away.”
“Perfect!” Joe said with a grin. “I’d rather stake him out at the movies than here.”
“What’s the difference?” I asked.
“Three words,” Joe said. “Take-out food!”
Awesome Dude’s black Benz was still parked at the Cineplex when we arrived. We were able to find a spot closeto Colin’s car but not close enough for him to see us waiting.
“I wonder what movie Colin is seeing,” I said.
“Probably one that makes him laugh,” Joe said with a smirk. “Like a slasher movie.”
Joe browsed his tablet for movie times. “The next movie ends in forty-five minutes,” he said. “Plenty of time to grab some grub.”
My stomach was starting to growl too, so we left the car for the Stop and Snack. The convenience store did a good business, being right next to the Cineplex. It was owned by Bruce and Sheila Davis, a cool couple who were there most of the twenty-four hours it was open.
But as Joe and I walked inside, something felt and looked different. The place wasn’t packed with the usual moviegoers. It was just Bruce, Sheila, and two police officers.
Sheila saw us and waved. “Come on in, guys,” she called. “Everything’s back on the shelves now. We’re taking customers again.”
“Back on the shelves?” Joe murmured as we stepped inside. “That doesn’t sound good.”
The police officers walked past Joe and me on their way out of the store.
“What do you mean, you’re taking customers again?” I asked the Davises. “What happened?”
“Ah, some crazy kids were in here a couple of hours ago,” Bruce said. “They were running up and down the aisles and knocking stuff off the shelves.”
“No way!” I gasped. A few hours ago it was still light out. If it was the Scaredevils, they were getting bold.
“Were they wearing blue bandannas?” Joe asked. “Over their faces?”
“Yeah,” Bruce said. He raised an eyebrow. “How did you guys know?”
“It’s the same gang that’s been trashing Bayport the last few weeks,” I explained.
“I know all about those pranks,” Sheila said, shaking her head. “I’m sure the cops are working hard, but when are they going to catch those punks?”
“Probably when they catch the ringleader,” I replied.
As we walked over to the pretzels and chips Joe whispered, “You mean when we catch the ringleader.”
We bought a medium-size bag of honey-mustard pretzels and two cold lemonades. As we walked back to the parking lot, Joe suddenly said, “Frank—over there!”
Joe’s hands were full, so he pointed with his elbow. I turned to see Colin walking away from the Cineplex, his arm around a girl.
“I guess he didn’t stay for the credits,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Come on. Let’s let him know we’re here.”
Colin was already in the car as we got near.
“Spare me,” I groaned. “Colin and his girl are kissing.”
Joe’s eyes suddenly grew wide.
“What?” I asked.
“Get back here,” Joe said. He darted behind a Dumpsterdirectly in front of Colin’s car. I joined him there as he placed our snacks on the ground.
“So what are we doing?” I asked.
“This is the perfect place to spy on them,” Joe said, his voice low.
“You mean spy on them kissing?” I cried. “What are we, in grade school? We should be pinning Colin against his car, demanding answers!”
“We will,” Joe said as he peeked out from behind the Dumpster. “First I want to see who the girl is.”
“It’s too dark to see anything, Joe,” I said. “And who cares who she is?”
Another car drove by. Its headlights illuminated the area, including Colin’s car. For a split second I was able to see the girl as she leaned back against the car seat and smiled. My heart sank like a stone when I suddenly realized who she was. It was Sierra!
DECEPTION
14
JOE
O H, MAN, FRANK,” I SAID WITH A SIGH. “Sorry.”
Frank seemed too stunned to say a word. It was then that I realized why the voice on Colin’s phone had sounded
“Perfect!” Joe said with a grin. “I’d rather stake him out at the movies than here.”
“What’s the difference?” I asked.
“Three words,” Joe said. “Take-out food!”
Awesome Dude’s black Benz was still parked at the Cineplex when we arrived. We were able to find a spot closeto Colin’s car but not close enough for him to see us waiting.
“I wonder what movie Colin is seeing,” I said.
“Probably one that makes him laugh,” Joe said with a smirk. “Like a slasher movie.”
Joe browsed his tablet for movie times. “The next movie ends in forty-five minutes,” he said. “Plenty of time to grab some grub.”
My stomach was starting to growl too, so we left the car for the Stop and Snack. The convenience store did a good business, being right next to the Cineplex. It was owned by Bruce and Sheila Davis, a cool couple who were there most of the twenty-four hours it was open.
But as Joe and I walked inside, something felt and looked different. The place wasn’t packed with the usual moviegoers. It was just Bruce, Sheila, and two police officers.
Sheila saw us and waved. “Come on in, guys,” she called. “Everything’s back on the shelves now. We’re taking customers again.”
“Back on the shelves?” Joe murmured as we stepped inside. “That doesn’t sound good.”
The police officers walked past Joe and me on their way out of the store.
“What do you mean, you’re taking customers again?” I asked the Davises. “What happened?”
“Ah, some crazy kids were in here a couple of hours ago,” Bruce said. “They were running up and down the aisles and knocking stuff off the shelves.”
“No way!” I gasped. A few hours ago it was still light out. If it was the Scaredevils, they were getting bold.
“Were they wearing blue bandannas?” Joe asked. “Over their faces?”
“Yeah,” Bruce said. He raised an eyebrow. “How did you guys know?”
“It’s the same gang that’s been trashing Bayport the last few weeks,” I explained.
“I know all about those pranks,” Sheila said, shaking her head. “I’m sure the cops are working hard, but when are they going to catch those punks?”
“Probably when they catch the ringleader,” I replied.
As we walked over to the pretzels and chips Joe whispered, “You mean when we catch the ringleader.”
We bought a medium-size bag of honey-mustard pretzels and two cold lemonades. As we walked back to the parking lot, Joe suddenly said, “Frank—over there!”
Joe’s hands were full, so he pointed with his elbow. I turned to see Colin walking away from the Cineplex, his arm around a girl.
“I guess he didn’t stay for the credits,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Come on. Let’s let him know we’re here.”
Colin was already in the car as we got near.
“Spare me,” I groaned. “Colin and his girl are kissing.”
Joe’s eyes suddenly grew wide.
“What?” I asked.
“Get back here,” Joe said. He darted behind a Dumpsterdirectly in front of Colin’s car. I joined him there as he placed our snacks on the ground.
“So what are we doing?” I asked.
“This is the perfect place to spy on them,” Joe said, his voice low.
“You mean spy on them kissing?” I cried. “What are we, in grade school? We should be pinning Colin against his car, demanding answers!”
“We will,” Joe said as he peeked out from behind the Dumpster. “First I want to see who the girl is.”
“It’s too dark to see anything, Joe,” I said. “And who cares who she is?”
Another car drove by. Its headlights illuminated the area, including Colin’s car. For a split second I was able to see the girl as she leaned back against the car seat and smiled. My heart sank like a stone when I suddenly realized who she was. It was Sierra!
DECEPTION
14
JOE
O H, MAN, FRANK,” I SAID WITH A SIGH. “Sorry.”
Frank seemed too stunned to say a word. It was then that I realized why the voice on Colin’s phone had sounded
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