Madhattan Mystery by John J. Bonk Read Free Book Online

the street noise a run for its money as she stared down at the cracked sidewalk, thinking what a bummer New York had been so far.
    That was when she saw it lying there next to her left sneaker—a pure white feather like the ones her mother used to collect. A tingle wriggled up the back of Lexi’s neck. Her mom had called them angel-wing feathers. “They’re good luck!” she would always say, and snatch them right up.
    â€œKev, call Aunt Roz. Tell her she doesn’t have to meet us back here, that we’ll see her back at the apartment. Say—I don’t know, that they have a special bus or something to bring us home. Otherwise she’ll drop everything to come get us and we don’t want to screw up her whole day.”
    â€œYou mean lie?”
    â€œNo—it’s just so she won’t worry. Lies don’t really count if they’re told to make someone feel better,” which was yet another lie to make someone feel better. What kindof example was she setting for her little brother? “Ugh, never mind, I’d better do it.”
    â€œNo, I will!”
    â€œYou know,” Kim Ling said, “there actually is a City Camp bus with Eastside-Westside drop-off points. It doesn’t start till tomorrow, though, and you have to sign up in advance …”
    While Kim Ling was droning on and Kevin was making the call, Lexi reached down and discreetly grabbed the white feather. In an instant she was six years old again, tugging on her mother’s skirt.
    â€œEw, Mommy, drop it!”
    â€œIt’s pretty, don’t you think?” her mom had said through one of her heart-melting smiles.
    â€œNooo! It’s just a yelchy pigeon feather. Miss Schroeder says that pigeons are rats with wings and that they carry a disease.”
    â€œWell, cookie, teachers have to say things like that.” Lexi’s mom carefully wrapped the feather in a tissue and slipped it into her purse. “How do we know this feather didn’t fall from an angel’s wings—just like the one Daddy puts on top of our Christmas tree, only real? She could be sitting up on a fluffy cloud right now staring down on us. Look! See?” And she pointed up past the striped awning of the Silver Spoon Cafe. “There she is,
waaay
up there!”
    â€œWhere?”
    â€œOops, you missed her! She just flew up to heaven.”
    â€œNuh-uh.” Lexi giggled. “You made that up.”
    â€œNow, why would I do a thing like that, silly?” She kissed Lexi’s forehead with a giant “Mwah!” and they took off down Main Street again, hand-in-swinging-hand. “Some people think finding a shiny penny is lucky,” she had told her, “or four-leaf clovers. But we don’t have to believe what everyone else does, right, cookie? Mommy believes in—”
    â€œAngel feathers.” Lexi finished the sentence out loud, catching herself back in the present. She was squinting into the sun over the jagged city skyline, and had to quickly look away.
    â€œHuh?” Kevin asked.
    â€œNothing. What’d Aunt Roz say?”
    â€œNo answer. I left a message.”
    Lexi slid the feather into her shorts pocket. She only half believed these feathers were signs from her mom appearing at just the right time—comforting her, encouraging her to suck it up and move forward. But half believing was more than enough for her.
    All of a sudden Kim Ling sprang up like a jack-in-the-box on caffeine. “Guys! You want horses and grass? Follow me.” She flew off the steps and plunged into a thick cloud of manhole steam without even turning to see if Kevin and Lexi were behind her.
    But they were—watching her curse out a speeding cab.
    â€œThe light is still red, moron! Drive much?”
    â€œOkay, tell me, why’re we following her again?” Lexi asked Kevin.
    â€œYou got me. But she does crack me up.”
    Lexi shook her head in wonder.