night at the barbecue.”
“And what if someone is treating Phoebe bad?” Raymond said. “Or hurting her? We’ve got to rescue her!”
He was right. There was no time to lose. “My top suspects are the Mean Boys.”
“They’re your top suspects for every case,” Raymond said.
“Because they do a lot of bad things,” I said.
“We still haven’t figured out who put a curse on Paz,” Raymond added. “We’ve hardly solved any of these secret mysteries at all. We have a lot of work to do.” He paused. “You haven’t told anyone about me, have you?”
“No! No one,” I swore, and it was true. Though I didn’t mention the story Otis had told me the night before. He had never said the name of the boy who was locked out of his house.
“I believe you,” Raymond said. “You’re a good friend. But you have to keep your promise. You promised to keep my secret — remember?”
“I remember. Don’t worry, Raymond. I’ll keep your secret.”
“Thanks. Now let’s find out everyone else’s secret!” He cackled with glee.
I know, it didn’t make sense. And it wasn’t fair. His secret was to be kept, and everyone else’s were fair game. But isn’t that how everybody feels?
It was an eerie night. Crickets chirped and cicadas whirred, night birds sang, music drifted through the darkness. The lawns were charcoal carpets in the moonlight. Woodlawn Road felt like a movie set — almost real, but not quite.
Somewhere off in the distance, a cat yowled.
“Maybe that’s Phoebe,” Raymond said.
“It’s coming from that direction.” I pointed toward Carroll Drive.
We glided like ghosts through yards, past houses sleeping and wakeful. The Carters’ house was dark except for a flickering TV light in the living room. Thea was babysitting again.
“Let’s stop and peek in on Thea,” I whispered. I knew it was risky, but I couldn’t resist.
We crept up to the living room window. Thea sat on the couch as a horror movie flickered on the screen, the sound down low.
But Thea wasn’t watching the movie. And she wasn’t alone.
A boy was on the couch with her. And they were kissing. A lot.
“Who’s that?” I hissed.
“Shhh!” Raymond clapped his hand over my mouth.
I could only see the back of the boy’s head. I tried to think of boys Thea liked. She hadn’t mentioned anyone in particular. Who could this be?
Thea pulled away from the boy and laughed at something he said. The boy stood up and walked into the kitchen. Thea sat up and smoothed her hair.
I was shaking. Raymond clamped his arms around me, trying to keep me quiet.
The boy came back from the kitchen with two sodas. I could see his face now.
It was Kip.
I must have gasped, I don’t remember, but Thea jumped up as if she’d heard something. Raymond pushed me flat against the wall. I was breathing hard and fast.
“That’s Kip Murphy!” I whispered. “That’s the boy Melina likes!”
“Shhh!” Raymond pulled me along the wall of the house. We had to get away fast, before Thea caught us. We ran out of the yard, keeping to the shadows, and didn’t stop until we were safely in the woods. Thea wouldn’t follow us that far. She’d be too scared of getting attacked by the Man-Bat or the prowler.
Everybody knew Melina liked Kip. Thea knew it better than anyone.
But Thea liked Kip too.
I remembered the night Raymond and I saw Melina spying on Kip, when she ran away crying. Now I could guess why.
She must have seen Thea kissing Kip. That’s why she was mad at Thea.
Melina was Thea’s best friend. And Thea was betraying her.
Once I got over my shock, Raymond and I swept quietly through the neighborhood, looking for Phoebe. We saw Isabelle and Lydia swimming at night in Isabelle’s pool with Isabelle’s older brother, Martin. We saw Katie Park sitting in her family room with her father, watching TV. I wondered why she wasn’t swimming with Isabelle — she sure didn’t look like she was having fun at home.
We
“And what if someone is treating Phoebe bad?” Raymond said. “Or hurting her? We’ve got to rescue her!”
He was right. There was no time to lose. “My top suspects are the Mean Boys.”
“They’re your top suspects for every case,” Raymond said.
“Because they do a lot of bad things,” I said.
“We still haven’t figured out who put a curse on Paz,” Raymond added. “We’ve hardly solved any of these secret mysteries at all. We have a lot of work to do.” He paused. “You haven’t told anyone about me, have you?”
“No! No one,” I swore, and it was true. Though I didn’t mention the story Otis had told me the night before. He had never said the name of the boy who was locked out of his house.
“I believe you,” Raymond said. “You’re a good friend. But you have to keep your promise. You promised to keep my secret — remember?”
“I remember. Don’t worry, Raymond. I’ll keep your secret.”
“Thanks. Now let’s find out everyone else’s secret!” He cackled with glee.
I know, it didn’t make sense. And it wasn’t fair. His secret was to be kept, and everyone else’s were fair game. But isn’t that how everybody feels?
It was an eerie night. Crickets chirped and cicadas whirred, night birds sang, music drifted through the darkness. The lawns were charcoal carpets in the moonlight. Woodlawn Road felt like a movie set — almost real, but not quite.
Somewhere off in the distance, a cat yowled.
“Maybe that’s Phoebe,” Raymond said.
“It’s coming from that direction.” I pointed toward Carroll Drive.
We glided like ghosts through yards, past houses sleeping and wakeful. The Carters’ house was dark except for a flickering TV light in the living room. Thea was babysitting again.
“Let’s stop and peek in on Thea,” I whispered. I knew it was risky, but I couldn’t resist.
We crept up to the living room window. Thea sat on the couch as a horror movie flickered on the screen, the sound down low.
But Thea wasn’t watching the movie. And she wasn’t alone.
A boy was on the couch with her. And they were kissing. A lot.
“Who’s that?” I hissed.
“Shhh!” Raymond clapped his hand over my mouth.
I could only see the back of the boy’s head. I tried to think of boys Thea liked. She hadn’t mentioned anyone in particular. Who could this be?
Thea pulled away from the boy and laughed at something he said. The boy stood up and walked into the kitchen. Thea sat up and smoothed her hair.
I was shaking. Raymond clamped his arms around me, trying to keep me quiet.
The boy came back from the kitchen with two sodas. I could see his face now.
It was Kip.
I must have gasped, I don’t remember, but Thea jumped up as if she’d heard something. Raymond pushed me flat against the wall. I was breathing hard and fast.
“That’s Kip Murphy!” I whispered. “That’s the boy Melina likes!”
“Shhh!” Raymond pulled me along the wall of the house. We had to get away fast, before Thea caught us. We ran out of the yard, keeping to the shadows, and didn’t stop until we were safely in the woods. Thea wouldn’t follow us that far. She’d be too scared of getting attacked by the Man-Bat or the prowler.
Everybody knew Melina liked Kip. Thea knew it better than anyone.
But Thea liked Kip too.
I remembered the night Raymond and I saw Melina spying on Kip, when she ran away crying. Now I could guess why.
She must have seen Thea kissing Kip. That’s why she was mad at Thea.
Melina was Thea’s best friend. And Thea was betraying her.
Once I got over my shock, Raymond and I swept quietly through the neighborhood, looking for Phoebe. We saw Isabelle and Lydia swimming at night in Isabelle’s pool with Isabelle’s older brother, Martin. We saw Katie Park sitting in her family room with her father, watching TV. I wondered why she wasn’t swimming with Isabelle — she sure didn’t look like she was having fun at home.
We
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