The Mystery of the Zorse's Mask

by Linda Joy Singleton

  “Now where did I put it?” Becca says, rubbing her head. “I remember that day Zed came here so well … Mom calling out for me to help … Zed all filthy and scared. But when he looked into my eyes, there was this connection and …” Her voice catches.

  “The fly mask,” I remind her gently.

  She bites her lip hard. “It should be here … but where?”

  Leo closes the door behind us. “Becca, what do you remember about the last time you saw the fly mask?”

  “It was stuck to Zed’s face with blood and dirt, so I had to cut it off. Zed trusted me right away. He nuzzled my hand.” She stops. “Anyway, when I washed the fly mask, I was surprised that it was trimmed in jewels. Not real, of course. Fake stones like dollar-store jewelry.” Becca chuckles but it comes out more like a sob.

  I squeeze her hand. “Then what happened to the mask?” I ask.

  “Even filthy and torn, it looked expensive, so I asked Mom what to do with it.”

  “And she told you to …” Leo prompts.

  “Put it in a box—over there.” She points to a corner stacked with boxes.

  “Let’s start looking,” Leo says cheerfully.

  There are three shoe boxes, a midsize box, and two large ones. Becca can’t remember the size of the box, so we each search a different box. I grab the smaller boxes, but one is full of napkins and the other is empty except for a bent horseshoe.

  Leo groans when he opens the midsize box.

  “What’d you find, Leo?” I ask, peering up from where I’m kneeling on the floor.

  “Toilet paper. Rolls and rolls of it.”

  “Animal leashes and collars in this one,” Becca says as she peers into the largest box. “Nothing for horses except this blue halter. No fly masks.”

  We search the rest of the room, from beneath the sink to cabinets and shelves.

  “Eureka!” Leo shouts.

  Becca and I spin around.

  “Look what I found on the floor!” Leo holds out a tear-shaped blue stone the size of a quarter.

  “I remember that jewel!” Becca jumps up excitedly. “It was the center stone in the fly mask. The other gems were smaller, purple and black.”

  “Even dirty it still shines,” I marvel.

  “Like a sapphire.” Becca takes the jewel from Leo, cupping it in her palm. “What if it’s a real sapphire?”

  “No,” Leo replies. “According to my calculations of its size, density, and coloring, this jewel is 100 percent fake. If you look closely, you can see where the blue color has flaked off. It isn’t worth much.”

  “Except to Caleb’s grandmother,” I say.

  Becca snaps her fingers. “I just remembered the box I put the fly mask in! It was large, cardboard, with red writing on the side.”

  “What did the writing say?” Leo asks.

  “Something starting with a D. Or was it B?” Becca shakes her head. “None of these boxes look right. I’ll have to ask Mom.”

  We find Becca’s mom leaning against the horse trailer, talking to Caleb. She tosses back her dark curls and is laughing at something he said.

  Caleb turns to Becca hopefully. “Did you find it?”

  “No, but we found this.” Becca holds up the blue stone.

  Caleb’s eyes light up as he reaches for the jewel. “It’s from the mask!”

  “Looks like a real sapphire,” Becca says.

  “Sure does.” He holds up the stone so it catches the sunlight. “Nice shine for a fake.”

  Leo turns to Becca. “I told you it wasn’t real.”

  “It’s a real good imitation.” Caleb pockets the stone, then looks questioningly at Becca. “So where’s the fly mask?”

  “I wish I knew.” Becca holds out her arms in defeat.

  “We searched the building,” Leo adds. “But it wasn’t there.”

  Becca’s mother steps forward. “Did you search the cabinets?”

  “Everywhere,” Becca insists. “But I know I put it in a box. It was large, white, and in the corner by the sink. It had red writing, beginning with D.”

  “Oh no! Not that box!” Mrs. Morales gasps. “D is for donation.”

  “What do you mean?” Caleb asks, frowning.

  “That box held items to donate to the Wear-Ever Thrift Store. But I dropped it off last month.” Mrs. Morales wrings her hands. “The fly mask is gone.”

  Chapter 6

  A Plan

  “I’m so sorry,” Mrs. Morales says sadly. “I hope your grandmother isn’t too disappointed.”

  “She won’t be because I’m not leaving town without the mask,” Caleb says with a determined press of his lips. “If it’s still at that store, I’ll find it. What’s the address?”

  “Corner of Main and Pleasant in downtown Sun Flower,” she says.

  I can’t help but smile because locals call the three streets of businesses “downtown.” Sun Flower is more a sprawling suburb with miles of houses than a “town.” But people like to make the few businesses we have sound important.

  Caleb clicks on his phone, and I read over his shoulder. The tiny screen flashes Wear-Ever Thrift with a map, business hours, and a phone number.

  When Caleb groans, I know he’s noticed the business hours.

  Weekdays: 8–4. Saturday: 9–4. Closed Sunday.

  It’s 5:14 p.m. on Saturday.

  Caleb shoves the phone into his back pocket and mutters a word I’d get grounded for saying. “I reckon it’ll have to wait,” he says.

  “The fly mask has probably been sold by now, but I’ll check the store Monday morning,” Mrs. Morales offers. “If I find it, I’ll mail it to you.”

  “Mighty kind of you, but I’d best find it myself.” Caleb pauses a moment, rubbing the stubble on his chin. “The mask means a lot to Grandma Ellie because it was the last gift Grandpa ever gave to her. I have a buddy who lives close by. I can bunk with him for a few nights.” He looks into Mrs. Morales’s face. “Would it be all right if the zorse stays until Monday?”

  When Mrs. Morales says, “Of course, Zed can stay,” Becca’s face lights up in a smile bright enough to light every city in the world.

  And I smile too.

  A lot can happen in two days.

  While the adults go into the house to talk, Becca turns to Leo and me with excited, dark eyes. “Meet me at the Skunk Shack,” she whispers. “I’ll join you there after I take Zed to the pasture.”

  “Aren’t you staying with Zed?” I’m surprised because I thought Becca would spend every minute of her last days with Zed (probably even sneaking him into her room at night).

  “I want to but we need to have an urgent CCSC meeting,” she says. “Meet you at the shack soon.”

  I hop onto my bike and Leo clicks his remote to power up his gyro-board. The path up the hill is steep and I’m puffing hard by the time I reach the top. Leo, zooming on robotic wheels, isn’t even sweating.

  When we walk into the Skunk Shack, two kittens scamper toward us.

  “Did you miss me, Honey?” I pick up my sweet, orange fur baby.

  Leo’s kitten now lives at his house, so he scoops up Becca’s black-and-white kitty, Chris (named after her fashion idol Christian Dior). The kittens meow like they’re hungry, although Becca fed them before Caleb Hunter arrived.

  “What do you think Becca wants to talk about?” I ask Leo as I dangle a string. Honey swats it with her paw.

  “I don’t know,” Leo says as he tickles Chris under the chin.

  “She said it was urgent.” A scary thought hits me. “Do you think she’s planning to run away with Zed?”

  “She’s too smart for that,” Leo says.

  “But she’s desperate to keep him. What if she asks us to help her hide Zed like we’re doing with the kittens?”

  “We can’t hide a zorse in here,” Leo says with a gesture around the small shack. “Zed is large, energetic, and noisy.”

  “That’s for sure,” I agree. “He’d end up kicking out walls and smashing the window.
And if Becca’s mom organized a search party, they’d look here and find not just Zed but our kittens too.”

  “That would be very bad.” Leo glances down at the kitten in his arms.

  “Our secret clubhouse wouldn’t be secret anymore,” I add, thinking how much I love being part of the CCSC and meeting in our clubhouse. I don’t want it to ever end.

  But it may end for me—if my family has to move away.

  I still need to get ideas from my friends about finding a job for Dad. But that will have to wait till later.

  Kneeling down on the wood floor, I wiggle the string for Honey to chase. Chris jumps out of Leo’s arm to paw the string too. Leo goes over to the grandfather clock, metal pinging as he sorts through a pile of parts. I keep on playing with the kittens. They get distracted by a bug creeping up the wall. Honey pounces on the bug but misses. Chris jumps higher, but the bug crawls out of reach, and Chris somersaults to the floor, landing gracefully on his paws.

  “They’re so cute,” I say, laughing as I gesture for Leo to watch the kittens.

  “They’ll never catch that bug. It’s much too high and—” He stops, staring at me. “Why are you wearing Becca’s necklace?”

  I reach up to touch my Sparkler necklace. I had hoped Leo wouldn’t notice. I’ve been hiding it underneath my shirt, so he doesn’t feel left out. Drats.

  “Um … it’s mine,” I say.

  He leans closer to study the necklace. “Did Becca give it to you?”

  “No. It’s from the Sparklers. They all wear these necklaces.” He looks even more confused so I blurt out, “Didn’t you see me sitting with them at lunch?”

  “No.”

  “I thought someone observant like you would have noticed.”

  “I’m observant when it matters. I shut out distractions during lunch to concentrate on calculations on my tablet. I’m working on a microsized drone that will be an efficient surveillance tool.”

  I might as well be talking to a drone. “The Sparklers invited me into their group temporarily, so I can help them plan a fund-raiser,” I tell him. “And they gave me this sparkly necklace.”

  “The stones are artificial gems made of paste, glass, or gem quarts that are cut into facets to make them sparkle,” he says while studying me like I’m a test subject for an experiment he can’t figure out. I can almost see gears churning in his head. Are they processing anger, envy, or hurt?

  Me, I’m processing guilt. If I found out Becca and Leo were in a group without me, I’d feel left out. I should have sat with Leo at lunch. I wanted to … but I wanted to sit with the Sparklers more. Now I have new friends, and Leo’s more alone than ever.

  “I’ll only hang with the Sparklers for a few weeks, and Becca and I won’t tell them anything about the CCSC,” I assure him. “Becca and I will still meet here after school, take care of the kittens, and go biking to look for lost animals. So don’t feel bad.”

  “Why would I?” He shrugs. “You’re stuck with those glitter-brains. I feel sorry for you.”

  “You’re sorry for me?” I glare at him.

  “Yes.” He turns his attention back to the broken clock.

  Unbelievable! Leo so doesn’t get it. I rub my fingers over the crescent-moon necklace. It’s an honor to be an honorary Sparkler. The best part was when Becca told the other girls that I was interesting and smart. It’ll be fun to be almost popular for a few weeks. And the best part will be sharing the Sparklers with Becca.

  The crunch of footsteps outside jerks me to alertness. The door bursts open and frightened kittens scatter. Becca rushes into the room, out of breath like she ran all the way up the hill.

  “Wait till you hear my plan!” she exclaims, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder.

  Leo stands stiffly. “Is this an official CCSC meeting?”

  “It can be if you want it to.” Becca picks up her kitten and pulls out her chair at the table.

  “Then we need to sit at the table and call the meeting to order,” Leo says.

  It’s easier to go along with Leo than argue, so Becca and I sit with him at the table. We grab drinks from the cooler and some chips, then wait for Leo to talk.

  “The CCSC meeting is called to order,” he says with his chin held high and papers in his hand. “Is there any old business to discuss?”

  “No,” Becca says impatiently. “Skip ahead to the new business.”

  “Clubs run on rules,” he goes on. “Following Robert’s Rules of Order maintains fairness and democracy.”

  “Says the dictator,” I whisper to Becca.

  “I heard that but I choose to ignore it.” Leo picks up his papers. “I’ll begin with the treasurer’s report.”

  Becca groans. “Can we skip that so I can tell you my plan?”

  “With cat food, litter, and other expenses, our treasury has twenty-four dollars and twenty-seven cents,” Leo goes on. “I can show you the exact figures and expenditures.”

  “Not now,” I say. “I want to hear Becca.”

  Leo gives me a stern look. “Impatience is a waste of time.”

  “You’re the one wasting time,” I argue. “We can do boring club business later.”

  “Finances are not boring,” he says. “They are fun.”

  “Only to you,” I say, then turn to Becca. “So what’s going on? Is this about Zed?”

  “No, his fly mask.” Becca pauses to eat a chip. “I’ve been on the phone with Sophia’s cousin Devin.”

  “Who?” Leo asks.

  “Sophia is from the Sparklers and her cousin Devin is the assistant manager for the Wear-Ever Thrift Store,” Becca explains. “I’ve only met Devin a few times, but I’d heard he likes my friend Christin’s older sister, Amanda. I promised to hook him up with Amanda, which is easy because she already likes him but is too shy to tell him.”

  “Huh?” Leo looks confused, but I totally get it. Becca is so genuine and friendly that people open up to her.

  “I have a plan to help Zed.” Becca pauses then adds sadly, “I know Zed has to leave and I’m glad the grandmother will be with him again. But she’s old. What will happen when she’s gone? I heard Caleb tell Mom he’s joining the rodeo circuit, which means lots of traveling, and he’ll ride a horse, not a zorse. How can Caleb take care of Zed when he’s traveling?”

  “Caleb mentioned a sister,” Leo says. “She’ll probably keep Zed.”

  “But what if she doesn’t?” Becca waves her hands dramatically. “Zed deserves to be with the person who loves him best. And that would be me.”

  I hate to burst her happy bubble. Still.…

  “Becca, be realistic.” I gently put my hand on hers. “Once Zed is gone, your mother won’t let him come back. She won’t even let you keep a small kitten.”

  “Only because I haven’t told her about Chris,” Becca argues, petting the ball of black-and-white fur curled on her lap. “If I ask her now, she’ll say we have too many animals. So I’ll ask after the humane society fund-raiser when most of our foster animals will be adopted. Mom won’t have an excuse to say no to a cat or a zorse.”

  Leo shakes his head. “Caleb won’t give you a valuable zorse for free.”

  “He might if he’s grateful because I did something huge for him,” Becca says with a confident smile. “Then when his grandma can’t take care of Zed anymore, Caleb will bring him back to me.”

  “And why would he do that?” Leo asks skeptically.

  “Because I’m going to find the jeweled fly mask for him tonight.” She grins at us. “And you’re going to help me.”

  Chapter 7

  Sunflower Mary

  I left the Skunk Shack hours ago, but I haven’t been able to think of anything except Becca’s fly mask plan.

  I’m not sure whether to be excited or scared. I’ve longed to go on thrilling missions since I read my first James Bond novel. But I thought I’d have to wait until I was a grown-up or at least a teenager. Instead, tonight I’m searching a closed store.

  I pu
ll my spy pack down from its hiding spot in the back of the high closet shelf. It looks like an ordinary green backpack but is filled with cool stuff. It’s heavy, so I’ll carry only what I need. Last week was my first chance to use it on a for-real stakeout. It was exciting but not scary. But this time we’re not just watching from the outside—we’re going inside.

  In spy novels, detectives break into buildings all the time like it’s no big deal. If they get arrested, they’re quickly released or escape. But I’d freak out if I got arrested. And my parents would ground me forever.

  I’m glad we have permission to go into the building. Unfortunately, the assistant manager, Devin, can’t meet us there since he has tickets to an opera in San Francisco. But he’s leaving us a key.

  “He was rushing out the door when I called,” Becca explained. “He only had time to tell me the alarm code and where to find the key. Oh, and he couldn’t get in touch with his boss, so he said to stay out of sight and don’t turn on the lights.”

  I’ll need a flashlight, I think as I dig into my spy pack for my flash cap. I made it myself by attaching a light on a sports cap. The light may be tiny, but the beam is powerful.

  Should I bring my black knit cap? I ponder. It covers my face and has eyeholes like a mask. But it’s itchy and cuts off my peripheral vision. Since we have permission to go into the store, why hide my identity? So that would be a no.

  What about my lock picks? I jingle the ring of different shaped picks in my hand. They don’t weigh much, but why take them when we’ll have a key? The assistant store manager told Becca he hid the key beneath a decorative stone turtle by the back door. Once we have the key, we will disable the alarm, unlock the door, find the fly mask, reset the alarm, and return the key.

  Our mission is more like shopping than spying.

  So why do I have a bad feeling?

  “Don’t be silly,” I tell myself, then get back to work.

  I sort through my spy pack, taking out things I won’t need, like the small mirror, laser pointer, bottle of graphite powder, plastic rain jacket, and energy bars.