Project Jackalope by Emily Ecton Page B

your spy skills. For someone all into the whole cloak-and-dagger scene, Twitchett’s were pretty bad. He wasn’t in disguise at all—he was wearing one of his ratty cardigan sweaters and looking more rumpled than ever. And he was flat out barreling toward the sea lion pool. It was pretty obvious he was looking for me, but he wasn’t the least bit worried about drawing attention to himself. He almost slammed into a couple strolling by, and when he saw me, he yelled my name and waved. Way to be low-key, Twitchett.
    And after the day we’d had, I was really not down with him being so obvious. It made me pretty jumpy. And I only got jumpier when the screaming started.
    I should’ve seen it coming—after all, I’d seen Señor Slappy’s windup routine. I should’ve been waiting for the pitch. But when he caught those two kids with a faceful of fishy water, the shrieking really threw me.
    Twitchett didn’t even turn a hair; he just pushed past the two dripping, screaming kids and their poor mother and hurried over to me.
    He pointed at Agatha, a look of horror on his face. “Jeremy, what’s she doing here? I told you not to involve Agatha!” Like she wasn’t standing right there and couldn’t hear him.
    “Because she’s the informant?” I had to know. I don’t even think Agatha heard me, she was getting so ragey.
    “Yeah, wonder why, you thieving
rat fink
!” Agatha got right up in Twitchett’s face.
    “Now, that’s hardly fair. Your ideas were undeveloped and rudimentary. I may have been developing a parallel theory…”
    “It was my idea, and you flat-out stole it! Just like you steal
everything.
” Agatha’s spit glands must’ve been working overtime, because she sprayed everybodywithin a four-foot radius. She was almost as good as Señor Slappy.
    Standing around watching people fight isn’t my idea of a good time. I was definitely rethinking this whole meeting plan. I glanced around nervously. This place was way too exposed for us to get into a brawl. Somebody needed to be the grown-up here.
    I pushed in between them. “Okay, I got it, you hate each other. Now shut it. We’ve got big problems here. Twitchett, what’s up with the guys in suits? They’ve been chasing us all day.”
    Professor Twitchett turned a shade paler. “They have? Men in suits? They’re here?”
    Talk about not making any sense. Twitchett was up for the prize.
    I stared at him like he’d sprouted horns and a third eye. “Come on, Twitchett, you know that! You warned us about them! Didn’t you?”
    Professor Twitchett ran his hand through his hair and looked around.
    I waved a hand in front of his face. Pretty rude, I know, but I was frustrated. “Hello? On the phone? Remember? You said, ‘informant, get out?’ What was all that if it wasn’t about the Suits?” I was starting to think Agatha had the right idea. I wanted to grab Twitchett by the ratty sweater and do some serious shaking.
    Twitchett gave a nervous cough. “Did they get my…my project?”
    “The jackalope?”
    “Animal hybrid.” Agatha glared at me.
    I glared back. “They didn’t get it. It’s still safe.” I patted the Dora suitcase. “But who are those guys, Professor Twitchett?”
    Professor Twitchett looked uncomfortable. “If the men following you are the men I think they are, they work for…well, I…I seem to have run afoul of the government, Jeremy.”
    Well, no duh. Thanks for the news flash. “Yeah, we figured,” I said. “Who are they? What did you do?”
    “You saw my project. I was very proud of my work.I explained this all, Jeremy. In the note with the…item in question. I may have been a bit…unwise in my confidences.”
    “That note got eaten,” I said.
    “Just cut to the chase, Twitchett,” Agatha spat. I was glad she was getting as sick of his dancing around as I was. “What did you do?”
    “Bragging. I did a little bragging. I got in a bit over my head.” Professor Twitchett blushed. “The gentlemen you met