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Authors: Penny Warner
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bathroom, so look there. Iâll see if heâs hiding in back of the school.â
The other three nodded and took off for their assigned areas. Cody headed for the cafeteria.
The noise level inside the large cafeteria was deafening, but Cody hardly noticed, intent on searching for Matt the Brat and getting back the case. After scanning the room twice, she finally spotted Matt sitting at a table with a tray full of food. His plate was untouched, definitely not normal for him. Cody immediately saw why. He was fiddling with something small in his hand.
Skeleton Manâs case.
Cody moved in closer to make sure, being careful to keep herself hidden behind some other kids in case Matt looked up. At the moment, he was too busy trying to pry the metal box open with a fork to notice her. Luckily, it was a plastic fork. One of the tines broke off and flew across the table, landing in Samantha the Snoopâs apple crisp opposite him.
âYou dork!â Samantha said.
She shoved the dessert over to Matt to show him what heâd done. He ignored her and continued trying to open the case with the broken fork.
âWhat are you doing?â Samantha asked. âYou canât open that with a plastic fork, dork. Try this.â She pulled something out of her backpack.
A knife? Cody wondered. Boy, was she going to be in trouble.
Cody inched closer. She was only two tables away.
It wasnât a knife. It was a protractor from math class. Matt the Brat snatched the math tool from Samantha and began digging at the side of the case with the sharp end.
Great! Cody thought. Heâs going to break it open
with that thing! Frantically, she looked around for some way to stop him. She knew she couldnât do it alone.
Thatâs when the idea hit her.
Cody ran out of the cafeteria, nearly knocking over a kid carrying a tray full of meat loaf and potatoes, and sped around the corner toward the school office.
She peered in and found the room empty. The secretary must have been on a bathroom break. Yes!
She ducked into the supply room, where the public address system was kept. Every morning the principal made announcements on the PA systemâupcoming events, changes in the daily schedule, honorable mentionsâalong with a couple of lame jokes. Otherwise, it was used only in case of emergency.
That would be no w , Cody thought.
Cody closed the door and sat down in the chair opposite the microphone. Sheâd have to work fast before the secretary heard the sounds over the loudspeaker and came back to see Cody making themâthat would mean detention for sure. And then her mother would kill her.
But she had to get that case back.
Switching on the âAll-Campusâ button, she turned the volume to high and began tapping on the head of the mic.
Code Busterâs Key and Solution found on pp. 202, 207.
Chapter 12
W hen Cody was finished, she switched off the PA system and quickly slipped out of the office before the secretary returned and caught her. If the woman heard the tapping, Cody hoped sheâd think there was some malfunction with the system and wouldnât recognize Morse code.
Moments later she met up with Luke, Quinn, and M.E. at the door to the cafeteria.
âGot your message,â Luke said, scanning inside the room. âWhere is he?â
Cody pointed out Matt the Brat, who, thankfully, was still working on the case with the sharp end of the protractor. They headed over, trying to keep a low profile so they wouldnât attract Mattâs attention. As they got closer, Cody noticed Matt wasnât poking at the case anymore.
He was stabbing it.
Repeatedly.
It was sure to break open at any second.
âWhat do we do?â Cody whispered.
Luke looked down at a tray of leftover food on one of the nearby tables. He picked up a hard roll and threw it at Mattâs hand. Being the athlete he was, it was a direct hit. The protractor flew out of Mattâs grasp and
The other three nodded and took off for their assigned areas. Cody headed for the cafeteria.
The noise level inside the large cafeteria was deafening, but Cody hardly noticed, intent on searching for Matt the Brat and getting back the case. After scanning the room twice, she finally spotted Matt sitting at a table with a tray full of food. His plate was untouched, definitely not normal for him. Cody immediately saw why. He was fiddling with something small in his hand.
Skeleton Manâs case.
Cody moved in closer to make sure, being careful to keep herself hidden behind some other kids in case Matt looked up. At the moment, he was too busy trying to pry the metal box open with a fork to notice her. Luckily, it was a plastic fork. One of the tines broke off and flew across the table, landing in Samantha the Snoopâs apple crisp opposite him.
âYou dork!â Samantha said.
She shoved the dessert over to Matt to show him what heâd done. He ignored her and continued trying to open the case with the broken fork.
âWhat are you doing?â Samantha asked. âYou canât open that with a plastic fork, dork. Try this.â She pulled something out of her backpack.
A knife? Cody wondered. Boy, was she going to be in trouble.
Cody inched closer. She was only two tables away.
It wasnât a knife. It was a protractor from math class. Matt the Brat snatched the math tool from Samantha and began digging at the side of the case with the sharp end.
Great! Cody thought. Heâs going to break it open
with that thing! Frantically, she looked around for some way to stop him. She knew she couldnât do it alone.
Thatâs when the idea hit her.
Cody ran out of the cafeteria, nearly knocking over a kid carrying a tray full of meat loaf and potatoes, and sped around the corner toward the school office.
She peered in and found the room empty. The secretary must have been on a bathroom break. Yes!
She ducked into the supply room, where the public address system was kept. Every morning the principal made announcements on the PA systemâupcoming events, changes in the daily schedule, honorable mentionsâalong with a couple of lame jokes. Otherwise, it was used only in case of emergency.
That would be no w , Cody thought.
Cody closed the door and sat down in the chair opposite the microphone. Sheâd have to work fast before the secretary heard the sounds over the loudspeaker and came back to see Cody making themâthat would mean detention for sure. And then her mother would kill her.
But she had to get that case back.
Switching on the âAll-Campusâ button, she turned the volume to high and began tapping on the head of the mic.
Code Busterâs Key and Solution found on pp. 202, 207.
Chapter 12
W hen Cody was finished, she switched off the PA system and quickly slipped out of the office before the secretary returned and caught her. If the woman heard the tapping, Cody hoped sheâd think there was some malfunction with the system and wouldnât recognize Morse code.
Moments later she met up with Luke, Quinn, and M.E. at the door to the cafeteria.
âGot your message,â Luke said, scanning inside the room. âWhere is he?â
Cody pointed out Matt the Brat, who, thankfully, was still working on the case with the sharp end of the protractor. They headed over, trying to keep a low profile so they wouldnât attract Mattâs attention. As they got closer, Cody noticed Matt wasnât poking at the case anymore.
He was stabbing it.
Repeatedly.
It was sure to break open at any second.
âWhat do we do?â Cody whispered.
Luke looked down at a tray of leftover food on one of the nearby tables. He picked up a hard roll and threw it at Mattâs hand. Being the athlete he was, it was a direct hit. The protractor flew out of Mattâs grasp and
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