by Ronald Roy
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Text copyright © 2014 by Ron Roy
Cover art, map, and interior illustrations copyright © 2014 by John Steven Gurney
All rights reserved. Published in the United States by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House LLC, a Penguin Random House Company, New York.
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Roy, Ron.
New Year’s Eve thieves / by Ron Roy; illustrated by John Steven Gurney.
p. cm. — (Calendar mysteries; 13)
“A Stepping Stone book.”
Summary: While investigating a mystery on New Year’s Eve, four friends encounter a big surprise.
ISBN 978-0-385-37171-1 (trade) — ISBN 978-0-385-37172-8 (lib. bdg.) — ISBN 978-0-385-37173-5 (ebook)
[1. Mystery and detective stories. 2. New Year—Fiction.] I. Gurney, John Steven, illustrator. II. Title.
PZ7.R8139 Nf 2014 [Fic]—dc23 2014000877
This book has been officially leveled by using the F&P Text Level Gradient™ Leveling System.
Random House Children’s Books supports the First Amendment and celebrates the right to read.
v3.1
This book is dedicated to the Perenick boys.
—R.R.
To Fiorella
—J.S.G.
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Map
1. The Face at the Window
2. The Limping Man
3. The Secret Code
4. Who Are the Grontses?
5. Sneaking Up on the Thieves
6. A Light in the Barn
7. The Giant Pink Box
“It’s your turn, Nate,” Bradley said.
Bradley, Brian, and Lucy were at Nate’s house, sitting on the floor around his Monopoly board.
Nate was petting his new puppy, Socks. “I know it is,” he said as he reached for the dice. Suddenly Socks snatched a pile of play money and raced across the room.
Nate chased the puppy and trapped him behind a chair.
“Socks, give me the money!” Nate said in a stern voice.
Socks dropped the money and licked Nate’s hand.
Nate grabbed the money. “Thank you, Socks,” he said. “Good dog.”
“Socks wants a toy,” Lucy said. “Puppies need stuff to chew on.”
“He chews my shoes all the time,” Nate said. “And my mittens and my hat.”
“But that’s why he should have a toy,” Bradley said. “You should get him something of his own to play with.”
“Yeah, let’s go buy him a toy,” Brian added. “Mrs. Wong has lots of pet stuff in her shop.”
The kids grabbed their jackets and headed out the front door.
“Be a good boy, Socks,” Nate told his puppy. “And don’t eat the money!” Socks flopped on the floor and wagged his tail.
The kids walked toward Main Street. Snow covered the ground and the tree branches. People on the street smiled at each other and said, “Happy New Year!” The big clock over the bank read 3:00 P.M. DECEMBER 31.
“The party at our house is at six o’clock,” Bradley reminded the others. “But my mom wants us there before it gets dark. After we buy Socks his toy, we’ll have time to go back to Nate’s and finish the game.”
When the kids walked into Furry Feet Pet Shop, Mrs. Wong was feeding the goldfish. “Hi, kids,” she said. “How was your Christmas?”
“Mine was great!” Nate said. “I got a puppy from my sister.”
Mrs. Wong smiled. “I know,” she said. “Ruth Rose and I loved keeping it a big secret from you.”
“How was your vacation in Florida?” Bradley asked.
“Most of it was wonderful,” Mrs. Wong said. “But I dropped my cell phone into the ocean! It sank right to the bottom. And while I was away, my house got burglarized! A thief came in and stole my laptop computer!”
“Oh my goodness!” Lucy said. “Did you call the police?”
“Yes, and Officer Fallon came right to my house,” Mrs. Wong said. “The only thing missing was the laptop. We don’t know how the thief got in, because none of the doors or windows had been broken.”
“I hope they catch whoever did it,” Brian said.
“Me too,” Mrs. Wong said. “I miss e-mail!”
Nate looked at the shelves of pet supplies. “I need a new toy for my puppy, Socks,” he said.
“Lots of choices,” Mrs. Wong said. “Does Socks want something soft and furry, or something rubbery that squeaks?”
Nate laughed. “He wants both!” he said.
Mrs. Wong showed Nate a purple rubber figure shaped like a big peanut. It had fuzzy green hair. “Then he should love this,” she said. “He’s called Mr. Purple.” She squeezed Mr. Purple’s belly, and it squeaked.
Mrs. Wong held the figure under Nate’s nose. “Take a sniff,” she said.
“It smells just like peanut butter!” Nate said.
“Yup. Dogs love peanut butter,” Mrs. Wong told him.
“Perfect,” Nate said. “How much is it?”
Mrs. Wong smiled. “Free. It’s my Christmas gift to Socks,” she said. She slipped the toy into a bag and handed it to Nate.
“Thank you!” Nate said. “I’ll bring Socks over so he can thank you, too!”
The kids left the shop. It had started to snow, and the flakes landed on their hats and noses.
“We have a thief in Green Lawn!” Brian said. “I wonder if he’s robbed anybody else.”
Nate glanced around. “Look for someone with sneaky eyes,” he said in a low voice as they walked back to his house. “He could be anywhere!”
Bradley laughed at Nate. “Your eyes look sneaky,” he said. “Especially when you’re trying to cheat at Monopoly!”
Nate threw some snow at Bradley, and the kids ran all the way back to Woody Street.
When Nate opened his front door, Socks was chewing on a comic book.
“No, Socks. Bad dog!” Nate cried. He took the comic book away and pulled Mr. Purple out of the bag. “Look what I got for you!”
Socks grabbed the toy and raced toward the kitchen.
“How’s your comic book?” Lucy asked Nate.
“One page is ripped,” he said. “But I can fix it with some tape.” He walked to the desk near the window. After he found the tape, he looked out the window at the thermometer on the front porch. “Guys, it’s down to thirty-seven degrees!” he yelled.
Their parents had told the kids they could sleep in the Pintos’ barn in their sleeping bags after the party. “But only if the temperature doesn’t go below freezing,” they had added.
“I bet we can’t sleep in the barn tonight,” Brian said.
“But I love sleeping in your barn,” Nate told Bradley and Brian. “Smelling the hay makes me think I’m a cowboy.”
“And I like hearing our pony, Polly, snore,” Bradley said.
“Best of all is the pigeons in the loft,” Brian said. “They make these cool noises all night.” He flapped his arms and said, “Coo, coo, COOOO!”
Bradley and Nate laughed.
“Well, if it’s too cold to sleep i
n the barn, at least maybe we’ll be allowed to stay up till midnight!” Brian added.
Lucy didn’t say anything. She looked sad.
“What’s the matter, Lucy?” Bradley asked. “Don’t you want to have a party and a sleepover?”
Lucy sighed. “Sure, but my parents are going to miss my birthday,” she said.
Lucy’s parents were in Arizona helping to build a new school for Native American kids. They had been there for a year while Lucy stayed in Green Lawn with her cousin Dink and his parents.
“When is your birthday?” Bradley asked.
“January first,” Lucy said.
“Cool!” Brian said. “That’s tomorrow!”
Suddenly they all heard a noise outside. They looked up.
A face wearing a dark ski mask was staring through the window.
Nate screamed and Socks came running. He barked at the face in the window.
“It’s the laptop thief!” Brian yelled.
The scary face disappeared.
The kids ran to the window. They saw two guys running across Dink’s yard next door. The runners disappeared behind the house.
“Did they have sneaky eyes?” Brian asked Nate.
“I couldn’t tell,” Nate said. “I only saw one face, and it was wearing a ski mask!”
“But why were they peeking in here?” Lucy asked.
“Maybe this house is their next burglary!” Brian said. “They were checking to see if anyone was home, and Nate’s scream chased them away.”
“Look, there they are again!” Brian said.
The kids watched the two strangers creep around the side of Dink’s house.
One of the men was limping. He wore a cowboy hat, partly covering a long ponytail. The lower half of his face was hidden by a red bandana. A backpack hung from one shoulder.
The other stranger wore a ski mask. It had holes for his eyes and mouth.
Now the strangers were standing on the Duncans’ snowy sidewalk. Then they walked up onto Dink’s porch and peered through the window. The one in the ski mask said something to the one in the cowboy hat. The kids could see the men’s breath as they talked.
“We should call your aunt and uncle,” Brian said to Lucy. “Those guys are going to rob Dink’s house!”
“Dink’s parents aren’t home,” Lucy said. “They’re at your house with your parents, getting ready for the party tonight. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose are there, too.”
“Burglars always break in while people aren’t home,” Nate whispered. “Like at Mrs. Wong’s house.”
“Maybe we should tell Officer Fallon,” Brian said.
“But we don’t know if those are the guys who took her laptop,” Lucy said. “They could just be tourists who got lost.”
Nate laughed. “Tourists don’t come to Green Lawn,” he said. “There’s nothing here for them to see! Besides, tourists don’t put on masks and peek in people’s windows.”
The strangers started walking away. They left big footprints in the snow.
Bradley grabbed all their coats. “Come on. Let’s follow them!” he said.
The four kids hurried out the door. The sun was behind the trees. It would be dark soon.
They stayed well behind the strangers. Up ahead, the two men were leaning together, talking. The one with the limp was tall. The other one was short. Their breath made little clouds. They walked down Woody Street, then Silver Circle, then passed Green Lawn Elementary School.
“Where do you think they’re going?” Lucy whispered.
“They’re headed down Main Street,” Nate said. “Maybe they’re planning to rob the bank!”
“Or Mrs. Wong’s pet shop!” Brian said. “They already robbed her house!”
The bank and most of the shops were closed on New Year’s Eve.
The two strangers passed the fitness center, then stopped in front of Ellie’s Diner. Her lights were on, and a big sign in her window said OPEN ON NEW YEAR’S EVE.
The four kids hid behind a mailbox and a lamppost.
“They’d better not try to rob her!” Bradley said. “I heard that Ellie knows karate!”
“Maybe they’re just going in for a hot chocolate,” Lucy said.
The guy in the ski mask took a small camera from his pocket. He snapped a picture of Ellie’s, and they both walked inside.
“Uh-oh,” Bradley whispered. “Why do they need a picture of Ellie’s?”
“Crooks like to study a place before they break in,” Nate said. “They’ll probably come back after she’s closed.”
“I’m going in,” Bradley said. “I want to check out these guys up close.”
“But they probably saw your face when they looked through Nate’s window,” Brian said. “If you walk into Ellie’s, they’ll know we’re following them!”
Bradley was wearing a yellow ski hat that had holes for his eyes and mouth. He pulled it down over his face. “They won’t know it’s me,” he said through the mouth hole.
“What are you going to do in there?” Brian asked.
“I’ll just listen,” Bradley said. “Maybe they’ll say something about Mrs. Wong’s laptop.”
Bradley checked for traffic, then scooted across the street. In front of Ellie’s, he peeked through the glass. Or tried to. The glass was foggy, and he couldn’t see a thing.
He made sure his face was covered and walked in. The bell over the door jingled. A silver banner over the counter said HAPPY NEW YEAR!
The two strangers were at the counter. The one in the cowboy hat was handing Ellie some money. They each picked up a take-out cup.
“Enjoy your hot teas!” Ellie told them.
At least they’re not robbing her, Bradley thought.
The men headed for the door, passing Bradley. They didn’t even glance at him. But he looked right at them. The tall one had a tanned face and hands. A tan in the middle of winter!
“Hi, Bradley,” Ellie said. “Or is it Brian? And why is your face covered?”
“It’s Bradley,” he said. “Um, those two guys who were just in here? Did they say anything funny?”
Ellie looked at him. “Who wants to know?” she asked.
“Uh … it’s, like, a bet we’re having,” Bradley said. “About their voices.”
Ellie shook her head. “They just asked for two hot teas to go,” she said. “Oh, and they said Green Lawn has some real nice houses.”
Bradley thanked Ellie and hurried outside. Real nice houses! Thieves always pick nice houses to rob!
The strangers were standing in front of Furry Feet Pet Shop, looking through the window. The one in the ski mask yanked it up to take a sip of his tea. Then he snapped a picture of the shop.
Bradley stared. The guy in the ski mask was wearing lipstick. It was a woman! And her face was tanned, too.
Bradley noticed something else. As the woman had taken the camera from her coat pocket, something had fallen out onto the sidewalk.
The man and woman walked away, crossing Oak Street and heading past the post office.
Bradley ran to pick up what the woman had dropped. It was a piece of green paper, folded in half. When Bradley unfolded it, he saw SHANGRI-LA HOTEL printed in fancy letters at the top.
Below that, someone had printed something. Bradley read it quickly, but it didn’t make any sense.
“It’s like a code,” he muttered to himself. “A secret burglar code!”
Brian, Nate, and Lucy came sprinting across the street.
Bradley told them what Ellie had said and showed them the note. “The woman dropped it,” he said.
“What woman?” his brother asked.
Bradley pointed at the two strangers, who were now passing the post office. “The short one is a woman. I saw her lipstick!”
Nate squinted. “Or it’s a man pretending to be a woman!” he said. “Thieves are so tricky!”
“And they both have tans,” Bradley added.
“I’ll bet it’s makeup!” Nate said. “To fool the poli
ce!”
Brian, Nate, and Lucy huddled around Bradley, peering at the paper.
WLK N 2 G.L.E.S.
E ON WDY 2 D & H
N ON FRM LN 2 P
“This is just a bunch of initials,” Nate said. “It might as well be written in a foreign language!”
Lucy took the note from Bradley. “Do you think they’re staying at the Shangri-la Hotel?” she said.
“I don’t think thieves stay at hotels in the same town where they’re robbing houses,” Nate said. “They just steal stuff, then take off!”
“But if they’re not staying at the hotel, how did they get this Shangri-la Hotel paper?” Brian asked.
“Maybe they stole it!” Bradley said. “Mr. Linkletter keeps some on his desk.”
“What does it mean?” Nate asked.
“It’s like a word puzzle,” Lucy said. “I have a book of these. See, most of the vowels are missing.”
“The D, H, and P are underlined,” Brian said. “But none of the other letters are.”
“It’s a burglar’s code,” Bradley whispered.
“Guys, they’re walking toward the bank!” Brian said. “We have to keep following them!”
Lucy gave the mysterious note back to Bradley, and he slipped it into his pocket.
The four kids followed slowly, keeping the two strangers in sight.
“That tall guy is weird,” Brian said. “Before, his left leg was limping, but now it’s his right leg!”
“Are you sure?” Lucy asked.
Brian tapped his head. “I never forget a limper!” he said.
“Hold it!” Bradley whispered. The kids crouched behind a row of bushes in front of the post office. “They’re stopping at the bank!”
The two strangers put their faces against the bank windows. Then the man in the cowboy hat pulled a notebook and pencil from a pocket in his backpack. He wrote something and put the notebook away.
The woman took a picture of the bank.
“They’re taking more pictures!” Nate said. “We have to do something!”
“Like what?” Lucy asked. “All they’re doing is looking.”
“Yeah, looking in bank windows and writing stuff in a notebook and taking pictures,” Nate said. “That’s what thieves do when they’re making a plan!”