Sly the Sleuth and the Food Mysteries by Donna Jo Napoli Read Free Book Online Page B

you’re right,” said Jack. He kicked his soccer ball. He ran after it and dribbled it back.
    â€œI worked with Kate,” I said. “We finished already. On potassium. Bananas are full of potassium.What’s your project on?”
    Jack jumped in front of me. He put his hands up like claws. “Blood!”
    I walked past him. “You can’t do a nutrition project on blood.”
    â€œIron, really,” said Jack. “It’s in bloody meat.”
    â€œNot just meat,” I said. “Spinach too. And most dark green vegetables.”
    â€œYeah, but meat has more. Paul and I wrote all about meat. Bloody meat.” Jack tilted his head. “I wonder if those blood oranges have iron.”
    â€œOranges don’t have iron.”
    â€œYou don’t know everything, Sly.”
    That was true. But I know a lot about fruit. The only fruit that has a lot of iron is raisins.
    I didn’t feel like arguing with Jack, though. I had other things on my mind. “What’s Noah and Princess’s project on?” I asked.
    â€œPoisons,” said Jack.
    â€œPoisons!”
    â€œNoah has all the luck. He gets to write about poisons in our food. But blood is almost as good.”

Someone in the Family
    Jack stopped in front of his house. “You have to work harder, Sly.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” I said.
    â€œYou’ve been on the case since this morning. And you haven’t solved anything yet.” He dribbled his soccer ball in a circle around me.
    â€œJack, I never agreed to take your case. And I won’t.”
    â€œWhat? Why not?”
    â€œThere is no case.”
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œThere’s no thief,” I said. “Or not a thief thief.”
    â€œWhat’s a thief thief?”
    â€œSomeone who sneaks in and steals. No one like that stole oranges from your backpack.”
    â€œHow do you know?” asked Jack.
    â€œA thief thief would have left footprints. But there were no footprints in the snow around Princess’s house this morning. The only footprints were on the front walk.”
    â€œHow do you know?” asked Jack.
    â€œIt’s my job.”
    â€œThat doesn’t prove anything,” said Jack. “A tricky thief could have used the front walk.”
    â€œTrue.” I stuck my hands deep in my pockets and leaned into the wind. Sleuths do that. “But Princess said no one had visited them except us. The footprints on their front walk were from their family.”
    Jack picked at a muddy spot on his jacket.

    â€œYou mean someone in Princess’s family robbed me?”
    â€œYup.”
    â€œI was afraid of that,” said Jack. “It’s Princess, isn’t it?”
    â€œI think so.”
    â€œI knew it.” Jack looked like he might cry. “She’s against me.”
    â€œWhat are you talking about?”
    Jack kicked the snow.
    â€œCome on, Jack.”
    â€œI can’t explain without telling you my secret.”
    â€œListen, Jack. Sleuths are good at keeping secrets. So long as it doesn’t hurt anyone.”
    Jack screwed up his mouth. “Okay, but you have to swear. You absolutely can’t tell Princess. Because then she’ll tell Noah.”
    â€œThis is getting complicated,” I said. “But I swear. So, why do you want oranges?”
    â€œFor soccer.”
    â€œYou want to kick oranges?”
    â€œNo. I’ll juggle them with my feet. Like Pelé. He’s a famous player. People say he got good by juggling grapefruits. My feet are smaller. So oranges are better. Mr. Monti picks oranges that are exactly right.”
    â€œMr. Monti knows what you want to use them for?”
    â€œMr. Monti knows everything about soccer. I can ask him anything and he talks and talks and talks.”
    â€œWhy don’t you want Noah to know?” I asked.
    â€œHe’s already good at soccer. Too good. What if he sticks around till