The Hamster of the Baskervilles by Bruce Hale Read Free Book Online

crowd.
    "Hey, Chet," said Natalie. "Do you know what the guests sang at the Eskimo's birthday party?"
    "No, and I'm not sure I want to."
    "
Freeze a jolly good fellow,
" she sang. "Get it?"
    Mockingbird humor is an acquired taste. I hope I don't acquire it any day soon.
    "Time for a powwow," I said.
    "Lead the way, chief."
    Munching on my treat, I steered us through a
pack of playful mice. We flopped down on the grass beside the sandbox. I savored each bite of the snack while Natalie filled me in on Bosco's latest activities: bullying, bribery, and shakedowns.
    She said he'd even jammed up the drinking fountains with peanut butter. That reminded me of something, but I couldn't place it.
    "So he—
mmm
—didn't do anything suspicious, eh?" I said.
    "Just the usual. Now stop stuffing your face and explain this whole werewolf deal."
    I stopped stuffing. I gave Natalie the lowdown from my meetings with Cool Beans and Principal Zero. Then my eyes wandered back to my half-eaten Twinkie.
    Natalie sat up quickly. "When was this were-whatever first spotted?"
    "Um, yesterday, I guess."
    "And when did the vandalism start?"
    "Yesterday."
    "
Hmm
..." She leaned forward. "Chet, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"
    "I doubt it. I was wondering how they get the sow bugs into the filling of the Twinkie."
    Natalie frowned. "Chet!"
    "Sorry," I said, gulping the last of my snack. "You were saying?"
    My partner hopped up and began to pace. "Don't you see? This were-creature could be the one who's wrecking classrooms and—"
    "And digging holes?" I asked. "Come on. What is this,
Revenge of the Were-Gopher?
"
    "I don't know," said Natalie. "But there's one way to find out."
    "There certainly is," I said. "What is it?"
    Natalie's eyes glittered. "We stake out the school and catch it in the act."
    I scratched my head. "And when we find out the truth—that the
gang
is actually doing the vandalism?"
    "Then we hope they don't catch us first," she said. "Simple."
    ...As tap dancing through a minefield.

14. Oh, What a Dutiful Mornin'
    Time spent on stakeout is as long and lonely as a python without a date. After school, Natalie and I discussed the best time for our surveillance. I voted for nighttime.
    "There's only two problems with that," said Natalie.
    "Oh yeah?" I said.
    "Your mom and my mom."
    "Oh yeah," I said. "So that leaves..."
    A grin stretched across Natalie's beak. "Early morning. My favorite time of day."
    Morning—
yuck.
What a rotten way to start the day. Still, if it would help us solve two cases at once, I'd march down Main Street with purple underwear on my head.
    Or ... maybe not.
    Anyhow, much as I hated to admit it, Natalie was right. We agreed to meet before sunrise the next day.
    "Cheer up, Chet," she said. "Early to bed and early to rise—"
    "Makes a guy's eyeballs spin counterclockwise," I said. "Spare me the poetry. See you in the morning."

    Next day, I told my mom I had to be at school early, to study. Strangely enough, she believed me. My skateboard waited in the garage. I dropped it in the driveway, hopped on, and rolled down the dark streets in a stupor, like a mummy on wheels.
    If I never wake up that early again, it'll be too soon.
    But early as it was, Natalie waited by the flagpole.
    "Good morning, sunshine!" she chirped. "Ready to catch a monster?"
    "Ready to catch some more z's," I muttered. "Where's that walkie-talkie?"
    We each took one of the radios and headed for opposite ends of the school, to spread a wider dragnet.
    Yellow security lights cast deep shadows. The sky was the color of burnt toast. An almost-full moon leered at me like a game-show host.
    Minutes stretched like lazy cats. Nothing stirred. Even Maureen DeBree hadn't arrived yet.
    I sat on my skateboard and tried to keep my eyes open. From far away came the siren song of my own sweet bed.
Sleeeep, beeeoootiful sleeeep,
it sang. I started to hum along, when a rude noise startled me awake.
    Kkzzsch!
"Come in, Chet. Over." It was