’s voice. She shook her head.
    “Listen!”
    They sat quietly, waiting, listening.
    Stevie looked at her watch. It was almost a quarter past two. Who was still awake at that hour? And why?
    It occurred to Stevie that perhaps the only thing worse than having her mother find out what she’d been up to would be if those men came back and discovered two girls in their secret room. The secret of it was still a mystery, since the only thing they’d found was paper, but the fact that those men didn’t want anyone in the house had come through clear as a bell.
    She stood up and flicked the light off. It wouldn’t exactly hide them from those guys, but then it wouldn’t advertise their presence, either. As long as the men didn’t go into the kitchen, where they wouldcome across a large and rather suggestive hole in the floor …
    “I guess that won’t make much difference,” said Stevie, sitting back down. Regina shrugged. It didn’t hurt, either—at least until they’d found out what that noise was. Regina took Stevie’s hand and held it tight. They were in this together.
    There was a distinct shuffling in the basement. Then a thump, followed by a
shush!
    And another thump, and another.
    Stevie pressed her ear to the door, but all the sounds were muffled. Then she remembered the stethoscope. She slipped that into her ears and tried listening again.
    At first all she could discern were footsteps. There was a click that sounded like a light being turned on. She grimaced, looking at Regina. What if it was the two men again? The next thing they would hear would be the sounds of keys going into the locks. How would they ever explain? How could they ever get away?
    Stevie held her breath. What she heard next was not a key going into a lock. It was the distinct sound of a sneaker hitting the bottom step of the staircase up to the ground floor.
    “Be quiet!” one voice said. It was a familiar voice. It wasn’t gruff and it wasn’t threatening.
    “Our moms are going to kill us!” said another voice.
    “Well, they’ve got to be here someplace and we have to find them!” said the first.
    Liza and Peter. That’s who was speaking.
    “Shhhhh!” Stevie suspected that was Ann.
    Stevie knocked on the door.
    “Hey, guys!” she said.
    “Is that you?” Peter asked.
    “Who were you expecting?” Regina snapped back.
    “Of course it’s us. Get us out of here!”
    “How’d you get in there?”
    “There’s a slight weakness in the kitchen floor,” Stevie said.
    “We fell,” Regina explained.
    “Are you okay?” Ann asked.
    “We will be as soon as you get us out of here!” said Regina.
    “Well, how are we supposed to do that?” Liza asked.
    “How should I know?” said Regina. “You’re the ones in charge of rescuing!”
    It was funny and it made Stevie smile, but it didn’t solve the problem. She had an idea, though. “I think I saw a ladder upstairs,” she told them. “In the parlor, by the stairs going up to the next floor.”
    “Well, how are we going to get it to you?”