Page 29 of The Mouse and the Maestro

Their progress was slow in the darkened warehouse. The space was massive so that even the addition of the tiny flashlight did nothing to help. And they had no idea what might be waiting in the darkness. It seemed likely that if someone was there,they would have sprung at them by now. But it was still an insecure feeling, not knowing what might lie a few feet in front of their faces. The sounds of water lapping outside and tiny feet scurrying inside did nothing to ease their anxiety.

Eventually they proceeded far enough to the opposite side of the warehouse that they saw a tiny speck of pale moonlight eking through a hole leading to the outside.

“There must be a door on this wall somewhere,” Jane reasoned. She was still holding on to Blue with her left hand. With her right, she scanned the wall of the warehouse up and down as they moved forward. When her light glinted on something metal, she knelt and picked up an old screwdriver, adding it to her right hand along with the light.

After about twenty feet of walking, they reached a door and tried the handle. It turned but had been bolted shut from the outside.

“Stand back, I’ll kick it,” Blue said, feigning more bravado than he felt. Could he kick down a door? He had never tried, but he had the sense he probably should at least attempt it.

Jane had other ideas. “How about if I take it off the hinges instead,” she said, using the found screwdriver to pop the pins free from the hinges.

“That’s one way to go,” Blue said. He stood uselessly by while she worked.

“Now kick it,” she instructed. He did so, and the door popped easily free, the sound echoing loudly in the darkness of the wharf. They waited a while, hearts hammering, to see if anyone would come to check, but they had seemingly been deposited on their own to wait for who knew what.

Outside a light breeze was blowing, but it did nothing to dispel the smell of rotting fish. “It wasn’t a long drive,” Jane whispered. “We’re somewhere in the vicinity of the city, possibly New Jersey.” She scanned the area, and so did Blue. The moonwas a sliver, not adding much light. And wherever they were wasn’t well lit, as if begging for illegal and nefarious activities to take place.

They walked for what seemed like a very long time, until the wharf was far behind them and a neighborhood loomed up ahead. Blue tried to think of a plan. They would need to find a pay phone, if such a thing still existed anymore. He would call Ridge and have a contact from New York come get them. Or maybe Ridge would prefer to involve the police, given the precarious nature of their current situation. Blue’s hands were still tied, they were both barefoot, and their kidnappers could come looking for them at any moment.

Jane began peering into car windows.

“What are you looking for?” Blue asked.

“An old car, something before computer chips,” she said.

“Why?” he asked, but she didn’t answer.

Eventually they landed beside an old Toyota. “Now what?” Blue asked. Jane didn’t reply. Instead she began to shimmy out of her pajama shorts.

Chapter 14

“Why are you getting naked?” Blue exclaimed, staring at her with a combination of dismay and fascination.

Jane didn’t answer. Instead she picked up a large rock, palmed it, wrapped her shorts around the rock and her hand, and shattered the back window of the car.

“What are you doing?” Blue hissed, his frantic gaze skirting the horizon. Certainly someone had noticed a half dressed woman bashing in a car’s window. But no. No one turned on a light, poked a head out a window, or showed up to arrest her.

Jane opened the driver side door, shook the glass out of her shorts, and put them back on. “Get in if you’re coming,” she said before slipping behind the wheel.

Blue scurried around to the passenger side, struggled the door open, and eased inside. “What, are you planning to hotwire this thing?”

“Of course not,” Jane said. She took the pilfered screwdriver, stuck it into the ignition, and used the rock like a hammer to bang it into place. Satisfied, she tossed the rock outside, closed the door, and turned the screwdriver. The car roared to life. Sheput it into gear and took off, all while Blue stared at her, shocked and speechless.

“What the actual world, Jane?” he declared at last.

She didn’t reply.

“You can’t drive,” he added.

“Who says?” she replied.

“You! You don’t have a license.”

“I said I didn’t have a license, not that I couldn’t drive. Who can’t drive a car? What am I, Amish?”

“I don’t know, Jane, do Amish people take off their pants and steal cars?” he said. Not only was she driving, but it was a standard transmission, something Blue had no idea how to use. And she was doing ninety on the freeway. Belatedly, he fumbled for his seatbelt. It was hard to buckle it one handed. Jane reached across him to help.

“Both hands on the wheel,” he snapped, but she ignored him and clicked his belt closed.

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