Read Online Laugh Till You Cry by Joan Lowery Nixon - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Joan Lowery Nixon
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Anderson, and Jake, who had responded to the police call.
“I didn’t do it,” Cody began.
“That’s what you said last time,” Coach Anderson snapped. “Do we need to get his mother in here?”
“I didn’t do it then, either.”
“Why don’t you tell us what you
did
do?” Jake broke in. “Tell us where you were and why.”
Cody left out the part about the hassle with Hayden. He just said that he had seen Bobby open the door into the basement and go inside, and he had followed.
“I don’t think it could have been Bobby,” Mrs. Alleninterrupted. “Just before lunch he came into the office with a headache and said his cold was worse. I sent him to the nurse’s office to rest and called his mother. She was at her office, but she said she’d come by as soon as she could to pick him up.”
“Did she?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know. Right after that I went to the teachers’ lounge.”
“It
was
Bobby,” Cody insisted. “I saw him.”
“Okay, Cody,” Jake said. “Just give us your story. Tell us the rest.”
“There isn’t anything much left to tell,” Cody said. “I walked through that big room with all the machinery and found a small room way at the end with a desk in it.”
“Did you see Bobby while you were down there?” Mr. Carmody asked.
“No. I didn’t see him at all. But there was another door, and I opened it. It led outside, so I went up the steps to see if Bobby had gone out that way.”
Before anyone could ask, Cody quickly added, “I didn’t see him, so I went back down the stairs. Only the door had shut and locked itself, and I had to come around the block to get back into the school.”
Coach Anderson interrupted, “And that’s where I saw Cody.”
Mr. Carmody scowled at Cody. “You’re trying to tell us you followed a boy who was reported to be in the nurse’s office?”
“He wasn’t in the nurse’s office when I saw him.” Cody felt a tear slide down his cheek, and he rubbed at his face. The situation he was in looked hopeless, but he was too old to break down and cry.
“We need to talk to the nurse,” Jake said. “She can verify whether Bobby was in her office. She was in theteachers’ lounge eating lunch with me when the alarm went off.”
Jake turned to Mr. Carmody. “Was Bobby out here with the other students after the alarm sounded?”
“The school was cleared of all personnel,” Mr. Carmody insisted.
“I didn’t ask that,” Jake said. “I asked if anyone saw Bobby in the schoolyard with the other students.”
For an instant there was silence.
“Before I leave, I’ll get Bobby’s home address and phone number from you,” Jake told Mrs. Allen. “And, of course, we’ll check the source of the phone call, as we did before.”
Indignantly, Coach Anderson asked, “What are you going to do about Cody Carter?”
“Nothing,” Jake said.
“B-but he’s a s-suspect!” she stammered.
“He told us where he was and why he was there,” Jake said. “There’s no evidence to prove that he was anywhere else.”
Mr. Carmody pursed his lips as he thought. “He was not supposed to be down in the basement. There is a clearly marked KEEP OUT sign posted on the door. I’m afraid Cody will have to serve a Saturday detention.”
Coach Anderson nodded agreement and looked partially satisfied.
“So be it,” Jake said. He gave Cody a quick pat on the shoulders and glanced over at a group of teachers who were standing together in a spot of shade.
Cody saw that Ms. Jackson was looking back at Jake and smiling.
“Right now I’ll ask your teachers a few questions. Then I’ll check with the bomb squad to see how soon y’all can get back into the building,” Jake said.
Mr. Carmody looked down his nose at Cody and said, “You are dismissed.”
“Yes, sir,” Cody said. He cut out the side gate and headed for home.
His mother met him at the kitchen door with a finger to her lips. “Shhh. Grandma’s finally been able to get to
“I didn’t do it,” Cody began.
“That’s what you said last time,” Coach Anderson snapped. “Do we need to get his mother in here?”
“I didn’t do it then, either.”
“Why don’t you tell us what you
did
do?” Jake broke in. “Tell us where you were and why.”
Cody left out the part about the hassle with Hayden. He just said that he had seen Bobby open the door into the basement and go inside, and he had followed.
“I don’t think it could have been Bobby,” Mrs. Alleninterrupted. “Just before lunch he came into the office with a headache and said his cold was worse. I sent him to the nurse’s office to rest and called his mother. She was at her office, but she said she’d come by as soon as she could to pick him up.”
“Did she?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know. Right after that I went to the teachers’ lounge.”
“It
was
Bobby,” Cody insisted. “I saw him.”
“Okay, Cody,” Jake said. “Just give us your story. Tell us the rest.”
“There isn’t anything much left to tell,” Cody said. “I walked through that big room with all the machinery and found a small room way at the end with a desk in it.”
“Did you see Bobby while you were down there?” Mr. Carmody asked.
“No. I didn’t see him at all. But there was another door, and I opened it. It led outside, so I went up the steps to see if Bobby had gone out that way.”
Before anyone could ask, Cody quickly added, “I didn’t see him, so I went back down the stairs. Only the door had shut and locked itself, and I had to come around the block to get back into the school.”
Coach Anderson interrupted, “And that’s where I saw Cody.”
Mr. Carmody scowled at Cody. “You’re trying to tell us you followed a boy who was reported to be in the nurse’s office?”
“He wasn’t in the nurse’s office when I saw him.” Cody felt a tear slide down his cheek, and he rubbed at his face. The situation he was in looked hopeless, but he was too old to break down and cry.
“We need to talk to the nurse,” Jake said. “She can verify whether Bobby was in her office. She was in theteachers’ lounge eating lunch with me when the alarm went off.”
Jake turned to Mr. Carmody. “Was Bobby out here with the other students after the alarm sounded?”
“The school was cleared of all personnel,” Mr. Carmody insisted.
“I didn’t ask that,” Jake said. “I asked if anyone saw Bobby in the schoolyard with the other students.”
For an instant there was silence.
“Before I leave, I’ll get Bobby’s home address and phone number from you,” Jake told Mrs. Allen. “And, of course, we’ll check the source of the phone call, as we did before.”
Indignantly, Coach Anderson asked, “What are you going to do about Cody Carter?”
“Nothing,” Jake said.
“B-but he’s a s-suspect!” she stammered.
“He told us where he was and why he was there,” Jake said. “There’s no evidence to prove that he was anywhere else.”
Mr. Carmody pursed his lips as he thought. “He was not supposed to be down in the basement. There is a clearly marked KEEP OUT sign posted on the door. I’m afraid Cody will have to serve a Saturday detention.”
Coach Anderson nodded agreement and looked partially satisfied.
“So be it,” Jake said. He gave Cody a quick pat on the shoulders and glanced over at a group of teachers who were standing together in a spot of shade.
Cody saw that Ms. Jackson was looking back at Jake and smiling.
“Right now I’ll ask your teachers a few questions. Then I’ll check with the bomb squad to see how soon y’all can get back into the building,” Jake said.
Mr. Carmody looked down his nose at Cody and said, “You are dismissed.”
“Yes, sir,” Cody said. He cut out the side gate and headed for home.
His mother met him at the kitchen door with a finger to her lips. “Shhh. Grandma’s finally been able to get to
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