Best unit anywhere."
As usual, Alex's father was engrossed in a business call.
In a panic, Alex started to climb the stairs. He had to check out something, and the bathroom was the only safe place to do it. He reached the second floor and passed his sister Molly's room. The room was something of a wreck, as always. Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Molly was sitting at her desk, writing something on the bottom of her shoe. Probably the answers to a test at school the next day.
Next Alex passed his brother Stan's room. The door was closed. Inside a voice squawked, "I'm in
here, you moron! What's that funky smell?"
It was Stan's dumb pet parrot.
As Alex passed the door that led upstairs to the attic, he could hear the sound of his mother's voice. She must have been on the portable phone.
"I told you I can't work weekends. . . . My kids need someone to get them to their activities. . . . I'll do it this week. . . . I'll work during lunch if I have to."
She was talking about business, of course. Like his dad, his mom was always on the phone about business.
But Alex had other things on his mind. Specifically, to check out a very private region of his body that he could only see in a mirror. He went into the upstairs bathroom, then closed the bathroom door and locked it. Then he pulled the stool over and stood on it so he could see himself in the mirror.
Then he pulled down his long underwear and slowly turned around to look.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" A scream tore out of Alex Pruitt's throat.
4
Peter Beaupre parked the van a few streets over. For a while, everyone was quiet. Beaupre considered the task ahead. They had to find that microchip. To do it, they were going to have to go through nineteen different houses without being caught.
And they were going to have to go through them fast because Mr. Chou was an impatient man.
"I'm cold," Earl Unger complained.
"You're always cold," Alice replied.
"Just so you know, I'm not wearing socks," Unger informed them. "I thought we were going to Hong Kong."
"You can suffer a brief discomfort," Alice said.
"Brief discomfort?" Unger repeated in disbelief. "Who flew coach from San Francisco to Chicago? Me and Jernigan. Who flew first class? You and Beaupre. Who ate poached salmon and caviar? You and Beaupre. Who ate cold lasagna? Jernigan and me."
"We're in a transitional Period," Peter Beaupre said. "Things will get better when we start the next phase."
"When will that be?" asked Burton Jernigan.
"Tomorrow we'll set up a base of operations," Beaupre said. "We start going into the houses the day after tomorrow."
"Wait a minute," Earl Unger said. "You want us to break into houses in broad daylight?"
Alice Ribbons looked over the seat at him. "This is the suburbs, Mr. Unger. People come home at night to sleep. During the day they go to work and school."
"She's right," Peter Beaupre agreed. "Nobody's home around here during the day."
5
Alex was lying in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin and a thermometer poking out of his mouth. His mom was sitting on the edge of the bed, and his dad was standing beside her. Stan and Molly were hovering in the doorway.
"What's the diagnosis?" his father asked.
"Chicken pox," answered his mom.
"Excuse me," said Stan. "But with all due respect, I think this is just a scam to get out of doing his science project."
"This is none of your business, Stan," Mr. Pruitt replied curtly.
"If infectious disease in my home isn't any of my business, then what is?" Stall asked.
"Can I talk to your father alone, please?" Alex's mom asked irritably, then turned to her husband. "His body's covered with spots."
A nasty smile appeared on Molly's face. "Would that include the buttock region?"
"Shut up!" Alex sputtered, his face growing hot with embarrassment.
"Don't talk with the thermometer in your mouth, dear," Mrs. Pruitt said, then turned to her only daughter. "Stay out of this, Molly."
But now Stan was into it, too. He turned to his
As usual, Alex's father was engrossed in a business call.
In a panic, Alex started to climb the stairs. He had to check out something, and the bathroom was the only safe place to do it. He reached the second floor and passed his sister Molly's room. The room was something of a wreck, as always. Clothes were scattered all over the floor. Molly was sitting at her desk, writing something on the bottom of her shoe. Probably the answers to a test at school the next day.
Next Alex passed his brother Stan's room. The door was closed. Inside a voice squawked, "I'm in
here, you moron! What's that funky smell?"
It was Stan's dumb pet parrot.
As Alex passed the door that led upstairs to the attic, he could hear the sound of his mother's voice. She must have been on the portable phone.
"I told you I can't work weekends. . . . My kids need someone to get them to their activities. . . . I'll do it this week. . . . I'll work during lunch if I have to."
She was talking about business, of course. Like his dad, his mom was always on the phone about business.
But Alex had other things on his mind. Specifically, to check out a very private region of his body that he could only see in a mirror. He went into the upstairs bathroom, then closed the bathroom door and locked it. Then he pulled the stool over and stood on it so he could see himself in the mirror.
Then he pulled down his long underwear and slowly turned around to look.
"Ahhhhhhhhh!" A scream tore out of Alex Pruitt's throat.
4
Peter Beaupre parked the van a few streets over. For a while, everyone was quiet. Beaupre considered the task ahead. They had to find that microchip. To do it, they were going to have to go through nineteen different houses without being caught.
And they were going to have to go through them fast because Mr. Chou was an impatient man.
"I'm cold," Earl Unger complained.
"You're always cold," Alice replied.
"Just so you know, I'm not wearing socks," Unger informed them. "I thought we were going to Hong Kong."
"You can suffer a brief discomfort," Alice said.
"Brief discomfort?" Unger repeated in disbelief. "Who flew coach from San Francisco to Chicago? Me and Jernigan. Who flew first class? You and Beaupre. Who ate poached salmon and caviar? You and Beaupre. Who ate cold lasagna? Jernigan and me."
"We're in a transitional Period," Peter Beaupre said. "Things will get better when we start the next phase."
"When will that be?" asked Burton Jernigan.
"Tomorrow we'll set up a base of operations," Beaupre said. "We start going into the houses the day after tomorrow."
"Wait a minute," Earl Unger said. "You want us to break into houses in broad daylight?"
Alice Ribbons looked over the seat at him. "This is the suburbs, Mr. Unger. People come home at night to sleep. During the day they go to work and school."
"She's right," Peter Beaupre agreed. "Nobody's home around here during the day."
5
Alex was lying in bed with the covers pulled up to his chin and a thermometer poking out of his mouth. His mom was sitting on the edge of the bed, and his dad was standing beside her. Stan and Molly were hovering in the doorway.
"What's the diagnosis?" his father asked.
"Chicken pox," answered his mom.
"Excuse me," said Stan. "But with all due respect, I think this is just a scam to get out of doing his science project."
"This is none of your business, Stan," Mr. Pruitt replied curtly.
"If infectious disease in my home isn't any of my business, then what is?" Stall asked.
"Can I talk to your father alone, please?" Alex's mom asked irritably, then turned to her husband. "His body's covered with spots."
A nasty smile appeared on Molly's face. "Would that include the buttock region?"
"Shut up!" Alex sputtered, his face growing hot with embarrassment.
"Don't talk with the thermometer in your mouth, dear," Mrs. Pruitt said, then turned to her only daughter. "Stay out of this, Molly."
But now Stan was into it, too. He turned to his
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