Andy opened the door to his mother’s closet and looked up. The hatchway to the attic was open and a rope ladder was hanging down.
Andy held on to the two sides of the ladder. “I’m coming up,” he announced.
“We’re all coming up,” Tamika said.
Andy slowly climbed the shaky rope ladder. When his head was through the hatch, he held on to the sides of the hatchway and pulled himself into the attic.
Mr. Russell had cut a hole in the roof and built a dormer. Mrs. Russell was holding a window frame while Mr. Russell nailed it in.
“Please,” Mrs. Russell said, “hold this for Dad.”
Mrs. Russell was pregnant. The baby was expected in a few months, and Mr. Russell hoped to have the room he was building in the attic ready by then. Andy hoped the baby would take his room, so he could move into the big attic room. He thought it would be great to have an entire floor to himself.
Andy held on to the window frame while his father knocked in more nails.
Hurry, Andy thought. He was anxious to tell his parents about the Perlmans’ house.
Tamika was the next to go up the rope ladder. Then Rachel went up. Rachel tried to shout over her dad’s hammering, but no one heard her. Finally, Mr. Russell was done.
“You have to tell Andy to let me test his gerbils,” Rachel said.
“Mom, Dad,” Andy said, while Rachel was still talking, “Tamika and I have to talk to you. Something strange is going on at the Perlmans’ house, and we don’t know what to do.”
“One at a time,” Mrs. Russell told them.
“I’m the oldest. I’ll go first,” Rachel said quickly. “And all I need is for you to tell Andy to let me test his gerbils. I won’t hurt them, and it’s for school.”
Mr. Russell put his hammer down. “What do you think?” he asked Andy. “She won’t hurt the gerbils. It may even be fun for them.”
Rachel said, “You’ll put tags on the gerbils and put them in the maze.”
“If I’m handling the gerbils and Dad is making the maze, what are you doing?”
“I’m making a chart and I’m timing the gerbils.”
Andy folded his arms and looked at Rachel.
“The gerbils love to go through tunnels, so they’ll love going through mazes, too,” Rachel said. “And Dad is good at making wood stuff, so he’ll make a great maze.”
“OK,” Andy said. “But only if the gerbils seem to like it.”
“I’ll help, too,” Tamika added.
“Now, Mom and Dad,” Andy said, “may I please tell you what’s happening at the Perlmans’?”
He didn’t wait for an answer. “We don’t know what’s happening,” he said, and threw up his hands. “That’s the problem! Someone put garbage in the Perlmans’ garbage can. And it’s strange stuff—a man’s army boot, a woman’s purple stocking, and green-tea bags. Who would drink green tea?”
“It’s simple,” Mr. Russell said calmly. “Someone else knows the Perlmans are away. He’s also watching the house. It’s probably one of the neighbors.”
“But the Perlmans told me we were the only ones watching the house,” Tamika said. “And we’ve been watching it for a long time now, and this is the first time we’ve found someone else’s garbage in the garbage can.”
Mr. Russell put his hammer in the toolbox and said, “It is strange, but it’s only garbage. I don’t think it’s anything to worry about. Just to be sure, though, we can all keep an eye on the house.”
“That’s right,” Mrs. Russell said. “We’ll all watch the house.”
That afternoon Andy and Tamika did their homework by the window in Andy’s room. They often looked out at the Perlmans’ house, but they didn’t see anything unusual.
After dinner Tamika watched the Perlmans’ house and Andy watched TV. Tamika didn’t see anything happening. Then it was Andy’s turn to watch their house.
It was late. Most nights, by this time Andy was asleep. Andy changed into his pajamas. He stuffed a few pairs of pants and a volleyball under his pillow, to prop it up. He turned off the light in his room. Then he lay down on his bed and looked out the window.
OK, Mr. Thief, Andy said to himself, I dare you to try something now with Detective Andy Russell on the case.
But Detective Andy Russell was tired. He was soon asleep.
A few hours later Andy turned onto his side. The volleyball rolled off the bed. The pillow dropped and the detective woke up.
“What happened?” Andy asked.
He looked out the window. There was a light on in the Perlmans’ house, in the room Tamika used to sleep in, the room just opposite Andy’s.
Hey, Andy thought, that light wasn’t on before.
Andy hurried into the hall. He knocked on the door of Rachel and Tamika’s room.
“What is it?” Rachel asked.
“There’s a light on,” Andy answered.
“Turn it off and go to sleep,” Rachel told him.
“No. It’s on in the Perlmans’ house. Tamika, wake up.”
Andy waited.
Rachel and Tamika came out of their room. Then Mr. Russell came out of his room.
“It’s late. What are you doing up?” he asked.
Andy told him about the light.
Tamika, Rachel, and Mr. Russell followed Andy into his room. Andy pointed out his window and said, “There’s someone in that house. That light wasn’t on before.”
“And it’s not on now,” Rachel said.
Andy looked out his window. The light wasn’t on!
“I think I need to test your intelligence,” Rachel said, “not the gerbils’.”
“It’s late,” Mr. Russell told everyone. “Go to sleep.”
“I’m not crazy. I saw a light,” Andy insisted.
“Sure you’re crazy,” Rachel said, and left Andy’s room. Tamika and Mr. Russell left, too.
Andy imagined someone was looking out the now darkened Perlman window. Andy pointed and said, “I’ll catch you. That’s right. I will. No one-legged thief can hop fast enough to get away from Detective Andy Russell.”
Chapter 4
Don’t Turn Off That Light!
Maybe someone there is watching me, Andy thought. Maybe Mr. Someone turned off the light when he saw me get help.
Maybe Mr. Someone is a thief. Maybe he’s in the living room right now, filling a large sack with the Perlmans’ chess set and television.
“Put that television back,” Andy Russell said.
Andy thought about Dr. Perlman’s favorite chair, the old barber’s chair he had in his study. “Don’t even think of stealing it,” Andy said. “You’ll never get it out the door.”
Andy sat on his bed for a while. He looked out his window, to the Perlmans’ house. He waited for something to happen. But nothing did.
I bet he’s in his car now, about to make his getaway. But he won’t, not with Detective Andy Russell on the case!
Andy got off his bed and quietly went into the hall. The door to Rachel and Tamika’s room was closed. The door to his parents’ room was closed, too. Andy quietly walked downstairs. He opened the front door and went outside.
There was no car parked in front of the Perlmans’ house. There was no Mr. Someone dragging out Dr. Perlman’s barber chair.
Andy realized he was outside with just his pajamas on. He looked up and down his block. The street was quiet. There was no one around to see him. Then he started down the path and realized he was barefoot, too. Walking on the stone path hurt his feet.
Andy stood on the sidewalk and looked across the Perlmans’ lawn to their house. Their door was closed. All the lights in the front of the house were off. He slowly walked toward the Perlmans’, then onto the lawn along one side of their house. Andy walked to the back and then along the other side of the house. All the inside lights were off, too.
It’s spooky out here, Andy thought. It’s cold and windy, too.
The shades in the rooms upstairs were up.
Maybe M
r. Someone is looking out and watching me!
Andy hurried home. He tried to turn the frontdoor knob, but he couldn’t.
Oh no, Andy thought. I locked myself out!
Andy looked up. All the lights in his house were off, too.
He knocked on the door. No one answered. He knocked louder, and still no one opened the door.
Andy shivered. It was much too cold to be outside in just pajamas. And it was too dark.
Creak!
Andy heard a noise.
Creak!
He heard it again.
He’s coming to get me, Andy thought.
He knocked on the door again.
Tamika and Rachel’s room was right above him. “Hey!” Andy called out. “Hey!” he called again, louder this time.
Andy waited, but no one came to the door.
Creak!
Andy turned. He didn’t see anyone. He quickly found a few small rocks in the flower bed. He threw them, one at a time, at the window of Tamika and Rachel’s room. The first rock didn’t go high enough. The second one was too high. The third one hit the window.
Ping!
Andy waited. He expected the shade to go up. He expected Tamika or Rachel to look out the window. But nothing happened.
Creak!
Andy was really scared now. He got some more rocks from the flower bed—a few big ones and a handful of small ones. He carefully threw the big rocks, one at a time. The last one hit the middle of the window.
Ping!
“Come on!” Andy said.
When nothing happened, he threw the handful of small rocks. Lots of them hit the window.
“HEY!” Andy shouted. “LET ME IN!”
The light in Tamika and Rachel’s room went on. The shade went up and Rachel opened the window.
“What are you doing out there?”
“Please, just open the door. Open it before he gets me.”
Tamika came to the window.
“Come on,” Andy said. “Hurry!”
More lights in the Russell house went on. Then the front door was opened. Tamika, Rachel, and Andy’s parents were all there, looking at Andy.
“What are you doing outside?” Mr. Russell asked as Andy hurried inside.
“I think there’s someone out there,” Andy said.
Andy’s parents looked outside.
Creak!
“Did you hear that? Did you hear that spooky creaking sound?”
“That’s the wind,” Mr. Russell said. “It’s blowing the branches of one of the trees against the eaves of the house. It does that a lot.”
“Well, it’s spooky,” Andy said. He was glad when his father closed the door.
Mrs. Russell asked again, “What were you doing outside?”
“I was checking on the Perlmans’ house.”
“I know why,” Rachel said sarcastically. “He saw another light on next door and went over there to turn it off.”
“No,” Andy told her. “I didn’t see any more lights.”
“Did you find anything?” Tamika asked.
“No.”
“I think it’s time you went to bed,” Mr. Russell said. “I think it’s time we all went to bed. It’s past midnight.”
“I’m glad you looked. I’m worried, too,” Tamika whispered to Andy as they went upstairs.
Andy got into his bed. He punched his pillow and put his head down. Then, just before he closed his eyes, he looked out his window.
It was on again! The same light was on in the Perlmans’ house, in the room Tamika used to sleep in, the room just opposite Andy’s.
There is someone over there, Andy thought. When I made all that noise, I must have woken him up. Now, don’t turn off that light, Mr. Someone ... or whoever you are. Don’t do anything. I’ll be right back.
Chapter 5
Andy and the Police
Andy hurried out of his bed again. When he was in the middle of the hall, he stopped. He ran back to his room to check if the light in the Perlmans’ house was still on.
It was.
Andy banged on the door to Tamika and Rachel’s room, and on the one to his parents’ room.
The doors to the two bedrooms opened.
“It’s on again,” Andy said, really excited. “The light in the Perlmans’ house is on again!”
“Stop it!” Rachel told him. “Just stop it! I’m tired of going to sleep and getting up and going to sleep and getting up.”
Mr. Russell rubbed his eyes, yawned, and said, “Just pull your shade down and go to sleep.”
“We have work tomorrow,” Mrs. Russell said. “We have to sleep.”
“Just come to my room and look,” Andy said. “There’s a light on next door, and that means there’s someone inside the house.”
Finally, everyone followed Andy into his room and looked out his window. The light was still on.
“OK, there’s a light on,” Rachel said. “Now can I please go back to sleep?”
“The Perlmans asked us to watch the house,” Tamika said, “and that’s just what Andy is doing.”
They watched a while longer. The light remained on, but nothing else happened.
“Maybe the Perlmans set the light on a timer,” Mrs. Russell said.
“They did set some lights to go on,” Tamika said, “but not at this time of night and not in my room.”
“Maybe it’s a loose bulb,” Mr. Russell suggested.
“I don’t think so,” Andy said. “If it was loose, it would have gone on before. And it didn’t.”
They all stood there a while longer. Then Andy said, “I think we should call the police.”
“Maybe you’re right,” Mr. Russell said.
Mr. Russell called the police. He told them about the garbage and the light. “It may not be a real emergency,” he said, “but it’s worrisome.”
They waited downstairs, in the living room. Tamika, Rachel, and Mr. and Mrs. Russell sat by the window and watched for the police.
Andy was too nervous to sit still. He ran from the living room, where he watched for the police car, to the dining room, where he looked out at the Perlmans’ house to see if the light was still on. Then, just when he saw a police car turn onto his block, the light in the Perlmans’ house went off.
“Great,” Andy said. “Now it goes off!”
The car stopped in front of the Perlmans’ house. Two police officers got out, each holding a flashlight. Everyone at the Russells’ house watched as the police slowly approached the Perlmans’ house. They waited as the police walked around the house. Then the police came next door to talk to the Russells.
“We checked the house,” a tall police officer with a red moustache said. There was a tag, Johnson, on the front of his uniform. “Everything looks to be in order.”
“But what about the light and the garbage?” Andy asked.
The other police officer said, “Maybe the homeowners put the light on a timer, or maybe there’s a loose bulb.” He was tall, too, and had kirkwood on his tag. “And maybe one of their neighbors left some garbage. People do that, you know, to make it seem like there’s someone home.”
“Thank you,” Mr. Russell said. “We just wanted to be sure no one had broken in.”
“Wait a minute! Wait a minute!” Andy said. “There isn’t a timer or a loose bulb. There can’t be. I sleep opposite that room, and the light hasn’t gone on until now.”
“We checked the house,” Officer Johnson said impatiently. “We didn’t find anything unusual over there.”
“Tell me, please,” Andy said, “why someone would suddenly deliver garbage to the Perlmans’.”
“We checked the house,” Officer Johnson said again. “There were no signs of a break-in. That’s all we can do.”
The two police officers returned to their car and drove off.
Rachel and Mrs. Russell went to their rooms. Andy, Tamika, and Mr. Russell went to the dining room and looked out the window at the Perlmans’ house. The house was dark.
“This is all so strange,” Tamika said.
“And spooky,” Andy added.
They watched the Perlmans’ house for a while until Mr. Russell said, “Nothing is going to happen tonight. Come on. It’s time to go to sleep.”
Andy and Tamika went to their rooms. Andy was sure he was too worried about what might be happening at the Perlmans’ to sleep. But he wasn’t. Soon after he got into bed, he was fast asleep.
Chapter 6
Stacy Ann’s Great Idea
I’ll eat fast, Andy told himself at breakfast the next morning. I’ll eat real fast, so before the bus comes, I’ll have time to check the Perlmans’ house.
Andy spilled some cereal into his bowl. He poured on some milk and quickly ate the cereal, stuffing one spoonful after another into his mouth.
Rachel said, “There’s milk and cereal dripping down your chin.”
Andy looked down. He tried to see his chin, but he couldn’t.
Rachel stood by the toaster oven. She had put two slices of bread in and set the timer for two minutes. Now she was waiting for the bell to ring. Then she would put American cheese on each slice of bread and put it in the toaster oven again, this time for exactly one minute.
“You shouldn’t rush breakfast,” Rachel told Andy. “It’s the most important meal of the day.”
“Did you hear that?” Andy asked his spoonful of cereal. “Rachel says you’re important.”
Tamika came into the kitchen for breakfast. Andy told her why he was in such a hurry. “I’ll eat fast, too,” Tamika said, “and I’ll meet you outside.” Andy finished his cereal. He put the bowl and spoon in the sink and wiped his chin.
“Have a nice day at school,” Andy’s mother said to him as she walked into the kitchen. “And don’t worry about the Perlmans’ house. The police checked it out.”
And I'll keep checking it out, Andy told himself.
Andy grabbed his backpack and lunch and hurried outside. The street wasn’t so quiet now. People were on their way to work. The Belmont girls, who lived down the block, were already at the bus stop.
Andy Russell, NOT Wanted by the Police Page 2
