Read Online Mosquitoes of Summer by Julianna Kozma - Free Book Online
Authors: Julianna Kozma
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he knows about the knife?” asked Emily. “Maybe it’s his!”
Hannah and Lucy looked stunned. The knife! Maybe that’s what the burglar was looking for. He probably thought that Lucy had the knife hidden in her room and came looking for it. In fact, Hannah still had it in her backpack. But why the interest? Could it be that someone actually saw them find it? They never really paid much attention to the other people down at the beach. Maybe they should have been more careful, but who would have thought they were in danger.
“His story about the burglary sounded phony to me,” intoned Hannah. She started ticking off her fingers. “First of all, he couldn’t describe the burglar. If Malone was really in the driveway and saw the guy running away, he should have had a clear view. After all, it’s the middle of the afternoon, with lots of light out. He was not that far away from the ‘supposed’ burglar.
“Secondly, why was the back door broken? Your parents don’t lock it so anyone could go in. It seems like someone wanted to make it look like a real burglary. Why?
“And third, for someone who came from a fishing expedition, where was his gear?”
The three friends exchanged puzzled looks. Deep in thought, they sat high up in the old maple, watching the house from their platform. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves and warm sunshine dappled the girls’ faces. “I think we need to keep an eye on Mr. Malone.”
CHAPTER NINE
JACK JACK
The Crazy Squirrel came back!
“Daaaadd!!!!!!” The camper swayed erratically. Whacking noises beat an unusual rhythm. The tent’s soft side walls shook with each whack.
“Hannah, what’s wrong?” yelled Dad from the roof of the house. He was desperately trying to reach the ladder. Strong winds were wreaking havoc with anything and everything that was not securely tied down, including the rickety wooden ladder which kept on angling away from the house.
The camper door slammed open and Hannah bounded outside, arms waving wildly above her head. “The Crazy Squirrel is back! He’s running around inside the camper, mad as hell!”
“Oh … My … God! Dad!!!! Hannah said a bad word,” yelled Emily, face planting in the grass in front of the camper, completely missing the first step down. Bad habit, that face planting, thought Hannah, not even remotely trying to suppress her giggles.
“Hah! That’s what happens when you don’t mind your own business,” Hannah shot back. Picking herself up while sticking her tongue out at Hannah, Emily quickly made her way to the side of the house. The ladder was now barely gripping the corner ledge of the house’s roof.
“Emily, push the ladder back towards the window,” advised Dad. “I’ll come down and see about the squirrel, but I doubt it’s the same one.”
“It’s definitely the Crazy Squirrel. Same scar and same stumpy tail. And he is NOT pleased. But go see for yourself. By the way, what were you doing up on the roof?”
“I had to patch the chimney area with tar where the rain was coming in,” explained Dad. “We need to get this house as dry as possible so that those black water beetles don’t come in anymore. They love the dark and the damp. But they freak your mother out, and she hates to hear them flying around at night.”
Shuddering at the thought, Emily heartily agreed with Mom for a change. Quite simply put, they were disgusting. And at night they flew in her hair and climbed into her clothes that were lying on the floor. Yuck! Now she had to put her clothes in the laundry hamper. Talk about slave labour. “Go get him Dad!” Although out loud she voiced total confidence in her dad, in truth she was not sure who would actually win, squirrel or man.
Wiping his black and sticky hands on his pants, Dad warily made his way to the open camper door. He slowly peeked inside. Suddenly he pulled back and slammed the door!
“Unbelievable! He’s staring right at me.”
The Crazy Squirrel set up such a
Hannah and Lucy looked stunned. The knife! Maybe that’s what the burglar was looking for. He probably thought that Lucy had the knife hidden in her room and came looking for it. In fact, Hannah still had it in her backpack. But why the interest? Could it be that someone actually saw them find it? They never really paid much attention to the other people down at the beach. Maybe they should have been more careful, but who would have thought they were in danger.
“His story about the burglary sounded phony to me,” intoned Hannah. She started ticking off her fingers. “First of all, he couldn’t describe the burglar. If Malone was really in the driveway and saw the guy running away, he should have had a clear view. After all, it’s the middle of the afternoon, with lots of light out. He was not that far away from the ‘supposed’ burglar.
“Secondly, why was the back door broken? Your parents don’t lock it so anyone could go in. It seems like someone wanted to make it look like a real burglary. Why?
“And third, for someone who came from a fishing expedition, where was his gear?”
The three friends exchanged puzzled looks. Deep in thought, they sat high up in the old maple, watching the house from their platform. A gentle breeze stirred the leaves and warm sunshine dappled the girls’ faces. “I think we need to keep an eye on Mr. Malone.”
CHAPTER NINE
JACK JACK
The Crazy Squirrel came back!
“Daaaadd!!!!!!” The camper swayed erratically. Whacking noises beat an unusual rhythm. The tent’s soft side walls shook with each whack.
“Hannah, what’s wrong?” yelled Dad from the roof of the house. He was desperately trying to reach the ladder. Strong winds were wreaking havoc with anything and everything that was not securely tied down, including the rickety wooden ladder which kept on angling away from the house.
The camper door slammed open and Hannah bounded outside, arms waving wildly above her head. “The Crazy Squirrel is back! He’s running around inside the camper, mad as hell!”
“Oh … My … God! Dad!!!! Hannah said a bad word,” yelled Emily, face planting in the grass in front of the camper, completely missing the first step down. Bad habit, that face planting, thought Hannah, not even remotely trying to suppress her giggles.
“Hah! That’s what happens when you don’t mind your own business,” Hannah shot back. Picking herself up while sticking her tongue out at Hannah, Emily quickly made her way to the side of the house. The ladder was now barely gripping the corner ledge of the house’s roof.
“Emily, push the ladder back towards the window,” advised Dad. “I’ll come down and see about the squirrel, but I doubt it’s the same one.”
“It’s definitely the Crazy Squirrel. Same scar and same stumpy tail. And he is NOT pleased. But go see for yourself. By the way, what were you doing up on the roof?”
“I had to patch the chimney area with tar where the rain was coming in,” explained Dad. “We need to get this house as dry as possible so that those black water beetles don’t come in anymore. They love the dark and the damp. But they freak your mother out, and she hates to hear them flying around at night.”
Shuddering at the thought, Emily heartily agreed with Mom for a change. Quite simply put, they were disgusting. And at night they flew in her hair and climbed into her clothes that were lying on the floor. Yuck! Now she had to put her clothes in the laundry hamper. Talk about slave labour. “Go get him Dad!” Although out loud she voiced total confidence in her dad, in truth she was not sure who would actually win, squirrel or man.
Wiping his black and sticky hands on his pants, Dad warily made his way to the open camper door. He slowly peeked inside. Suddenly he pulled back and slammed the door!
“Unbelievable! He’s staring right at me.”
The Crazy Squirrel set up such a
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