The X'ed-Out X-Ray

by Ron Roy

  Here’s what kids, parents,

  and teachers have to say

  to Ron Roy, author of the

  series:

  “Do you know how much I love your A to Z Mysteries? More than 100 ice cream cones!”

  —Becca S.

  “Your books have changed my reading. Now I love reading.”

  —Bryce.

  “I love your A to Z Mysteries so much that I take them everywhere, like in the car, on the couch, and in my room.”

  —Ryan B.

  “I read your books over and over again.”

  —Nina C.

  “For the first time ever, [my son] is excited about reading. Thank you for creating books that are so enjoyable and for making reading fun!”

  —Liz S.

  “Thanks for giving [my students] the confidence and love for reading that every child should possess. It was a great year with you in our classroom.”

  —Ria M.

  This book is dedicated to my good friend

  Caitlin Lamphier. What a reader!

  —R.R.

  To Jesse

  —J.S.G.

  “I’m not dressing like a penguin and you can’t make me!” Josh said.

  “Why not?” asked his friend Dink. “I’m doing it, and so is Ruth Rose.”

  Dink’s whole name was Donald David Duncan. When he was first learning to say his name, it came out as “Dink.” That became his nickname.

  Josh grinned. “So if you jumped off a bridge, would I have to do it, too?”

  “Josh, everyone who goes to a Penelope Gwinn concert dresses like a penguin,” Ruth Rose said. “That’s because PENGUIN is her stage name.”

  Ruth Rose always dressed in one color. Today’s color was lime green, from her headband down to her sneakers. “Come on, Josh,” she went on. “It’ll be fun!”

  “Eating is fun,” Josh said, popping the last of his sandwich into his mouth.

  “Penguins like to eat, too,” Dink reminded Josh.

  “Yeah, raw fish,” Josh muttered.

  It was Friday, and the kids were in Ruth Rose’s backyard having lunch. Ruth Rose had just found out that she’d won four free tickets to Penelope Gwinn’s concert in Hartford.

  “Be a sport, Josh,” Dink said. “All you have to do is wear a white shirt and black pants or shorts. They’re passing out penguin masks to everyone who goes.”

  Ruth Rose gave Josh a sly look. “If you dress up, I’ll buy you a hot dog!”

  Josh wiggled his eyebrows. “Make it two hot dogs and it’s a deal,” he said.

  “Deal,” Ruth Rose said. “Be here tomorrow morning at eleven-thirty. My dad is driving us.” She started cleaning up the paper plates.

  Josh grabbed the last cookie. “Hey, if you throw in a milkshake, I’ll even quack like a penguin.”

  Dink pitched a wadded-up napkin at Josh. “Penguins don’t quack,” he said. “Only ugly ducklings like you do that.”

  The next morning, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose climbed into her father’s station wagon. Ruth Rose was wearing a white T-shirt, a black vest, and white shorts.

  “Quick, call a doctor!” Josh teased. “Ruth Rose is wearing two colors!”

  Josh’s shirt was black with white stripes going up and down. Below the shirt he was wearing black jean cutoffs. White gym socks peeked over the tops of his black high-top sneakers.

  “You’re supposed to look like a penguin,” Dink said, “not a zebra.”

  “I like stripes,” Josh said.

  Dink was wearing a black T-shirt and white jeans.

  Mr. Hathaway was wearing a white shirt, a black bow tie, and black trousers. “I don’t believe I’ve heard of Penelope Gwinn,” he said as he backed out of his driveway. “What kind of music does she play?”

  “Rock and roll,” Ruth Rose said. “But she plays a violin while she sings.”

  “Oh, great,” muttered Josh next to Dink in the backseat. “I got dressed like a bird to listen to violin music!”

  “You could always stick your two hot dogs in your ears,” Dink suggested.

  Twenty minutes later, they were in Hartford. Mr. Hathaway parked his car in a lot across the street from Bushnell Park, where the concert was being held.

  “Look!” said Ruth Rose, pointing to a white trailer near the park entrance. Painted on the side of the trailer was a life-sized portrait of Penelope Gwinn. On the rear of the trailer was a picture of a real penguin.

  “Does she live in that thing?” Josh asked.

  “Not a big star like her!” Ruth Rose said. “I think she just travels in it to her concerts. I’ll bet she has the penthouse in that hotel!”

  Across the street from the park stood the Parkview Hotel. It was twelve stories high, and its windows reflected the blue sky.

  “Well, let’s find our seats,” Ruth Rose’s father suggested.

  At the gate, Ruth Rose handed the tickets to a man wearing a penguin suit. He told them where to sit, then gave them each a cardboard penguin mask.

  “Just fold on the dotted lines to make the beak stick out,” the man said. “Then poke out the eye holes so you can see.”

  The kids and Mr. Hathaway stepped over a lot of feet and legs to get to their seats. Almost everyone was dressed in black and white and wearing a penguin mask.

  A tall woman sat in front of Dink. He noticed that she was reading a thick autograph book. Her penguin mask was resting on top of her bright yellow hair.

  “I feel like a jerk,” Josh said as he placed the mask over his face. His red hair spiked over the top of the mask.

  “I think you look very penguin-like, Josh,” Mr. Hathaway said as he put on his own mask.

  “These are excellent seats!” Dink said. The kids were only twenty feet from the stage. Penelope’s band members were all dressed like penguins. They sat at the back of the stage, tuning their instruments.

  To the right of the stage was a green tent with a red cross painted over the entrance. Next to the cross were the words FIRST-AID TENT. Several food carts were parked along a path a few yards away.

  A police officer on a horse moved slowly through the crowd. She stopped and chatted with people and let kids pet the horse.

  Josh leaned in toward Ruth Rose. “When do I get my hot dogs?” he asked.

  “At intermission,” she answered.

  At exactly one o’clock, the door of the PENGUIN trailer opened up and Penelope Gwinn stepped out. A tall, broad-shouldered man was with her.

  Everyone in the audience stood up and started clapping as the star walked across the lawn toward the stage.

  Penelope Gwinn was wearing a black-and-white outfit that sparkled. Her black hair was piled high on her head.

  Hanging from a chain around her neck was a diamond penguin. The jewel glittered in the sun.

  Penelope Gwinn climbed the stage steps, and the crowd settled down.

  The tall man stood at the bottom of the steps with his muscular arms crossed.

  On the stage, someone handed Penelope her violin. Then the group began to play.

  After a few minutes, the band stopped and Penelope Gwinn played her violin. When she began to sing, the audience joined in.

  Dink noticed that Josh was snapping his fingers. “Thought you didn’t like violin music,” he whispered to Josh.

  “I don’t, usually,” Josh said. “But I’ve never heard anyone play a violin like this before!”

  Penelope played and sang for about forty-five minutes before she took a break. She handed her violin to a band member and took a deep bow. “Thank you!” she called to the cheering crowd. “I’ll be back in twenty minutes!”

  The woman in front of Dink pulled her mask down over her face. Then she hurried toward the stage steps with her autograph book.

&
nbsp; Josh pulled off his mask and stood up. He grinned down at Ruth Rose. “Those hot dogs smell so good!”

  Mr. Hathaway handed Ruth Rose some bills. “Lunch is on me,” he said. “Meet me back here after intermission.”

  The kids walked toward the food carts. They passed Presto Pizza and stopped at a cart with a picture of a hot dog on the side. A sign said, FRANK’S FINEST FRANKS.

  The man behind the cart was wearing a white jacket. The name “Frank” was stitched in black letters over the pocket.

  “I’d like four hot dogs, please,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Sorry, I’m closing for a few minutes,” the man said. He needed a shave. Dark, curly hair grew on the back of his thick knuckles.

  “But I’m starving!” Josh pleaded. He gestured at Dink and Ruth Rose. “My friends are, too.”

  “Well, all right,” the man said. “But make it snappy.” He held up an autograph book. “I have to get PENGUIN to sign this for my daughter.”

  The man pulled two rubber gloves from a box on his counter. He slipped them over his hands, then plopped four hot dogs into buns and placed them on paper plates. “Drinks?” he asked.

  “Three colas,” Ruth Rose said. She put her money on the counter.

  The man traded the drinks for the bills and slapped down the change. “Mustard and stuff is on the counter!” he yelled as he dashed toward the stage.

  “You should get her autograph, too, Ruth Rose,” Dink said as he squeezed mustard on his dog.

  “I already have it,” Ruth Rose said. “When they sent me the tickets, there was a signed picture of PENGUIN in the envelope.”

  “I hear circus music,” Josh said. He pointed toward some trees. “Let’s go check it out.”

  They ate as they walked toward the tall trees.

  “A carousel!” Ruth Rose said. “Want to take a ride? Dad gave me enough money.”

  “No way,” Josh said around a mouthful of hot dog. “That’s for little kids.”

  “Come on, Josh,” Dink said. “It’ll be fun. I haven’t been on a carousel for years. Besides, I see some kids our age riding it.”

  Josh sighed. “Okay, but I’m not sitting on some baby lamb or puppy dog.”

  The kids finished eating, dropped their trash in a barrel, and hurried to buy tickets. A minute later, the carousel stopped and a bunch of kids hopped off.

  Ruth Rose climbed aboard a shiny black horse and sat in its golden saddle. She held on to the safety pole that went from the floor to the carousel’s roof.

  Dink chose a green dragon with fake red flames shooting from its mouth.

  Josh checked out each animal. Finally he chose a roaring lion.

  The carousel operator circled the platform. “Be sure to hold on to your poles,” she said. A minute later, the carousel started moving.

  Dink held the pole as his dragon moved up and down. He laughed out loud when it suddenly roared and its tail swept back and forth.

  He looked for Josh and Ruth Rose. They both waved at Dink.

  “My lion is faster than your dragon!” Josh shouted at Dink.

  Just then Dink heard yelling from over by the stage. He tried to see what was going on, but a crowd of people blocked his view.

  The yelling continued, and Dink still couldn’t see. Holding on to his safety pole, he kneeled on the dragon’s back for a better view.

  But the dragon was slippery, and Dink suddenly felt himself falling. He slid off, landing on the wooden platform.

  “Ow!” Dink yelled.

  The attendant hurried over. “Are you okay?” she asked, helping Dink to his feet.

  “Yeah, but I scraped my arm,” he said. “It really hurts.”

  “Stay right here!” the attendant said. She walked to her lever and stopped the carousel.

  Josh and Ruth Rose jumped off their mounts and ran over. “What happened?” Ruth Rose asked.

  “I heard someone yelling over by the stage,” Dink said. “I kneeled on my dragon to see better and I slipped off.”

  Josh put his finger on a small swelling on Dink’s forehead. “You got a boo-boo,” he said, grinning.

  “I’m getting my dad,” Ruth Rose said, and she took off running.

  Just then the attendant came back with a pencil and a pad of paper in her hand. She felt Dink’s forehead. “You bumped your head, too,” she said. “I’ll need your name and address. I have to report all accidents.”

  While Dink told her, Ruth Rose came back with her father.

  “You all right, Dink?” Mr. Hathaway asked.

  Dink blushed. “My arm hurts,” he said.

  Mr. Hathaway checked Dink’s arm, then looked at the bump on his head. “I think you’ll be fine,” he said, “but I’d feel better if you paid a visit to the first-aid tent.”

  “Good idea,” the attendant said. She pointed to a sign: DO NOT STAND ON OR LEAN OFF THE RIDES. “Did you see that sign?”

  Dink nodded. “I was trying to see what was going on over by the stage,” he said.

  “Penelope Gwinn got robbed!” Ruth Rose said.

  “What!?” Dink and Josh cried out at the exact same time.

  “It’s true,” Ruth Rose’s father said.

  As the foursome walked toward the first-aid tent, Josh nudged Dink. “Look at all the cops!” he said.

  The stage where Penelope had been singing was surrounded by police officers. The mounted officer was talking to people in the audience. Two other officers were on the stage, standing with Penelope Gwinn. The tall man who had been her escort was nowhere to be seen.

  “What did they take?” Dink asked.

  “Her diamond penguin,” Ruth Rose said. “Someone in a mask snatched it right off her neck!”

  Inside the tent, a man was handing a glass of water to a red-faced woman. A boy was standing next to the woman’s chair.

  “Do you feel better, Mom?” the boy asked.

  “Much better, Ronnie,” his mother said. “Thank you, Dr….”

  “Fleming,” the man said, looking down at the tag pinned over the pocket on his white jacket.

  She stood up. “Come on, Ronnie, let’s get some lemonade,” she said to her son. “Thanks again, Dr. Fleming.”

  “No problem,” the doctor said. He glanced up at Mr. Hathaway and the three kids. “Who’s the patient?” he asked.

  “Me,” Dink said.

  The doctor pointed to two folding chairs. “Have a seat, please.”

  There were no other chairs in the tent. “We’ll wait outside,” Mr. Hathaway said. He guided Josh and Ruth Rose to the tent opening.

  “Be a brave little man, Dink,” Josh teased.

  Dink stuck his tongue out at Josh, then sat down.

  “Your name is Dink?” the doctor asked. He pulled two thin rubber gloves from a box and slipped them onto his hands.

  Dink nodded. “It’s a nickname,” he said. “My real name is Donald David Duncan.”

  The doctor sat in the chair opposite Dink. He touched the small bump on Dink’s forehead. “How’d this happen?” he asked.

  Dink told the doctor how he fell off the carousel and showed him the red scrape on his arm.

  “Does it hurt?” the doctor asked.

  Dink nodded. “A little, especially when I twist it.”

  “Don’t twist it,” the doctor said.

  Just then a police officer stuck his head inside the tent. “Excuse me, Doc,” the officer said. “Did you see anyone run by your tent a few minutes ago?”

  “Nope, I was pretty busy,” Dr. Fleming said. “What’s the problem?”

  “Someone grabbed Penelope Gwinn’s diamond pendant,” the officer said. “The perp took off in the crowd.”

  “Oh no! I hope you catch him,” the doctor said.

  “Don’t worry, we will!” the cop said. “Miss Gwinn might be able to identify the thief, so we’re stopping everyone at the main exit gate.”

  After the police officer left, the doctor turned back to Dink. “Here’s what we’re gonna do,” he said. �
��I’ll bandage your arm, then we’ll go to my office and I’ll x-ray it.”

  The doctor pulled a sealed bandage from a white cabinet. “While I’m wrapping your arm, I want you to read that sign over there. Slowly”

  Dink looked at the sign. “Why? My eyes are okay” he said.

  The doctor opened the package. “I want to make sure you don’t have a concussion. Start reading,” he said as he began wrapping Dink’s arm with the long bandage.

  Dink started reading:

  HOW TO AVOID SUNSTROKE

  ALWAYS USE SUNBLOCK

  WEAR A HAT

  DON’T STAY OUT IN THE SUN TOO LONG

  AVOID STRENUOUS EXERCISE ON HOT DAYS

  DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

  “You’re a good reader, Dink,” the doctor said, finished with the wrapping. “Wiggle your fingers for me.”

  Dink wiggled his fingers and looked at his arm. The bandage went from his wrist to his elbow. A small metal clip held the end of the bandage in place.

  “Not too tight, is it?” the doctor asked.

  “No, but the bandage feels weird.”

  “They always do,” the doctor said. “Now we’ll call in your father.”

  “He’s my friend’s father,” Dink explained.

  The doctor stepped over to the tent door and invited the others inside.

  “How’s your boo-boo?” Josh asked.

  Dink crossed his eyes.

  “I’d like to x-ray Dink’s arm in my office,” the doctor told Mr. Hathaway “Can you follow me to the hospital?”

  “Of course,” Mr. Hathaway said. “You want to leave right now?”

  “The sooner the better,” the doctor told him, glancing at his watch. “My replacement will be here in a few minutes.”

  The group left the tent and walked toward the main exit.

  Dink noticed an empty space between Presto Pizza and the lemonade stand. Frank and his hot-dog cart had vanished.

  At the exit, a line of people stood around mumbling. Two police officers were blocking the closed gate.