Read Online Fabulous Five 016 - The Hot-Line Emergency by Betsy Haynes - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Betsy Haynes
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think he's
good at anything. Maybe he'll tell you what it is, and we'll be able to figure
him out from that."
"One thing is for sure," said Melanie, "He
wants attention." They all agreed with her.
"I've got an idea," volunteered Beth. "Remember
Madame Zonga? Why don't we go see her and see if she can tell us who he is?"
Christie's mouth dropped open. "Madame Zonga?" she
shrieked.
"Sure, why not?" said Beth. "This is an
investigation, isn't it? The police call in people like her all the time when
they're stuck on a case."
"But Madame Zonga?" Christie asked again. The
others looked at each other.
Katie shrugged. "She's the only medium, or whatever
they're called, that we know."
"Maybe we ought to try her," said Jana. "What
do we have to lose? Especially if she can help prove it's not Jon."
"It sounds like fun," said Melanie. "Let's go
after school tomorrow." They all agreed.
"Okay," said Jana. "Besides seeing the great
and fantastic Madame Zonga, we'll all keep our eyes out for a seventh-grade boy
who has a huge inferiority complex and is a champion at something."
"That's a start," said Christie. "If we find
someone like that, it will be a lot more than I had before."
"And we won't say anything to anyone else until we have
a better idea about who it is," said Beth.
"I move that we get out our notebooks again and start
taking notes the way we did at Mark Twain Elementary when Taffy Sinclair was so
snotty, and we had our club against her," said Katie. "All detectives
keep notebooks."
"All agreed?" asked Jana.
As everyone yelled, "AYE!", Christie felt happy. The
Fabulous Five were working together to solve the mystery of the hot-line
caller. Whatever they wanted to do, they could do when they stuck together.
CHAPTER 13
On Monday morning, Christie gathered up her books and headed
for school. She felt much better after The Fabulous Five meeting the day
before. Maybe, just maybe, the caller wasn't Jon. She crossed her fingers. With
the help of her friends, she should know before long.
After her friends had left, she had thought and thought
about the caller's saying he was going to tell everyone that she was dumb. How
would he do that? He certainly wouldn't stand up in the cafeteria and announce
it. Would he sneak in early and put a poster up in school? No, someone might
see him do that. Would he spray-paint it on a school wall? Possibly.
It wasn't long before Christie knew the answer to her
question. She was still several blocks from school when she passed a fence
where a bunch of elementary school kids were standing. The fence had been spray
painted with big red letters, and a chill ran up Christie's spine as she read
what the letters spelled out:
Christie Winchell is dumb.
The sight of the message blazoned there for all the world to
see made Christie feel numb with shock. She desperately wanted to wipe it off,
but she knew it was hopeless.
Well, he's getting less original, she thought as she turned
away and headed for Wakeman. I'll have to tell him that. It ought to make him
mad. She smiled to herself. For the first time, she felt as if she might know
how to take control of their conversations.
When The Fabulous Five met at their usual table in the
cafeteria during lunch period, Christie quizzed the others. No one had
discovered anything new.
"Finding a boy with an inferiority complex is like
trying to find a pencil when you need one," said Katie. "There's none
around."
"There's one thing that makes this whole thing more
complicated," said Jana. Everyone looked at her. "The fence where he
painted 'Christie Winchell Is Dumb' isn't near any of the other places where he
has done his tricks."
Christie nodded. They had to find out how the caller was
getting out at night long enough to make trips that were ten or fifteen miles
away in different directions.
A feeling of gloom had come over Christie as she headed for
her algebra class. Her hopes of finding the caller were starting to fade. She
had been so hopeful
good at anything. Maybe he'll tell you what it is, and we'll be able to figure
him out from that."
"One thing is for sure," said Melanie, "He
wants attention." They all agreed with her.
"I've got an idea," volunteered Beth. "Remember
Madame Zonga? Why don't we go see her and see if she can tell us who he is?"
Christie's mouth dropped open. "Madame Zonga?" she
shrieked.
"Sure, why not?" said Beth. "This is an
investigation, isn't it? The police call in people like her all the time when
they're stuck on a case."
"But Madame Zonga?" Christie asked again. The
others looked at each other.
Katie shrugged. "She's the only medium, or whatever
they're called, that we know."
"Maybe we ought to try her," said Jana. "What
do we have to lose? Especially if she can help prove it's not Jon."
"It sounds like fun," said Melanie. "Let's go
after school tomorrow." They all agreed.
"Okay," said Jana. "Besides seeing the great
and fantastic Madame Zonga, we'll all keep our eyes out for a seventh-grade boy
who has a huge inferiority complex and is a champion at something."
"That's a start," said Christie. "If we find
someone like that, it will be a lot more than I had before."
"And we won't say anything to anyone else until we have
a better idea about who it is," said Beth.
"I move that we get out our notebooks again and start
taking notes the way we did at Mark Twain Elementary when Taffy Sinclair was so
snotty, and we had our club against her," said Katie. "All detectives
keep notebooks."
"All agreed?" asked Jana.
As everyone yelled, "AYE!", Christie felt happy. The
Fabulous Five were working together to solve the mystery of the hot-line
caller. Whatever they wanted to do, they could do when they stuck together.
CHAPTER 13
On Monday morning, Christie gathered up her books and headed
for school. She felt much better after The Fabulous Five meeting the day
before. Maybe, just maybe, the caller wasn't Jon. She crossed her fingers. With
the help of her friends, she should know before long.
After her friends had left, she had thought and thought
about the caller's saying he was going to tell everyone that she was dumb. How
would he do that? He certainly wouldn't stand up in the cafeteria and announce
it. Would he sneak in early and put a poster up in school? No, someone might
see him do that. Would he spray-paint it on a school wall? Possibly.
It wasn't long before Christie knew the answer to her
question. She was still several blocks from school when she passed a fence
where a bunch of elementary school kids were standing. The fence had been spray
painted with big red letters, and a chill ran up Christie's spine as she read
what the letters spelled out:
Christie Winchell is dumb.
The sight of the message blazoned there for all the world to
see made Christie feel numb with shock. She desperately wanted to wipe it off,
but she knew it was hopeless.
Well, he's getting less original, she thought as she turned
away and headed for Wakeman. I'll have to tell him that. It ought to make him
mad. She smiled to herself. For the first time, she felt as if she might know
how to take control of their conversations.
When The Fabulous Five met at their usual table in the
cafeteria during lunch period, Christie quizzed the others. No one had
discovered anything new.
"Finding a boy with an inferiority complex is like
trying to find a pencil when you need one," said Katie. "There's none
around."
"There's one thing that makes this whole thing more
complicated," said Jana. Everyone looked at her. "The fence where he
painted 'Christie Winchell Is Dumb' isn't near any of the other places where he
has done his tricks."
Christie nodded. They had to find out how the caller was
getting out at night long enough to make trips that were ten or fifteen miles
away in different directions.
A feeling of gloom had come over Christie as she headed for
her algebra class. Her hopes of finding the caller were starting to fade. She
had been so hopeful
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