Madhattan Mystery by John J. Bonk Read Free Book Online Page A

“She’s like the Pied Piper of Manhattan—with road rage.”

5
A HORSE OF
A DIFFERENT COLOR
    As it turned out, destination Central Park was beyond spectacular! A humongous oasis right in the middle of the city, with more grass and trees than all of Cold Spring. Maybe not, but a full 843 acres, according to Kim Ling. And since the park was blocked off to afternoon traffic, there wasn’t a car in sight. Bikers, joggers, and Rollerbladers shared the roadway instead, along with those hansom cabs. And it was cool. At least ten degrees cooler than the rest of the city, Lexi guessed, and seemingly miles away from Grand Central Station with its lurking jewel thieves and mole people. Finally she could breathe.
    â€œOh, look, you can see ’em from here,” Kim Ling said, picking up speed. “A bargain at two bucks a ride.”
    â€œYou said nothing in New York was cheap,” Lexi reminded her.
    â€œWrong. I said everything in New York was
expensive
.” See, it was answers like that that made Lexi want toscream. But she didn’t. She took a calming, cleansing breath and scoped the area instead. Sure enough, the bobbing helmets of horseback riders were visible just beyond a thick row of trees. Kevin must have noticed them too. He was suddenly clinging onto Lexi’s dangling backpack strap.
    â€œWhere’re we going?” he asked Kim Ling. “I mean, just ‘cause I took a picture of a couple of horses—”
    â€œâ€”doesn’t mean we know how to ride,” Lexi finished. “Don’t we need, like, special boots—and an insurance policy?”
    â€œYou guys don’t ride at home out there in Amish country?” Kim Ling asked, her neon flip-flops kicking up dirt.
    â€œIt’s not Amish!” Lexi said. “And no.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter.”
    â€œHow could it not—?”
    â€œBecause I’m not talking about those horses, Patty Paranoia.” Kim Ling pointed across the road to a clump of vendors in front of some round brick structure. “I’m talking about
those
horses. Let’s go. My treat!” Once again, she took off with no group consensus. And once again, Lexi and Kevin followed her. To the Central Park Carousel?
    What a relief!
For Lexi anyway. But she wasn’t exactly sure how Kevin would react.
    â€œThis goes a lot faster than your average carousel,” Kim Ling had to go and say when they met up with her at the ticket booth. “A
lot
faster. And no brass ring. That’s ‘cause they don’t want kids reaching for it and busting chins.”
    â€œWhat?” Kevin turned that greenish shade again. “I don’t know about this.”
    â€œC’mon, Kev, it’ll be fun.”
    â€œGeez, man up!” Kim Ling said to him, handing three tickets to the ticket-taker. “It’s not like it’s a mechanical bull—it’s a baby ride.”
    That remark got Kevin unstuck somehow and he followed the girls onto the carousel platform with the enthusiasm of someone boarding the
Titanic
.
    â€œThat’s what they said about the Haunted Mansion ride at Kingsley Park,” Lexi whispered to Kim Ling. She helped Kevin onto the smiliest horse with the shiniest gold mane and just as she was about to mount the one next to it, a boy in a plastic fireman hat beat her to it. “Shoot. Are you going to be okay by yourself, Kev, or should I—?”
    â€œJust go already,” he said, wrapping his arms around the shiny pole.
    â€œI’ll be on this one right in front of you. Hold on tight.”
    A rinky-dink rendition of “Do You Know the Way to San Jose” began playing loudly and Lexi quickly hopped onto the horse Kim Ling was saving for her. As soon as the carousel came to life, Kim Ling leaned over to her and shouted, “So, what’s the scoop?”
    â€œShhh! Kevin fell off a ride. He was around five. Split his head