“They choppered in a
“And it looks like no one wil . The sheriff told me it was none of our business and to drop it. And I’m supposed to pass the same on to you: Just forget
what you saw. No good’s going to come from yakking about it.”
“Consider it passed on,” Jack said.
“So whoever they are,” Weezy added, her voice thick, “they get to do whatever they want, whenever they want. Is that the way it’s supposed to work?”
He knew she was thinking about the pyramid.
Tim didn’t reply, so Jack said, “Is that what you’re going to do—mind your own business?”
Tim had never struck him as the type to rol over.
“For the record, yes. But this is my beat, Jack. So the way I see it, whatever goes on here
too. Don’t go snooping around, don’t go sneaking into the Pines at night, don’t pul any Hardy Boys stuff —”
Weezy snickered and Jack wondered if there was some sort of conspiracy to smack him with the Hardy Boys at every opportunity.
“What’s so funny?” Tim said.
Jack waved a hand. “Nothing.”
Tim pul ed out a pen and pad and started scribbling. “Yeah, wel , okay, but listen to me: You see something like that again, or
ordinary, you cal me—and only me.” He handed Jack the slip of paper. “That’s my home phone. It has an answering machine that I check al the time. You
need me, cal and simply say, ‘This is Jack.’ That’s al . Nothing more. I repeat: Say nothing more. I’l find you.” He nodded to Weezy. “You see anything, tel
Jack so he can tel me.”
This sounded like spy stuff, like intrigue, like he’d stepped into Weezy’s world. It made his stomach tingle.
“Okay.” Jack folded the paper but thought better of shoving it into a wet pocket. “You expecting anything to happen?”
Tim shook his head. “Nah. What’s done is done and that’s probably it. But it never hurts to have a couple of extra pairs of eyes on the lookout. And
speaking of looking, I think I’l take a ride out to the mound and see what they’ve done.”
“Can we come along?” Weezy said.
Tim shook his head. “Sorry. Better if you don’t.” He put the car in gear. “Take it easy, you two. And keep those eyes open.”
They watched as he drove away, heading toward the Barrens.
“Think we can trust him?” Weezy said.
“Yeah. Tim’s a good guy.”
Jack just hoped he didn’t get himself in trouble by sticking his nose in the wrong place.
As they started riding again, Jack saw a car pul to a stop at the end of South Franklin. He wouldn’t have paid it much mind except that the driver
seemed so short. His head was so low he could barely see over the dashboard.
Then he recognized the man and realized he wasn’t short—he was crouched low behind the wheel.
Bert Chal is.
He glanced Jack’s way. Their eyes met for a second, then he turned away. His hand shot up to the side of his face, hiding his profile as he gunned the
car and raced down Quakerton Road toward the highway.
What was that al about?
His furtiveness made Jack uneasy. South Franklin led to Harding Street, where the Brussards lived. Was he watching the place?
This was getting scary.
The lock-picking set felt like a fire in Jack’s pocket as he stepped through the front door. Business at USED had been unusual y slow for a Saturday,
al owing Jack extra time to practice on the locks around the store.
The big sale of the day had been the curved-glass China cabinet. Once it could be opened, people became more interested in it. Some lady on an
