Kidnapped in Key West. Edwina Raffa

went into the paymaster car to see about that light. I seen the safe door partway open, so I grabbed the handle and checked inside. It were empty.

      “Then I heared a noise outside the back door. I walked out onto the platform and seen two men runnin’ off with the payroll bags. I chased ’em to the dock, but by the time I got there, they was already sailin’ off toward that favorite fishin’ hole of yours.

      “Them robbers got away, but I seen their sailboat. It had a navy blue jib on it. I wanted to tell the sheriff, but he weren’t nowhere around. By then it was rainin’ buckets so I jist gave up and came on home.”

      Pa’s eyes took on a frightened look as he continued, “Now Mr. Tate, he claims he didn’t see no other men. Just me. Eddie, he thinks I done stole the F.E.C. payroll! What’s worse, my fingerprints is all over that paymaster car.”

      “Aren’t the thieves’ fingerprints on the doors too?” asked Eddie.

      “No, they was wearin’ gloves,” said Pa. “I tried telling the sheriff all this, but he wouldn’t listen.”

      “This is all my fault!” cried Eddie, his eyes welling up with tears. “If I had stayed home and done my chores like you told me, you wouldn’t have been out searching for me and we wouldn’t have seen that light!”

      “It ain’t your fault, Eddie,” said Frank Malone. “It’s just the breaks.”

      “They’ll match your fingerprints to the ones in the paymaster car,” said Eddie. He shut his eyes tight and pressed his fists hard against them to stop the tears.

      “I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it,” said Pa. “Now stop cryin’ and git on home. Remember, this ain’t your fault.”

      Eddie hesitantly took a step toward Pa. Then he wrapped his arms around his father’s waist and buried his face in Pa’s shirt. Pa patted his back a few times, but said no more.

      It was the hardest thing Eddie had ever done, but he finally let go of Pa and stepped away. Then he wiped his nose on his shirtsleeve and called to Charlie Jenkins.

      The sheriff took his own good time coming. He opened the door and escorted Eddie out, immediately locking the cell behind him.

      Eddie walked slowly outside to get Rex, guilt still gnawing at his heart. No matter what Pa said, Eddie felt responsible. He trudged home with Rex at his side, oblivious to the rain that soaked him to the skin.

      When Eddie entered the tent, he could tell right away that it had been searched. The two cots were in the middle of the floor and the trunks that held their clothes had been ransacked. Even some of the floorboards had been pried up. Pa was right. Sheriff Jenkins wasn’t buying Pa’s story one bit and had checked the tent from top to bottom.

      Eddie thought about straightening things up, but he was just too tired. He kicked off his wet shoes and fell into bed. He pulled the blanket over his head and soon the rhythm of the rain on the canvas roof lulled him to sleep. Rex jumped up on the cot and kept his faithful watch all through the night.

      The next day was Sunday and Eddie awoke to golden sunshine in a cloudless blue sky. He felt clearheaded after a good night’s sleep and his brain was simmering with a plan. He talked out loud to Rex while he put the tent back in order and changed his clothes.

      “I need to borrow Matthew’s boat,” he said when he finished. “Come on.”

      Along the path to Adderley Town Eddie bumped into the Lawrences on their way to church. He asked Matthew about the sailboat.

      “Sure, take it,” said Matthew. “I won’t be using the boat today.”

      Soon Eddie and Rex were sailing east toward Sand Dollar Key. Eddie had a hunch the thieves’ sailboat might be in the small cove there. Obscured by mangroves, it would be the perfect place to hide. Sure enough as Eddie steered into the cove, he saw the sailboat with the navy blue jib. Men’s voices floated over the morning stillness from the center of the little island.

      “Come on, Rex,” said Eddie, pulling the boat onto the beach. “Follow me.”

      Eddie walked a hundred feet inland. Then he crouched down and peeked through a clump of saw palmetto. Two men were packing canvas bags into crates marked Key West Coffee Company. Eddie moved in a little closer and parted the palmetto fronds to get a better look. Each bag was stamped with the F.E.C. logo and the word Marathon on it.

       My hunch was right! This is the thieves’ hideout!

      “Now that the rain’s let up, Bart,” said a short, wiry-looking man, “we can sail on down to Key West.”

      “Right you are, Leo,” replied a bearded man with a deep, raspy voice. “We’ll just stash these gold coins with the rest of the loot. Why, this is the easiest robbery we’ve pulled yet and the best part is that some pit worker is in jail for our crime.” He grinned through rotten teeth.

      Suddenly the dry palmetto frond Eddie was holding back snapped. The startled robbers looked up from their work.

      “Who’s there?” yelled Bart, racing directly toward Eddie’s hiding place.

      Eddie tried to stand up and run, but before he could move, a hand gripped the collar of his shirt and lifted him off the ground.