儿童英语读物 The Vanishing Passenger CHAPTER 9 The Road Less Traveled

At first the children thought Mr. Van Buren was going to be angry because they were looking for clues in his house. But as he came into the room, a smile spread across his face.



“Rita, my housekeeper 1, told me what you kids were doing, so I figured I’d drop in and say hello.”



He came over and shook their hands, then leaned down to read the message again.



“Stinks, huh?” he mumbled 2 to himself. “Boy, he’s got some nerve …” Then he looked back at the Aldens and folded his arms.



“So, we’ve lost our friend, have we?” The children were still too stunned 3 by Mr. Van Buren’s tall, imposing 4 figure to say much. Finally Henry said, “Yes, sir. You see—”



“Sir?” he said with a laugh. “Don’t call me that, young man. It makes me sound old! ‘Daniel’ will do fine.”



Henry looked at the others and shrugged 5.



“Well, okay—Daniel.” Henry told Mr. Van Buren everything that had happened up to this point. Mr. Van Buren listened patiently, nodding and stroking his chin.



When Henry was finished, he said, “First of all, I have to tell you all that I’m very, very impressed with your detective skills. I’m guessing you kids do this a lot.”



Jessie chuckled 6. “You have no idea.”



“Well, your experience shows.”



“Except that we still don’t know where Mr. Finch 7 is,” Violet pointed 8 out. “And we’re running out of time!”



Mr. Van Buren smiled. “Ah, you’d rather have Gil at your library than me, huh?”



The children were quick to say no, of course not, but Mr. Van Buren knew better.



“That’s okay, his books have always been a bit more popular than mine, the little rat. But that’ll change someday,” he said.



“For now, though,” Jessie said, “We should go find him.”



“And get Max back to his family!” Benny added.



Mr. Van Buren nodded. “That’s right,” he said. “Okay, everyone, I’ll do the driving. To the garage!”



The main road between Allerton and Greenfield was a three-lane highway bustling 9 with cars and trucks moving at high speeds. Van Buren drove a big car that groaned 10 like an old lawn mower 11. The children, strapped 12 into their seats, looked everywhere for signs of Mr. Finch as they bounced along.



“I was building that other car in my free time,” Van Buren told them, speaking loudly because of all the road noise. “It’s sort of my hobby, fixing up old cars. Then I sell them and give the money to charity.”



“That’s so nice!” Violet said.



Van Buren nodded. “I get to do something I enjoy, and people who really need money, get it. That way, everybody wins.”



“If Mr. Finch took the car in the first place,” Jessie said, “then it must run okay, right?”



“Well,” Van Buren replied, “I don’t want to bore you with technical details, but no. It’ll run for awhile, but then it’ll get too hot and conk out. He certainly won’t be able to make it to Greenfield. He’s got to be on the road somewhere, broken down.”



Jessie checked her watch again. It was nearly four o’clock. They only had a few hours left.



One hour was wasted zooming 13 up and down the highway, looking for any signs of Van Buren’s car. The children called Ms. Connally to find out if perhaps Finch had somehow made it and was already there. He hadn’t.



By five-thirty, the Aldens began to lose hope.



“He’s not anywhere on this road,” Violet said. “We’ve been up and down twice already. There’s no way we could have missed him!”



Henry was still looking out the window, saying nothing. Then he suddenly turned around, his eyes wide. “Wait a minute!”



“Do you see him?” Benny asked.



“No, but I was just thinking … Mr. Finch probably left a few hours ago. The housekeeper said he wasn’t there when she got back.”



“So?” Jessie asked. She didn’t see where Henry was going with any of this. Neither did anyone else.



“So, why would Mr. Finch take this road? He wouldn’t need to hurry. He would’ve had plenty of time!”



A smile broke out on Jessie’s face. “Oh yeah …”



“And that got me thinking about something else in his books,” Henry went on. “Have you ever noticed how his characters always avoid main roads when they can?



How they always take back roads instead?” Mr. Van Buren nodded. “Ah yes, that’s right. And that reminds me of something else, too—I remember the first time Gil went down your way. He was visiting some old college friends who lived close to Greenfield. He decided 14 to drive down instead of taking the train. The day after, he called and told me about this beautiful back road he’d discovered. He said it was so much prettier than the highway. All rolling hills and trees, which he likes. Quiet and beautiful.”



“That has to be where he is now!” Benny said. “Let’s go!”