From: bobandcarole@aol.com   
      
   Story: Harding house 8   
      
   by bobandcarole   
      
   08 Finale*_   
      
       Rachael Hooper was worried, her daughter, Kate, wasn't home.   
      
       Although she was a headstrong young girl she knew her responsibilities,   
   Rachael knew this, she also knew that Kate wasn't the type to blindly go   
   with strangers, she smiled, Kate was more likely to cause them more harm   
   than they would to her.  No it was the fact that Kate wasn't home on time!   
      
       Rachael looked at the fridge, as expected there was the envelope on   
   there, Kate had moaned about this - it was something they'd established   
   when she was eight, she'd been a problem even then, she stayed over at   
   Shelly's house that night, but had forgotten to ask permission, after being   
   grounded for a couple of weeks Rachael had told her that she didn't mind if   
   Kate stayed with friends, as long as she knew where she was, so they agreed   
   that Kate would leave a note, just in case.   
      
       Well this was a case and the note was on the fridge, Rachael opened it.   
      
       'Mum, I'm going to Harding House, I've got things to think about, don't   
   even know why I'm leaving this note I should be back way before 5.  Kate'   
      
       Rachael looked at the clock, seven o'clock.  No Kate always knew what   
   she was doing, if she said she'd be back by 5 she would have been.  Rachael   
   went to the telephone, she thought perhaps Kate might have met up with the   
   boys, she sighed, she knew the boys weren't bad, but they were getting to   
   the age when they started to realise things about girls, and were getting   
   inquisitive as well.   
      
       She phoned Bradley's parents, but no Kate, Bradley was still in after   
   his night out, which he still wouldn't tell anyone about, his parents had   
   grounded him - they were learning.   
      
       She phoned  Paul  and  Mike's parents, no they were both at home,   
   finally she phoned Billy's parents - they were worried, Billy wasn't home   
   either, they didn't know where he was!  She told them that Kate wasn't home   
   either and that she was going to Harding House, they said that they would   
   meet her there, Rachael made one more phone call, to Bradley's parents,   
   when they answered she asked them if she could talk to Bradley.   
      
       "Hello Mrs.  Hooper," Bradley said, Rachael told him that Kate was   
   missing, also that she had said she was going to Harding House, Bradley   
   became agitated, "Don't let her go there, please Mrs.  Hooper, she doesn't   
   realise what's there!  She didn't have to, to." He became quiet, Rachael   
   waited for a few minutes but he didn't speak.   
      
       "Bradley what's up?  You can tell me." Rachael was frantic now, what if   
   there were some men hiding in the house, what might they have made Kate do?   
   She had to find out.  "Bradley!  Bradley, how do we get into the house,   
   tell me quickly Kate's life may depend on it!"   
      
       "I, I don't want to go back there, its spooky." This didn't sound like   
   Bradley at all, he was really scared, but of what?   
      
       "Bradley!  You're not going back there, but I have to get Kate back."   
   This was where Kate got her attitude from, although Rachael wouldn't admit   
   it.  "Now before I have to come round to your house, how do I get into   
   Harding House, the doors are locked."   
      
       Bradley was sniffing away now, "Kate found an open window, don't know   
   how, as they've always been bolted before, it at the side of the House, low   
   down, you can get into a room there.  That was creepy, there are some   
   stuffed animals all over the place, I still get nightmares about them!   
   Don't go there please Mrs.  Hooper." He was really scared, Rachael didn't   
   know what had happened to him when he was out overnight, but it sounded as   
   if he'd been scared out of his wits.  She thanked Bradley and hung up, this   
   time she was determined to find out what had happened to her daughter.   
      
       She left her house and got into her car, she drove to Harding house and   
   parked in the driveway, there were two bicycles on the drive, she   
   recognised Kate's bike and assumed the other one was Billy's, and then his   
   parents turned up in their car.   
      
       "Hello Rachael." Said Bob, Billy's father, "So this is where they've   
   been spending their time is it?" He asked.   
      
       "Yes!" She replied and explained how they had got into the house, all   
   three of them walked to the side and found the window, but this time it was   
   securely locked, she looked at Bob and his wife.   
      
       "This was the way the kids got in, Bradley told me so!" Bob tried to   
   pull the window open without success; he then got out his mobile phone and   
   rang Bradley's parents - after a long conversation he hung up.   
      
       "Well this was the window, I don't know how it's got itself locked, but   
   we can't just break in." He dialled a number on the phone again, "Hello,   
   Police?  My name is Robert Block; my son is missing I think he's at Harding   
   house as I've found his bike outside, I need to get into the house to   
   search it, can you get an officer here?" Rachael mouthed 'what about Kate?'   
   Bob nodded, "Also there is a girl missing with him, what?  No officer   
   they're both 12 years old, I don't think they'd be doing anything like   
   that!  Yes I do know what children are like!  But it's not like either of   
   them!  Sorry?  If you don't then I'm going to break into the house and   
   search without your permission.  Do that then!  We'll be outside waiting!"   
   He hung up, "Bloody cheek!" He said "Only thought they'd be in the woods   
   making out!" He smiled at that, "Wouldn't really have minded if they were.   
   Anyway they're sending a Car round to here - to stop us from breaking in I   
   think more than anything else."   
      
       They carried on going around the house trying all the windows, but none   
   of them opened, finally a car turned up and two uniformed officers got out,   
   Rachael explained to them about how Kate always told her where she would   
   be, and what Bradley had told her.   
      
       The two officers checked the window and declared it to be securely   
   locked, "Don't think anyone's gone inside that way for some time!" Rachael   
   turned on them,   
      
       "I have it on good authority that that room has stuffed animals inside   
   it, and that there are several displays in the house, my daughter is not   
   one to tell lies about things, if she said she was inside there then you   
   can be assured that she was!" she was right in front of the Officers and   
   not budging, which - when they both towered over her - was something to   
   behold.   
      
       Grudgingly both officers decided to try the window again, they pulled at   
   it without success, then one of them got a torch out and directed it on the   
   floor of the room, several footprints were visible in the dust, leading to   
   and from the window, he raised the beam and suddenly the display of a lion   
   and zebra came into view.   
      
       "Control, this is Romeo X-ray 253." He spoke into his radio, "Need   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)