The Case of the Bug on the Run by Martha Freeman Read Free Book Online Page B

that do ya? I’ve got a meeting with the ambassador from a certain nearby nation.”
    â€œNo kidding?” said Tessa. “His niece is our friend, Toni. We gave them their dog!”
    â€œAwesome!” said Mr. Amaro. “The deal is their president wants a personal chef. Could be a good gig.” He shrugged. “I like to travel.”
    Walking back around the Kitchen Garden, I was thinking Mr. Amaro was still a suspect. He hadn’t been in the kitchen every minute of the afternoon. He could’ve been lying about the restroom. And maybe he knew more about radios than he would admit.
    As for his motive, could it be something to do with a certain nearby nation? There had been political trouble there lately. And Mr. Morgan had said whoever bugged the bug might be from a foreign power.
    Mr. Amaro was about to hop up on the mini-tractor when all of a sudden he shrieked and staggered back.
    â€œWhat’s the matter?” I asked.
    Breathing fast, Mr. Amaro pointed at the tractor seat: “Sp-sp-sp-spider!”
    Tessa said, “No lie?” and leaned in to get a better look. “Hey, guy!” she said, then scooped the tiny spider up in her palm. “Awww, he’s just little. Look.”
    Mr. Amaro shuddered and waved her away. “I can’t stand creepy crawlies.”
    â€œWait a sec,” I said. “Didn’t you say eating bugs is a good idea?”
    â€œOnly dead bugs,” he clarified. “And I know I’m a wimp, but I had a bad experience with a beetle in pre-school. Did you, uh . . . take care of that spider, Tessa?”
    Tessa held up her empty hands. “I put him in the parsley.”
    Mr. Amaro breathed a sigh of relief and climbed aboard the tractor. “Awesome. Good luck finding your thief, ladies!”
    Tessa said, “Thanks.”
    I said, “Drive carefully.”
    Mr. Amaro turned the key, waved to the crowd by the fence, spun the steering wheel and sped off.
    â€œI need to talk to the news guys for a sec,” said Tessa. “And don’t ask why, ’cause you don’t want to know.”
    â€œYou’re right. I don’t,” I said, and looked around till I found Charlotte.
    â€œThanks for watching James Madison,” I told her.
    â€œYou’re welcome,” said Charlotte. Then she looked down at the dirt in front of her, frowned and looked back up at me. “Oops.”

CHAPTER TWENTY
    Charlotte felt really terrible about losing James Madison. “I didn’t know he could move that fast! They don’t cover foreign cockroaches at the Secret Service academy.”
    By now, Tessa had come back from her secret mission to the news guys. She waved her arms. “Well, they should!” Then she called: “James Madison! He-e-ere, James Madison!”
    I thought of something and whispered in Tessa’s ear.
    My sister squealed. “How could you even whisper such a thing? James Madison is our pet! Of course it would be bad if he disappeared forever!”
    Aargh—was Tessa ever going to learn to be careful about what she said? Just because we couldn’t see the cockroach didn’t mean he couldn’t hear us!
    â€œI think we need reinforcements,” said Charlotte; then she spoke into her radio. “Charlotte to base—we’ve got a kind of a situation here. Is the secretweapon available? Over.” There was a pause, and then she cocked her head. “Roger that. We’ll expect him in five.”
    While the three of us waited, we looked for the missing bug, but all we got for our trouble was dirty hands and knees. Finally, there was a fuss behind us. Then someone yelled: “Incoming!”
    We knew what that meant. Our secret weapon was about to make his entrance. As usual, it was grand. Tail and ears flying, he galloped a fast lap around the garden, then made a graceful flying leap right at me and my sister.
    He only wanted to say “Glad