Free The Yanti by Christopher Pike Page A

they didn’t know why he’d gone camping at the same time as them.”
    Garten paused for effect. “All three repeated the identical lines to me. I’m sure you can guess why. Because they’d agreed ahead of time what they needed to say to stay out of trouble.” Garten added, “The smoothest liar of them all was Ali.”
    Garten pointed at her. “That’s Ali sitting there. She looks harmless, doesn’t she? With her long red hair and cute smile. I admit, I used to think she was one of the nicest kids in town. I know her dad, he’s a fine man, an honest man, a hard worker. I knew her mother, as well, when she was alive. One of the kindest souls you could hope to meet. Always had a kind word for everyone. But I swear to you that Ali doesn’t take after either of them. Let me give an example. Intellectually, according to her schoolteachers, the girl’s a genius. Without picking up a book, she always gets straight A’s. Many of the teachers at school are intimidated by her. I’ve talked to several, and the questions she asks—most of the time they haven’t a clue what the answers should be. I’m embarrassed to admit she can dance circles around me. Every time I’ve stopped by her house to talk, I’ve left feeling more confused than when I arrived.”
    “Excuse me,” Judge Lincoln interrupted. “What does Ali’s intellectual prowess have to do with Karl’s disappearance?”
    “Your Honor, I’m just trying to establish that even though she looks innocent, we mustn’t be fooled. We have no idea what goes on inside that girl’s mind.”
    Ali almost thanked him but decided to keep her mouth shut.
    He was exaggerating about school. Only one teacher was intimidated by her—Mr. Sims, their biology teacher, and it was because he had a crush on her. The affection was totally innocent. He gave her the biggest frogs to dissect, stuttered when she smiled at him. He was far from a pervert.
    On the other hand, it was true, she did get straight A’s. Algebra and creative writing were not particularly challenging when you were queen of all the fairies.
    Garten continued to pace. “Now I have to make two leaps—in time and in the nature of the crime we are discussing. These are crucial leaps—I’m hoping you can make them with me. Just keep an open mind, listen to the facts, let them speak for themselves. The most dangerous mistake right now would be to focus on Ali and Cindy’s age. Like I said, they look like innocent kids but they’re—”
    “Please get to the point,” Judge Lincoln said, more than a hint of impatience in his voice. He did not like being lectured to, Ali thought. That was good, he would make up his own mind. Shifting his bulk in his chair, he reached out and picked up a doughnut. He already had a cup of coffee in hand.
    Garten looked insulted, but tried to hide it. “Four days ago Ali disappeared from sight. The following day, Steve and Cindy disappeared. No one knows where they went to, not their friends, not even their parents. But just before they vanished, they were seen in Toule. Specifically, Ali was seen at a software company, Omega Overtures, where she introduced herself as Lisa Morgan, and snooped around questioning several of the firm’s employees about Sheri Smith. We have a witness here, Mr. Havor, one of Ms. Smith’s employees, who can verify Ali came to the firm and used a false name.” Garten paused. “Is that true, Mr. Havor?”
    Judge Lincoln interrupted, turned to Havor. “Excuse me, Mr. Havor, are you blind?”
    “Yes, Your Honor.”
    The judge turned to her. “Ali, please say your full name.”
    “Alison Warner,” she said.
    Judge Lincoln spoke to Havor. “You recognize the voice?”
    “Yes.”
    “This was the young lady you met at your firm a few days ago?”
    “Yes.”
    “She introduced herself as Lisa Morgan?”
    “Yes.”
    “Why did she say she was at the firm?”
    “She said she was writing a paper on our software company, and that she was a fan of