Sabotage At Willow Woods by Carolyn Keene Read Free Book Online Page A

pounding. What now?
    “Ah, gotta go,” I said, hastily shoving the phoneback into my backpack and hoisting the whole thing over my shoulder. “That’s my dad. He’s waiting in the car outside.”
    Barney nodded happily, but Eloise looked down her nose at me and said, “You should really take the bus, you know. Environmentalism 101.”
    “I know,” I said, pasting on an apologetic smile. “Still training the parents, you know how it is. See you guys at the next meeting?”
    Eloise started to speak, but Barney cut her off. “Yeah! Give me your number and I’ll text you the day and time.”
    Eloise raised her eyebrows, but I didn’t have time to wonder about her reaction. I quickly gave my digits as Barney typed them into his phone. Then I apologized again and said a quick good-bye. “I’ll text you!” Barney called after me, but I was already halfway to the door.
    It took a while to get to Carrie’s campaign headquarters in downtown Boylestown. I’d gotten completely turned around in the school and forgotten where I’d parked, then had to struggle to find parking in thebusy downtown district. It was at least half an hour between the time I got George’s text and the time I ran, panting furiously, through the front door of Carrie’s headquarters.
    When I walked in, Carrie was sobbing hysterically, sitting at a long table along the side of the room and surrounded by George, Bess, and Julia, all of whom seemed to be trying to calm her down.
    “What happened?” I asked, leaning against a folding chair as I tried to catch my breath.
    Julia glanced up at me coolly and then reached for a box I hadn’t noticed on the other side of the table. “Well, we received a disturbing package,” she said.
    The box was about a foot square, covered in stamps and labels, totally unassuming. Carefully angling it away from Carrie, Julia cracked the top of the box open. When I saw what was inside, my stomach roiled and I had to look away. A cold vise of disgust clutched at my heart. Who would send something so upsetting?
    The box contained a dead squirrel. Its eyes were already clouded over, and it had dark, nearly blackblood still congealed around its mouth, which was open to reveal jutting, sharp, yellowed teeth.
    “There was a note, too,” Julia said softly, opening up a folded piece of paper she’d placed on the table. The note was still stained with blood. I peered closer to read it.
    This is just the beginning if you don’t end your campaign and stop the sports center!

CHAPTER SIX

Evil Is Winning
    AFTER THE REVULSION PASSED, THE first thought I had was Maybe I should do some forensic testing on the squirrel . I had a crude forensic testing kit at home. Maybe if I could figure out a cause of death, I could . . .
    My second thought was, But: gross . I didn’t need to be messing with mysteriously deceased wildlife. The squirrel could have rabies, or worse. Besides . . .
    “Have you guys called anybody about this?” I asked, gesturing to the now-closed box.
    Julia nodded. “The police are on their way.”
    “Oh, great.” If the Boylestown PD was anything like the River Heights PD, that didn’t necessarily mean they’d solve the case. But at least some more official channels could deal with the squirrel.
    Carrie sat up then and let out another wail. “It’s too much.” She sobbed. “This is not what I signed on for by running for office! I just wanted to make a positive change in our town.”
    “You will, Carrie,” George said, rubbing her cousin’s shoulder encouragingly. “If you can just stay strong and make it through this rough patch, you know the voters will see who you really are. And once they see that, there’s no way they could not elect you!”
    Julia moved closer, patting Carrie’s arm. “She’s right, Carrie. Come on—you’re the best man, or woman, for the job. You know that. Block all this out—that’s the only thing that matters.”
    Carrie took a deep, shuddering breath and