probably does all kinds of despicable things every day,” Frank said quietly to me.
I sighed. Man, I was tired. “Okay, okay. You don’t know why you got Red Arrowed. But how did you get here?”
Pett looked confused. “I rode my bike?”
Frank groaned. “Why did you beat us up, Pett?”
“Oh!” Pett, seeming to grasp his place in this investigation at last, sat straighter on the log. “Well, a couple of months ago, I got a call like Seth here,” he said, gesturing to Seth. Seth shrank back, like he didn’t want to be associated.
“Same distorted voice?” Frank asked. “Same unfamiliar number?”
Pett nodded. “The voice told me that I could avoid any further punishment—that’s what it said—by doing some jobs for him.” He paused. “Or her. It could be a her, I guess.”
“Odd jobs?” I asked. “Like pummeling people?”
Pett nodded again. “I beat some people up, sure,” he said. He held up his left arm and flexed it. “I guess I’m lucky I’ve got some muscle.”
Frank caught my eye. I could tell he was disgusted. “And that’s why you came here tonight?” he said.
“That’s right,” said Pett. “I got a call telling me I had another odd job. And then it turned out to be you guys.” He grinned.
“That was lucky,” I said, trying to interpret the grin.
“Sure,” said Pett. “It was a job I enjoyed, after what you boys did to me.”
Frank held up the Taser and sparked it, once. “Didn’t exactly turn out great for you,” he pointed out.
Pett just glared at him, then looked away.
I closed my eyes for a moment. “All right,” I said, holding up my hands. “I think we’re done for the night, gentlemen. Let’s all go home and get some sleep.”
Seth looked surprised. “That’s it?” he asked.
I was about to say yes—or We’ll talk about it in the morning —when I was interrupted by the blaring of a police siren.
Seth’s eyes widened. “Uh-oh.”
It was coming from the parking lot. I looked at Frank.
“Uh-oh,” he whispered.
Before we could move, I heard footsteps running down the path.
“Freeze!” Olaf’s voice came through the trees before he even surfaced at the path’s end.
I looked at Frank and slowly held up my hands. He followed suit. No need to anger Olaf in the wee hours of the morning, I figured.
Again. We were having a really banner week.
Olaf appeared at the end of the path, his rookie partner behind him. Both were brandishing weapons.
“Hands up!” Olaf yelled. Frank and I were way ahead of him, but Seth and Pett slowly followed suit.
Olaf moved in and slowly circled the four of us, casing the location. “Okay,” he said after a few seconds. “I’m going to march you all back to the cruiser, and you’re coming back to the station with me. Understand?”
“What?” Pett asked in a surly tone. “Why? For what?”
Olaf glared at him. “Oh, it’s you,” he said snootily. “Back to jail so soon? We’ve received noise complaints about a fight going on out here.” He paused and looked me right in the eye. “We’re taking you all in for criminal mischief.”
Criminal mischief. A charge that can conveniently encompass basically any reason a cop might take a dislike to you. Frank and I had been brought in for criminal mischiefbefore. Most likely, we’d be brought in again . . . and again. And again.
That didn’t mean our parents liked it much, of course.
As we all marched behind Olaf and his partner back to the cruiser, I caught Frank’s eye again. He cocked an eyebrow. “Does this seem like a place with a lot of neighbors to you?” he whispered.
He was right. The reason kids could get away with all kinds of various activities in these woods was that they were completely secluded . . . from everything. The nearest houses were at least a half mile away. Too far to hear the fight we’d had.
So what was really going on here?
A TIP
15
FRANK
I WAS STARTING TO GET RED ARROW VISION. Everyone who appeared in
I sighed. Man, I was tired. “Okay, okay. You don’t know why you got Red Arrowed. But how did you get here?”
Pett looked confused. “I rode my bike?”
Frank groaned. “Why did you beat us up, Pett?”
“Oh!” Pett, seeming to grasp his place in this investigation at last, sat straighter on the log. “Well, a couple of months ago, I got a call like Seth here,” he said, gesturing to Seth. Seth shrank back, like he didn’t want to be associated.
“Same distorted voice?” Frank asked. “Same unfamiliar number?”
Pett nodded. “The voice told me that I could avoid any further punishment—that’s what it said—by doing some jobs for him.” He paused. “Or her. It could be a her, I guess.”
“Odd jobs?” I asked. “Like pummeling people?”
Pett nodded again. “I beat some people up, sure,” he said. He held up his left arm and flexed it. “I guess I’m lucky I’ve got some muscle.”
Frank caught my eye. I could tell he was disgusted. “And that’s why you came here tonight?” he said.
“That’s right,” said Pett. “I got a call telling me I had another odd job. And then it turned out to be you guys.” He grinned.
“That was lucky,” I said, trying to interpret the grin.
“Sure,” said Pett. “It was a job I enjoyed, after what you boys did to me.”
Frank held up the Taser and sparked it, once. “Didn’t exactly turn out great for you,” he pointed out.
Pett just glared at him, then looked away.
I closed my eyes for a moment. “All right,” I said, holding up my hands. “I think we’re done for the night, gentlemen. Let’s all go home and get some sleep.”
Seth looked surprised. “That’s it?” he asked.
I was about to say yes—or We’ll talk about it in the morning —when I was interrupted by the blaring of a police siren.
Seth’s eyes widened. “Uh-oh.”
It was coming from the parking lot. I looked at Frank.
“Uh-oh,” he whispered.
Before we could move, I heard footsteps running down the path.
“Freeze!” Olaf’s voice came through the trees before he even surfaced at the path’s end.
I looked at Frank and slowly held up my hands. He followed suit. No need to anger Olaf in the wee hours of the morning, I figured.
Again. We were having a really banner week.
Olaf appeared at the end of the path, his rookie partner behind him. Both were brandishing weapons.
“Hands up!” Olaf yelled. Frank and I were way ahead of him, but Seth and Pett slowly followed suit.
Olaf moved in and slowly circled the four of us, casing the location. “Okay,” he said after a few seconds. “I’m going to march you all back to the cruiser, and you’re coming back to the station with me. Understand?”
“What?” Pett asked in a surly tone. “Why? For what?”
Olaf glared at him. “Oh, it’s you,” he said snootily. “Back to jail so soon? We’ve received noise complaints about a fight going on out here.” He paused and looked me right in the eye. “We’re taking you all in for criminal mischief.”
Criminal mischief. A charge that can conveniently encompass basically any reason a cop might take a dislike to you. Frank and I had been brought in for criminal mischiefbefore. Most likely, we’d be brought in again . . . and again. And again.
That didn’t mean our parents liked it much, of course.
As we all marched behind Olaf and his partner back to the cruiser, I caught Frank’s eye again. He cocked an eyebrow. “Does this seem like a place with a lot of neighbors to you?” he whispered.
He was right. The reason kids could get away with all kinds of various activities in these woods was that they were completely secluded . . . from everything. The nearest houses were at least a half mile away. Too far to hear the fight we’d had.
So what was really going on here?
A TIP
15
FRANK
I WAS STARTING TO GET RED ARROW VISION. Everyone who appeared in
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