Edgar Allan's Official Crime Investigation Notebook by Mary Amato Read Free Book Online Page A

one with Rosy on his lap.
    â€œEdgar, hurry, there’s one seat left in the front row,” Twig said. “You can do your homework later.”
    Standing in the doorway between the living room and the dining room, Edgar snapped. “I don’t see the point. We’ve already listened to these songs a billion times.”
    It is one thing to get a disappointed look from an ordinarymother, but a disappointed look coming from a woman who spends her days cheering up sick children is much worse.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Henri said. “I don’t want him to stay if he’s just going to be negative.”
    Edgar took his notebook and sat on the concrete steps outside the front door.
    My parents think I’m being mean to Henri right now, but they don’t see what’s going on inside of me. I think I will explode if I have to sit there and watch Henri doing something good. Watching other people succeed is the story of my life.
    Maybe I should tell them what I’m going through and explain how worried I am that Patrick will solve the crime before I do. But what if they don’t think it’s a serious problem?
    It’s funny how the outside of a person doesn’t always match the inside.
    Everybody thinks Destiny is happy. But she’s not. Everybody thinks Taz just jokes around all the time. But he worries about butterflies. I hope neither of them committed the crime. I am still hoping it’s the work of a professional thief.
    Edgar stopped writing and looked up. The sun was setting behind the big magnolia tree in his neighbor’s yard.
    The sky is the color of ten thousand goldfish. What if the reds and oranges and golds of the setting sun were caused by the last rays of light bouncing off all the goldfish spirits flying around in heaven?
    Who knows what really happens to fish or to people or to butterflies after they die? Maybe everything has a spirit and every spirit has a color and it just can’t be seen all the time.
    Edgar’s neighbor Mr. Timmid was out, raking leaves. He stopped and leaned on his rake and looked at the sky, just like Edgar was doing. Edgar’s heart squeezed. He remembered when Mr. Timmid’s wife had died. Edgar was a second grader at the time and it was the only funeral he had ever been to.
    Is Mr. Timmid thinking about his wife’s spirit? Is he missing her with all his might? He must be lonely. I sort of forgot about her, which makes me feel bad. I wonder how many people, at this very moment in time, are sad? I wonder how many people are looking up at the sky?

CHAPTER TWELVE

    Overnight, dark thunderclouds had invaded, and now the rain was pounding on top of the school bus like it was trying to get in. An ominous morning. As the bus pulled into the school parking lot, Edgar peered out to see if any criminal-looking types were lurking around the school’s entrance.
    The car ahead of them pulled up to the curb, and Destiny hopped out, running so she wouldn’t get wet. She and Maia weren’t even carpooling in the rain together, Edgar noticed. He wondered if Destiny’s parents knew that she had lost her best friend in the world. Or was she hiding it from them, too?
    As he got out of the bus, Edgar tried to think of something nice he could say to cheer her up, but his mind was blank.
    â€œGood morning!” Mr. Browning said as he walked by with his broom.
    Edgar said good morning and then thought about Ms. Barrett. Had Mr. Browning said anything to her about the card she gave to him? Did he love her back?
    When Edgar turned the corner, he saw Ms. Barrett with a frown on her face. Maybe if she smiled more, Mr. Browning would like her. But then again, maybe the reason she wasn’t smiling was because he didn’t love her in return! It was all very confusing.
    When Edgar arrived at his classroom, Kip was guarding the door. “Patrick says you can come in, but nobody can touch anything,” he said.
    â€œAnother