Read Online The Secrets of Tree Taylor by Dandi Daley Mackall - Free Book Online
Authors: Dandi Daley Mackall
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running fast and grabbing the flag to give us the victory.
“No, Karen.” I grinned at Penny. “
Penny
is the best. She could have beat the guys single-handed.”
“Very true.” Jack wrenched free from Karen’s clutches and handed Penny the flag, a white handkerchief. “Congratulations.”
Penny grinned and took the flag from him. “I accept.”
Music still blared from our house. The quartet would be at it another hour or more. “So now what do you want to do?” I asked.
After a few seconds of silence, Chuck jumped up and dashed to the road. “I know!” He glanced down the street toward the Kinney place. “Let’s go see where that guy shot himself.”
12
Far-Out!
Chuck mimicked putting a gun to his head and firing. “So, Tree, what’s your dad say about Old Man Kinney trying to kill himself?”
I didn’t answer.
“I thought it was an accident.” Somehow, Karen had ended up next to Jack again.
“Maybe … maybe not.” Chuck walked backward up the street a couple of feet. “Let’s see for ourselves!”
I didn’t want to agree with Chuck, but I liked the idea of checking out the house. Maybe we’d find a clue.
“So, what’s the plan, Chuck?” Jack asked. “You going to waltz up to the door and ask Mrs. Kinney if you can search her house?”
“I’m not going to ask her anything. I’ll see what I can see.” Chuck turned to Penny and me. “Who’s in?”
Penny shook her head. “I’ll stay here.”
“Big surprise,” Chuck muttered.
“Me too,” Karen said. “We could talk about what we’re doing for the steam engine show. I’m making my own costume.” She batted her eyelashes at Jack. “Maybe we could dress up as a famous couple, Jack. Like Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Boone?”
Jack ignored her. His gaze hadn’t left Chuck.
I wouldn’t go unless Jack did. But I really hoped he’d go. “Chuck’s going to do this with or without us, Jack.”
“She’s right. Better come keep an eye on me.”
Jack shook his head, then glanced at me. “Okay. But nobody bothers that woman. Got it?”
Chuck whooped. The rest of us, except Penny, fell in. Karen had changed her mind and now wormed her way next to Jack, which left me beside Chuck.
I was glad to finally be going to the Kinney place to investigate, but I wished it was just Jack and me. Not Chuck. I wished Chuck were already in the army. Soon as I thought it, I felt guilty. What if Chuck ended up going to Vietnam, and I’d wished it on him? “Chuck, do you think the army will send you to Vietnam?”
“No way!” He elbowed me, hard. “Reserves and National Guard. That’s the way to go. It’s poor schmucks like D.J.—guys who aren’t signing up and aren’t going to college—who are going to end up getting drafted and shipped off to Vietnam. Not me. I’m not waiting around to be drafted.”
“D.J.’s no schmuck!” I said.
Jack stopped his conversation with Karen and turned to Chuck. “There are no schmucks in Vietnam—at least no American schmucks. Soldiers there are fighting your fight, Chuck. You ought to show more respect.”
I wanted to ask Jack what he meant, but Karen had glued herself to his side. And anyway, we’d reached the Kinneys’ house.
Now that we stood facing it, our mission seemed pretty lame.
“Where did he do it?” Chuck asked. “I heard it was on the porch.” He walked closer, while the rest of us stayed back, near my old hiding place, the cottonwood.
“This is a bad idea,” Jack muttered. “Chuck, come back, man. You’re going to scare the woman to death.”
Even with Jack there, I felt scared. What if Mrs. Kinney still had that rifle stretched across her lap?
Chuck bent over, hands on his knees, to inspect the porch. “No blood here.”
Clouds hid nearly all the stars. The TV from a house across the street gave the only light in flickering shadows. I glanced down the road at the pitch-dark Quiet House and imagined Gary asleep in his bed. The Kinney house couldn’t have
“No, Karen.” I grinned at Penny. “
Penny
is the best. She could have beat the guys single-handed.”
“Very true.” Jack wrenched free from Karen’s clutches and handed Penny the flag, a white handkerchief. “Congratulations.”
Penny grinned and took the flag from him. “I accept.”
Music still blared from our house. The quartet would be at it another hour or more. “So now what do you want to do?” I asked.
After a few seconds of silence, Chuck jumped up and dashed to the road. “I know!” He glanced down the street toward the Kinney place. “Let’s go see where that guy shot himself.”
12
Far-Out!
Chuck mimicked putting a gun to his head and firing. “So, Tree, what’s your dad say about Old Man Kinney trying to kill himself?”
I didn’t answer.
“I thought it was an accident.” Somehow, Karen had ended up next to Jack again.
“Maybe … maybe not.” Chuck walked backward up the street a couple of feet. “Let’s see for ourselves!”
I didn’t want to agree with Chuck, but I liked the idea of checking out the house. Maybe we’d find a clue.
“So, what’s the plan, Chuck?” Jack asked. “You going to waltz up to the door and ask Mrs. Kinney if you can search her house?”
“I’m not going to ask her anything. I’ll see what I can see.” Chuck turned to Penny and me. “Who’s in?”
Penny shook her head. “I’ll stay here.”
“Big surprise,” Chuck muttered.
“Me too,” Karen said. “We could talk about what we’re doing for the steam engine show. I’m making my own costume.” She batted her eyelashes at Jack. “Maybe we could dress up as a famous couple, Jack. Like Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Boone?”
Jack ignored her. His gaze hadn’t left Chuck.
I wouldn’t go unless Jack did. But I really hoped he’d go. “Chuck’s going to do this with or without us, Jack.”
“She’s right. Better come keep an eye on me.”
Jack shook his head, then glanced at me. “Okay. But nobody bothers that woman. Got it?”
Chuck whooped. The rest of us, except Penny, fell in. Karen had changed her mind and now wormed her way next to Jack, which left me beside Chuck.
I was glad to finally be going to the Kinney place to investigate, but I wished it was just Jack and me. Not Chuck. I wished Chuck were already in the army. Soon as I thought it, I felt guilty. What if Chuck ended up going to Vietnam, and I’d wished it on him? “Chuck, do you think the army will send you to Vietnam?”
“No way!” He elbowed me, hard. “Reserves and National Guard. That’s the way to go. It’s poor schmucks like D.J.—guys who aren’t signing up and aren’t going to college—who are going to end up getting drafted and shipped off to Vietnam. Not me. I’m not waiting around to be drafted.”
“D.J.’s no schmuck!” I said.
Jack stopped his conversation with Karen and turned to Chuck. “There are no schmucks in Vietnam—at least no American schmucks. Soldiers there are fighting your fight, Chuck. You ought to show more respect.”
I wanted to ask Jack what he meant, but Karen had glued herself to his side. And anyway, we’d reached the Kinneys’ house.
Now that we stood facing it, our mission seemed pretty lame.
“Where did he do it?” Chuck asked. “I heard it was on the porch.” He walked closer, while the rest of us stayed back, near my old hiding place, the cottonwood.
“This is a bad idea,” Jack muttered. “Chuck, come back, man. You’re going to scare the woman to death.”
Even with Jack there, I felt scared. What if Mrs. Kinney still had that rifle stretched across her lap?
Chuck bent over, hands on his knees, to inspect the porch. “No blood here.”
Clouds hid nearly all the stars. The TV from a house across the street gave the only light in flickering shadows. I glanced down the road at the pitch-dark Quiet House and imagined Gary asleep in his bed. The Kinney house couldn’t have
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