The Case That Time Forgot by Tracy Barrett Page B

was surprised. His sister sounded excited.
    â€œListen!” she hissed.
    He listened. Nothing but some birds, some of the ever-present tourists, a baby crying.
    â€œCan’t you hear it? That clicking sound!” Xena whispered. “There’s something on the sole of Shane’s shoe!”
    Xander thought for a moment. How could he find out what he needed to know? Then a grin broke across his face and he pulled the soccer ball out of his backpack. He stood on the wide sidewalk, kicking it in the air, trying to keep it from touching the ground.
    When the older boys came back with the news that they’d gotten permission to go up the tower with them, Xander was still kicking it around. At first the two older boys didn’t pay any attention to him—they stood talking with Xena—but as Xander purposely kept flubbing an easy move, Jake finally took pity on him. He said, “Let’s go over there and I’ll show you how to do it.” He pointed to a small park across the street where a statue of the famous British prime minister Winston Churchill seemed to glower at passersby. Xander picked up the soccer ball and followed him, trailed by a bored-looking Shane and a curious Xena.
    â€œHere, kick it to me,” Jake said, and Xander complied. They passed the ball back and forth a few times, and then Xander copied what the older boy had shown him. Shane joined them, and they kicked the ball to one another.
    â€œBet you can’t steal it from me!” Xander said when the ball came in his direction. He took off, dribbling it past Shane, who couldn’t resist the taunt. Xander shot a meaningful look at Xena, who moved closer just as Xander pretended to lose his footing. He stuck a foot in between Shane’s ankles and tripped him up.
    As Shane went sprawling, Xena ran up.“Here, let me help you.” She gave Shane a hand. “Xander, you’re such a klutz!” She beamed triumphantly at Xander. So she’d seen something!
    â€œI couldn’t help it,” Xander whined. “It’s slippery. Did I hurt you, Shane?”
    â€œ
You
hurt
me
? Hardly.” Shane brushed mud off his knees. “I’m used to spills.”
    Xander was dying to ask Xena what she’d seen, but at that moment he saw Mr. Grayson standing at the base of the clock tower, gesturing at them. They all grabbed their backpacks and ran to the tower.
    â€œNow keep close to me,” Mr. Grayson warned as one of the guards unlocked a door. “I’ve told them that you’re serious students of timepieces and won’t behave like silly kids.”
    He led them up the winding stairs, Xena at his heels. Xander wanted to catch up with her and find out what she’d seen, but Jake and Shane were in between them, and the stairway was too narrow for him to pass. He wondered how Xena was feeling in there. Was the narrow space making her uncomfortable? Or was it okay, seeing as there were small windows every once in a while that allowed a glimpse of the world outside?
    The walls were stone, and although they looked slimy, they were dry. They were cold and rough, though, and the stairs were worn where countless feet had stepped on them. The banister was black metal and felt even colder than the walls.
    They climbed and climbed, turning always to the right as they made their way up the seemingly endless spiral staircase. Mr. Grayson had to stop a few times and catch his breath, and each time, Xander tried to slip past the older boys. “Here, who are you shoving?” Jake asked.
    â€œI just wanted to walk with Xena,” Xander protested.
    â€œGrow up,” Shane said. “Big sis is walking with us.”
    Xena wished she could drop back and join Xander, but even if she did, she couldn’t say anything to him without the others hearing. It was such a narrow place, and the cold stone walls echoed the smallest sound. People had scratched their names into the soot-darkened