doing outside?”
“He’s limping,” Mary said. “He’s been hurt.”
Alex picked Pete up and examined him. “His ear’s cut,” he told Mary, “and he’s all dirty on one side. There’s a bare spot on his neck, where the fur is missing.”
“
Never mind me
,”
Pete said.
“
Benjie needs help.
”
Alex carried Pete around to the kitchen door. While Alex hurried to the garage and got the key that was hidden there, Mary knelt beside Pete and rubbed her fingers gently up and down his body, checking for unseen injuries.
Pete held still, enjoying the gentle massage.
Alex unlocked the door, stepped inside, and stopped, looking at the throw rug inside the door. “These are Benjie’s school shoes,” he said. “He came home.”
“Thank goodness,” Mary said.
“He’s going to be in a heap of trouble when Mom and Dad find out he didn’t go to your house when he was supposed to,” Alex said. “Hey, Benjie! Where are you?”
Lizzy woke up, stretched, and came to rub against Pete.
“I think Pete’s okay,” Mary said, “although his one leg seems tender. Maybe I should ask Gramma to take a look at it.”
“
She already did
,”
Pete said.
“That would be—” Alex stopped. “Oh, no!” he said, pointing to the cupboard with the glass doors. The doors stood open; the shelves were empty.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mom’s good dishes! They were in the cupboard and now they’re gone.”
“
So is Benjie
,”
Pete said.
Alex rushed to the family room. The computer desk was there, but the computer and printer were not. Neither was the TV.
“The burglars were here,” Alex said. His legs felt weak, as if he had Rollerbladed too long. “They stole our VCR, and the computer, and the TV set.”
“
And Benjie.
”
“It was probably the same people who broke into my house,” Mary said.
“That explains how Pete got out,” Alex said. “They would leave the door open while they carried out our things.” He gathered Pete into his arms and held him against his chest. “Is that how you got hurt?” he asked. “Did they kick you?”
“
They threw me in the gravel
,”
Pete said.
“
Hard.
”
“Don’t touch anything,” Mary said. “The sheriff will want to see the house exactly as we found it.”
“Benjie!” Alex called. “Are you here?” When there was no answer, he set Pete down.
Alex and Mary rushed upstairs and looked in every room. What Alex saw made him feel sick to his stomach.
Dresser drawers had been turned upside down, their contents spilled on the beds. Sheets and towels had been flung out of the linen closet and lay in a heap on the hallway floor.
“Benjie!” Alex called. “Benjie, where are you?”
“If he was here, he’d answer,” Mary said. “Maybe he saw the burglars and got scared. Maybe he ran outside and hid somewhere.”
“Without his shoes?”
“If he was frightened, he wouldn’t take time to stop and put shoes on.”
Alex picked up the phone in his parents’ bedroom and dialed 911. “I want to report a burglary,” he said, and gave the street address. “And my little brother’s missing. He was supposed to go to our neighbor’s house after school, but he never showed up, and he isn’t at home, either, although I know he came here.”
The emergency operator asked a few more questions, then said the sheriff was on his way.
“I need to let Gramma know what happened,” Mary said. “She’s already worried, and this is going to make her feel worse.”
“I’m going to look in Benjie’s hideout.” Alex went down the stairs two at a time.
Alex ran out the kitchen door, with Mary behind him. She gave the door a shove, but it didn’t close all the way.
“I’ll ride my bike to the corner and back,” Alex said as Mary started home. “It’ll be faster.” He stopped at the edge of the porch. He had left his bike there last night, but it wasn’t there now. Mom must have put it in the garage before she left.
But when Alex went to the
“He’s limping,” Mary said. “He’s been hurt.”
Alex picked Pete up and examined him. “His ear’s cut,” he told Mary, “and he’s all dirty on one side. There’s a bare spot on his neck, where the fur is missing.”
“
Never mind me
,”
Pete said.
“
Benjie needs help.
”
Alex carried Pete around to the kitchen door. While Alex hurried to the garage and got the key that was hidden there, Mary knelt beside Pete and rubbed her fingers gently up and down his body, checking for unseen injuries.
Pete held still, enjoying the gentle massage.
Alex unlocked the door, stepped inside, and stopped, looking at the throw rug inside the door. “These are Benjie’s school shoes,” he said. “He came home.”
“Thank goodness,” Mary said.
“He’s going to be in a heap of trouble when Mom and Dad find out he didn’t go to your house when he was supposed to,” Alex said. “Hey, Benjie! Where are you?”
Lizzy woke up, stretched, and came to rub against Pete.
“I think Pete’s okay,” Mary said, “although his one leg seems tender. Maybe I should ask Gramma to take a look at it.”
“
She already did
,”
Pete said.
“That would be—” Alex stopped. “Oh, no!” he said, pointing to the cupboard with the glass doors. The doors stood open; the shelves were empty.
“What’s wrong?”
“Mom’s good dishes! They were in the cupboard and now they’re gone.”
“
So is Benjie
,”
Pete said.
Alex rushed to the family room. The computer desk was there, but the computer and printer were not. Neither was the TV.
“The burglars were here,” Alex said. His legs felt weak, as if he had Rollerbladed too long. “They stole our VCR, and the computer, and the TV set.”
“
And Benjie.
”
“It was probably the same people who broke into my house,” Mary said.
“That explains how Pete got out,” Alex said. “They would leave the door open while they carried out our things.” He gathered Pete into his arms and held him against his chest. “Is that how you got hurt?” he asked. “Did they kick you?”
“
They threw me in the gravel
,”
Pete said.
“
Hard.
”
“Don’t touch anything,” Mary said. “The sheriff will want to see the house exactly as we found it.”
“Benjie!” Alex called. “Are you here?” When there was no answer, he set Pete down.
Alex and Mary rushed upstairs and looked in every room. What Alex saw made him feel sick to his stomach.
Dresser drawers had been turned upside down, their contents spilled on the beds. Sheets and towels had been flung out of the linen closet and lay in a heap on the hallway floor.
“Benjie!” Alex called. “Benjie, where are you?”
“If he was here, he’d answer,” Mary said. “Maybe he saw the burglars and got scared. Maybe he ran outside and hid somewhere.”
“Without his shoes?”
“If he was frightened, he wouldn’t take time to stop and put shoes on.”
Alex picked up the phone in his parents’ bedroom and dialed 911. “I want to report a burglary,” he said, and gave the street address. “And my little brother’s missing. He was supposed to go to our neighbor’s house after school, but he never showed up, and he isn’t at home, either, although I know he came here.”
The emergency operator asked a few more questions, then said the sheriff was on his way.
“I need to let Gramma know what happened,” Mary said. “She’s already worried, and this is going to make her feel worse.”
“I’m going to look in Benjie’s hideout.” Alex went down the stairs two at a time.
Alex ran out the kitchen door, with Mary behind him. She gave the door a shove, but it didn’t close all the way.
“I’ll ride my bike to the corner and back,” Alex said as Mary started home. “It’ll be faster.” He stopped at the edge of the porch. He had left his bike there last night, but it wasn’t there now. Mom must have put it in the garage before she left.
But when Alex went to the
Similar Books
