They scramble to do what she says, Ean securing himself to the same pipe as Rocco, and Vail attaching himself to the door handle of his truck.
When everyone is settled, Diamond holsters her super-sized slingshot in the same black vest she wore when she helped me with Danae’s brother, Zeke. Yep, I’ve definitely got to get a vest. Now I need a super-sized slingshot, too.
As I quickly fill Diamond in on what she missed, I do a quick check on Vail and Ean’s cable ties, making sure they’re tight enough. When I’m done she paces away, staring out across the yard to the boat where the time capsule was.
For a few seconds, I watch her, trying to figure out what she’s thinking, but finally, I turn back to the work bay and my gaze lifts to the ceiling where I see a camera mounted and pointed down.
Cameras.
I walk out into the sun, looking up and around the boatyard, seeing cameras mounted here and there around the property. I turn back to Ean. “Where does your mom keep the server with the camera footage?”
Ean nods toward the office. “In there. I think it clears every thirty days.”
I look back at Diamond and nod to the office. “Let’s go.”
The door is already unlocked, and we walk right in. Ean knows the password to the computer, and within seconds we’re logged on and reviewing footage. We go back to the day the time capsule was stolen and we fast forward through the footage.
We see Ean climbing into the boat and stashing the capsule. We see miscellaneous other people around the yard, working on their boats. Then we see Vail climbing the ladder. He disappears into the boat and reappears with the G. I. Joe in his hand.
I rub my hands together. “This is good.”
Diamond laughs.
“What?”
“Nothing. I’ve said it before, you remind me of my sister.”
“I take it that’s a good thing?”
“It’s a great thing.” She freezes the frame, zooming in. “Yep, we’ve got him.”
Straightening my neck scarf, I lean in to get a better look, and if I hadn’t seen and talked to both twins, I wouldn’t know to say, “That’s not Vail. That’s Wayne, the supposedly ‘good’ twin.”
Chapter 34
While Rocco calls Principal Berger and Diamond calls her dad, I dial Officer Crawl. I don’t bother hiding the pure joy, pride, and okay, cockiness, in my voice as I fill him in on everything. From Captain Fanny’s computer, I also email him the security footage of Wayne.
When the three of us finish those rounds of calls we start the next round. I dial Aunt Grace, Rocco calls Mama Garcia, and Diamond calls Danae and her father.
We do all of this while Josie remains handcuffed, and Ean and Vail remain cable tied.
Cringing, I hang up with Aunt Grace. “She’s happy I figured everything out, but I am in so much trouble for skipping out on being grounded.”
The sound of a rumbling engine has me glancing across the work bay to see Diamond’s father pulling up. He puts the oversized truck in park, wedges open the door and hops down. With his dark hair slicked back in a ponytail, he’s dressed exactly like I saw him the last time in camo pants and a snug tee stretched across his boulder-sized muscles.
With his combat boots braced apart, he comes to stand at the entrance to the work bay and quietly his dark gaze moves across each one of us. He may be less than five feet tall, but I sure wouldn’t mess with him.
Vail laughs. “Who’s this?”
Oh, he is going to regret that. “Diamond’s dad,” I say.
Mr. De Luca looks right at me. “Diamond’s been keeping me in the loop on everything. I’m proud of you.”
My face curves up into a huge smile. “Thanks!”
With a nod over his shoulder, Mr. De Luca says, “Why don’t you three head on, and I’ll take care of these three.” He looks right at Vail. “I’m going to love wrangling this one.”
I don’t hide the smirk I shoot first Josie, then Ean, then Vail as I grab the backpack and time capsule. I don’t know what Mr. De Lucca means by “take care of” and really, I don’t care. They’re going to get what’s coming to them for sure.
Me, Diamond, and Rocco jump on our bikes and peddle furiously up the island to The Pit. Or rather me and Rocco peddle, Diamond buzzes behind us on her moped. Either way, I feel like we’re the Justice League on the way to save the day.
By the time we round the last corner, Officer Crawl is parked outside of The Pit, having already gone inside. Me and my team don’t waste a second as we scramble in and nearly run smack into Wayne, his parents, and Officer Crawl, all crowded in the entrance.
Officer Crawl must have already told them everything because Wayne’s staring guiltily at the floor and his parents have matching hard faces as they turn to look at us three kids.
“I’m sorry,” Wayne mumbles. “I’ll give it back. I have it in my locker.”
Wayne’s dad points his finger at him. “That’s it! I told you and your brother that one more anything and I was sending you to a scared straight program.”
I exchange a surprised look with Rocco. Apparently, this isn’t the first time they’ve had issues with the “good” twin.
“We leave for one week and this is what happens.” Wayne’s mom bops him in the back of the head. “You apologize to Penny-Ann right now.”
Wayne lifts his head, and his entire expression does indeed look guilty. “I’m sorry about the time capsule, and the gutted stuffed animal, and the dog poop I rigged on your porch.”
My eyes widen. “You did that?”
He nods.
“You let me think Vail did it.”
“Vail did do the other stuff,” Wayne mumbles.
Shaking her head, his mom sighs. “I can’t believe this. I’m tempted to send Josie to a scared straight program, too.” She looks at me. “I heard you tore your new flip-flops running from Vail. He will pay for those, mark my word.”
“Yes ma’am,” I say. “Thank you.”
Officer Crawl nods to the lockers lined along the back wall. “Go get the G. I. Joe,” he says to Wayne, and he sulks off.
I look up at Officer Crawl. “I’d like to return the G. I. Joe to the owner.”
“That’s fine,” Crawl says.
Wayne’s parents both turn to me. “I don’t know what has gotten into our kids,” his dad says, “but know that if you have any more issues with Josie or Vail or Wayne, you come straight to us, and we will handle it.”
“I will,” I assure them.
Then Wayne is back, giving me the doll, and we leave them all as we head back outside. Next stop Danae’s house. I dial her on the way, and when we pull up, Danae and her dad are outside in the yard waiting.
As I wedge Lolli’s kickstand down, I look around for Danae’s dweeby brother, Zeke, but I don’t see him. Maybe he got sent to a scared straight program, too.
Her dad says, “I heard you helped Danae out earlier in the week with the laptop.”
I nod to Diamond since she’s the one who took the pepper spray in the eyes. “Really the thanks go to her.”
“Either way,” Danae’s dad says, “thank you, and know that Zeke is grounded for the rest of the month.”
I look at Danae, and she grins.
Unzipping the backpack, I pull out the G. I. Joe and hand it to Danae’s dad. “My neighbor, Mr. Taylor, says this is worth a thousand bucks.”
“I had no idea.” Danae’s dad looks at the G. I. Joe. “Imagine that. Well, do you need a new doll to put the shark mascot outfit on, or are you good?”
“Nope, all good,” I assure him.
Then with a wave, we climb back on our bikes and head straight to the campus and Principal Berger.
When we get there, Mr. De Luca’s truck is parked alongside the curb, lined up with Officer Crawl’s car, and several others, including Aunt Grace’s Thing.
Me, Diamond, and Rocco head inside. Crowded into the administrative area is everyone: Mama Garcia, Aunt Grace, Mr. De Luca, Officer Crawl, Prin
cipal Berger, Ean and Captain Fanny, and Josie and her brothers and parents.
Aunt Grace sees me come in and pulls me into a hard hug. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” I assure her, glancing into Berger’s office where Josie and Ean stand.
“And you two,” Principal Berger is saying, “will spend the rest of the summer cleaning the interior and the exterior of this campus. Do you understand me?”
“Yes, sir,” they mumble.
Neither one of them looks at me as they slink from the administrative area with their parents following behind. I wonder if Rocco and Ean will ever be friends again after this. I know I won’t be with Josie.
Besides, I have Diamond and Rocco now.
After the administrative area clears out, Principal Berger approaches the three of us. I hand him the backpack, and he hands each of us an envelope. “The reward money split three ways. Now I am going to lock the capsule up inside the school’s safe, and I will see all of you at tomorrow’s ceremony.”
Turning, I smile at my friends, and my gaze traces past Rocco to where Mama Garcia sits in one of the waiting room chairs. Gone is her usual glower, and in its place sits a tiny amused smirk. I’ll take that amused smirk over a glower any day.
Outside the school, I hand the envelope of reward money to Aunt Grace. “Use this to help pay Mom’s legal fees.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I looked in your mail,” I admit.
Aunt Grace hands the envelope right back. “Thank you, but no.”
“But—”
“For one, you are to never snoop through my mail again.”
“I’m sorry,” I apologize. “I’m sorry for everything.”
“Sweetie, you just turned thirteen. You are in no way responsible for things like legal fees. You are responsible for being a kid and enjoying yourself. You are responsible for doing your chores, playing, and above all else, being honest, kind, and happy. You do not have to earn the right to be loved. Do you understand me? Stop trying so hard.”
“Yes,” I mumble, feeling horrible for causing problems this week. But, she’s right. I don’t need to try so hard. Honest and kind. That’s what I’ll focus on. I’m not responsible for the things my mom did. I’m responsible for myself and the decisions I make each day.
With this thought, I straighten up. “I know you grounded me, but I have a suggestion.”
With her knuckle, she pushes her glasses up her nose. “Okay.”
“You can ground me if you want, but I also owe apologies. I need to apologize to Vail and Josie for spreading rumors.” I cringe a little. “I also need to apologize to Mama Garcia for going into her apartment without permission.”
Aunt Grace rolls her lips in with a contained smile. “I think the last one is punishment enough.”
“I’m sorry,” I say again, and I’ll keep saying it for however many times I need to.
“I know you are.” Aunt Grace wraps her arm around me. “I also know you’re the type of kid who won’t repeat bad behavior.”
“Yes,” I assure her. “Lesson learned.”
As we walk over to my bike, I tell her, “Mom said she might be getting out early. If that happens, can I still keep living with you?”
With a smile, Aunt Grace kisses my forehead. “If you want to keep living with me, we will make that happen.”
Chapter 35
Rain patters gently against the tent set up over the stage, and I smile out at the audience gathered for the burial ceremony. The whole island is here, and the only thing that would make this day more perfect is if my grandparents were here, too.
Over to the left sits the granite monument a local artist carved with PIPER ISLAND and beneath it lays the capsule that just went in. All around us spans the historic downtown area and the park where Grandma Susan sat all those years ago and signed the papers to make us official.
The current mayor closes the hatch where the capsule just went in, and all the locals cheer. Under the gazebo, the band begins playing, and I keep standing on the stage, proudly looking out over the event.
Umbrellas pop open as people begin wandering toward the food trucks and visiting booths with arts and crafts. Rain aside, this day has turned out perfect.
Through the crowd, I see Rocco and Diamond heading my way, and I jump down off the stage. I think again of the Justice League. We totally need to come up with our own name.
Grinning, Rocco comes to a stop in front of me, and all kinds of butterflies skitter through my stomach. I know it’s only been a day, but I missed these two.
Tightening my ponytail, I tease, “What, are we all best friends now?”
Diamond slides past me and pushes up to sit on the stage. “Works for me.”
“You talk to Ean?” I ask Rocco.
“No, we are way on the outs.”
Diamond crosses her black boots. “Okay, so I’m thinking we could make a pretty good team, fighting crime and all.”
“I was thinking the same thing.” I rub my hands together. “And I already have an idea for our next case.”
. . .
Want a sneak peek of book 2? Read on!
The Gator in a Tux
Penny-Ann Piper is back, armed with attitude—not to mention a pea shooter, lock picks, mini binoculars, and a flashlight that may or may not have batteries. This time she’s after Maura Alva, daughter of the local taxidermist, who pranked the island’s oldest, most beloved resident and caused her to break a leg. Maura took off and Penny’s going to find her and make her pay!
Staggering knee-deep through the world of preserved animals, Penny-Ann traipses through swamps, creepy houses, and cemeteries, with her pal Diamond De Luca at her side. And this time Rocco Garcia, the flirty local surfer boy, joins in. Because well, he’s always up for a good adventure and he seems to like finding it around Penny-Ann.
But when threatening notes arrive, someone vandalizes her playhouse, and embalmed animal parts appear on her doorstep, Penny-Ann realizes this is so much bigger than Maura pulling a prank.
With only one true case under her belt but learning fast, Penny’s targeted by the sneakiest opponent she's encountered yet. Can she patch together the puzzle or will her adversary get away with the biggest heist ever?
Read Chapter One!
I know Diamond is beside me because her brand new diamond nose piercing gleams in the moonlight. Everything else about her is black: black jeans, beanie, tee, boots, vest. Even her skin seems darker in tone.
Diamond De Luca, the Italian chameleon.
I, on the other hand, am the blonde-haired, brown-eyed, Caucasian product of my Floridian mother and whoever happened to get her pregnant with me.
It happens (to use my friend Rocco’s phrase).
All to say, that combined with my usual sundress means I’m not cleverly camouflaged for clandestine activities.
It’s been a month since we solved the missing time capsule case and the summer transitioned into late June. Which in Florida is simply code for even hotter than last month.
For the past hour, Diamond and I have been squatting behind a bottlebrush bush in the historic downtown area. Between the heat, the bugs, and our own smelly sweat, our good humor was zapped pretty much within the first ten minutes of this gig.
We’ve been staking out a small brick and wood house, following a tip that Maura Alva, Piper Island’s creepiest girl, is scheduled to visit her boyfriend, Julian Eades, also creepy. Together they make, well, let’s just say, an interesting couple.
At school, we tend to give them a wide berth.
Maura Alva is the daughter of the local taxidermist. She tends to enjoy detailing the preserving process of every animal they do. I might be wrong, but don’t serial killers start that way?
Anyway, Maura Alva was recently seen propping a preserved armadillo dressed in a tiny suit on the front porch swing of Old Lady Henrietta’s House. Which would be funny except Old Lady Henrietta had such a scare she fell and broke her ankle.
<
br /> Maura Alva promptly disappeared. That was yesterday and no one’s seen her since.
Old Lady Henrietta always wears her gray hair in tight little curls that remind me of sausage rolls. Also, she sucks her teeth, or rather dentures. These two facts have nothing to do with anything except it’s what I always think of when I hear her name.
She owns the local pet store, Animal Trot, and she’s always been nice to me. So, Diamond and I have taken it upon ourselves to track down Maura Alva. Because lord knows our island’s law enforcement isn’t going to do anything. Law enforcement meaning Officer Crawl, who happens to think I’m guilty of everything that goes on around here.
This has everything to do with the fact he busted my mom during one of her cons. At the time I was helping her. Granted that was three years ago, but Officer Crawl has a long memory. He keeps one eye on me at all times.
But back to what I was starting to say.
For the past month, Diamond and I have been running Piper Investigations. It used to belong to my grandparents, God rest their souls. As of a month ago and after solving the time capsule case, I reopened the business and brought Diamond in as my partner. Seeing as her dad is a real live private investigator, she’s got the skills and connections.
I need all the help I can get.
We run the business out of the playhouse in my back yard. Other than the reward money we made from locating the time capsule, we’re broke. But that’s not the point.
Justice is the point.
“I think we’re done here,” Diamond says.
I’m the one who obtained the Intel on Maura Alva making an appearance tonight. Clearly, my Intel (aka Julian, the boyfriend) yanked my chain. “I spoke with Julian Eades this morning. I explained he could be an accessory to the crime.”
“And that made him cooperate?”
“No. But then I said I saw Maura Alva making out with another boy.”
Diamond’s lips twitch. “I’m assuming that was a lie?”
The Case of the Bad Twin Page 17
