Read Invitation to a Stranger Online
Authors: Margaret Pearce
Invitation to a Stranger (8 page)
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The first obstacle was trying to get out to visit Katie without Jeff escorting them. Mrs. Campion was almost hysterical as she begged Ronnie not to go outside the front gate without her brother. Eventually Ronnie gave in and Jeff escorted her up the lane to Katie's place.
“Give me a ring when you want to come home,” he said in parting. “Do you have
netball
this
afternoon
?”
“Yes, but Katie said that Will is going to take us and bring us home,” Ronnie said.
“This is a fine mess,” Katie grumbled as soon as they were alone.
“There's no way we can get to talk to Drake with Will hanging around, and without him around, we won't be allowed out.”
“Suppose we tell Will?” Ronnie asked.
“He won't believe us,” Katie replied.
“Mrs. Kotsos would,” Ronnie said.
“And who is going to take any notice of a superstitious old Greek lady?” Katie asked.
Suddenly Ronnie had her brainwave. “Mike would. It's his grandmother and it is his sister who is so mysteriously sick.”
“Will,” Katie yelled. “We want to go visit the Purdue's and ask about Jasmine. Come on, it will only take you five minutes to escort us around there.”
Will sighed, but stopped what he was doing and strolled around to the Purdue's with the girls. Mr. Purdue was working,
and
Mrs. Purdue was at the hospital visiting Jasmine, Mike out the front cleaning his car and Mrs. Kotsos hanging washing on the line. Will paused to talk to Mike and the two girls headed out to the clothes line.
“Mrs. Kotsos,” Katie whispered. “We need your help desperately. We're going to have a go at rescuing the people and animals trapped by the Dementos.”
Mrs. Kotsos crossed herself. “Evil, very evil,” she mumbled.
“You game?” Ronnie asked.
“For the sake of little Jasmine I would face the devil
himself
,” said Mrs. Kotsos.
“Do you think Mike would help us?” Ronnie persisted.
“Mike's a good boyâhe'll help.”
“Great!” Katie said. “That will save us having to see Drake today.”
“What did we want to see Drake about anyway?” Ronnie asked.
“Helping with the diversion,” Kate said. “If Mike is co-operative, we won't need Drake.”
“Get one of your brothers to bring you back here on your way back from netball, so you can talk to him,” Mrs. Kotsos said.
“Very good,” Ronnie said. She sensed the relief in her voice and flushed. She wasn't game to admit to Katie how scared she was of the entire idea of rescuing the captives, if there were captives. Or catching up with Drake at his scary house to talk to him.
Were there such things as vampires in their quiet district taking animals and people captives, or were they just being
paranoid
? Then she remembered her missing brother and Herbie Pickle. Her heart sank even further. She was sure that someone had kidnapped them, but sneaking into the Dementos
'
place that night seemed horridly scary.
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T
wenty-
t
hree
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That afternoon the netball game was lost in a most spectacular fashion. Ms Winton, their coach, was almost gibbering with rage.
“What is wrong with you girls
?
” she stuttered. “You played as if you were just down from outer space and had never seen a ball shaped object before. Ronnie! I'm ashamed of you
.
What were you dreaming of to miss that goal? Katie! You played like a zombie
.
Next week we will double up on our practice. This is the most disgraceful, half-hearted effort I have ever seen from this team.”
And on she went until the escorts for the chastened team arrived and they were allowed to leave.
“What do you want to drop into the Purdues for?” Will demanded as they turned into the Purdue driveway. Mike, cleaning his car in the driveway, gave them a cheery wave. They leaned their bikes against the fence and walked
toward him
.
“Mum thinks that Jasmine almost recognised her this morning,” Mike said happily.
“Terrific news,” Katie said. “Mrs. Kotsos around?”
“Out the back,” Mike said. “Still laying down the law.”
“Very good,” Ronnie said, recognising that this was code for the fact that she had talked Mike into helping them. She wondered if they would have the opportunity to talk to him without Will around.
“Are you going to the Demento
s
'
party?” Mike asked. “I happen to be delivering a ton of food there this afternoon.”
“Hardly,” Will said. “Those three boys are a creepy mob, and attract even creepier friends.”
“Have you met Brod and Jerain
e
?” Katie asked.
“The three of them are at night school
â¦
although I have to admit at least Drake works hard. The other two are just filling in time.”
“Believe that Hayley, Jenny, Jordyn
,
and Sandy have been invited to that party?” Ronnie said.
“Stupid parents to let them,” Will said. “They're too young for that mob.”
“Will.” It was Mrs. Kotsos.
Ronnie wondered how long she had been standing by the side of the house with the inevitable basket of washing under her arm and the thoughtful look in her black eyes.
“Hi, Mrs. Kotsos,” Will said.
“You're a clever boy,” she said. “Mike can't fix this complicated vacuum cleaner. You come and have a look at it for me.”
“I don't know,” Will started.
“You're a clever boy. Mike only knows about his stupid car.”
Will and Mrs. Kotsos disappeared around the side of the house.
“Did your grandmother tell you what we want?” Katie asked.
“I'll put the party on the internet, and get up there with fireworks for when the bikies come to attract them to the right house,” Mike said. “Might be able to set up some loud music to annoy the neighbours. Also, when the diversion arrives, I'll be with you.”
“You believe us,” Ronnie said, feeling very relieved.
“There is something fishy going on and grandmother said I had to protect you no matter how stupid you get. I just hope we all don't end up in gaol for trespass and vandalism.”
“We can climb over the fence from the back park,” Katie said. “Meet you there.”
“What time?” Mike asked.
“Something bad is happening right on midnight, so what about 11 o'clock
?
” Katie said.
They were just in time. Will was walking out followed by the smiling Mrs. Kotsos.
“You're a clever boy, Will,” she was saying.
“One of your power fuses had blown,” Will said to Mike. “No wonder the vacuum cleaner wouldn't work.”
“Very high tech, all the gadgets in this house.” Mrs. Kotsos complained.
“Well, I've got to get moving. Got a pretty heavy load of stuff to deliver today,” Mike said, as he climbed into his car.
Will and Katie escorted Ronnie home.
“Coming in?” Ronnie asked.
“It's getting late, and Mum will be starting to panic,” Will said.
“Give you a ring,” Katie called as they left.
She rang Ronnie five minutes later.
“
So where are we going to meet?
”
“I'll come around to your place at five to eleven and bring a torch.” Ronnie ordered.
“Wear dark clothes so we won't be noticed,” Katie reminded as she finished her call.
“You're looking very pasty.” Ronnie's mother looked worried as she inspected her. “How did your game go?”
“We lost
.”
“You shouldn't have played today. You haven't looked well for ages.
”
“I'm all right.” Ronnie felt a twinge of guilt.
Her mother looked dreadful. If she ever found out what she and Katie intended to do
,
she would only worry even more. Yet what else could they do when none of the adults would believe in such things as vampires in their suburb. She felt better after her whispered phone conversation with Katie.
“I've got the ammonia, and we can wear dark clothes. Meet me out the front about ten to eleven.”
“What if we fall asleep?”
“I'll ring you,”
“
Someone might hear.”
“
Set an alarm or something.” Katie was sounding impatient.
“
Someone might hear.”
“Just make sure you don't fall asleep.”
“What about torches?” Ronnie whispered back. “Haven't been able to find any around our place.”
“
I'll see if I can pinch Dad's. It's really bright.”
“I want that light turned off and right now,” her mother warned.
“Yes, Mum,” Ronnie called.
She changed into her dark tracksuit pants and black socks, and pulled out her black tracksuit with the hood and then snuggled down in bed and waited. Her mother came in and kissed her goodnight without noticing the high pulled duvet that hid
her clothing
and left the room, turning off the light.
There were the odd beeps from Jeff's room as he did something on the computer. After a while, that got turned off and he stopped moving around. Ronnie yawned and waited, becoming drowsier and more comfortable. The television stayed on. She lay awake watching the slow hands of her clock turn to ten forty. Why of all nights hadn't her parents decided to have an early night?
She sneaked out of bed quietly, bulking up the duvet so it looked as if she was still in bed, stuffing her doll with the real hair on the pillow
.
She pushed up her bedroom window and slid out
and then put on her sneakers. It was very cold, but there was bright moonlight. She ran silently past the lighted window of her home, down the street, up the dark lane and waited on the corner. A dark shape moved from the shadows and joined her. It was Katie
.
She had a bag over her shoulder.
“I've been waiting ages,” Katie whispered. “I've got the ammonia and Dad's torch.”
“It's only just ten to eleven,” Ronnie whispered back. “Mum and Dad are still watching telly.”
“Let's go then,” Katie ordered.
They ran up the quiet streets and into the darkened park. The moonlight lit the path as it wound around past the dense shadows until they reached the back of the Demento place and waited. There was no sign of Mike
.
“It's just on eleven,” Ronnie whispered.
“We'll give him ten minutes,” Katie said.
They waited. Ten minutes later
,
there was still no sign of Mike. Ronnie was shivering. She was not sure whether it was from cold, excitement or dread.
“What if he isn't coming? What if he hasn't organised a diversion? What if
â”
“
Shut up,” Katie said fiercely. “If he's not around we'll go in without him.”
Ronnie gulped. She was shivering because she was scared
â
very scared. Their bright idea seemed so logical in broad daylight. Just sneak in and rescue the captives they were sure were imprisoned somewhere in the cellars of the Demento house
. S
uddenly
it seemed
a most terrifying ordeal. How could two fourteen year old girls defeat the evil that was probably vampires, even if Drake didn't spell it out?
“
Scared?” Katie asked.
Ronnie thought of Mrs. Purdue's red rimmed eyes and pinched face, and her own mother's gaunt tired face, and the missing Jamie and Herbie and stiffened her tummy muscles.
“Yeah,” she admitted.
“
So let's get moving.”
Â
Twenty
-
f
our
Â
Katie bunked Ronnie up into the tree, and then scrambled up after her. Despite the moonlight
,
the trees were dark and they clung tightly to the branches as they edged across the overhanging branch that led into the Dementos
'
yard.
Once inside they slithered down the tree, held hands and waited. There was the faintest of glows coming from further up the yard. They moved up quietly closer to the house and skirted around the swimming pool.
They started to hear the soft murmur of music. They stopped behind a thick shrub and peered at the house.
“That music sounds like music for olds,” Katie whispered.
Ronnie shushed her. The outside porch was brightly lit. Light beamed out from the open doorway and the windows on to the porch. People, old and young, drifted in and out of the house, holding glasses and plates of food, laughing and talking.
“How are we supposed to get under the porch to find the door to the cellars with all these people around?” Ronnie whispered.
“We wait,” Katie whispered back. “Mike will organise a diversion.”
“If he believed his grandmother,” Ronnie whispered back. “What if
â”
“We wait,” Katie whispered back fiercely.
Ten minutes later by Ronnie's wrist watch, the music stopped. Everyone started drifting back inside and the porch became deserted. Someone inside the house was making a speech and in the pauses, people clapped.
They saw people through the open door but they all had their backs to the porch. Katie yanked at Ronnie's hand and they ran across to the side of the porch steps and into the concealing shadows. Katie risked turning on the torch.
“Eureka,” Katie whispered.
The quickly turned on torch revealed a solid timber door in the brick wall under the porch. Katie turned the knob and the door opened. Inside was a curving passage with wooden walls and dim lighting along the ceiling that made it very shadowy
and
quiet.
“
Sound-proofed
.”
Katie whispered. “That's interesting.”
“All that strip lighting looks new,” Ronnie whispered.
“
So we need the passage that leads to the park,” Ronnie whispered, as they tiptoed along.
“All this panelling looks new, so perhaps it is behind one of the panels,” Katie whispered.
They reached a door set into one side of the wall. Katie opened it. Inside was a large area also dimly lit, with racks and racks of bottles.
“Wine cellar,” Katie said.
“Isn't big enough to cover the entire area of the house,” Ronnie said. “There must be more rooms off it.”
They edged past the racks of bottles across to the furthermost wall and then worked their way back, tapping at the walls. There were no other doors apart from the one they had entered.
They came back to the curving passage and were walking along to the end door when it opened. A boy came in and stared at them. He was tall and thin, white skinned, with long black hair tied in a ponytail. Ronnie stared back at him in horror. So much for their attempts to rescue the captives.
“Oh
,”
Katie said. Her voice sounded all giggly and silly. “We were supposed to be bringing some wine upstairs, but we can't find the wine cellar.”
“It's back there,” the boy said.
There was no recognition in his black eyes. He just looked mocking and amused. Ronnie realised that this must be the mysterious and dangerous Jerain
e
. There was an incredible likeness between the three cousins. They could all have been triplets, except somehow Drake had the nicest face.
“But you children shouldn't be down here. I'll escort you back upstairs.”
Ronnie felt her heart sink and clutched Katie's hand. Once they were upstairs they were in real trouble. Brod would recognise them. Their rescue attempt was over before it had even started.
