“Then it carried our voices from the hayloft! But who was up there, calling, ‘Don’t look for it!’?”
Peter shook his head. He had no answer for that.
“One more question, Peter, please,” Judy begged. “Why didn’t you tell Mr. Riker we had found his jade Rama? Were you trying to protect me?”
“And why not?” he answered. “You saw how vehemently he accused his nephew. He wouldn’t have believed you were trying to help him. When we find Sita we’ll give him both pieces and his collection will be complete.”
“But how will you find her?” asked Judy.
“By finding the thieves. In the meantime,” Peter said, “we intend to see to it that they don’t find the rest of the collection.”
Two of the rangers went down the steps into the cave and brought up the cabinet containing the jade. They put it in the car with old Mr. Riker, Peter got in, and off they went.
Young Paul Riker stood watching the car disappear down the road, as Judy loaded the two children and Blackberry into Peter’s car.
“Poor Uncle Paul,” he sighed.
