Abduction! Read Free Page A

from the middle school to the adjoining elementary school as soon as the final bell rang. She rode the bus home with Matt and took care of him until Mom arrived.
    Bonnie knew it was important to watch Matt after school; she knew she saved Mom a lot of money each month. She also knew it was a pain.
    Matt always wanted to practice pitching a baseball, with Bonnie as the catcher. If she didn’t catch for him, Matt threw a tennis ball against the garage door forhours at a time. THWACK! THWACK! THWACK! Each THWACK left a faint, round green spot from the tennis ball’s fuzz. The Sholters had the only house in town with a polka-dot garage door.
    The final bell rang at two thirty-six. Bonnie could never figure out why it wasn’t two-thirty or two forty-five. An example of adults setting rules that don’t make sense.
    Bonnie slipped her backpack on and hurried toward the school library. She had two books due and didn’t want to owe a fine. After dropping the books off, she headed across the ball field toward Matt’s school.
    She arrived as the lines of students began boarding the yellow school buses. Her eyes darted from front to back of the second bus line, but she didn’t see Matt. She went to the bus door and called in to the driver, “Is Matt already on the bus?”
    “Haven’t seen him,” the driver replied.
    Bonnie frowned. Wouldn’t you know it. The one day she didn’t come straight to the bus, Matt wasn’t there. Maybe he had stayed after school to help Mrs. Jules.
    She rushed to Room 27. Mrs. Jules was pinning new material on a bulletin board.
    “Do you know where Matt is?” Bonnie asked. “He isn’t in the bus line.”
    “He got a hall pass to go to the bathroom a few minutes before school got out. I let him leave because he said he couldn’t wait and when he didn’t come back to class, I assumed he went straight to the bus.”
    “He isn’t there,” Bonnie said.
    “I’ll look in the boys’ restroom,” Mrs. Jules said. “Sometimes Matt stands in front of the mirror pretending he’s pitching a baseball, and he forgets the time.”
    Bonnie nodded. Matt did that at home, too. It drove her nuts when she was waiting to use the bathroom herself.
    Mrs. Jules cracked the restroom door and called, “Anybody in there?” When there was no answer, she went in. Seconds later she came out. “He isn’t there. Let’s check the bus again.”
    This time Bonnie boarded the bus, looking at all the passengers. Matt wasn’t there. As soon as she got off, the doors wheezed shut. The first bus in line pulled out of the school driveway; Bonnie’s bus followed.
    “You check the playground,” Mrs. Jules said. “I’m going to the office to alert Mr. Quinn.”
    Bonnie nodded. She rushed to the playground and looked at the monkey bars, the ball field, and the basketball court. No Matt.
    She ran to the office where Mr. Quinn, the principal, was speaking over the public-address system, alerting all teachers that Matt Sholter had not boarded his bus.
    “If you see Matt,” Mr. Quinn said into the microphone, “bring him to the office immediately.” He clicked off the mike and turned to Bonnie. “Has he ever done this before?” he asked.
    Bonnie shook her head, no. “Once he was late because he goofed around with his friends, but Mom scolded him, and since then Matt has always gone straight to the bus. He gets there before I do.”
    “Maybe he went home with a friend today, and your mother forgot to tell you.”
    “Mom would never forget,” Bonnie said. “She always makes sure we know what we’re supposed to do after school.”
    “Let’s call her, to be sure,” Mr. Quinn said. “Do you know her work number?”
    Bonnie gave it. Her insides felt hollow as she listened to Mr. Quinn ask for Mrs. Sholter. A few seconds later, he identified himself and said, “Matt didn’t geton the school bus today and we can’t find him. Did he go home with a friend?”
    He talked another minute or so. When he hung up, he