Read Online Raymie Nightingale by Kate DiCamillo - Free Book Online Page B

answer to the riddle on the bottom, but they made a mistake and forgot to put the answer there,” said Louisiana, “and that’s why we got thousands of the cups for free. Because they don’t have the answer. Isn’t that something?”
    “Yeah,” said Beverly. “That’s something.”
    Raymie held up her paper cup and read the side of it out loud. “What has three legs, no arms, and reads the paper all day long?”
    She looked at the bottom of the cup. There was nothing there.
    “See?” said Louisiana. “There’s no answer.”
    “It’s a stupid question,” said Beverly.
    Outside, there was a flash of lightning and then a large clap of thunder. The chandelier shook.
    “Ooooooh,” said the grandmother. “It’s going to be a big one.”
    “It’s lucky that we’re safe inside and all together,” said Louisiana.
    The rain started to come down in sheets, and the dining room, which was painted a deep blue, became a murky underwater kind of place. Raymie wondered if they had maybe, somehow, journeyed to a different world, the four of them together. It had been such a strange day.
    “Granny?” said Louisiana.
    “Yes, darling.”
    “I miss Archie.”
    “Now, don’t get started on that. Remember what I said: There’s no point in looking back.”
    “But I miss him,” said Louisiana. Her lower lip trembled.
    “They’re taking good care of him at the Very Friendly Animal Center. I’m certain of it.”
    Beverly snorted.
    Louisiana started to cry.
    “Don’t think about it, darling,” said the grandmother. “Some things just do not bear thinking about. Eat your tuna fish. Ponder your riddle.”
    Louisiana cried harder.
    Beverly put her hand on Louisiana’s back. She leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
    “That’s true,” said Louisiana. “We did succeed.”
    “Succeed?” said the grandmother. “What did you succeed at, exactly?”
    “Look,” said Beverly. “My father’s a cop. I know things.”
    “My goodness.” The grandmother sat up straighter. “How interesting. May I inquire: Is your father a police officer in our fair city?”
    “No,” said Beverly.
    “Where, then?”
    “New York City,” said Beverly.
    “New York City!” said Raymie. “He’s not here? He’s in New York City?” She couldn’t believe it. Beverly’s father was gone. Beverly Tapinski was fatherless, too.
    Raymie stared at Beverly, and Beverly stared back at her in a very fierce kind of way.
    “I’m going there, okay?” said Beverly. “Just as soon as I’m old enough, I’m moving to New York. I’ve already run away twice. One time, I made it all the way to Atlanta.”
    “Atlanta!” squeaked Louisiana.
    “In the meantime,” said Beverly. “I’m stuck here. With you people. Doing stupid things like looking for library books under old people’s beds.”
    Beverly put down her tuna-fish can and got up and walked out of the dining room.
    Raymie felt her soul shrink.
    “My goodness,” said Louisiana’s grandmother.
    “I think her heart is broken,” said Louisiana.
    Raymie’s soul shrank further.
    “Beware of the brokenhearted,” said the grandmother, “for they will lead you astray.”
    Outside, it started to rain even harder.
    “That’s all of us, though, Granny, isn’t it?” said Louisiana over the noise of the rain. “Aren’t we all brokenhearted?”

The ride back to town was not fast. They still did not bother to stop for stop signs, but they went past them slowly. And there was no singing. Beverly sat with her arms crossed over her chest, Louisiana looked out the window, and Raymie stared down at
A Bright and Shining Path: The Life of Florence Nightingale
and flexed her toes. But she didn’t really know what her objectives were anymore.
    She was too sad for objectives.
    “Don’t forget,” said Louisiana when Raymie got out of the car. “We succeeded, but there’s another wrong that still needs to be righted.”
    Raymie looked down at the book in her hand.
    “Okay,”