class.”
Feeling relieved, Abby said, “So tell me. What’s going on?”
“Well, there are thieves in the class. One, anyway, and probably some other kids were in on it.”
“Oh yeah? What are they stealing?”
Paige’s eyes narrowed. “My hundred dollar bill, for one thing. The one I showed you?”
“Yeah?” Abby was shocked. “You mean someone stole your money?”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. When I went into the class this morning, I put my pack down and was getting my stuff out when Alix and Megan started fooling around at the back of the room, doing a kind of karaoke routine, and everybody went over to watch. I did too. And, while I was gone and everyone was watching the dumb stuff Alix and Megan were doing, somebody opened my pack and took my hundred dollars.”
“Out of your wallet?” Abby asked.
Paige nodded slowly and significantly. “Yes. You saw me putting it there this morning. You could be a witness about how you saw me put it back in my wallet when we were still on the bus. Right?”
“Yes. You did put it in your wallet. And you’re sure you didn’t take it out again after that?”
“Yes. Why would I take it out? After that I was just in class.”
After a moment Abby grinned. “Well, it would serve the thief right if it does turn out to be counterfeit, wouldn’t it?”
A grin replaced Paige’s frown. “Hey. You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. I sure hope it is.” But then the frown returned. “So. What are we going to do about it?”
Abby didn’t have an answer. During the rest of the day she now and then thought about the two mysteries concerning Paige’s money. Counterfeit or not? Stolen or not? Paige had said, “What are we going to do about it?” But the way she’d looked at Abby when she’d said it made it clear that what she meant was “What are you going to do about it?” As if she were counting on Abby to do some kind of a Magic Nation stunt and solve everything.
And once again Abby wished she had never told Paige about Great-aunt Fianna and the supernatural ancestors stuff. Paige seemed to think that Abby could, if she wanted to, do an abracadabra and get all the answers, which made Abby feel like some kind of weird fortune-teller type. Like maybe she ought to go around wearing fringed shawls and carrying a crystal ball. The whole idea was ridiculous. What could she do? There was nothing to hold in her hand. And as for any other psychic stuff, such as reading minds or predicting things, she knew those weren’t things you could just choose to do. They happened to you or they didn’t, and you never knew when they would happen, or how or why. What she wanted to tell Paige was that she couldn’t do any of it anymore—if she ever had been able to. Maybe the whole thing had just been her imagination, like Mrs. Watson said.
She really had tried to think about the money and picture the place it came from, as well as where it might be at the moment. But nothing was there. The only thing that kept coming to mind when she thought about the hundred dollar bill was how angry Paige had looked when she was stuffing the money back into her wallet.
That night Abby was starting to write in her diary about how Paige seemed to be sure she could find the hundred dollar bill if she wanted to when the phone rang and Dorcas yelled up the stairs to say the call was for Abby. So Abby went down to the kitchen to take the call, and of course it was Paige.
“Hi,” Paige said. “Can you talk?” which was code for “Is anybody listening?”
And since Dorcas was sitting right there in the kitchen, reading the paper and finishing her coffee, Abby had to say, “No, I can’t.”
“Neither can I,” Paige said. “I’m sure somebody is listening in.”
Then Sky’s voice said, “Yeah, you’re right. Woody is, on the phone in the hall.”
Paige and Abby laughed, and Abby said, “And where are you listening in, Skyler Borden?”
“I’m in the
Feeling relieved, Abby said, “So tell me. What’s going on?”
“Well, there are thieves in the class. One, anyway, and probably some other kids were in on it.”
“Oh yeah? What are they stealing?”
Paige’s eyes narrowed. “My hundred dollar bill, for one thing. The one I showed you?”
“Yeah?” Abby was shocked. “You mean someone stole your money?”
“That’s what I’m trying to tell you. When I went into the class this morning, I put my pack down and was getting my stuff out when Alix and Megan started fooling around at the back of the room, doing a kind of karaoke routine, and everybody went over to watch. I did too. And, while I was gone and everyone was watching the dumb stuff Alix and Megan were doing, somebody opened my pack and took my hundred dollars.”
“Out of your wallet?” Abby asked.
Paige nodded slowly and significantly. “Yes. You saw me putting it there this morning. You could be a witness about how you saw me put it back in my wallet when we were still on the bus. Right?”
“Yes. You did put it in your wallet. And you’re sure you didn’t take it out again after that?”
“Yes. Why would I take it out? After that I was just in class.”
After a moment Abby grinned. “Well, it would serve the thief right if it does turn out to be counterfeit, wouldn’t it?”
A grin replaced Paige’s frown. “Hey. You’re right. I hadn’t thought of that. I sure hope it is.” But then the frown returned. “So. What are we going to do about it?”
Abby didn’t have an answer. During the rest of the day she now and then thought about the two mysteries concerning Paige’s money. Counterfeit or not? Stolen or not? Paige had said, “What are we going to do about it?” But the way she’d looked at Abby when she’d said it made it clear that what she meant was “What are you going to do about it?” As if she were counting on Abby to do some kind of a Magic Nation stunt and solve everything.
And once again Abby wished she had never told Paige about Great-aunt Fianna and the supernatural ancestors stuff. Paige seemed to think that Abby could, if she wanted to, do an abracadabra and get all the answers, which made Abby feel like some kind of weird fortune-teller type. Like maybe she ought to go around wearing fringed shawls and carrying a crystal ball. The whole idea was ridiculous. What could she do? There was nothing to hold in her hand. And as for any other psychic stuff, such as reading minds or predicting things, she knew those weren’t things you could just choose to do. They happened to you or they didn’t, and you never knew when they would happen, or how or why. What she wanted to tell Paige was that she couldn’t do any of it anymore—if she ever had been able to. Maybe the whole thing had just been her imagination, like Mrs. Watson said.
She really had tried to think about the money and picture the place it came from, as well as where it might be at the moment. But nothing was there. The only thing that kept coming to mind when she thought about the hundred dollar bill was how angry Paige had looked when she was stuffing the money back into her wallet.
That night Abby was starting to write in her diary about how Paige seemed to be sure she could find the hundred dollar bill if she wanted to when the phone rang and Dorcas yelled up the stairs to say the call was for Abby. So Abby went down to the kitchen to take the call, and of course it was Paige.
“Hi,” Paige said. “Can you talk?” which was code for “Is anybody listening?”
And since Dorcas was sitting right there in the kitchen, reading the paper and finishing her coffee, Abby had to say, “No, I can’t.”
“Neither can I,” Paige said. “I’m sure somebody is listening in.”
Then Sky’s voice said, “Yeah, you’re right. Woody is, on the phone in the hall.”
Paige and Abby laughed, and Abby said, “And where are you listening in, Skyler Borden?”
“I’m in the
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