Read Online The Secret of the Skeleton Key by Penny Warner - Free Book Online Page A

sculptures. Turning it over again, Cody searched for a way to open it.
    â€œDakota Jones?” Stad called.
    Cody was so deep in thought while trying to open the box, she was startled to hear her name. Matt the Brat turned around in his chair, grinning wetly.
    â€œUh, here,” she said, raising her hand.
    Before she could lower her hand, Matt made a swipe at the case, knocking it to the floor with a loud clink!
    The whole class turned toward Cody. She blushed as she leaned over to retrieve the case.
    â€œDakota?”
    Cody looked up at the face of Ms. Stadelhofer looming over her, frowning.
    â€œI…dropped my…,” she started to say.
    Stad held out a freckled hand. “I’ll take that. You may have it back at lunch. Until then, it remains on my desk with the other confiscated objects. You know the rules.”
    Cody slowly placed the case in Ms. Stadelhofer’s outstretched hand. Matt the Brat snorted, and Cody knew he was enjoying her humiliation immensely. Matt’s philosophy was: If Matt the Brat couldn’t have it, nobody could. No matter what it was.
    As Stad walked back to her desk, Matt whispered, “What’s so special about that stupid box anyway? Do you keep your little treasures in there? Or is that your makeup case—”
    â€œMatthew Jeffreys,” Ms. Stadelhofer called from her desk. “Turn around. Eyes front. Pencil in hand.”
    Cody gave Matt a wicked smile as he turned to face the teacher. She’d have to keep an eye on the Brat until she got that case back.
    Worried about the metal case, Cody could hardly keep her mind on her social studies the rest of the morning. Luckily, Matt the Brat seemed to have forgotten all about it. He was busy bugging other kids and hadn’t paid much attention to her after the incident.
    All during a long and boring “trip” to some ancient civilization, Cody kept shifting her attention from the other confiscated items on Ms. Stad’s desk— a silver iPod, a charm bracelet, a headset, some gummy worms, and a coded note that Samantha the Snoop had intercepted between Cody and M.E.—to the classroom clock hanging on the wall by the door.
    On the dot of 11:59 a.m., she checked to make sure the metal case was still on Ms. Stad’s desk. Quickly, she lifted the top of her desk, retrieved her books and papers, unzipped her backpack, stuffed everything inside, closed the desktop, and sat up straight to wait for the lunch bell. She stared intently at the clock, willing the long hand to click over to 12:00 noon.
    The bell rang. Along with everyone else in class, Cody stood up and hoisted on her backpack. She ran for the teacher’s desk, through the crowd of kids all trying to exit at the same time.
    When she reached Ms. Stad’s desk, she blinked in disbelief.
    The case was missing.
    And so was Matt the Brat.
    â€œIt’s gone!” Cody said, grabbing M.E. on her way out of her classroom.
    â€œWhat’s gone?” M.E. frowned at Cody’s worried face.
    â€œThe case! Ms. Stadelhofer took it and put it on her desk with the other stuff, but when I went to get it, it was gone!”
    â€œOh no,” M.E. said. She waved over Quinn and Luke, who were headed for the cafeteria.
    â€œâ€™Sup?” Luke asked, as he and Quinn joined the two girls.
    â€œThe case. It’s gone!” Cody squealed.
    â€œSkeleton Man’s case?” Quinn asked, lifting his sunglasses to eye Cody. He didn’t look happy.
    â€œDuuude,” Luke said, which could have meant “No way” or “Not good” or any number of things.
    â€œI know, ” Cody said, near tears. “I think Matt the Brat stole it!”
    M.E. scanned the school grounds, then turned back to the group. “We’ve got to get it back. Let’s spread out and see if we can find Matt. Cody, you try the cafeteria. Luke, check out the playing field. Quinn, he might be in the boy’s