Becca bends down and pokes her hand under the fence. “We won’t fit under here like Major.”
“So we climb over,” I say as I reach up for the top post.
Years of spy practice—pursuing imaginary bad dudes, climbing trees, and hiding in cramped places—have been worth it. I may be short, but I can jump high enough to reach the top of the fence. I swing over and land smoothly on the other side. Leo lands beside me. And then Becca, but she stumbles as she lands, tumbling to her knees.
She winces as she jumps to her feet. “I’m okay.”
“Look!” Leo points. “Major’s going to the barn.”
Unlike the last barn Major led us to, this one looks brand-new. The outer walls are painted bright red, and there’s white trim around the doors and windows. We huddle for a moment to strategize. Running across the pasture is a bad idea because if the tractor guy turns around, he’ll see us. We go over to a row of eucalyptus trees that border the pasture and slowly make our way to the barn.
Major barks at a sliding barn door.
“Shush!” I call when I come beside him. “Don’t bark!”
Leo and Becca pet the dog, urging him to be quiet. I glance across the field and see plumes of dirt rising from the tractor. The rumble of the tractor’s engine covers all other sounds. Safe for now…
“Is the door locked?” Becca asks.
I reach out and twist. “Not locked. I’m going in.” And maybe I’ll find clues about Mom’s disappearance, I think hopefully.
“We’ll all go together,” Becca says.
Leo nods as he comes up beside us, and we step through the door.
All it takes is a glance to know this isn’t like any barn I’ve ever seen. Instead of farm tools and bales of hay, the room is full of exercise equipment: a treadmill, stationary bike, weights, and other machines.
I let out a low whistle. “My grandmother would love this.” Gran Nola is obsessed with yoga and working out.
“No livestock.” Becca sounds disappointed. “Why have a barn and pasture if you don’t have any animals?”
“He may grow crops,” Leo suggests as he goes over to the weight bench. He grunts as he tries to pick up a twenty-pound weight.
“Major must have led us here for a reason.” I gaze around the gym-barn in frustration. “You don’t call animal control unless there’s a problem involving animals, but there aren’t any animals. Why did Mom come here?”
Becca snaps her fingers. “The clue is in the Z code. Let’s google it!” She pulls out her cell and starts searching. “Here it is,” she says excitedly. “ZDTHF stands for dog theft.”
“So his dog must have been stolen,” I say, deflating. While I feel sorry for anyone who loses a beloved pet, I don’t think it’s a serious enough crime to bring Mom back here.
I lean against the treadmill, my shoulders slumping. “We won’t find anything here. Let’s move on.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to look around more?” Leo asks.
“Or talk to Mr. Barton?” Becca adds.
Before I can answer, Major, who has been sitting quietly, suddenly jumps up. He whines and sniffs the floor.
“He’s picked up a scent,” Becca says quickly. We follow the German shepherd toward the back of the barn. He stops at a door I’d assumed led to a bathroom.
Leo reaches the door first, but the knob doesn’t turn. “It’s locked.”
“The barn door isn’t locked, but this one is?” I point out, suspicious. I lean my head against the wood and hear a soft sound. “OMG!”
Becca grabs my arm. “What?”
“Someone is in there!” I cry softly.
Becca crouches to the crack beneath the door and peers through the narrow opening. “It’s not a big room, probably a closet, and there’s a shape…It just moved!”
“What is it?” both Leo and I ask.
“Something small and dark…a dog!”
Not Mom. My heart sinks. But why is a dog locked in a closet? I think back to Leo’s memory of the dog flyer. “Could it be the missing dachshund?” I suggest.
“Maybe.” Becca wiggles her fingers under the door. “Here, doggie, come to my hand. Come on, don’t be afraid. We’re here to help you.” Sighing, Becca stands to face us. “She scampered back to a corner. She’s terrified. Poor little pup.”
Thinking of the dog flyer, suddenly everything makes sense. I gasp. “OMG! We had it backward.”
“What?” Leo asks.
“Mr. Barton isn’t the victim. He’s the thief!”
“No wonder the poor little dog is so scared,” Becca says angrily. “We have to get her out of there.”
“I can pick the lock with my key spider,” I say and reach up for the spy pack on my shoulder.
Leo shakes his head. “No, we can’t just take the dog without proof. If we’re wrong, we could be accused of stealing. The sheriff should handle this. Becca, will you call him?”
Becca rolls her eyes. “Fine. But let’s get out of here first.”
We move away from the locked door, and we’re halfway across the room when something feels wrong. I stop abruptly. The world has gone quiet. The tractor no longer rumbles.
The front door to the barn creaks, and the tall silhouette of a man looms in the doorway.
He’s holding a rifle.
- Chapter 9 -
Surprise Visitors
Although the rifle isn’t aimed at us, I tremble as I stare up at the towering stranger. He’s rugged and muscled, wearing dusty jeans stained with dried grass and mud. His face is shadowed under the brim of a western hat, but it’s obvious he’s angry.
He pushes up his hat and glares at us as if we’re the bad guys, which is ironic. Someone who imprisons and terrifies a helpless little dog is the worst type of bad guy ever.
“Why are you kids snooping in here?” he growls in a grizzly-bear voice.
I’m too scared to say anything and share anxious glances with my friends. If we all start running past him, can we escape?
“Someone better start talking or else,” he warns.
Becca steps forward with a friendly smile, though I know she must be scared too.
“Um…we’re so very sorry.” She twists her ponytail. “We were out walking our dog, and he ran away so we chased him here.” She nods toward Major. “You must be Mr. Barton.”
“You know me?” He lifts the brim of his hat to look closer at Becca. “I haven’t seen you around here before. You live nearby?”
“Yeah, up the road in the brown house,” she says with a vague wave of her hand. All the houses on this street are shades of brown.
“If you kids are here because of the Carters’ dog, I already told that animal control lady I don’t know where it is.” Mr. Barton shrugs. “It’s not my fault they let their dog run loose and it got lost.”
Liar, liar, I think angrily. And I desperately long to call Mom to tell her we found the dog.
“I don’t know the Carters well,” Becca says politely. “But I heard that their dog was missing. Why would anyone suspect you?”
“No idea,” he says, setting down the rifle. “Don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against animals. I especially like fine-looking dogs like your shepherd.” He gestures to Major. “He seems well-trained too. Not like that annoying dachshund that kept peeing on my car tires.”
“Major’s a good dog.” Becca moves protectively closer to Major. Bending over, she clips the leash back on his collar.
“German shepherds are smart and powerful dogs.” Mr. Barton’s gaze sweeps over Major. “Is he trained to attack?”
“Only bad guys,” I blurt out with a fierce glare.
“We better go now,” Becca says, giving me a warning look. “Sorry to bother you, Mr. Barton. Come on, Major.”
I hear Mr. Barton laughing as we scurry out of the barn like scared mice. We don’t stop running until we reach the sidewalk.
“That was intense!” Becca blows out a heavy breath. “I was afraid he’d lock us in
the closet too!”
Leo wipes sweat from his brow as he hops on his gyro-board. “His evasive manner and facial expressions are evidence of his falsehoods.”
“He was definitely lying,” I say through gritted teeth. “He stole that dog because it peed on his fancy sport cars. That’s sick.”
“The sheriff will rescue the dog,” Leo says.
“I’ll call him,” Becca says as she pulls out her phone. She stretches the truth a little, saying we accidentally found the missing dachshund when Major ran into the barn. “He’s on his way,” she says as she clicks off. “But he warned us not to be here when he arrives.”
“Great,” I say, relieved that poor dog will be rescued soon. But I’m no closer to finding my mother. I turn to Leo. “What’s the next address on the list?”
Leo checks his tablet. “1933 Larkspur Lane with call letters ZWELF.”
“What’s ZWELF?” I swing up onto my bike.
“Welfare,” Becca answers as she reaches for her bike. “Usually it’s a complaint about someone mistreating an animal or—” A musical ring interrupts, and she lifts the sparkly pink phone from her pocket. “Mom, what’s up? Now? You can’t be serious! But I’m not finished…Fine!” Becca snaps. Her black eyes blaze as she shoves her phone back into her pocket.
I frown. “That didn’t sound good.”
“You have to leave?” Leo guesses.
“I have to go home so I can finish my chores and get ready for dinner,” Becca says angrily. “As if I need to dress up for her date!”
“Drats. I wish you could keep searching with us.” I swing onto my bike, ready to take off. “Come on, Leo.”
“Actually…” Leo wobbles on his gyro-board. “My aunt is visiting, and I promised I wouldn’t stay out too late.”
“But we can’t give up!” I grip my bike handlebars tightly. “Mom could be hurt and scared.”
“Or enjoying a relaxing weekend alone like she texted.” Becca reaches across her bike handle to touch my hand. “If she’d been in an accident, she would have called for help. Instead, the texts reassured everyone she was all right.”
I try to separate facts and fears as I think about this. If she did leave on her own, why send a few texts, then nothing else? And I can’t believe Mom would leave me waiting at school.
“I want to keep looking for her,” I say stubbornly. “Can we meet early tomorrow?”
“Absolutely,” Leo promises.
“Sure. Unless your mother has returned,” Becca says with an encouraging smile. “She could be back by then.”
Maybe she’s back already, I think with a burst of hope. And suddenly I can’t wait to get home.
We make plans to meet early at the third address on Mom’s call sheet, then we ride in separate directions.
When I reach my grandmother’s house, the driveway is empty and there’s a note on the kitchen table from Gran Nola.
Girls’ night out with the Red Hat gals.
Tofu casserole in the fridge.
I’d forgotten that she had dinner plans for tonight. I’d told her I didn’t mind being alone—and I don’t. But the house seems too quiet after I put Major in the backyard. I check the phone for missed messages, crossing my fingers there’s news of Mom. Nothing. Once again, I’m disappointed. And when I try to call Dad, it goes to voice mail.
Might as well eat my tofu, I decide with zero enthusiasm. I open the fridge but stop when I hear noise from outside. Before I can investigate, the front door bursts open.
“Surprise!” twin voices shout.
My twin sisters, Kenya and Kiana, rush over to me, laughing as Kenya proudly holds out a large pizza box. They have the same long, dark hair and eyes, but they move and dress so differently that sometimes I forget they’re identical. Bold and bossy, Kenya sweeps through life with a dancer’s sway, while creative Kiana is more laid-back and is usually nicer to me.
“Check out what we brought!” Kenya calls out as she glides into the kitchen.
“Prehistoric Pizza,” I say, smacking my lips. Tofu is okay, but pizza is delish. And I’m really pleased to see my sisters. I’ve missed them since moving out of the cottage.
“A Saber-Toothed Supreme with everything,” Kiana adds, pulling out a chair to sit at the table.
“Kyle got us a discount.” Kenya opens the box, and steamy smells make my stomach rumble.
“Was he wearing the costume?” I ask with a grin. My older brother got a part-time job dressing up as a dinosaur at Prehistoric Pizza and didn’t tell anyone about it because he was embarrassed.
“He’s working behind the counter now,” Kiana says as she sets paper plates and napkins on the table.
“Good for him.” I sniff the air. “Bacon, cheese, barbecued chicken, and spicy tomato sauce. Yum.”
“And plenty of veggies too, for Gran.” Kiana glances around. “Her car isn’t in the driveway. Where is she?”
“Out with friends. She left me tofu casserole.” I gesture to the fridge.
“Well, if you’d rather have tofu…” Kenya teases, pulling back the box.
“No way!” Quick as a blink, I open the box, grab a large cheesy slice, and take a big bite. Sauce drips down my chin, and I wipe it with a napkin.
After I finish my second pizza slice, I glance over at my sisters and catch Kenya mouthing Are you going to ask her? to Kiana. I’m glad they don’t know I can read lips. Do they have an ulterior motive for coming here? Usually on a Saturday night they’re at a party or out with friends. Instead, they’re hanging out with their little sister, which is nice but suspicious.
I slap my napkin on the table. “Okay, why are you really here?”
Kiana plucks an olive from her pizza, then smiles at me. “Can’t sisters just hang out?”
“We haven’t seen you in forever and miss you,” Kenya adds.
“Really?” Hope creeps into my voice. It’s a cliché, but as a little sister, I look up to my big sisters.
“Absolutely.” Kiana playfully tugs a strand of my hair. “We want to know what’s been going on with you. Gran Nola told us you rescued an abandoned puppy. That must have been exciting.” She tucks her arm into mine, leading me into the living room.
Kenya sits on the couch, propping a pillow behind her back, then gesturing for me to sit beside her. Kiana plops on my other side so I’m between them. Kenya turns to me. “So tell us about this exciting puppy rescue.”
“Major rescued the puppy,” I say, smiling. “He ran into a barn and came out with the puppy. She’s a tiny thing, no bigger than my fist. Becca named her Buggy because she has adorable big, buggy eyes.”
“Is she a pug?” Kiana guesses, pushing back a dark curl.
I nod. “Becca thinks she’s a purebred.”
“Pugs are adorable!” Kenya bounces lightly on the couch, holding a piece of pizza. “My friend Delainey has been saving forever to buy a pug—I mean, like thousands!—and she’s finally going to get one. Delainey says the pup came from champions and will win major dog show awards.”
I notice another look pass between my sisters. “But you didn’t come here to talk about dogs,” I say. “Truth, please.”
“Well…” Kenya pauses. “There is something we want to ask you.”
“But we didn’t want you to think we only came over to get information.” Kiana licks pizza sauce from her lips. “I mean, we do miss you. It’s horrible how our family is split apart.”
“And we’re really worried things will get worse. Everything is all messed up.” Kenya blinks fast like she’s trying not to cry—which surprises me. Soft-hearted Kiana cries easily, but I can’t remember the last time I saw Kenya cry.
“That’s why we want to find out what you know about Mom.” Kiana clasps her hands together. “You were the last one in our family to talk to her. We’re worried that something is wrong.”
“Finally!” I sag against the couch cushions in relief. “Someone else is worried! I thought I was the only one. I think Mom could be in danger.�
��
“Whoa, Kelsey!” Kenya holds up her hand like a stop sign. “You’ve been watching too many crime dramas. The only thing in danger is Mom’s marriage. That’s why we want to know if she told you where she was going or how long she was going to be gone.”
“She didn’t plan to leave.” I shake my head firmly. “She told me she was going to talk to Dad, then move back in with him.”
“But she didn’t talk to him.” Kenya puckers her frosted ruby lips. “Are you sure Mom didn’t hint at where she was going? We called all her friends, and no one has seen her.”
“That’s because she’s in trouble.” I shake my head. “I don’t believe the texts were from her. She promised to pick me up from school, then never showed up—which isn’t like her at all.”
“Oh, Kelsey,” Kiana says with a sad sigh. “I had no idea you were so worried. We should have talked to you sooner…then you’d know.”
“Know what?” I ask uneasily.
An unspoken conversation passes between my sisters in brow lifts and nods. Lip-reading was easy to learn, but I never could crack their twin code. Still, I can tell that what they’re not saying is serious.
After a long silence, Kiana turns back to me with the gravest expression I’ve ever seen on her face. “Kelsey, we promised Gran Nola we’d never tell…but you need to know the truth.”
Kenya nods. “You can’t tell anyone. Ever.”
“I won’t,” I promise. “I can keep a secret.”
I lean forward to listen.
“Mom and Dad almost got divorced once before.”
“No way!” I gasp.
Both of my sisters nod solemnly.
- Chapter 10 -
Sisters and Secrets
“We were just little kids when it happened.” Kiana slips an arm around me, her dark hair brushing across my forehead. “But it wasn’t until the summer before high school that we discovered our parents were hiding a secret.”
“We only found out by accident,” Kenya adds as she flips her hair over her shoulder.
“Yeah,” Kiana continues in that ping-pong way the twins tell stories. “We were going on a vacation to Canada with our friend Hailey’s family, which meant getting passports. Dad offered to fill out our passport applications but needed our birth certificates, so we went up to the attic to get them from the filing cabinet.”
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