Read Online Fabulous Five 016 - The Hot-Line Emergency by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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It must be Jon. That's why I don't want Mr.
Bell to go to the police." Her voice dropped low. "At least not yet."
"I can't believe this," Jana said, getting off the
bed and walking across the room. "Maybe he is following you around, but
why would he have to be the guy calling the homework hot-line center and doing
those weird things? Couldn't that be someone else?"
"It could be," admitted Christie. "But I don't
know who. Mrs. Brenner said that whoever is doing it is probably disturbed, and
Mr. Snider said that could mean he's upset over something." She looked at
Jana, who had picked up a bottle of perfume from the dresser and turned to
listen to her. "Jon's upset with me. I know he is. So, if he's doing it,
it's at least partly my fault." She sniffled, and her eyes filled with
tears.
"Oh, Christie," Jana said, moving toward her. "Don't
say that. The things this guy is doing are not your fault. And I bet you
a million dollars it isn't Jon who's doing them." She sat on the bed and
put her hands on Christie's.
Katie took a tissue from the box on the desk and handed it
to Christie. "Tell us everything he said on the phone last night."
"He said he hadn't really intended to burn the gum tree
down and that I didn't know who he was so I couldn't judge him."
"Is that all?" asked Melanie, frowning.
"Boy, if it had been me, I would have given him a piece
of my mind," said Beth.
Beth's comment made Christie remember something else. "That
was the interesting thing," she said. "I did chew him out and told
him I thought he was doing dumb things. I got really angry, and I upset him.
Then he started saying things he had never said before. I think I'm beginning
to get a picture of what he's like."
"That's great!" said Jana. "That's what the
police do when they don't know who's doing something. They develop a . . . what's
it called? . . . a psychological profile." She sat down on the edge of the
bed and put her fingers against her temples. "What else did he say? Maybe
we can figure out who he is."
"Well, let's see." Christie thought for a moment. "As
usual, he asked me what I thought of his last trick. He meant the gum-tree
fire."
" Trick? He called it just a trick?" asked
Beth.
"That doesn't sound like something Jon would say,"
said Katie.
Christie smiled at her in appreciation. "He also said
everyone couldn't be good at sports like Randy, or reporting like Curtis, or
stand out like me. That sounded like Jon putting himself down. He said he was
very good at something, and if they had it in school, he would probably be
champion. Jon is great at making videos." She shrugged.
"Come on, be fair," said Katie. "That could
be a lot of people."
"I hate to say it, Katie, but Jon's the only one I've
noticed acting strange."
"I think the best way to show that Jon isn't the caller
is to find out who it really is," said Jana. "Let's concentrate on
doing that."
"You're right," said Christie. "I've been so
worried that it was Jon, that I quit looking for someone else. There has to be a way to find out who's doing it." She racked her brain for more
clues. "As I said, he got pretty mad at me when I chewed him out. One
thing he said was that he was going to tell everyone that I'm dumb."
"I don't think it's Jon. Jon wouldn't do that,"
said Melanie.
Christie sighed. "Neither do I. But he was awfully
angry. I told him if he did do that, I'd know who he was, and he said that I
wouldn't because he was smarter than me."
"Smarter than you?" Melanie looked at her
incredulously. "That would leave out just about everybody at Wacko Junior
High."
Christie shook her head. "I don't know that he was
serious. Remember, he was angry with me."
"Maybe we could find out who the smartest kids are,"
said Beth. "That would narrow it down."
"Not all smart kids make super grades," answered
Jana. "We can do what you say, but we might still miss someone."
"The next time he calls, I think you should needle him
again," said Katie. "Get him mad and tell him you don't
Bell to go to the police." Her voice dropped low. "At least not yet."
"I can't believe this," Jana said, getting off the
bed and walking across the room. "Maybe he is following you around, but
why would he have to be the guy calling the homework hot-line center and doing
those weird things? Couldn't that be someone else?"
"It could be," admitted Christie. "But I don't
know who. Mrs. Brenner said that whoever is doing it is probably disturbed, and
Mr. Snider said that could mean he's upset over something." She looked at
Jana, who had picked up a bottle of perfume from the dresser and turned to
listen to her. "Jon's upset with me. I know he is. So, if he's doing it,
it's at least partly my fault." She sniffled, and her eyes filled with
tears.
"Oh, Christie," Jana said, moving toward her. "Don't
say that. The things this guy is doing are not your fault. And I bet you
a million dollars it isn't Jon who's doing them." She sat on the bed and
put her hands on Christie's.
Katie took a tissue from the box on the desk and handed it
to Christie. "Tell us everything he said on the phone last night."
"He said he hadn't really intended to burn the gum tree
down and that I didn't know who he was so I couldn't judge him."
"Is that all?" asked Melanie, frowning.
"Boy, if it had been me, I would have given him a piece
of my mind," said Beth.
Beth's comment made Christie remember something else. "That
was the interesting thing," she said. "I did chew him out and told
him I thought he was doing dumb things. I got really angry, and I upset him.
Then he started saying things he had never said before. I think I'm beginning
to get a picture of what he's like."
"That's great!" said Jana. "That's what the
police do when they don't know who's doing something. They develop a . . . what's
it called? . . . a psychological profile." She sat down on the edge of the
bed and put her fingers against her temples. "What else did he say? Maybe
we can figure out who he is."
"Well, let's see." Christie thought for a moment. "As
usual, he asked me what I thought of his last trick. He meant the gum-tree
fire."
" Trick? He called it just a trick?" asked
Beth.
"That doesn't sound like something Jon would say,"
said Katie.
Christie smiled at her in appreciation. "He also said
everyone couldn't be good at sports like Randy, or reporting like Curtis, or
stand out like me. That sounded like Jon putting himself down. He said he was
very good at something, and if they had it in school, he would probably be
champion. Jon is great at making videos." She shrugged.
"Come on, be fair," said Katie. "That could
be a lot of people."
"I hate to say it, Katie, but Jon's the only one I've
noticed acting strange."
"I think the best way to show that Jon isn't the caller
is to find out who it really is," said Jana. "Let's concentrate on
doing that."
"You're right," said Christie. "I've been so
worried that it was Jon, that I quit looking for someone else. There has to be a way to find out who's doing it." She racked her brain for more
clues. "As I said, he got pretty mad at me when I chewed him out. One
thing he said was that he was going to tell everyone that I'm dumb."
"I don't think it's Jon. Jon wouldn't do that,"
said Melanie.
Christie sighed. "Neither do I. But he was awfully
angry. I told him if he did do that, I'd know who he was, and he said that I
wouldn't because he was smarter than me."
"Smarter than you?" Melanie looked at her
incredulously. "That would leave out just about everybody at Wacko Junior
High."
Christie shook her head. "I don't know that he was
serious. Remember, he was angry with me."
"Maybe we could find out who the smartest kids are,"
said Beth. "That would narrow it down."
"Not all smart kids make super grades," answered
Jana. "We can do what you say, but we might still miss someone."
"The next time he calls, I think you should needle him
again," said Katie. "Get him mad and tell him you don't
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