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

sworn the Man in the Moon was sticking out his tongue.
    "Well," said Natalie, "what now, hotshot?"
    I frowned. "I don't know what now. Cool Beans says that were-creatures only come out at night. So we can't track the monster till sundown."
    She cocked her head. "True ... but we don't know for sure that the monster's causing the vandalism...."
    "So we go back to Plan B," I said, standing up. "We keep the squeeze on the Stinkers."
    "And hold our noses," Natalie cackled.
    I squared my shoulders and gave myself a pep talk. We were doing this for our school, we were doing this for my teacher—but most of all, we were doing this for the doughnuts.
Yum.
    We made for the portable buildings. All around us, the school was waking up in earnest. Passing sleepy students in the corridor, I figured we had just enough time to grill a gang member before class started.
    The morning bell disagreed.
Rrrring!
    As I grumpily trudged to class, I thought,
There's
a word for someone who lets bells boss him around.
I slid into my seat and remembered what it was: a
dingbat.

    Morning recess was as welcome as the first sip of stinkberry milk shake after a brisk crawl across the desert. Kids poured out the door. I squeezed between them, eager to find Natalie.
    Just as I was about to make tracks, someone tugged on my tail.
    "Hey!" I said, trying to break free. "Easy; that thing comes off."
    "Really? Let's see," a voice said.
    I twisted around. Bosco Rebbizi had a fistful of tail. I jerked it from his paws.
    "Sorry, only one per customer."
    I eyeballed the ferret. Suspicion clung to him like stink on a skunk. (Of course, he
was
a Stinker.) Still, it couldn't hurt to ask about the latest vandalism.
    "So," I said, "nice job with the holes in the playground."
    He gave me a dead-eyed look. "What holes?" asked Bosco. "The only hole I know is the one in your head."
    Everybody's a comedian.
    "Where you been?" he demanded. "And what about your mean stunt?"
    "Um, we want to make sure it's a really good—er,
bad one. In fact, I'm going to the library right now to research it. Bye."
    Bosco grabbed my shoulder and spun me to face him. "Having second thoughts, Gecko?" he asked. "Trying to weasel out of it?"
    I narrowed my eyes. "No, that's your department."
    He stuck his face in mine.
Whew!
Bosco's breath smelled like something even a dingo wouldn't touch. "Meet us by the portables after lunch," he snarled. "Be there."
    I unpeeled his fingers from my coat. "Only if you brush after eating," I said.
    The ferret grunted and swaggered off. I watched him go, then shrugged. Time to follow our other lead and learn more about my supernatural encounter.
    Natalie was lounging by the library doors. "Come on," I said. "Let's go in and tell Cool Beans about the were-critter."
    "It wouldn't be much of a conversation," said Natalie.
    "Why not?"
    "He called in sick today," she said.
    Dang. Sometimes a detective can't even detect. When that happens, I do what all great private eyes do.
    I go play on the swings.

16. Auld Lang Gang
    When gypsy-moth tacos perfume the air and horsefly brownies wait on a plate, how bad could life be? I won't say that food cures all ills, but it sure helps a detective get through the no-clues blues.
    I savored lunch to the last nibble. Wiping my mouth, I pushed back the tray. "Bring on the bad guys; I'm ready to rumble."
    Natalie cocked her head. "You look ready to urp," she said. "How could you have eaten that third brownie?"
    "Alimentary, my dear Watson. Now, let's pay the gang a little visit."
    Natalie and I strolled toward the portable buildings. (But how portable are they, really? Have you
ever tried to lift one?) On the way, we debated what to tell Bosco and company.
    "Why don't we say we're going to sell spittlebug cookies to raise money for the gang?" said Natalie.
    "Hmm, I don't think that's what Erik had in mind."
    We turned a corner and came upon Ms. LaRue and the janitor, Luke Busy, talking nose to nose. She started. He growled.
    "What