The Lost Days by Rob Reger Read Free Book Online

(Retch.)
Schneider agrees with me that I can turn this to my advantage if I want to go back to Blackrock.
Schneider admits there is some reward money in it for him from BOTH Attikol and Ümlaut if he brings me back to Blackrock.
Schneider looked very uncomfortable when I wondered out loud how Attikol and Ümlaut would feel if they knew he had made deals with both of them.
Schneider reluctantly compliments me on getting this information out of him and says I would make a totally wicked private investigator.
Schneider agrees to give me a cut of the reward money and to never use teen slang again if I come back to Blackrock with him.

    Which is why I’m writing all this in Schneider’s car on the way back to Blackrock.
    Later-back in Blackrock
    Life is way better in Blackrock when you have A) a beautiful birdbrain who relies on you to deal with her junk mail and keep herespresso machine running; B) two rich jerks willing to pay any money to keep the birdbrain happy; and C) a PI who is worried you will tell certain rich jerks that he is a shameless double-crosser. Attikol and Ümlaut have paid off my tickets and “convinced” the school to drop my detention. Schneider has agreed to do some detective work for me, beginning with a search of missing persons. And I now have a permanent permit to park my new fridge box in the back alley, regardless of the street-sweeping schedule. Still dealing with floods of junk mail, but at least things are looking up.
    Later
    Have been walking around town just to make sure no new MISSING posters with my face on them have appeared. Nada.
    Spied on Attikol eating lunch with a bunch of important-looking people for a few minutes before I almost passed out with boredom. He had better start spending his time pushing buildings to the east if he really cares about getting a date with Raven!
    Later
    Cabbage came home to the lean-to this evening looking different somehow. I finally figured out that the bandage is off his shredded ear, and there are stitches in it! Who would have done that? Maybe I should track down the local vets? Will have to write more later as the cats are all yammering at me to come with themfor our nightly exploration.
    I wonder if they missed me like I missed them?

    Later
    Excellent discovery tonight!! Those cats are gooooooooood! Right away when we got out of the fridge box they had a plan. They started leading me again, back to the spot where the security officer surprised me that one time. Except they were approaching from a roundabout way. So smart—we made it to the destination without interference. The destination turned out to be an auto impound lot surrounded with ten-foot razor wire. All four of them went up to this one spot in the fence and meowed. I was like, what? But then I saw they were sort of scratching under it. And actually, the dirt was pretty loose there, so we were able to squirm under without much problem.
    I had no idea what we were doing there. But I kept following them.
    I followed them through the rows of cars to one that stood out: the strangest and most beautiful van ever. I think it started out as a ’63 VW van, but had mostly transformed into a bizarre and complicated contraption that looked like a science lab, rocketship, and botanical garden. And that’s just what I could see from outside. The doors were chained and padlocked, and that’s all I could really discover before the guard showed up with his flashlight and dog, and the cats all bailed. Just got a Polaroid and the license plate before splitting (see above and below). Will get Schneider on this tomorrow. Am half-expecting that he will have already found out who I am with his missing persons search. Fingers crossed.

    Day 9
    Back to sleeping days. Up all night and it feels so right.
    Met Schneider at the minipark. He says there are no missing persons that match my description. Terrible news, but he says not to let it worry me and that other leads are bound to turn up. Gave him my list of