Shelby’s cell phone chirped. “This isn’t the last you’ve heard from me,” she read out loud. “Oh, I’m counting on it,” she responded as she typed a reply.
“How’d Moira get your number?”
“Told you she was clever,” Shelby said with a wide smile on her face.
It was as if this was fun for Shelby. Yeah, she finally met someone who challenged her, but at what cost? What was going to happen next time we crossed Moira’s path? I didn’t even want to think about it.
“Don’t worry, Watson. I won’t underestimate her again. Plus, we won this round.”
Wait a second.
“Rounds? I thought you didn’t know anything about sports. That they couldn’t take up precious real estate in your brain attic,” I teased her.
“Merely checking to ensure you’re paying attention,” she retorted.
Yeah, right.
As we pulled up to the school, I realized that I should feel happy the case was over. And I was. But I was also wondering when we’d find another “worthy” case again, especially since I was getting better at deductive reasoning.
Lestrade let us out of the backseat.
Shelby gritted her teeth for a few moments before saying, “Thank you, Detective Lestrade, for all your help. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Lestrade looked quite pleased with herself.
Maybe Shelby was finally listening to me about how to treat people. You give a person some respect and they’ll respect you in return.
“Oh, and one more thing, Detective,” Shelby said with a sweet smile.
Here we go. Just when I thought she learned something, Shelby was going to lob one of her patented zingers at Lestrade. One step forward, two steps back …
“Regarding the arson case in Morningside Heights that’s been in the paper, it’s the landlord who set fire to the restaurant. Check the lease and the hardware store down the block, and you’ll have all the evidence you need.”
Lestrade narrowed her eyes (while I reminded myself to go online and look up the fire), her face stubbornly set. Then her features softened. “We’ll look into it. Thanks.”
She held out her hand to Shelby, who took it, and the two shook.
Okay, scratch everything I had said before. That was the craziest thing I’d ever seen.
CHAPTER
33
A week later, and things had returned to normal.
Well, as normal as they can be when you’re friends (and partners) with Shelby Holmes.
School was school. The homework kept growing, but so did the readership of my online journal. Mom was even reading about my adventures with Shelby. Her biggest critique: she didn’t come across as funny in my writing as she was in real life. So please note, dear readers, that my mom is hilarious. She should be a comedian, she’s that funny. (Okay, so sometimes knowing who your audience is can affect your writing.)
The rumors and whispers about me being a big hero also died down, since I did everything I could to let people know that it was really Shelby who was the hero.
Of course, the guys were never going to let me live it down.
“Shelby Holmes can’t save you now!” Carlos taunted me as he scored a basket on me after school.
I gave him a cross look, something I had learned from Shelby, as I picked up the ball.
“Yeah, you— Oh.” Carlos stopped cold in his tracks. “Um, hey, Shelby.”
I turned around to see Shelby near the fence that bordered the court.
“Salutations, acquaintances of Watson’s,” Shelby replied with a tilt of her head.
I jogged over to Shelby. “Hey, what’s up?” I asked, itching for our next case.
“Well, you seem to be engaged in a rather important matter. I wouldn’t want to take you away,” she remarked sarcastically.
“Ha-ha!” I replied with a roll of my eyes (it was nice to do that to her for a change). “I’ll be right back.”
I jogged over to the fellas. “Hey, guys, I gotta bounce.” I threw Jason the ball.
“Is it a case?” Jason asked. “Y’all just keep getting bigger and bigger. What is it? No, wait! Don’t tell me. I want to read all about it.”
Carlos waved self-consciously at Shelby. “Do you think, like, she would ever need my help?”
Bryant groaned. “Seriously? I don’t think she needs someone who can play video games for ten hours straight.”
“And you just described my dream job.”
“Okay, okay,” I interrupted them. “I’ll see you guys tomorrow!”
They all shouted later at me, while Jason and John Wu even said good-bye to Shelby. I was happy that my friends had started treating Shelby with a little more respect. And it wasn’t just them. I hadn’t heard the word freak whispered in Shelby’s presence in days.
Shelby had an amused expression on her face.
“What?” I asked.
“Don’t you find it exhausting?”
“What? Basketball?”
“No. Friendship.”
“Come on, Shelby! It’s not that bad, right?” I nudged her.
“It’s tolerable,” she sniffed. “On some days.”
Well, that was about as good as I could expect.
I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to know. “So what’s going on?”
Then Shelby said my favorite sentence in the English language:
“We’ve got another case to solve.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As Shelby and Watson prove, it’s better to be part of a team. I’m so fortunate to have the amazing crew at Bloomsbury in my corner, especially my publicist, Courtney Griffin. Thanks to Diane Aronson, Erica Barmash, Hali Baumstein, Beth Eller, Jessie Gang, Cristina Gilbert, Melissa Kavonic, Emily Klopfer, Jeanette Levy, Cindy Loh, Donna Mark, Lizzy Mason, Patricia McHugh, Brittany Mitchell, Emily Ritter, and Sarah Shumway. Cheers to the brilliant team in the UK: Vicky Leech, Nicholas Church, Anna de Lacey, Andrea Kearney, and Lizz Skelly.
Erwin Madrid’s wonderful illustrations continue to bring Shelby and Watson to life, as well as a smile to my face (and sometimes a very ladylike snort).
Shelby would still be solely an idea in my head if it weren’t for my agent Erin Malone’s encouragement. The entire team at WME, especially Laura Bonner and Christina Raquel, have been a dream to work with (and the first people I’ll call if I’m ever brought in to solve a crime).
I’m more like Watson when it comes to friends and family. I’m so fortunate to have so many author friends who have supported me for years. Huge vat of sugar to Jen Calonita for always being my first, and always enthusiastic, reader. I’m also grateful for Kirk Benshoff for his help with my website. And, of course, my family’s continued support of Author Elizabeth means the world to me.
Words could never properly convey how grateful I am to every teacher, librarian, bookseller, and blogger who has talked about Shelby and Watson or placed this book into a child’s hand. Authors can’t do what we do without readers, so thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!
Text copyright © 2017 by Elizabeth Eulberg
Illustrations copyright © 2017 by Erwin Madrid
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
First published in the United States of America in September 2017
by Bloomsbury Children’s Books
www.bloomsbury.com
Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
For information about permission to reproduce selections from this book, write to Permissions, Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 1385 Broadway, New York, New York 10018
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p; Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data available upon request
ISBN 978-1-68119-054-9 (hardcover) • ISBN 978-1-68119-055-6 (e-book)
The Great Shelby Holmes Meets Her Match Page 14