Murder & Mayhem in Goose Pimple Junction by Amy Metz Page B

white mopboard. It bounced back and forth from the wall to the door until it finally stopped behind the pine door.
    Johnny picked it up and said, “We need something to weigh it down a little.” He looked around his parents’ room and then walked over to their dresser. He saw a thin copper key, with a tag attached by yarn. “This’ll be perfect!”
    Johnny got down on his hands and knees to put the key on top of his car.
    “ Sam! Lookit this!”
    Sam watched as the car shot across the room, straight as an arrow, the tag trailing along in the air, mimicking the exhaust in a car’s wake. 
    “ Nifty!” Sam readied his car. “On the count of three, we’ll race ‘em, okay?”
    They barely heard their mother yell up the stairs, “I mean it boys! You stay away from that wallpaper mess!”
    They both sat at one end of the room, cars side by side.
    “ One . . . Two . . . Three!”
    The cars shot all the way across the room, only stopping when they reached the finish line—the wall. Johnny’s car got there first and bounced backward, hitting Sam’s car as it careened toward the woodwork. Sam’s car skidded sideways, bounced off the wall, and back into Johnny’s car, knocking the key off, and sending it into the floor register.
    Clink. Clink. Clink.
    “ Uh-oh—the key!” The boys went over to the register, knelt down, and peered in. It was deep and dark, and they couldn’t see anything. “Holy cannoli! What’ll we do now? How are we gonna get the key back?”
    “ C’mon, boys! Ima Jean! Louetta! Supper’s ready!” their mother called up the steps.
    “ We’ll get it later. Come on, we gotta get downstairs for supper,” Sam said.
    They grabbed their cars and ran from the room.
     
    * * *
     
    John helped Louetta, his youngest child, up into her chair and sat her on top of some books that boosted her high enough for the table. The family ate quickly and noisily.
    Several times John started to say, “Upstairs in the attic—” but each time he was interrupted by one of the kids. Maye finally excused everyone, instructing them to get ready to leave for church.
    He sat quietly at the dinner table while Maye and Ima Jean cleaned up the dishes, talking and laughing together. He was deep in thought, with a serious expression on his face, until Louetta tugged on his arm. Then his face lit up with love. She climbed up onto her daddy’s lap, nuzzling her nose into his neck. He wrapped his big bear arms around her and squeezed her tight, closing his eyes and breathing in her sweet smell.
    “ I wish you could go ta church with us too, Daddy.”
    “ Me too, Butterbean. But I have to go to a meetin’.” He gave her another big squeeze and kissed her forehead. “Now go get yer shoes, and I’ll help you put ‘em on.”
    “ Why’d he say ya had to go all the way up there tonight?” Maye asked her husband, as she dried her hands on the dishtowel.
    “ I don't know why. The message only said he needed to see me and it couldn’t wait,” John explained for the second time. He wanted to spend time with his family as much as they wanted him to, but he’d gotten an urgent message that he couldn’t put off. “But Maye . . . “
    Louetta came back into the room and climbed back onto his lap, handing him her shoes. He didn’t finish his sentence.
    “ I’ll drive you and the kids up to church. You can attend the service and fellowship time, and I’ll be back to pick you up with time to come in, visit a spell, eat some of that mouth waterin’ chocolate cake you’re takin’, and drink some bad coffee.”
    Maye let out a long sigh, but there really was no use in arguing about it. She walked to the bottom of the stairs. “Come on kids, time to go!”
    “ Maye, I need to tell you about the attic trunk . . . “ John began but was again interrupted when the three other Hobb children came lumbering down the steps and began pulling out coats, scarves, and gloves, all talking over each other.
    “ Daddy, can we play