The Mystery of Mr. Nice by Bruce Hale Read Free Book Online

like their jokes.
    "Tie 'em up," said Knuckles.
    "Why is it crooks always want to tie me up?" I said. "It's getting boring. Can't you guys think of anything original?"
    They exchanged puzzled looks. Natalie and I bolted for the open window. We would have made it, too, if it hadn't been for that old bat. She was fast.
    Ms. Darkwing clutched our tails in her claws. That stopped us long enough for Squint to drag us back into the room.
    Knuckles and Ms. Darkwing tied up Principal Zero's feet again while Squint pinned one of us under each arm. His armpits smelled worse than a skunk's T-shirt after two weeks in the laundry hamper.
    "You won't get away with this!" said our principal. "You
mmph—
"
    Knuckles jammed the tape over Mr. Zero's mouth. "Oh, yes, we will," he said. "And you'll be our biggest supporters."
    "Never!" I said as they wrapped me in ropes like a sausage in string. Natalie pecked Ms. Darkwing, who shrieked in pain like an opera mouse butchering the score from
Carmen.

    "We'll never help you," said Natalie. Ms. Darkwing tightened her ropes sadistically.
    "Oh, I think you will," said Knuckles, "when we pour the concrete for the new buildings at our Vocational Criminal School. Lying there in the foundation, you'll provide such great support."
    He was slimier than a dingo's drool cup. Knuckles chortled nastily. His gang joined him. I would have tossed off a snappy comeback, but they had taped my mouth shut.
    "What, no more wisecracks?" said Knuckles. "Well, toodle-oo, kiddies. We have a big meeting to prepare for."
    They left, deadbolting the door behind them. We lay there like three lumps of lasagna.
Mmm, lasagna.
I wondered if they would feed us dinner before they buried us in concrete.
    I rolled over to face the window. It wasn't far. I crawled for it as fast as I could, like an ancient inchworm with arthritis. If I could just pull myself up, maybe a neighbor would see.
    Maybe they'd come investigate.
    And maybe we'd starve to death first.
    It took forever to reach the wall. Empires rose and fell. A whole new TV season came and went as I crawled. I heard a door slam below and a car engine start.

    The crooks were leaving! If we didn't show up at that meeting, they'd trick the PTA into approving their plan.
    I struggled to a sitting position. Natalie and Principal Zero cheered me on with their eyes.
    At least I think they did. They could've been swearing, for all I knew.

    I levered and twisted my rope-wrapped body upright, like a mummy dancing hip-hop. Finally I stood and leaned on the windowsill. I poked my head outside.

    "Hey, hey, hey, I found you!"
    I looked down. Popper the tree frog bounced merrily on the ground below. "Now you're it, you're it!" she said. "Or do I have to come up and tag you, tag you first?"

16. Cops and Froggers
    "Wowie, wow, wow!" said Popper. She hopped in a circle as she shouted up at me. "You guys are
good
at hide-and-seek. I never would have found you without that nice, nice neighbor lady."

    "
Mmph, vvmm, gmff,
" I said. The tape over my mouth didn't help my diction any. I motioned with my head for Popper to come upstairs.
    "I have to come up and tag, tag, tag you?" she said. "Okey-dokey-dokey!"
    Two short hops and a long leap later, Popper crawled along a tree branch and in through the window. I slid over to make room for her.
    She tagged all three of us. "You're it, it, it!"

    Then she started back out the window.
    "
MMMMPH!
" Natalie, Principal Zero, and I screamed together.
    Popper turned. "What, what? You'll have to speak uppity-up." Finally she noticed the ropes around our bodies and the tape over our mouths.
    "Oh," she said. "What a funny, funny game. Can I play, can I please play?"
    The little tree frog peeled the tape off Natalie's beak.
    "It's no game," said Natalie. "These crooks tied us up and they're trying to take over our school. Untie us, quick. We've got to stop them!"
    "Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy," said Popper. "What a fun, fun game—cops and robbers!"
    "
Mmph!
"