Gallows Hill by Lois Duncan Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Lois Duncan
newspapers?"
"You mean, take over your paper route? I don't have a bicycle."
"You wouldn't need one," Charlie said. "Mom will let me use her car as long as I get it back so she can drive it to work. I can drive and point out the houses, but I. can't throw. You can have full pay for the couple of months you'll be doing it. I just don't want to lose the route. If they hire a substitute, I'm afraid I won't get it back."
"That sounds good to me," Sarah said. "I need to earn some spending money, and there's nothing in the classifieds that looks even possible. When would you want me to start?"
"Tomorrow, if you can. Mom did the papers this morning, but she sure wasn't happy about it."
"What time?" Sarah asked.
"I'll pick you up at six-thirty, and we should be done in about an hour. It takes longer than that with a bike, but the car will speed things up."
"Do you know where I live?" Sarah asked him.
"Of course. You're on my route."
"Then I'll see you in the morning," Sarah said. "I'll be outside waiting."
She straightened up easily, while Charlie lumbered to his feet and thrust one of the three history books into her hand. "Want to start with this one? It's the thickest."
"One is as good as another," Sarah said. "Thanks. I'll see you early tomorrow."
She continued down the hall and out through the wide front door. She couldn't help noting that the cement steps that led down to the flagpole area were wide enough that it was hard to imagine anybody stumbling off one. Still, accidents did happen, and Charlie seemed the type who might be prone to clumsiness.
Eric was waiting for her in the Charger. The afternoon sunlight streaming in through the window glinted off his hair and made him appear to be wearing a golden helmet.
"So there you are! I was starting to worry that I was being stood up." He leaned across and opened the door on the passenger's side so that she could slide in next to him.
"I stopped to give Charlie Gorman a hand with his locker," Sarah explained. "He fell Saturday night and broke his wrist."
"Yeah, I heard about that. Poor old Gorman, stuff like that is always happening to him."
Eric started the engine, and Sarah glanced surreptitiously around, in the hope of spotting Kyra enviously watching them, but the lot had pretty well cleared out, and neither Kyra nor the group she ran with was in evidence.
"I have an idea I want to run past you," Eric said as they pulled out into the street. That performance on Saturday was a blockbuster. It blew people away. Everybody at school today was talking about it. The ones who didn't get their fortunes told feel like they were cheated."
"I got worn out," Sarah said apologetically. "Besides, it was almost over."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. You were obviously terrific. But there were plenty of kids still in line when you closed up shop. The more they hear about how mysterious it was—how right on target you were about everything you told people—the worse they feel about not having gotten in to see you. I've even had people asking me if you're a junior, which would mean you'd be around to do it again next year."
"So, what are you getting at?" Sarah asked him.
"Private readings," Eric said.
"A fortune-telling business? You can't be serious!"
"I think it could be a profitable venture," Eric said. "Not only would we get the kids who didn't get a chance at it Saturday, I think we'd get a lot of repeats. The ones who did get their fortunes told have had time to think about it now and wish they had asked you more questions. They want another shot at it."
"I can just imagine how that would go over with Mr. Prue!"
"This wouldn't have anything to do with the school," Eric told her. "We'd do it out of school hours at some other place. And we'd swear all our clients to secrecy. Mr. Prue will never get wind that we're doing it."
"You keep saying
"You mean, take over your paper route? I don't have a bicycle."
"You wouldn't need one," Charlie said. "Mom will let me use her car as long as I get it back so she can drive it to work. I can drive and point out the houses, but I. can't throw. You can have full pay for the couple of months you'll be doing it. I just don't want to lose the route. If they hire a substitute, I'm afraid I won't get it back."
"That sounds good to me," Sarah said. "I need to earn some spending money, and there's nothing in the classifieds that looks even possible. When would you want me to start?"
"Tomorrow, if you can. Mom did the papers this morning, but she sure wasn't happy about it."
"What time?" Sarah asked.
"I'll pick you up at six-thirty, and we should be done in about an hour. It takes longer than that with a bike, but the car will speed things up."
"Do you know where I live?" Sarah asked him.
"Of course. You're on my route."
"Then I'll see you in the morning," Sarah said. "I'll be outside waiting."
She straightened up easily, while Charlie lumbered to his feet and thrust one of the three history books into her hand. "Want to start with this one? It's the thickest."
"One is as good as another," Sarah said. "Thanks. I'll see you early tomorrow."
She continued down the hall and out through the wide front door. She couldn't help noting that the cement steps that led down to the flagpole area were wide enough that it was hard to imagine anybody stumbling off one. Still, accidents did happen, and Charlie seemed the type who might be prone to clumsiness.
Eric was waiting for her in the Charger. The afternoon sunlight streaming in through the window glinted off his hair and made him appear to be wearing a golden helmet.
"So there you are! I was starting to worry that I was being stood up." He leaned across and opened the door on the passenger's side so that she could slide in next to him.
"I stopped to give Charlie Gorman a hand with his locker," Sarah explained. "He fell Saturday night and broke his wrist."
"Yeah, I heard about that. Poor old Gorman, stuff like that is always happening to him."
Eric started the engine, and Sarah glanced surreptitiously around, in the hope of spotting Kyra enviously watching them, but the lot had pretty well cleared out, and neither Kyra nor the group she ran with was in evidence.
"I have an idea I want to run past you," Eric said as they pulled out into the street. That performance on Saturday was a blockbuster. It blew people away. Everybody at school today was talking about it. The ones who didn't get their fortunes told feel like they were cheated."
"I got worn out," Sarah said apologetically. "Besides, it was almost over."
"Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. You were obviously terrific. But there were plenty of kids still in line when you closed up shop. The more they hear about how mysterious it was—how right on target you were about everything you told people—the worse they feel about not having gotten in to see you. I've even had people asking me if you're a junior, which would mean you'd be around to do it again next year."
"So, what are you getting at?" Sarah asked him.
"Private readings," Eric said.
"A fortune-telling business? You can't be serious!"
"I think it could be a profitable venture," Eric said. "Not only would we get the kids who didn't get a chance at it Saturday, I think we'd get a lot of repeats. The ones who did get their fortunes told have had time to think about it now and wish they had asked you more questions. They want another shot at it."
"I can just imagine how that would go over with Mr. Prue!"
"This wouldn't have anything to do with the school," Eric told her. "We'd do it out of school hours at some other place. And we'd swear all our clients to secrecy. Mr. Prue will never get wind that we're doing it."
"You keep saying
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