Excerpt
Into Thin Air andlt;link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="../styles/9781442459847.css"andgt; andlt;h2 andgt;andlt;a id="ch01"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;andlt;a id="page_1"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;MISSINGandlt;/h2andgt; andlt;h2 andgt;1andlt;/h2andgt; andlt;h3 andgt;FRANKandlt;/h3andgt; andlt;BRandgt;TELL ME AGAIN WHAT YOU heard,and#8221; Officer Lasko said to me, crouching over his spiral notebook like it held the secrets of the universe.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I sighed. and#8220;I didnand#8217;t hear anything,and#8221; I said honestly, for about the tenth time. I squirmed in the hard plastic chair, wondering whether my brother and I would ever be allowed to leave. The Bayport PD had taken over the Funspot amusement parkand#8217;s administrative offices, which I donand#8217;t think were comfortable under the best of circumstances. And these were not the best of circumstances. These were pretty much the worst of circumstances.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Daisy Rodriguez, the park ownerand#8217;s daughter and my brother Joeand#8217;s recent lady friend, was missing.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_2"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;It wasnand#8217;t a normal disappearance. No missed curfews, no sneaking out after a fight with her parents. No, Daisy had gone missing off her fatherand#8217;s most prized (and infamous) ride, the G-Forceand#8212;sometimes called and#8220;the Death Ride.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Let me explain.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;A couple of weeks ago Funspot reopened for the season under new ownership. Hector Rodriguez had bought the park, which had been a Bayport institution for a long time but had become pretty run-down in recent years, and wanted to totally revitalize it. Step one was hiring the Piperato Brothers, famous amusement ride designers, to create an all-new amusement ride exclusively for Funspot.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;That ride was the G-Force. I first rode it on opening night with my brother, his date, Daisy, and her best friend, Penelope Chung. It was, in a word, awesome. Even now that Iand#8217;d ridden it countless times, I still found it hard to describe exactly what the G-Force did. It was sleek and enclosed, like a spaceship, and itand#8217;s safe to say that the seats moved around in a circle, and also up and down. Images were projected in the rideand#8217;s center, and loud rock music played. But the combined effect was pretty exhilarating. Riding the G-Force made me feel like Iand#8217;d climbed six mountains, skied down a black diamond slope, slain a dragon, breathed fire, and also saved humanity from certain destruction.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Like I said: awesome.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;What wasnand#8217;t awesome was the huge hoax the Piperato Brothers had pulled to gain publicity for the ride. That first andlt;a id="page_3"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;night, a young girl disappeared while riding the G-Force, right under the nose of her watchful older sister. Her restraints had been cut, and the girl, Kelly, was gone without a trace. The ride was immediately closed down, but it reopened after inspectors found nothing wrong with it. And weirdly, kids flocked to the ride like rats to the Pied Piper.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;They were encouraged by a and#8220;viral videoand#8221; that the Piperato Brothers put together. It showed the ride in the creepiest light possible, asking viewers if they were and#8220;brave enough to ride the Death Ride.and#8221; My classmatesand#8212;along with nearly all the teenagers in a fifty-mile radiusand#8212;wanted to prove that they were brave enough. The lines for the G-Force swelled, even as the police struggled to find any trace of the missing girl.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Not long after, a boyand#8212;an ex-boyfriend of Daisyand#8217;s, in factand#8212;disappeared in the same way. Parents panicked. The media pounced.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;We thought weand#8217;d stopped the madness when we spotted one of the missing kids on a main street and chased him to a motel, where heand#8217;d been placed with the missing girl. These kids told an incredible story: that theyand#8217;d been offered a thousand dollars to play and#8220;missingand#8221; for a couple of weeks, all to pull off a hoax and get tons of publicity for the new G-Force ride.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The hoax had been arranged by the Piperato Brothers, now in jail. The G-Force was scheduled to be torn down starting tomorrow. But since the ride had been declared safe andlt;a id="page_4"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;by the inspectors, Hector had agreed to reopen it tonight for one last hurrah.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;And on the first ride, Daisy had gone missing.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Unlike the others, she didnand#8217;t appear to have spent any time in the tiny crawlspace in the heart of the ride, built to be a temporary hiding place as part of the Piperatosand#8217; plan. In fact, sheand#8217;d left no trace whatsoever.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Hector was beside himself. Joe was freaking out.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;And here I was, watching Officer Lasko chicken-scratch my answer into his notebook for the tenth time.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Can I ask you something?and#8221; I asked.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;No,and#8221; replied Officer Lasko without looking up. Aha. So this was a and#8220;bad copand#8221; night. Chief Olaf didnand#8217;t seem entirely sure how to handle my brother and meand#8212;he couldnand#8217;t seem to decide whether we were friends or foes. Usually he leaned toward foes.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Do you have any clues?and#8221; I asked. Lasko looked up from his notebook and sighed. and#8220;Did she leave anything behind? Are you thinking the Piperato Brothers are behind this, or someone new?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Just then the door to the small office we were borrowing opened, and in walked Chief Olaf, followed by Joe, who heand#8217;d been questioning. The chiefand#8217;s expression was pretty grim, as was Joeand#8217;s. I had the feeling that Joeand#8217;s answers had been about as helpful as mine.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I think we can let these boys go home,and#8221; Olaf said, nodding at Officer Lasko and#8220;Unless you have anything new?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_5"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Lasko shrugged and shook his head. and#8220;Not really. They didnand#8217;t hear anything; the music was too loud. They didnand#8217;t see anything; the ride was too dark.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Chief Olaf nodded, his lips pulled into a tight line. and#8220;All right then.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I stood up, looking at my brother. His face was pale, and he looked exhausted. I knew he had to be suffering right now. Even though he and Daisy had recently broken upand#8212;heand#8217;d decided the case was more important than getting the girland#8212;I knew he really cared about her.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Chief?and#8221; I asked, trying to sound as respectful as possible. and#8220;Can you tell us anything? You know we were close to Daisy. We, umand#8212;weand#8217;re really worried about her.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Chief Olaf paused and looked me in the eye. I could tell that he knew there was much more I wasnand#8217;t saying. He was well aware of the fact that Joe and I had helped the Bayport PD solve some pretty tricky cases in the past. He also knew that weand#8217;d gotten in trouble for our amateur sleuthing one too many times. So weand#8217;d worked out an agreement with the chief and our dad: If we followed some rules and checked in with the adults while doing our detective work, we could continue to investigate.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I think that while Chief Olaf sometimes sees us as wannabe private eyes, he knows that weand#8217;re kind of good at investigating. We kind of catch a lot of criminals. And I think the chief understands, on some level, that sleuthing is in our blood.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_6"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Still watching me, he cleared his throat. and#8220;Okay,and#8221; he said quietly. and#8220;Iand#8217;m sure you realize that this information is for your ears only, and not to be shared with anyone. Iand#8217;m telling you this because I know you were close to the victim. Understand?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I nodded, and Joe did too. and#8220;We understand,and#8221; he said, an edge of desperation in his voice.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Chief Olaf continued. and#8220;Weand#8217;re working on the theory that this is a copycat crime.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Joe raised an eyebrow. and#8220;Meaning?and#8221; he asked.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Meaning that the Piperato Brothers arenand#8217;t behind this,and#8221; the chief clarified. and#8220;They carried out the first two disappearances and the hoax, yes. But this appears to be more serious. The kidnapper is hitting closer to home, the park ownerand#8217;s own daughter. We think that someone saw the Death Ride hoax in the news and was inspired to try his or her own hand.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I nodded, thinking that over, and struggling not to ask the obvious question: Why? That was the first, and hardest, question in any investigation. Figure out why the criminal did it, and you often find the criminal.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Why would anyone want to hurt Daisy? To send Hector a message? To get revenge on her or her family?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Why?andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Joe wobbled on his feet, and Chief Olaf caught him roughly under the shoulder. and#8220;Sit down, son.and#8221; He gestured for me to get up, and pulled my chair over for my brother andlt;a id="page_7"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;to sit in. Joe followed orders, still looking exhausted and stressed.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;You boys had better get home,and#8221; the chief said again. and#8220;Get some sleep. Are you okay to drive?and#8221; He looked at me.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Sure,and#8221; I said. I felt weary, but not sleepy.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;He nodded. and#8220;Get going, then. Weand#8217;ll call you if we learn anything.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I stepped over to Joe and touched his shoulder. and#8220;You ready?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Joe nodded. and#8220;Iand#8217;m okay,and#8221; he said quietly. and#8220;Fresh air will help, I think.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Chief Olaf opened the door, and we stepped out into the hallway. We could hear shouting coming from Hectorand#8217;s office, one room down.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Hectorand#8217;s office was on our way out. At the doorway, I peered in. An elegant, middle-aged lady was shouting at Hector, who sat slumped at his desk.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;You let this happen!and#8221; she cried, her voice rough with emotion. and#8220;With this terrible park! You forced that poor man to sell it to us, and itand#8217;s brought nothing but misery ever since!and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;At our footsteps, Hector looked up at the door. His eyes contained a deep well of sadness, more intense than Iand#8217;d ever seen from him.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Frank and Joe,and#8221; he said. and#8220;Are you two okay?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I nodded. and#8220;Weand#8217;re just heading home, sir. The police are done with us.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_8"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;Hector nodded. He looked down, then gestured toward the woman. and#8220;Boys, this is my wife, Lucy. I donand#8217;t think youand#8217;ve met.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Lucy, Daisyand#8217;s mom, looked over at us. She looked a little embarrassed to be caught yelling at Hector. and#8220;Hello,and#8221; she said.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Frank and Joe were a huge help in finding the truth about the Piperatos,and#8221; Hector said.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I nodded. and#8220;I hope we can help find Daisy, too, sir.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Hector winced and closed his eyes. My skin prickled with the feeling Iand#8217;d said the wrong thing.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Finally he nodded and opened his eyes. and#8220;Get some sleep, boys.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;We nodded our good-byes and walked out into the dark, silent night. Funspot had been closed for hours. Everybody had been kicked out when Daisy was discovered missing. The park always felt a little creepy when it was deserted. Most of the rides had completely powered down, but a few were still blinking their bright, aggressively happy lights into the darkness.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I closed my eyes and rubbed them. I could really use some sleep.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Did Lasko say anything interesting?and#8221; Joe asked as we walked toward the park exit.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Not really,and#8221; I replied. and#8220;Just asked me the same questions over and over. What do you think about what the chief said?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;a id="page_9"andgt;andlt;/aandgt;and#8220;About telling us if they learned anything?and#8221; Joe scoffed. and#8220;Iand#8217;ll believe it when I see it.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;No, about this being a copycat crime.and#8221; We rounded a fence that led to the exit and were plunged into near-total darkness. A few lights shone in the parking lot, but they were still too far away to do much good. Weand#8217;d left the lights of the administration building behind. I shivered, and I wasnand#8217;t sure whether it was because of the sudden breeze.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Joe shrugged. and#8220;It makes about as much sense as any of this,and#8221; he said. and#8220;This doesnand#8217;t look like the hoaxes. They didnand#8217;t find any evidence that Daisy was in the little room under the ride, for example.and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;Right,and#8221; I said, pausing to make sure we were going in the right direction. We had to go down and#8220;Main Streetand#8221;and#8212;a now-dark and deserted stretch of souvenir shops and food standsand#8212;to get to the parking lot. I nodded at Joe and led the way.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#8220;I just donand#8217;t know what the motivation is,and#8221; I added. and#8220;Who would want to hurt Daisy?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Joe nodded. and#8220;I know. Who hates Funspot that much?and#8221;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;I turned around, my mouth already open to reply, but the sound died in my throat, replaced by a scream.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;A dark shadow shot from behind one of the souvenir standsand#8212;arms outstretched and headed for my brother!