Philip and the Fortune Teller (9781619501317) by John Paulits Read Free Book Online Page B

quarters.”
    Emery took the dime and started off. He
turned the corner, but came right back around the corner and walked
toward Philip.
    “That was fast.”
    “I didn’t go in. What kind of gum you want?
They have . . .”
    “Any kind,” Philip shouted. “Just go.”
    “Sheesh. Just asking,” Emery grumbled.
    When Emery returned, he had an open pack of
gum and two quarters. He chewed noisily.
    “You opened the gum already?” Philip cried.
“You couldn’t wait until after the phone call?”
    Emery shrugged. “Want a piece?”
    “No. Call.”
    Emery slipped the gum into his pocket and
lifted the receiver.
    “Disguise your voice,” Philip suggested. “And
make it quick.”
    Emery dropped the quarters in the slot and
dialed 911.
    “Yes, what is your emergency?” came a voice
in Emery’s ear.
    Emery stuffed his tongue in the back of his
mouth to change his voice.
    “Go to the gypsy and pharaoh, and you’ll find
the stolen jewels. Ha, yes you will.” And he hung up.
    Philip slapped his two hands against his
forehead.
    “What?” Emery asked.
    “You didn’t tell them what jewels, what
gypsy, or what pharaoh. They won’t know what you’re talking about.
And what was ‘Ha, yes you will?’ You sounded ridiculous. Like a kid
playing a trick”
    “You said to make it quick.”
    “Yeah, but not so quick you sound like a
moron. Let’s get out of here.”
    Philip started running, and Emery followed
along. Philip didn’t stop until he and Emery nestled safely in Mrs.
Logan’s bushes.
    “What were we running for?” Emery asked, out
of breath.
    Philip glared at Emery. “You know the police
don’t want people joking when they call them. You sounded like you
were making fun of them. ‘Ha! Yes you will.’ Really? They probably
can tell where the call came from, and they might go see who made
it.”
    “Oh,” was all Emery could think to say. “Now
what?”
    “Now, we gotta get the box ourselves and give
it back to the lady.”
    Emery’s head sailed to the rear in
amazement.
    “Get the box from the gypsy’s tent?”
    “I was thinking . . . when we were running .
. . remember when we came out of the circus that night. We got out
quick because we didn’t want to get stuck in the crowd and lose
time?”
    “Yeah.”
    “Remember there weren’t a lot of people
walking around the booths and rides and things?”
    “Right. Everybody was inside watching the
circus.”
    “There’s a show today at two, so there
probably won’t be a lot of people walking around during the
show.”
    “So?”
    “So maybe the gypsy will take a walk and
leave his tent if there aren’t any people around to have their
fortunes told. He can’t stay in that tent all the time. I didn’t
even see a bathroom.”
    “Yeah, or a kitchen. He’s gotta go eat
someplace.”
    “Right. We watch, and when he leaves the
tent, you go in and get the box.”
    “Yeah, I go . . . I go? What do you
mean I go? Why don’t you go? You should go. It’s your idea.”
    Philip wondered whether he could trust Emery
with an important job like this one. Emery might end up doing
something dumb, like he usually did.
    “All right. All right. I’ll go. But you gotta
be the lookout. If I’m in the tent, and you see the gypsy coming,
you gotta let me know.”
    “I will.”
    “And no practicing. Only say he’s coming if
he’s really coming. Got it?”
    “I got it.”
    “The show’s not until two o’clock. Let’s go
home for lunch. Come for me around one-thirty.”
    With that agreed upon, the boys crawled out
of their secret lair and headed home.
     
     

Chapter Ten
     
    The boys stood across the street from the
entrance to Lighthouse Field and watched the crowds of people
walking around the midway visiting the booths and rides before
heading into the big tent to see the show. The boys spoke little,
and when the people began to disappear into the big tent, they
spoke not at all.
    Finally, Philip said, “Let’s wait until
fifteen minutes