Chapter V To the Old House--Again
“Okay, Kayla, I think we should tell the Sheriff about this, don't you?” Abby asked.
“Yes, I think your right, lets go later today, like twelve in the afternoon, okay?” Kayla suggested.
“Okay, why not? Meet you by the river.”
Abby walked off towards her house. She went inside and got under the blanket. What an adventure! She was tired, now, though. She woke up at 11:33, that morning. She got up, and was about to dress, when she realized she'd already had them on from that night! She went downstairs, and soon found out that everyone else had already eaten and there was some saved for her. After she'd eaten, it was 11:58.
“Mother, is it alright if I go over to Kayla's?” She asked.
“That's fine with me, dear. But you'd better be back at least half an hour before supper,” she said smiling.
She ran outside, and as fast as she could to the river. There, sitting on a rock, feet in water, was a girl. From her back she looked like Holly. She turned her head. It was Holly!
“Oh, hi Holly, how are you doing?” Abigail asked.
“What's the matter with you? Can't you keep your big fat face out of my business?”
“Just trying to be polite.” Abby retorted
. She looked around for Kayla, but didn't see her. She decided she'd climb a tree and wait. As she got under the tree, she saw Kayla.
“Oh, hi Kayla,” she said.
“I heard it all. Pretty mean girl if you ask me,” Kayla commented.
“I'll say! Does she know your here?”
“No, I got here first. I was just about to call down to you, when you came under the tree .”
“Oh. ready to go?” Abigail asked.
They got there, the Sheriff was behind his desk. “Hello,” He said.
“Hi Sheriff, we'd like to report something to you,” Abby. said.
“What is it?” He asked. “You know that really old house owned by that lady Mary—or Maria, or whatever her name is? Well we saw someone come out, mask over his face, he had a frame, and a bag, and a porcelain doll last night.”
“A robber?" He asked.
“Yes,”
“Anything else?”
Kayla said, “Oh yes! After that, we saw a car pull up to the curb and he got in, and drove away, and—Oh! I didn't think to get the license plate! I'm so stupid! But at least we can say it was a dark blue car. Suppose that's not much info, though,”
"know about how tall the fellow was?”
“Five foot three? I dunno. Wasn't paying attention.” Kayla said.
“We'll do what we can. There's not much we can do, you barely gave us any information to go on.”
"That's exactly what I just said!" Kayla muttered as she and Abby turned to go.
As they walked out the door, Kayla said.
“Look! There's Molly!”
“Swell! Hey Molly! Over here!” Abigail said.
“Hi, Molly!” Kayla said.
“Abby! Kayla! Whats up?” Molly asked.
“Nothing, except you won't believe what we saw last night!”
“What?” Molly asked enthusiastically.
“We saw a robber! A real, live robber!” Abby said excitedly.
“Nothing? That sure is a lot for being nothing, if you ask me! Tell me about it!” She said.
“Well, we were right outside of that old house, hiding in the bushes--”
“What?! That place has spooks!” Molly broke in.
“--And we saw someone with a mask come out, and he was a holding a frame, a tiny bag, and a porcelain doll! And they might be the 'Ghosts' that you Abigail and a hundred other people think are in that house!”
Abby turned red with embarrassment.
“Really?” Molly asked.
“Yes, really!”
“Are you going back ever again?” Molly said.
“Yes!” Kayla answered.
“May I go?”
“Of course, but you must promise never to tell anyone about this.”
“Never and nobody.” She promised, putting her hand over her heart. “Sure is swell, though!”
“Swell? It was a robber!” Kayla exclaimed.
“I know, its exciting! Too bad I wasn't there!”
“You know that he almost saw us?” Kayla said, trying hard not to grin.
“It only makes me wish all the more that I were there!”
“Oh Molly, your so hopeless!”
“Not really! I think it's exciting! Don't you?”
“Uh—Sure.”
“When are you going back?” Molly asked.
“Tonight, hopefully,” Kayla said, and went on to say what time.
That night, twelve o'clock, eleven year old Molly was at Abby's house. She heard her knock and went to the door.
“Hi Molly, you ready?” Abby asked.
“Sure. What about Kayla?”
“We're gonna pick her up at her house.” Abby replied.
They got there, and Kayla was on the porch, waiting for them. After saying hi, they set out and soon reached the house.
“Ooh, this place gives me the creeps!” Molly said.
“It's okay, believe me. We've been in it too many times to not know whether it was haunted or not.”
“You mean you've been in it before last night?”
“Of course,” Kayla said as she opened the door.

Chapter VI More robbers
They stepped in, Abigail and Molly walking right in back of Kayla.
“Shh!” Kayla whispered.
“Is it just me or do I hear talking?” Abby asked.
They listened for a moment, and then Molly said,
“I hear it!”
“So do I! But it's very faint, I can't seem to hear what exactly their saying. But I do hear muffled voices.” Kayla said.
“Maybe it's just people like us, just looking around,” Molly spoke up. “Maybe,” Kayla said. “But I don't think so, I think it's more bandits. Be quiet and we may catch something.”
They hid behind a desk and listened. The talking became louder, as though the room were right on the other side of the wall they were listening through. Three words came out clearly to the three girls. “--Rob--Bank. Then--” That was all they could catch.
Molly whispered, “Well, suppose that wasn't much help,”
“I'll say it was, but be quiet, we might catch more.”
They didn't hear anything more except for the low, muffled voices of their talking. Soon they heard a door open, and footsteps. Kayla got a good look at one man, just before he put his mask on. He had blond hair, what looked like blue eyes, but she could barely tell in the dark. And he looked about six foot seven inches, and only looked about twenty-eight or twenty-nine. Kayla didn't see the other mans face, but from his height, she thought he may have been the one she saw who had robbed the house. But she couldn't be sure. One went back into the room they had been in at first, and came out with a large case. They opened it right in the room the girls were in.
“Money!” The shorter robber whooped.
“Shh! Shut up! Someone'll hear us, and look right in here!”
“Sorry,”
“okay, look, we gotta get out of hear fast as possible.”
“Okay, I'm ready to go, you?”
“Yup, come on, Bill.” Bill! That was the short mans name is! Bill! Kayla thought.
“I'm comin',”
he walked out, carrying the big suitcase. Finally, they heard them open the door, and the men walk out.
“Okay, so now we know the shorter guys name, and what blondy has blond hair." Kayla remarked. "Next time I'll go—but alone. Too many people can be spotted easier, but one shouldn't be spotted so easy. Clear?” Kayla asked.
“Alright,” Abby and Molly agreed, although disappointed.
“Okay, we should get out of here—A-S-A-P! Come on!”
“What time's it?” Abby asked.
“It's probably around one o'clock, you can see when you get to your house."
“Okay,” before the three separated, Molly said, "What if those men were worked at the bank here in town, and one was named Rob? Then that would explain why they were talking about a bank."
"And why would they be wearing masks? What would they be doing there in the first place?" Kayla asked.
Molly had to agree she was right, and then each went their way. Abigail reached hers, and got in bed. She glanced over at the clock. Kayla was right. 1:13. She fell fast asleep almost the moment she laid down.