Can You Keep a Secret? by R. L. Stine Read Free Book Online Page B

want to know who makes the rules, here? Is it you, Eddie?”
    “I guess,” Eddie said. “I’m the one who found the money. I think—”
    “But we’re going to split it equally, right, Eddie?” I broke in. I could see Danny was ready to fight again. “All six of us share the secret, and all six of us get the same share. And we all have a say about things.”
    “For sure,” Eddie said.
    Danny relaxed. He helped Callie to her feet and slid his arm around her waist.
    “So we’re definitely going to hide it somewhere?” Roxie asked.
    “Just to be safe,” Eddie said. He raised the briefcase and unlatched it. “Hey, how about this? A symbol of good faith.” He reached in and pulled out a stack of bills.
    I grabbed his arm. “Eddie? What are you doing?”
    “I told you. A symbol of good faith.” He counted out six hundred-dollar bills and handed one to each of us. He jammed one into his jeans pocket. Then he latched the briefcase shut.
    Roxie raised the money close to her face, holding it in both hands. “Wow. I never held a hundred-dollar bill before. Hard to believe it’s real.”
    Callie shook her head. “I just want to go on record,” she said, folding the bill in her hand. “If something bad happens because of this, I warned everyone.”
    “Relax, Callie,” I said. “Seriously. Just chill. Nothing bad is going to happen.”
    Whoa. Was I wrong.

 
    14.
    Eddie said he knew the perfect place to hide the money.
    So we piled into Danny’s SUV, and Eddie directed us to the pet cemetery outside Martinsville where he works. It was late, nearly midnight, and there were few cars on the road.
    About a mile from Martinsville, a deer leaped out onto the highway in front of us. The headlights lit it up—so bright I could see the startled look in the animal’s eyes. Danny hit the brake and swerved hard, making us all scream.
    My hand squeezed the arm of the door so hard, it throbbed with pain. I forced myself to breathe. I let out a cry as the deer managed to scamper to the other side.
    “What a boring night!” Riley joked. We all laughed. Tense laughter.
    I sat next to Callie, and I could feel the fear and tension coming off her. She clasped her hands tightly together in her lap. And she kept her eyes straight ahead, focused on the road in the darting headlights.
    I wanted to say something to make her feel better. It always makes me uncomfortable to be with someone who is unhappy. I’m not a rah-rah cheerleader type. But I like people to be happy. But as I said, I don’t know Callie very well at all. So I didn’t know what to say to her.
    Danny slowed the car as the tall main gate and the sign PET HEAVEN filled the windshield. Eddie directed him to the side of the wide cemetery lot. He jumped out of the passenger seat, the briefcase gripped tightly in his hand.
    Snakes of cloud floated over the pale crescent moon. The old trees that dotted the grounds stood still as death, black against the purple night sky.
    We followed Eddie into the cemetery, our shoes sinking into the soft dirt. Once again, I felt a chill at the back of my neck, felt all my senses go alert.
    Something evil here …
    Why did I keep having that frightening feeling? Was it just because this was a cemetery? Because the decaying corpses of dozens of dogs and cats were lying under our feet?
    Roxie brushed up against my side. “This is way creepy,” she said in a voice just above a whisper.
    I nodded. I pointed to a tall gravestone. In the dim light, we both read the inscription: HARRY. 2004–2016. MY BEST FRIEND. WE’LL GO FOR WALKS IN HEAVEN .
    Roxie shuddered. “That gravestone probably cost big bucks, right?”
    “Probably,” I said. “People love their pets.” But I wasn’t thinking about the gravestone. I was thinking about how I had such a feeling of dread every time I came here.
    Roxie twisted her face in disgust. “Ooh. What’s that rotten smell?”
    I shrugged. “Beats me.” I held my breath. The odor really was