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Authors: Joan Lowery Nixon
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into Cody’s stomach.
Cody grabbed it and watched the Triple Trouble saunter down the hall in the direction of the cafeteria. Quickly he retrieved his books and stuffed everything into his locker. The hallway was emptying fast, and he needed to catch up with the others and be seen in the cafeteria.
Twice Cody saw Hayden turn to look at him. Then from the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of someone going in the opposite direction. He turned and noticed Bobby opening a door and slipping through, shutting it behind him.
Cody knew that it was the door to the school’s basement. It had a large KEEP OUT sign posted on it, and only the janitors were allowed to open it.
Bobby didn’t belong in there with all the machinery that kept the heaters and air conditioners and water supply and electrical units going. Cody had to find out what Bobby was up to. He jogged to the door, opened it, and followed Bobby’s path.
Cement steps led down to a large, deep basement, which was lit with bright exposed lightbulbs. Ahead of Cody, as he walked down the stairs, were large machines that hummed and rattled and purred and even hissed. There were passageways between them, and Cody walked through one of them. With the noise from the machinery, no one could hear his footsteps, but he couldn’t hear Bobby’s, either. As he passed the last of the machines, he found himself facing a small, square room with an open door. Inside were a desk, a chair, and a few old file cabinets. The room was empty, so where was Bobby? How could he just disappear?
Cody was ready to retrace his steps when he realized there was another door, partially hidden behind a battered old screen. Hesitantly, he took hold of the doorknob and slowly turned it, pulling on the door.
It opened to the outside. Cody walked up a flight of cement steps and emerged on the side street next to the school. Could this be the way Bobby had gone? Cody hadn’t been that far behind him. Surely, he should have been able to see him somewhere on the block.
But Cody realized that Bobby had seemed to know where he was going, as though he’d used this route before. Cody, in contrast, had been slow and cautious in following him. A couple of minutes’ difference would have made it easy for Bobby to disappear from sight.
Cody descended the steps and reached out to open the door to the janitors’ office. He tugged, but the knobwouldn’t turn in his hand. Apparently, the door had locked automatically, and he wouldn’t be able to get back in.
He had no choice but to walk around the block to either the front doors or the yard in back. Cody groaned as he realized he’d probably have some explaining to do. He just hoped it wouldn’t be to Coach Anderson.
Cody saw her at the same time she spied him. Standing by the wire fence that surrounded the schoolyard, Coach Anderson spotted Cody, started with surprise, and went to meet him at the gate.
“What were you doing off campus?” she demanded.
Cody had his mouth open, ready to explain, when the school’s loud alarm went off.
Coach Anderson swung open the gate with one hand and grabbed Cody’s arm with the other. Making sure the gate was locked, she marched Cody across the yard toward the students who were hurrying to line up.
“If that’s another bomb threat, you’re in big trouble!” she yelled into Cody’s ear.
He winced and stumbled, trying to keep up with her long strides. He was in trouble, all right. There was no doubt about it.
CHAPTER NINE
There had been a second threatening telephone call to the school. The caller’s voice had been muffled, so some of his words were indistinct, but Mr. Carmody insisted that it was the same voice he had heard the first time.
“He said ‘smoke,’ ” Mr. Carmody reported. “I know I heard him say ‘smoke.’ ”
Cody, who’d been detained after all the other kids had been allowed to go home early, faced Mr. Carmody, Mrs. Allen, the school’s short, plump secretary, Coach
Cody grabbed it and watched the Triple Trouble saunter down the hall in the direction of the cafeteria. Quickly he retrieved his books and stuffed everything into his locker. The hallway was emptying fast, and he needed to catch up with the others and be seen in the cafeteria.
Twice Cody saw Hayden turn to look at him. Then from the corner of his eye, he caught the movement of someone going in the opposite direction. He turned and noticed Bobby opening a door and slipping through, shutting it behind him.
Cody knew that it was the door to the school’s basement. It had a large KEEP OUT sign posted on it, and only the janitors were allowed to open it.
Bobby didn’t belong in there with all the machinery that kept the heaters and air conditioners and water supply and electrical units going. Cody had to find out what Bobby was up to. He jogged to the door, opened it, and followed Bobby’s path.
Cement steps led down to a large, deep basement, which was lit with bright exposed lightbulbs. Ahead of Cody, as he walked down the stairs, were large machines that hummed and rattled and purred and even hissed. There were passageways between them, and Cody walked through one of them. With the noise from the machinery, no one could hear his footsteps, but he couldn’t hear Bobby’s, either. As he passed the last of the machines, he found himself facing a small, square room with an open door. Inside were a desk, a chair, and a few old file cabinets. The room was empty, so where was Bobby? How could he just disappear?
Cody was ready to retrace his steps when he realized there was another door, partially hidden behind a battered old screen. Hesitantly, he took hold of the doorknob and slowly turned it, pulling on the door.
It opened to the outside. Cody walked up a flight of cement steps and emerged on the side street next to the school. Could this be the way Bobby had gone? Cody hadn’t been that far behind him. Surely, he should have been able to see him somewhere on the block.
But Cody realized that Bobby had seemed to know where he was going, as though he’d used this route before. Cody, in contrast, had been slow and cautious in following him. A couple of minutes’ difference would have made it easy for Bobby to disappear from sight.
Cody descended the steps and reached out to open the door to the janitors’ office. He tugged, but the knobwouldn’t turn in his hand. Apparently, the door had locked automatically, and he wouldn’t be able to get back in.
He had no choice but to walk around the block to either the front doors or the yard in back. Cody groaned as he realized he’d probably have some explaining to do. He just hoped it wouldn’t be to Coach Anderson.
Cody saw her at the same time she spied him. Standing by the wire fence that surrounded the schoolyard, Coach Anderson spotted Cody, started with surprise, and went to meet him at the gate.
“What were you doing off campus?” she demanded.
Cody had his mouth open, ready to explain, when the school’s loud alarm went off.
Coach Anderson swung open the gate with one hand and grabbed Cody’s arm with the other. Making sure the gate was locked, she marched Cody across the yard toward the students who were hurrying to line up.
“If that’s another bomb threat, you’re in big trouble!” she yelled into Cody’s ear.
He winced and stumbled, trying to keep up with her long strides. He was in trouble, all right. There was no doubt about it.
CHAPTER NINE
There had been a second threatening telephone call to the school. The caller’s voice had been muffled, so some of his words were indistinct, but Mr. Carmody insisted that it was the same voice he had heard the first time.
“He said ‘smoke,’ ” Mr. Carmody reported. “I know I heard him say ‘smoke.’ ”
Cody, who’d been detained after all the other kids had been allowed to go home early, faced Mr. Carmody, Mrs. Allen, the school’s short, plump secretary, Coach
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