He gave an eager nod. “Sure. It means tendency. Penchant. Aptitude. Bent. I could go on if you want.”
“No. I’m good.” She grinned. “Thanks. I have a feeling we’ll learn a lot with you around.” But Kate stuffed down disappointment. She’d thought they might get some actual help from this kid about his brother, but stealing a piece of candy and a girlfriend? “Maybe we’re wrong. Just because Jerry noticed the box doesn’t mean he took it. Thanks for trying, Jake.”
He held up his hand and blinked behind his thick lenses. “Let’s not be hasty, people. We must investigate every suspect, no matter how slim the chance he absconded with the goods. It’s time to set up a sting, a ruse, a trap for my big brother that he can’t resist.”
“Great!” Colt pumped his fist in the air. “Now you’re talking, Jake. What do you have in mind?”
“Not a thing. I simply came up with the brilliant idea to set a trap, and it’s up to you to implement what that might be.”
Melissa groaned. “This is going nowhere.”
Tori nodded. “We already tried to trap the thief, Jake. We put out word that we had more money in the office, hoping to lure him back here. No one showed up. So that won’t work if it’s Jerry.”
“All right.” He crossed his arms over his bony chest. “Then we’ll take the war to him.”
Chapter Fifteen
The following morning, Kate and her four friends stood outside Jake’s house and looked at the upstairs window.
Kate sucked in a long breath. “You sure this will work, Jake? Do you think Jerry’s going to leave?”
Jake gave an emphatic nod. “Affirmative. He’s not going to let his girlfriend hang if he thinks she needs help.” He winked. “Not if he doesn’t want one of the other college jocks moving in on his territory.”
Colt motioned Jake toward the front door. “All right, then, let’s do this. Remember, we have to be quick. We don’t know how much time Jake can buy us.”
“Right.” Kate followed Jake up the sidewalk, with Tori and Melissa on either side. “And you’re sure your parents aren’t home?”
“Positive. Mom is shopping in Portland, and Dad is at work. It’s Saturday, but he’s working overtime. He gave me permission to ride my bike to your house, but Jerry is supposed to be watching me.” He wrinkled his nose. “Good grief. I’m older and as smart as Kevin in Home Alone, and I don’t need anybody babysitting me—especially somebody irresponsible like Jerry.”
He pushed the door and stepped inside, holding it open for the rest of them to enter, then closed it. Walking to the base of the staircase, he hollered, “Hey, Jerry. You need to come down here.”
Silence.
“Jerry! I have a message for you.”
Nothing.
Tori looked at Kate and Melissa, and Kate shrugged. “Maybe he isn’t home. He could have left after you did, Jake.”
“Negatory. Of course, Lisa’s house is only three blocks away, so he could have gone over there, but Dad told him he had to stay home and get his messy room picked up or else. Jerry didn’t like it. He thinks he’s a big man now that he’s in college, but Dad told him to clean it up or move out, vamoose, depart. Dad’s sick of not being able to open the door if he needs to go in there. If Jerry doesn’t finish before Dad gets home, he’s dead meat.”
Jake stopped beside a mahogany table with a mirror placed above it and scooped up a set of car keys. “We can’t have him driving to Lisa’s. He’d get back here too fast. Colt, will you keep these in case he tries to search me? I wouldn’t put it past him. We’ll return them after he leaves.”
Colt pocketed the keys. “So now what? Go up and get him?”
Jake grinned. “This never fails. Hey, Jerry! Message from Lisa!”
Feet thudded on the floor above, and a door opened and slammed shut. Jerry charged down the stairs and stopped halfway, staring at Jake. “What’s up, shrimp? And who are your friends?” He glanced at Colt for an instant. Then his gaze slid over Tori and Kate and lingered on Melissa. “I haven’t seen you around.”
She smirked at him. “That’s because I’m in middle school, and you’re in college.”
His face reddened. “Oh.” He pivoted toward Jake. “What were you yelling about Lisa? I didn’t hear the phone ring.”
“You never hear anything with your music on and your door closed,” Jake countered. “It’s a good thing I came in when I did. She wants you over at her house pronto. She has something she needs to move, and she asked if I could come too.”
Jerry eyed him. “You? That’s weird. You don’t have a single muscle in your entire body.” He bolted down the rest of the stairs and stopped in front of the hall table. “I left my car keys here. They’re gone.”
Jake crossed his arms. “Man, you’re worse than the character on—”
Jerry cuffed Jake on the back of his head. “Snap out of it, shrimp. No one wants to hear your movie analogies. Just give me my keys.”
“I don’t have them.” Jake rubbed his head. “You’re worse than Gibbs on NCIS when it comes to slapping heads. Find your own keys. Better yet, keep making your girlfriend wait. Walk the whole three blocks.” He jerked open the door. “And I’ll beat you there and tell her you hit me.”
He bolted down the front steps, with Jerry on his heels, bellowing the entire way. “Go home, Jake. I can get there by myself, and I don’t want you helping Lisa with anything.”
Tori peered out the open door. “Do you think Jake will be okay? Yikes. It looks like Jerry sent him back, but he’s moving slow.”
Colt grinned. “That little kid is smart. He just bought us the time we need. Besides, I’m not crazy about snooping in Jerry’s room and having his parents return without Jake here. Now let’s get going before Jerry gets back.” He raced up the stairs, with the girls following.
As soon as they reached the upper hallway, they stopped and stared. Kate turned in a slow circle. “Did Jake happen to mention which room is Jerry’s? I don’t want to barge into their parents’ room.”
Colt nodded. “Jake said his is the first door on the right; then the bathroom. Jerry’s is across on the left. Their parents’ room is in the other direction.” He moved forward, then stopped in front of the door on the left. “Remember, anything you move, put back where you found it, and don’t touch anything that’s too small to hide the box.” He turned the knob and swung open the door. “If we find the box and it’s empty, then we’ll have to look for the cash.”
Kate peered around him. “What a disaster!” If only she had Mom’s latex gloves that she used to clean the bathroom. And maybe a dust mask. Ugh. She moved into the room slowly, taking in the chaos. Blankets were on the floor, old food sat on the nightstand, discarded clothing littered most surfaces, and an unpleasant odor permeated the room. She held her nose and breathed through her mouth. “No wonder his dad said he had to clean his room. This is disgusting.”
Melissa tiptoed over a rotted apple core not far from the bed. “Gross. I don’t even know where to start.”
Tori stood inside the door and stared around the room. “I don’t think it matters if we move anything. I can’t imagine Jerry would notice. But whatever we do, we’d better get busy before he gets here.”
Kate navigated her way to the window. “I’m going to open this for now. Maybe it’ll make it more bearable while we look.” She grabbed the frame and pushed it up as far as it would go, then took a big gulp of air. “Much better.” She leaned out and waved. “Hey, Jake. You on the lookout for us?”
“Yeah. I’ll whistle if I see Jerry, and I’ll try to stall him. But you’d better hurry. He might figure out I sent him on a wild-goose chase and come running.”
They spent the next few minutes carefully opening drawers, looking in the closet, and picking up dirty clothes tossed over objects on the dresser and floor. Colt even stooped to peer under the bed but quickl
y jumped to his feet. “I won’t even tell you what’s under there. Ugh.”
After ten minutes of searching, Tori dusted her hands against her jeans. “I haven’t seen anything close to your mom’s box, Kate. How about the rest of you?”
Melissa shook her head. “Nothing. And I feel like I need a hot shower. This room is so gross.”
Kate plucked another dirty shirt off the floor from behind the closet door, then dropped it where she found it. “What do you think? Have we looked enough, or do we keep searching?”
Colt pressed his lips together. “Jake thought his brother might have the box, but I’m starting to feel kinda stupid for coming. The only place we didn’t search is the closet. I know if I was going to hide something important, I’d put it under my bed or as far into the closet as I could—either on the floor where it’s dark or on the shelf behind something else.”
Melissa sighed. “So do you want to tackle it, Colt? Kate and I had our share of dark, dirty places when we went up in Mrs. Maynard’s attic. I’m willing to let you take this one.”
Tori bit her lip. “I suppose I could help.” She turned beseeching eyes on Colt. “If you need me, that is?”
“Naw. I think I can swing it.” He stepped over to the large closet that wasn’t quite a walk-in and pushed all the hangers with clothes to one side. Bending over, he peered into the corner, then repeated the action on the other side. “That only leaves the top shelf.”
Kate grabbed the wooden chair in front of the desk and dragged it to him. “This might make it easier.”
He climbed up on the chair and reached as far as he could to one side, moving a box out of the way.
All of a sudden, Jake’s whistle penetrated the room, and Kate whirled toward the open window. “Oh no! Is Jerry back?” She slid across to the side of the window and peeked out. Jake stood between Jerry and the front door, waving his hands in his brother’s face.
Chapter Sixteen
Kate ran to the chair where Colt balanced as he struggled to return a bag to the closet shelf. She tugged on his shirttail. “You’ve got to hurry, or we’re going to get caught.” She glanced at the window and groaned. “Should I try to shut the window with them out there? Jake’s doing his best to keep Jerry outside.”
Jerry’s shout echoed through the room. “Get out of my way, shrimp! I got to Lisa’s, and she said she never spoke to you. What are you trying to pull?”
Jake’s high-pitched reply reached Kate and her friends clearly. “Just give me a minute to explain, okay? Why are you in such a rush to go in and clean your room? It’s not like you ever cared before now.”
“And why do you want to keep me out here, huh? What happened to your nerdy little friends? Did you send them home, or are they casing the joint and robbing us blind?”
Colt moved the final item on the far right side of the closet shelf and looked behind it, then grunted. He jumped off the chair and returned it to the desk. “Slide the window shut fast, Melissa. There’s not a thing here. We’d better get out of here pronto.”
Tori was shaking, and Melissa slid the window closed, then crossed to the open door. She teetered on her toes. “Come on, come on!” She whispered the words and waved her hand. “Move it! I heard them come through the front door.”
They tiptoed to the door and into the hall. Melissa looked both ways, then dashed for the room Jake had said was the bathroom, slipping inside as heavy feet thudded up the stairs.
Tori stared at the closing door, her lips parted. “What’s she doing? Leaving us to take the rap alone?”
Colt softly pulled Jerry’s bedroom door shut and took a step toward the stairway, right as Jerry burst into sight on the landing, with Jake on his heels.
Jerry balled his fists and raised them. “Busted! I caught you all in the act.”
Jake slipped around his older brother and stood by Colt. “What are you talking about, Jerry? They’re just standing here minding their own business.”
Jerry laughed, and it wasn’t pleasant. “Right. The cops aren’t gonna believe that when I tell them they’ve been in our house alone, and I found them upstairs snooping.”
Jake looked at Kate and barely raised his brows. She gave a slight shake of her head.
Jerry stared from one to the other. “Hey, what gives? Jake, is this your girlfriend? You trying to sneak her upstairs?”
Jake rolled his eyes. “Whatever. I told them they could wait for me in the house until I got back. And if you remember, you told me to go home, so I’ve been here the whole time. Quit making a humongous deal out of everything.”
Jerry planted his fists at his waist. “You and your stupid words. I find your friends upstairs where they don’t belong, and you hanging around outside like you were watching for me. That’s the big deal.”
The bathroom door opened, and Melissa stepped out, tossing her head. She stopped as though startled, then smiled at Jerry. “You’re back! How nice. I’m so sorry I took so long in the bathroom and made everyone else wait. Tori, it’s your turn next, right?”
Tori nodded, then dashed into the room and shut the door behind her with a click.
Jerry looked from one to the other. “You telling me you’re up here to use the can? What’s wrong with the one downstairs?”
Colt leaned his shoulder against the wall. “Jake told us the bathroom was upstairs right next to his room, and we could wait in his room if we wanted to. So we all came up, then I guess we needed to use it at the same time. We’ll hurry if you want it next, Jerry.” He straightened and raised his hand to rap on the door.
Jerry stepped toward his room and glowered. “Forget it. I didn’t say anything about needing the can. Jake, you and your little clown friends better hurry up and get outta here. They’ve overstayed their welcome, if you ask me.” He opened his door, went inside, then slammed it behind him, making the walls shake.
Jake jumped, then motioned toward the bathroom. “Kate, tell Tori to come out,” he whispered.
Kate gave a gentle tap on the door, and Tori cracked it open. “Is it safe?”
“Yes. Let’s get out of here.” Kate headed for the steps behind Colt and Jake, with Tori and Melissa following. That had been too close, and they hadn’t even found the box. But at least they hadn’t ended up in jail or been tossed to the bottom of the stairwell by Jerry.
They trooped to the first level, then out the front door. Jake led them for a full block before he stopped and turned. “So you didn’t find the object of our search? Did you turn over every stone and look in every crack and crevice?”
Melissa sighed. “We picked up every piece of dirty clothes and rotted food and dirty plates, if that’s what you mean. Sorry, Jake. If your brother is guilty of taking the box, it’s not in his room. Colt even poked into the back corners of the closet and under the bed.”
Colt nodded. “Yeah. Not fun, let me tell you. Does that guy ever do laundry or take a bath? Man, that room is gross, and I thought mine was bad. Jerry’s makes mine look like a neat freak lives there.”
Jake laughed and shoved his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “He cleans up pretty good when he has a date. Now you can see why my dad told him to clean his room or hasta la vista, adios, farewell, he’s outta here! My parents are sick of the stench.”
They walked along the road toward Kate’s house, and Jake kicked a large rock out of the way, then winced and hopped on one foot. “So what’s next, huh? Do we go all James Bond again on the next suspect? Not that I’ve seen those Bond films, but I’ve seen every Spy Kids movie, and I’ve got a lot of great ideas we could use.”
Tori held up her hand. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I think we’ve done enough snooping for the day. Maybe we need to find places to hide stuff around the barn and on the property, then walk the trail again and make notes on other good hiding spots.”
Melissa grabbed a handful of leaves as s
he walked under a low-hanging branch. “I agree with Tori. Kate’s mom put ads all over the place about her box. Maybe the person who took it will bring it back.”
“Doubtful,” said Jake. “Now if we only lived back in pirate days, we could make Jerry walk the plank, like in Pirates of the Caribbean. I’ll bet we could even get a confession out of him!” He rubbed his hands together and chuckled.
Colt sighed. “Problem is, we don’t have a suspect we can make walk the plank. Right now we’re no better off than when we started. I agree with Tori. Let’s go to the barn and do some figuring. You need to get Mouse anyway, Jake. Want to help us?”
“Unequivocally. Unmistakably. Absolutely.” He nodded. “We could use Mouse to scout the area and make sure the coast is clear before we go in to reconnoiter.”
Kate sighed but managed a smile. “I think he needs a little more training before that happens, Jake. But nice idea.” She turned into their driveway and headed to the barn. “At least we’re home, and there won’t be any more surprises or rude people yelling at us.”
Thirty minutes later Jake picked up a rock that was holding down the corner of a tarp covering some straw. He waved a folded paper in the air. “Hey, guys. I didn’t know you’d already started hiding clues.”
The four of them rushed over to the boy, and Kate leaned over. “We haven’t hidden anything yet, and we won’t hide clues. We’ll hide stuff they have to bring back. I was the last one to take straw out from under this tarp yesterday, and I know there wasn’t anything there when I covered it.” She picked up the folded paper. “Anyone know anything about this?”
“Nope.” An echo of replies sounded around the group.
Melissa stared at Kate. “You going to just stand there or open it? It’s not like it blew under that rock. Someone had to put it there.”
“True.” Kate unfolded the paper and let her gaze run over it; then she gasped.
“What?” A chorus of voices hit her.
She gazed at it again, then turned it around so they could see it.
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