“The prize for getting to level ten,” said Joey. He handed the thing to Ingrid.
The Gobbler Bowl game started at ten. Echo Falls versus South Harrow, a rivalry that went back to 1899. Ingrid got up at seven—had to be at the field early to grill burgers for the Boosters—and went downstairs. No one in the kitchen, but Mom already had the turkey in the oven—the smell filled the house. Grampy, shoulder all sewn up, wouldn’t be at the field—he’d had it up to here with football, even the Gobbler Bowl game—but would stop by the house later. He’d promised to bring deep-fried yams he made himself, some recipe from way back, inedible.
Ingrid went over to the table. What was this? A Boxster brochure, with a dealer’s card attached. The dealer’s name was Buddy. Buddy had written a little note. Hey! Mark! Check out Chapter 1!! Ingrid flipped to page eight: gleaming Boxster on a mountain road, handsome young dude at the wheel, hair flying free. Dad had been pretty cheerful the last few days. He’d gotten a big raise from Mr. Ferrand. Ingrid tossed the brochure in the trash.
She heard that familiar clang from the basement, went down to see. Ty lay on the bench press, stripped to the waist, pumping iron. Four twenty-fives. With the bar, that made one forty-five: a little less iron, but still plenty, in Ingrid’s opinion.
“Is that a good idea before the game?” she said. Ty was starting for the Red Raiders on Gobbler Bowl Day, amazing for a freshman. Everyone said the boys who played in the Gobbler Bowl remembered for the rest of their lives.
Ty raised the bar into the cradle, sat up. His muscles didn’t look quite as big as the last time she’d seen them, not quite as defined.
“Why not?” he said.
“Maybe you should be saving your strength.”
Their eyes met. His were distant. He reached for his BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER T-shirt and put it on, but not before Ingrid saw that his back was less pimply. “Pretty funny coming from you,” he said.
Ingrid ignored that. It was a special day, after all, and maybe he was right. “You nervous?” she said.
“No way.”
“I play better when I’m nervous,” Ingrid said.
“That’s soccer,” said Ty. “This is football.” But his hands were trembling; she could actually see it.
“I read this survey,” Ingrid said. “Ninety-nine point nine percent of NFL players say they play better when they’re nervous.” Complete fabrication.
“Yeah?” said Ty. “Where?”
“Where what?”
“Where was this survey?”
“You know. One of those sports magazines at Dr. Binkerman’s.”
“Like ESPN the Magazine?”
“Yeah,” said Ingrid. “Like that.”
“Sure it said the NFL?”
Ingrid nodded. “The big boys,” she said. “The big boys of autumn.” Maybe she had a future in sports broadcasting.
Ty looked thoughtful. “What time is it?” he said.
“Around seven thirty.”
“I better start getting nervous,” Ty said.
“In a hurry,” said Ingrid.
Their eyes met again, and all of a sudden they were laughing, just laughing and laughing like crazy little kids, tears on their faces. Somewhere in the house Nigel started barking maniacally.
“Hey,” Mom called down. “What’s going on?”
About the Author
PETER ABRAHAMS is the bestselling author of END OF STORY, OBLIVION, and THE FAN, as well as many others. He received Edgar Award nominations for his books LIGHTS OUT and DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE. Mr. Abrahams makes his home in Falmouth, Massachusetts, with his wife and four children. BEHIND THE CURTAIN is the second book in the critically acclaimed Echo Falls series.
You can visit him online at www.peterabrahams.com and www.echofallsmysteries.com.
Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.
Praise for BEHIND THE CURTAIN
“A terrific yarn, full of nail-biting suspense, smart detection, and glints of hip good humor. Nancy Drew was never like this; it’s the real deal. I couldn’t put it down, and I can’t wait for Peter Abrahams to hurry up with Ingrid’s third adventure. I’m hooked on Echo Falls.”
—Stephen King
“Ingrid’s wit and precise reasoning once again draw readers into close connection with an active and engaging mind, reinforcing her solid appeal as a character. Abrahams is bravely wise in drawing his adults as well. Fans will relish the continued adventure while readers new to Echo Falls will find the substantial appeal here reason enough to go back for the first in the series.”
—BCCB (starred review)
“A timely issue gives this mystery a ‘ripped from the headlines’ flavor, but the real kick for readers comes from a believable eighth-grade heroine’s investigation of a high-school scandal.”
—ALA Booklist (starred review)
“In a literature notoriously light on solid mysteries, Abrahams’s second outing for kids stands out as a deliciously plotted, highly satisfying adventure.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Behind the Curtain draws mystery fans into non-stop action fueled by the contemporary issues of drugs, jobs, and land development. This high sense of adventure, engineered with an engaging heroine and a rich cast of characters, will lead readers to clamor for Abrahams’s next mystery.”
—Chicago Sun Times
“With gritty humor and suspense, this Down the Rabbit Hole sequel captures the on-the-cusp sensibility of a 13-year-old who’s just starting to glean that you can’t always take the grown-up world at face value.”
—Daily News
“The mystery is entertaining and well constructed. Something about Ingrid reminds me of another middle-school sleuth, Sammy Keyes, from the successful series by Wendelin Van Draanen.”
—KLIATT
Credits
Cover art © 2006 by Paul Robinson
Copyright
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: An Echo Falls Mystery. Copyright © 2006 by Pas de Deux. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.
Adobe Digital Edition March 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-189119-9
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About the Publisher
Australia
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http://www.harpercollins.co.nz
United Kingdom
HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.
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http://www.harpercollinsebooks.co.uk
United States
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http://www.harpercollinsebooks.com
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