Read Online Mystery of the Phantom Heist by Franklin W. Dixon - Free Book Online Page A

someone working on the biggest Sweet Sixteen of the decade in just two days.
    “I’m surprised you’re not running around for Lindsay tonight,” I said.
    “Who says I’m not?” Sierra asked with a smile. “Lindsay wanted me to order a ton of coffee for her party. That’s the reason I was here early.”
    She took another sip, then said, “So you and your brother are detectives? How did that start?”
    “Our dad is a private investigator,” I explained. “When Joe and I were kids, we asked a lot of questions about his cases. When he got sick of answering us, we decided to work on our own. We were only about eight and nine.”
    “Kid detectives?” Sierra smiled. “How sweet!”
    She called me sweet! As we talked about other stuff like movies, school, and favorite foods, I started loosening up. Turns out Sierra loved mac and cheese just like me. But by the time I was on my second chiller, I decided to switch from small talk to spy talk.
    “Do you know a guy at Bay Academy named Colin?” I asked.
    “Colin?” Sierra said with a shrug. “There are a few guys at school named Colin.”
    “Colin Sylvester,” I said.
    Sierra put her teacup down on a side table. “Yeah, I know that Colin,” she said. “He sits near me in math.”
    “So . . . is he bad news or what?” I asked.
    Sierra blinked in surprise. “Bad news?” She chuckled. “What makes you ask that?”
    I’d been hoping she wouldn’t ask me that.
    The friend part of me wanted to tell Sierra everything about our case—the viral videos, the vandalism. But the detective part knew not to share too much.
    “Joe and I think he might be up to something,” I said. “But that’s all I can say for now.”
    “Ooh,” Sierra said, her eyes flashing. “A man of mystery!”
    Man of mystery. I liked that.
    “Actually, Colin can be a jerk sometimes,” Sierra offered. “Truth is, I think his bark is worse than his bite.”
    “I doubt it,” I murmured, remembering the hurled soda can.
    “What?” Sierra asked.
    “Nothing,” I said.
    “By the way,” Sierra chuckled, “you’ll be happy to know that Mr. Peyton found a solution to Lindsay’s keyed car. He bought her a new one!”
    “Surprise, surprise,” I laughed.
    “Mr. Peyton was going to give Lindsay a new car for her sixteenth birthday anyway,” Sierra said. “And speaking of the Sweet Sixteen, I’d better call it a night. I’m going to be crazy busy tomorrow with last-minute prep.”
    “Sure,” I agreed as we stood up. “Um . . . can I call you again?”
    Sierra tilted her head at me and smiled. “If I may remind you,” she said, “I was the one who called you . . . so the next move is yours.”
    I offered to follow Sierra’s car home, but she refused. She didn’t seem worried about the pranks going on around Bayport. I guessed she was too busy with the party to worry about anything.
    “Okay,” Joe said after I picked him up at Chet’s house. “So how’d it go?”
    “Great!” I said as I drove the two of us home. “We talked about a lot of stuff.”
    “About Colin?” Joe teased. “Or about your future together?”
    “Will you quit it?” I said. “I did ask Sierra about Colin, but she didn’t have a lot on him. Just that he’s an idiot and not dangerous.”
    “Glad she thinks so,” Joe said. “And I’m glad you have a new girlfriend.”
    “Joe!” I sighed as I turned onto our block. “She’s not my girl.”
    Yet.
    As I drove up our street, I saw flashing lights in the distance.
    “What’s that?” I wondered.
    I drove a few more feet, and then Joe said, “Frank, there’s a fire truck in front of our house!”
    “Fire?” I exclaimed. “No way!”
    My heart pounded as I stopped behind the fire truck. Jumping out of the car, Joe and I raced toward our house. The house wasn’t on fire—but our garage was.
    My first feeling was relief—at least our house wasn’t burning down. And since I had the car, there was nothing in the garage but some