The Great Bike Rescue by Hazel Hutchins Read Free Book Online Page B

mood. I mean, he’s always nice. But he’s usually kind of…”
    â€œSerious,” I said. “Responsible. Predictable. Boring.”
    Which reminded me. I slid back under the stand again.
    â€œSo?” I asked.
    â€œWell, I wouldn’t say your dad’s that bad,” said Riley.
    â€œI don’t mean my dad,” I said. “I mean who does Emily think the thief is?”
    But Riley had crouched over to see what I was doing.
    â€œMy chain lock! Why is it wrapped around your video games?” he asked. “Are you trying to open it? Don’t you know the combination?”
    â€œNo, Riley,” I said. “I don’t know the combination. If I knew the combination I’d already have it unlocked.”
    â€œWell, you should have just asked me,” said Riley. “It’s—”
    â€œStop!” I told him. Wham ! I’d hit my head again. Luckily, not quite as hard.
    â€œYou’re going to knock yourself out if you keep that up,” said Riley. I could tell from his voice that he thought I was pretty entertaining. “Don’t you want me to just tell you?”
    â€œNo. I’m trying to figure it out myself. I think it’s like one of those puzzles where you have to line up interlocking parts in the right order. I think the first number is one. And the next number is four. But I can’t quite…”
    â€œIt would have been smarter to lock it someplace easier to work on,” said Riley. “And why lock up your video games?”
    Time for another deep breath.
    â€œI didn’t. I locked up the coffee cupboard.”
    â€œThe what?” asked Riley.
    â€œThe coffee cupboard, so Dad would have to open your lock in order to get in. And he did get in. Except I thought he had cheated and cut the chain because I couldn’t find it anywhere and he didn’t say anything about it. But last night I went to get a game and found them all wrapped around with your…”
    I almost thought I had it. I pulled ever so gently…nothing. Rats!
    I crawled out slowly so I wouldn’t hit my head again. Riley was sitting on the sofa, a look of complete confusion on his face.
    â€œYour dad undid my lock?” he asked. “Your dad’s the bicycle thief?” He realized what he’d said and began to shake his head. “No way. Not a chance.”
    â€œDad’s not the thief,” I said. “But he can open locks like yours. He learned when he was a kid. That’s why he was so sure when he told me a kid could have stolen your bike. Except he was trying to hide it because I think he thought it might corrupt me.”
    Riley grinned.
    â€œAwesome,” he said. “Confusing…but awesome!”
    I glanced over at the lock and then back at Riley. This was getting to be way too much trouble.
    â€œI give up,” I said. “Tell me the combination.”
    â€œI forget,” he said.
    â€œRiley! You were going to blurt it out two minutes ago. You can’t have forgotten.”
    â€œYeah, but if it makes your dad this happy, do you really want to spoil it for him?” asked Riley. “Hey—maybe this is turning into some kind of father-and-son bonding thing. Cracking combinations together. Do you think that’s it?”
    Riley comes up with the strangest ideas.
    â€œI don’t know what it is,” I said. “I can’t figure out my dad.”
    â€œYou can’t figure out the lock either,” said Riley. “Hang on. Hang on. Don’t get steamed. You’ve got the first number right.”
    â€œI do?”
    â€œYup,” said Riley. “But not the second one.”
    â€œIs the second one close?” I asked.
    Riley shrugged.
    â€œIt’s within five places,” he said. “Oops. Gotta head home.”
    Within five places wasn’t any help at all. The numbers only went from one to six. But I was encouraged just enough to crawl