Spotted Dog Last Seen by Jessica Scott Kerrin Read Free Book Online Page B

about the numbers?” Pascal asked. “Twenty-eight. Thirty-four. Eighteen.”
    â€œI guess we should ask ourselves what has three numbers,” I said.
    â€œTelephone area codes,” Pascal suggested. “They have three numbers.”
    â€œExcept that area codes use numbers from zero to nine. These numbers are too big.”
    â€œHow about fertilizer? Fertilizer bags always have three numbers.”
    â€œFertilizer? Really, Pascal?”
    â€œSure. The numbers tell you how much nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are in it. Those three things are needed to make plants grow.”
    â€œHow do you know that?”
    â€œMy mom showed me at the plant store.”
    â€œI still think fertilizer is a stretch,” I said. Then I remembered buying some sunglasses with my dad. “Sunglasses always come with three numbers.”
    â€œThey do?” Pascal asked.
    â€œOn the inside of the arm of the left temple. The three numbers measure the length of the eye piece, the length of the bridge between the two eye pieces, and the length of the arm.”
    â€œWell, I think sunglasses are just as much of a stretch as fertilizer,” Pascal said. “What could sunglasses have to do with someone named Trevor Tower who keeps secrets?”
    He had a point.
    â€œFair enough,” I said.
    We sat in silence for a while, pondering the possibilities.
    Twenty-eight. Thirty-four. Eighteen.
    â€œDoesn’t that sound like a combination lock to you?” Pascal said.
    â€œYes, actually, it does,” I admitted.
    Good grief! Could Pascal be on to something?
    â€œSo whoever Trevor Tower is, maybe he has a locker,” Pascal continued. “And where do we find lockers?”
    â€œSchools, mostly,” I said.
    â€œBingo,” Pascal said. “Trevor Tower must be a student.”
    â€œOnly he’s quite a few years older than us because we haven’t heard of him,” I said, confirming my earlier speculation.
    â€œBut if he’s from around here, he might have gone to our school when he was younger. I think we should check it out,” Pascal said.
    â€œCheck what out?” Merrilee asked.
    Somehow, she had sneaked up on us without a sound, vampire-like.
    â€œWhat do you have there?” I asked, pointing to the bucket she was carrying in an attempt to distract her.
    â€œSome kind of special detergent that’s good for dirt,” she replied. “Check what out?”
    I didn’t want to tell Merrilee about our theory. She would probably poke all kinds of holes in it just for sport.
    â€œCheck out the gravestone I’m cleaning. It’s blank.”
    I shot Pascal a look that said, “Keep quiet.”
    He did, but not without a confused tilt of his head.
    â€œBlank?” Merrilee repeated, setting her bucket down.
    â€œCome and see,” I said.
    I led her and Pascal over to where I had been working on the double gravestone.
    We stood in front of the blank side.
    â€œLooks like Enoch didn’t die happily ever after,” Merrilee said.
    â€œWhere is your wife, good sir?” Pascal asked Enoch.
    No answer. Just birds singing in the trees.
    â€œTwenty-eight. Thirty-four. Eighteen,” Merrilee said. “Sounds like a combination lock to me.”
    â€œThat’s what we were thinking!” Pascal exclaimed, wheeling around to face her.
    I shot him a glare, but he was already too busy comparing notes with Merrilee.
    â€œSo we need to find out who Trevor Tower is and where he keeps his locker.”
    â€œAgreed,” Merrilee said.
    â€œJust a second now,” I interrupted. “Our plan is to find out who Trevor Tower is and then break into his locker?”
    The two stared at me.
    â€œDoesn’t that sound a little crazy to you? I mean, first of all, breaking into someone’s locker must be illegal or something. And even if we do, what are we hoping to find?”
    â€œWho knows,” Pascal said