09 The Clue at Black Creek Farm by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online

I was only half listening. While Sam had been talking, I’d noticed something peeking out from underneath a pile of shattered clay pots and soil. It was bright blue, shiny . . .
    I scurried over and lifted the object between two careful fingers. It was a pair of sunglasses with bright-blue frames. I held them up so Sam could see them.
    â€œDo you recognize these?” I asked. “Because it’s fair to say, whoever owns these was in the greenhouse recently.”
    â€œOh.” Sam looked at the glasses, and his face fell. He seemed to deflate like a beach ball with the stopper pulled out.
    â€œThose are Lori’s sunglasses.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Revelations
    â€œI HATE TO GO, GUYS.” George bit her lip as she, Bess, and I all stood in the Heyworths’ driveway again. George was leaving, heading back to River Heights so she could make her shift as barista and waitress at the Coffee Cabin.
    â€œMaybe I should go with you.” Bess, who’d been twisting a lock of blond hair around her index finger, suddenly spoke up. “I kind of wanted to get a manicure today.”
    â€œAre you kidding me?” I turned to my friend, surprised and annoyed. “I’m about to go question LoriPark about why her sunglasses were in Sam’s recently vandalized greenhouse. You don’t want to see what happens?”
    Bess sighed. “I just . . .” She shook her head. “I’m not as into this farming stuff as you guys. I want Sam to find out who’s sabotaging his farm, but . . .”
    George rolled her eyes. “Stay here and help Nancy, please. I feel bad enough that I can’t.”
    â€œAll right. ” Bess sighed again, but her frustrated tone told me that she was feeling a little guilty too. “Let’s go, then.” She started heading toward the road. Sunshine Farm, Sam had told us, was just half a mile away, an easy walk.
    â€œWait,” George said, lifting a basket of vegetables from her passenger seat. “Remind me what you want me to ask Ned to tell Rashid? We’re testing these for E. coli?”
    â€œThat’s right,” I said. Since she was heading back to River Heights, George had offered to bring some more vegetables to Rashid for testing. “These are straight from the farm, just picked. Ask him if Rashid can testthem for E. coli and tell us what he finds out. If these veggies are contaminated already, then we’ll know whoever’s sabotaging the crops is doing it here, at the farm.”
    George nodded. “Got it,” she said, replacing the basket on her passenger seat and closing the door. She walked around to the driver’s side. “I’ll ask Ned to call or text as soon as he knows. Okay?”
    â€œOkay,” I agreed.
    â€œAnd you call me ,” George added, pointing at me, “as soon as you figure out who’s harassing Sam. Deal?”
    â€œDeal!” I agreed, giving George a thumbs-up. She climbed into her car and started up the engine as I followed Bess down the driveway to the road. As we walked, George passed us in her little coupe, tooting the horn. We both waved.
    It was a pleasant enough walk down the road, surrounded by fields of corn. On the left side, a big hand-painted sign welcomed us to SUNSHINE FARM—WHERE WE HARNESS THE SUN FOR YOU! The words were surrounded by glossy-looking paintings of tomatoes, eggplants, zucchini, and peaches.
    A driveway led to a bustling farm stand, brimming with flowers and produce. It took a while for me to get the attention of a cashier, but when I asked, she suggested that we look for Lori in the cherry orchard.
    â€œTake a right on the road by the swing set,” she said brusquely. “It’s about a quarter mile down. There’ll be lots of people picking there today.”
    We followed her instructions. Sunshine Farm made Black Creek Farm look downright sleepy by comparison. Farmhands worked in an