Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 LATER WEDNESDAY MORNING CASCADE, WASHINGTON Stepping out of the train car, all Janie could see was snow. It gushed from the sky, big fat flakes that stuck to her coat sleeves like glue. Drifts rose up higher than Janie's head. Luckily, there was a

shoveled path that led from the train to the beanery. Snow blew across Janie's face. But she managed to catch glimpses of the town around them. If you could even call it a town. There were no roads or stores, no proper houses or brick-and-stone buildings like in Spokane. Definitely no library. Most of the little wooden buildings were crowded along the railroad tracks. Up the hill was a scattering of sad-looking cottages and shacks. Mountains jutted up around them. "What a terrible place," Mr. Riggins mumbled as they trudged along. It was grim. But no worse than the dark little apartment where she lived with Aunt Barbara, with stray dogs howling from the trash-filled alley below. They were all half-frozen when they stumbled into the beanery. It was just a large room with grimy floors and walls that shook with every gust

of wind. But a glowing fire crackled in a big potbellied stove, and the smell of pancakes and syrup filled the air. "Now this is worth writing about!" Miss Wade said excitedly. The long tables and benches were already crowded with other passengers. Janie didn't recognize most of them—they must have been passengers from the other sleeper and the day coaches. She waved at Mrs. Letts and Violet's mom—her name was Mrs. Kayden. She was bouncing her baby boy on her knee. He flashed a gummy grin at anyone who looked his way. Janie couldn't see Violet, but she knew the little pest was here somewhere. And sure enough, just as they all sat down at a long table, the little girl popped up right next to Janie. "Peekaboo, Janie!"

"Violet!" called her mother. "Come back over here. I told you not to wander away!" Violet leaned close to Janie, sending her syrup breath into Janie's face. "I'm going to build a snowman," she whispered. Then she darted away. Just then, a thick-bearded man in an apron appeared at their table. He was carrying two trays loaded with food. "Hope you folks are hungry." He grinned. "Smells good," said Mr. Riggins, perking up at the sight of pancakes, eggs, and sausages. Miss Wade flipped open her notebook. She plucked a pencil from behind her ear. "Are you the chef here?" she asked the bearded man. "Just the waiter," he said. "The name's John. There's our cook, Harry, right over there." He pointed to a tall man standing behind a huge cookstove. The man looked over with a welcoming smile and a big wave.

"It's very generous of you two, to feed us all," Mr. McBride said. "It's a big crowd," he said. "We've got the passengers and crew from your train, plus eight more men from the mail train." "Mail train?" Mr. Riggins asked. "It arrived here a few hours after your train. Stuck here too." Everyone piled their plates high. But Janie's stomach was still twisting and churning. She couldn't even think of eating. Glancing up at the windows, she kept imagining Malvo's face. She shrunk down on the bench. If only she really could disappear, like a wizard in one of Miss Eva's fairy tales. Groups of passengers came and went. Each time the door opened, the wind sent napkins flying and snowflakes swirling through the air. "Quite a blizzard out there," Mr. McBride said as John poured coffee from a battered tin pot.

"I'll say," John said. "We get more snow up here than almost anywhere in the whole country. And this blizzard is one of the worst I've seen in my many years here. Yesterday we got ten feet of snow—maybe more. Trains are stuck up and down the line. Telegraph service is knocked out. Telephones too. All over the state." Janie's ears pricked up. "Nobody can send a message?" she asked. "Or call anyone?" Everyone looked at her; she'd barely said a word since they'd left Spokane. "That's right," John said. "And not just here. Blizzards are slamming half the country. Everything is shut down." "I'm sure your family in Seattle knows the train is delayed," Mr. McBride said to Janie. Janie nodded and tried to look worried. But inside she was cheering. Malvo had no way of finding out that Hammer had been arrested. Maybe her plan wasn't ruined!