I rolled my eyes. Derek wasn't telling me anything new. The members of the BSC had already figured out how scared he was, and why. Why did he have to pick now to break down? He'd blown our whole plan. Then I saw Janine kneel to hug him, and I felt ashamed of myself. Poor Derek! He'd really been suffering. I gave him a big hug, too, and I could see that on top of everything else, he was upset about ruining the plan. "It's okay," I whispered in his ear. "We'll get her some other way.”
Chapter 12.
I was so frustrated by how our plan to trap Janine had failed. And what made things worse was that Janine had no idea the afternoon had been a total waste. She kept saying she was sure Derek had gotten some "wonderful material" for his class, and that she felt sorry for Derek because his lies had gotten him into such a mess. She didn't seem to realize her lies had gotten her into a mess, too.
By Saturday, when I sat for Derek and Todd again, I was sick of thinking about Janine and her secrets. I just wanted to have a good time playing with the boys, and to forget about solving any mysteries. I'm not saying that I wasn't still curious about Janine; I just needed a day off. As I walked to the Masterses', I resolved to spend the day simply having fun.
"Hey, guys," I said as I reached the Masterses' driveway. "You look like you're having a blast." Todd was riding around on his little
bike, which has training wheels, and Derek was practicing moves on his skateboard.
"We are!" said Todd. "Look what I can do!" He zoomed up the driveway, made kind of a shaky turn, and zoomed back down.
"All right, Todd,” I said. "You're a great bike rider."
"Check out my moves," said Derek. He stepped onto the skateboard and rocked it back and forth. "Just like the guys at Muscle Beach, right?"
"Where's Muscle Beach?"
"Oh, it's out in California," said Derek. "It's this place where all the coolest skaters go to show off their stuff."
"Neat," I said. "Hey, you guys go on riding. I'm just going to let your parents know I'm here." I knocked on the door, and Mrs. Masters answered it.
"Oh, hi, Claudia," she said. "Thanks for being on time. We're just about ready to go." She reached for her car keys. "The boys have been having such a good time with you," she said. "They really like that detective game you've been playing."
"Oh, right," I replied. "Well, I have fun with them, too." I wasn't about to tell her that playing detective was more than a game. She probably wouldn't like to know I was encouraging .her boys to spy on people. All
the more reason, I thought, to give the detective work a rest.
After the Masterses left, I sat outside on the curb and watched the boys ride around for a while longer. Soon, though, they wanted to do something else.
"Let's go see what Janine is doing," said Derek. "I bet we can crack that case if we follow her today."
"Yeah! Let's play spy," cried Todd. "I promise to be really quiet."
"Sorry, guys," I said. "I think we better leave Janine alone for a few days."
"I'm really sorry I messed up our plan," said Derek. "I can't believe I did that."
"Oh, Derek, that's all right," I replied. "I think you were under a lot of pressure about that kissing stuff. I just hope you feel better now that you've told the truth."
"Oh, I do!" he said, smiling. "I really do." Then his face clouded over. "But only you and Janine and Todd know the truth. I still have to figure out what to do about my friends."
"Well, I'm sure you'll do the right thing when the time comes," I said. "Now, how about a game? Let's see," I said, thinking. Sometimes it's hard to come up with games that will work for kids who are different ages. "I know!" I said, after a moment. "How about Animals?"
"Animals?" asked Todd. "How do you play that?"
"Well, I first pick an animal and pretend I am that animal. You two have to guess what I am. Whoever guesses first gets to be the next one to act out an animal."
"Cool," said Derek. He sat down on his skateboard, and Todd sat next to him.
"Okay," I said, thinking quickly. "Here goes!" I started to lope around, bent over, with my hands hanging down low. Once in a while ' I'd stop and scratch myself. I made little grunting noises, too.
"A gorilla!" yelled Todd.
I straightened up. "That's right," I said. "Your turn."
Todd thought for a second, and then started to run around the yard, barking like a maniac.
"Dog!" yelled Derek. Todd nodded, but he kept running and barking for a few minutes, enjoying being a dog. When he was done, Derek stretched his neck out as far as it could go. He made ears by holding his right hand behind his head. He looked kind of graceful, if you can imagine that.
That's when I realized that Derek really is a good actor. He's not just pretending to be Waldo on the show. This may sound corny, but the fact is that Derek has a special gift for actually becoming something or somebody else.
He'd chosen a hard animal to act out, but it only took seconds for me — and Todd — to realize what he was. I let Todd be the one to guess first.
"Giraffe!" cried Todd.
"That was great, Derek," I said.
Derek blushed. "Thanks," he said. "I like this game. I guess I miss acting sometimes."
We played a few more rounds, and then, just as Todd was being a very convincing penguin, I heard voices behind me. I turned around and saw all four Pike boys — and Va-nessa — walking up the driveway.
"Hi!" called Nicky. "What are you guys doing?"
"Hi, Nicky," I said. I turned to Derek. "Didn't you and Stacey have a little talk about inviting kids over without checking with the baby-sitter first?" I asked.
"I didn't invite them!" cried Derek. He looked a little nervous, and I could guess why.
"We're here for a demonstration," said Byron.
"Yeah," said Adam. "A demonstration from an expert."
"Right," added Jordan. "An expert demonstration." The triplets folded their arms across their chests.
"Of kissing!" added Nicky, as if it were necessary. "And Vanessa's all ready to be kissed!"
I looked at Derek. He looked as if he'd rather be just about anywhere but his own driveway. "I think I hear the phone ringing," he said, desperately. He began to edge toward the front door.
"No way," said Byron, blocking his path. "We're tired of waiting. We want to see how you do it."
I had the feeling the Pike boys were testing Derek, as if they knew, somehow, that he'd been making up all those stories about what a great kisser he was. I stepped closer to the kids. "Okay, guys," I began. "Let's — "
"Wait a minute," said Derek. He took a deep breath. "There's something I have to say." He paused and looked at me.
I nodded at him, telling him to go on.
"I've never kissed a girl in my life," said Derek. He let out a big breath and looked around at the Pikes. "I'm no expert. I don't know anything at all about kissing. And I'm really, really scared about having to kiss somebody on the show." He hung his head, waiting for the teasing to start.
I held my breath.
Byron stepped forward. "Hey," he said, slapping Derek on the back. "We knew it all along!"
"Y — you did?" asked Derek.
"Well, maybe not all along," said Adam.
"But we were starting to wonder," said Jordan.
"Does this mean I get to go home?" asked Vanessa. She looked extremely relieved. "See you later!" She ran down the driveway.
"Hey!" yelled Byron. "You owe us money!"
"Yeah," shouted Adam. "You don't get to keep it if you didn't kiss him!"
Vanessa just kept on running.
"We put together all the money we had,” Jordan told Derek. "We gave her two dollars and thirteen cents, just to kiss you."
Nicky looked disgusted. "Now we have to figure out how to get it back," he said.
"I bet we can come up with an idea," replied Derek. "Let's see…"He frowned, as if he were thinking hard.
"Come on, Todd," I said. "Let's you and I play Animals by ourselves.
" I figured we should let the boys be alone for a while. They could talk "boy talk" and patch up their friendship.
Todd and I left Derek and the Pike boys alone for the rest of the morning, and by lunchtime they seemed to have forgotten the Kissing Expert episode. Nicky and the triplets went home looking happy; they had figured out a foolproof plan for getting their money back from Vanessa.
"They're going to find some really ugly baby
pictures of her," explained Derek as I made the boys tuna fish sandwiches. "And they'll threaten to bring them to school and show them to everybody unless she gives the money back."
"That should work," I said, smiling. "So, is everything okay now?" I asked.
"Yup," said Derek. "I really learned a good lesson. You know, I think sometimes I lie when I feel nervous or upset about things. Remember when I first came back to school and I made up that story about a mean kid?"
I nodded.
"Well, that was just because I was nervous. But you know what? It didn't do any good to lie. Not that time, and not this time. I'm never going to lie again, I swear." Derek looked very, very serious.
"Boy, you really have learned a lesson," I said. "I'm proud of you. It must have been hard to tell the truth today, but you did it." I knelt down and gave Derek a hug.
"You helped me," he said. "You and Janine."
Chapter 13.
"Janine?"I repeated. I couldn't believe my ears. Janine was the biggest liar in Stoneybrook these days. How could she teach Derek about telling the truth?
"Sure," said Derek. "She was so nice to me the other day. You know, when I began to cry during our pretend courtroom?"
"That's true," I admitted. I remembered the way Janine had hugged Derek.
"She made me feel like it was good to tell the truth. That's why I was brave enough to do it today." He smiled. "And it worked out really, really well. I can't believe how I lucked out. I thought the guys were going to be mad at me, but instead now they feel sorry for me because I have to kiss a girl!"
"Well, I suppose Janine does know that telling the truth is a good idea," I said. And then I remembered something I learned in school last week. I learned about this thing called irony. Irony's kind of like when something
happens that is the opposite of what you would expect. I'm certainly not explaining this well, but take it from me, it was very ironic that Janine would be the one to teach Derek about the benefits of telling the truth!
"You and Janine are the greatest," said Derek, interrupting my train of thought. "Will you tell her I said thanks?" Then he jumped up from the kitchen table. "Never mind, I'm going to do it myself, right this minute." He ran to the phone before I could stop him.
"Hey, Todd," I said. "Why don't you get your bulldozer and we'll go outside."
A few minutes later. Todd was pushing his Tonka bulldozer around in a pile of dirt near the driveway. Luckily, he's the kind of kid who enjoys playing by himself, because lately he hasn't been getting much attention. I'd been 'too busy with Derek and his kissing problems and Janine and her secret. Todd just tags along. But he seems happy, so I decided I shouldn't worry.
"I'm making an airport," he explained. "So me and Derek can land our jet planes here." He made some bulldozer noises.
"Cool," I said, as Derek ran outside! "Hey, did you talk to Janine?" I asked!
"No, the line was busy," he said. "I tried three times!"
"That's funny," I said. "I'm the only one at our house who stays on the phone that long. Maybe you called the wrong number. What number were you dialing?"
Derek rattled off a number, and my mouth dropped open.
"That's my line!" I said. "That one shouldn't be busy. Nobody uses that phone but me and the members of the BSC."
"Well, somebody is using it right now," said Derek. "I'm sure that's the number I called."
"This is weird," I said. "Who — " Suddenly I realized who was using the phone. "Janine. It must be Janine!" I shook my head. What was she doing using my phone without permission? It made me mad — and very curious. I just had to find out who she was talking to. But then I remembered my resolution to forget about Janine while I was sitting for Derek and Todd. I could talk to her when I got home.
"Should we put a tap on the line?" asked Derek. He was standing next to me, looking as curious as I felt.
"No," I said, smiling. "This is my sister we're talking about, not a criminal, remember? Hey!" I cried, changing the subject. "Check out Masters International Airport over here!" I led Derek to where Todd was playing. "Look
at this runway,"-I said., "This is going to be great."
That was all it took to distract Derek. After all, he's a kid first, even if he is also a TV star and a great detective. He knelt down in the dirt with Todd and spent the rest of the afternoon playing with his little brother.
It wasn't so easy to distract myself. As I watched the boys play, all I could think about was The Mystery Of Janine. What was she up to? Why was she lying to my parents? Who was that guy she had met? And why was she tying up my phone? Maybe it was time to confront her after all. I was going to tell her everything I knew, and I wasn't going to let her put me off or ignore my questions. I was going to get some answers.
I was all psyched up by-the time I arrived home that afternoon. I ran right upstairs and knocked on Janine's closed door. "Yes?" she called.
"It's me, Claud," I said.
"What do you want?"
"I want to talk to you," I replied, staring at the closed door. This was so unlike Janine. Usually she leaves her door wide open. Usually she is glad to see me, and happy to talk. Usually she has nothing to hide.
"So talk," she said.
"Janine!Come on, open up. What is it with you lately?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, Janine, why are you being so secretive? Why are you hiding behind closed doors? Why are you lying to Mom and Dad? And why are you using my phone without permission?"
Suddenly Janine threw the door open. She was dressed, once again, in my red sweater — and she was wearing plenty of makeup. "And why are you giving me the third degree?" she asked. "Can't a person have her own life around here? Why does everything I do have to be everybody else's business?" She stomped past me, down the hall and down the stairs.
"Janine," I called. "Wait! Where are you going?"
"Out!" she yelled. And then I heard the front door slain. Janine was gone. I stood in the hallway, amazed. My plan to confront her had backfired. Obviously, talking things out with Janine was not going to get me anywhere. I thought for about two and a half seconds, and realized what I was going to have to do. I was going to have to tail Janine again
I ran downstairs and out the door. By the time I reached the sidewalk, Janine was nowhere in sight, so I had to guess which way she'd gone. I turned right, figuring she'd gone
the same way she went last time I followed her. I jogged along, keeping my eyes peeled for that red sweater. There it was! Janine was in front of me, about to take a left off Bradford Court. I ducked behind a bush.
Janine waited until it was safe to cross, then walked quickly across the road. She turned again, onto Rosedale Road, following the route she'd taken the last time. I hurried along, making sure to keep myself hidden. My sister never glanced back, though. She just walked fast, checking her watch once in a while.
"She must be meeting someone again," I said, under my breath. I'd learned a lot from Derek.
When she arrived at the high school, Janine started to look around as if she were trying to find someone. A few kids were hanging out in front of the school, but I didn't see that guy she'd met the other day. Apparently, Janine didn't see the person she was looking for, either. She sat down under a tree and pulled a book out of her shoulder bag.
"Good old Janine," I said to myself. She can't stand to sit around doing nothing. Janine always has a book with her, in case she has a few minutes to fill up. She'd never just sit and watch people go by, or look at the clouds. Not Janine.
Since Janine was so busy reading, I saw the guy she was meeting before she did! It was the same gorgeous guy we'd seen the last time. He drove up — that's right drove up — in a cool little red car, and parked near the tree where she was sitting. Then he sat and looked at her for a minute, smiling to himself. Maybe he was noticing her book and thinking the same thoughts I had been thinking. Janine didn't, glance up, so finally he got out of the car and stepped over to her. He said something — I couldn't hear what — and Janine jumped a little, as if she'd been surprised. Then she stood up and brushed off her skirt. She smiled at the guy and showed him the book she was reading. He took it and looked through it for a second, and I wondered what could be so interesting. But then he just gave it back to her, and she put it away.
They stood and talked for a while, and I started to get bored. So far, I hadn't learned anything.
But then Janine walked over to the little red car and got into it! When the guy got in, he started it up, and they drove off. I stepped out from behind the bush where I'd been hiding and stared after them with my mouth hanging open. The little red car putt-putted down Rosedale and then turned right. I couldn't
believe my eyes. Janine had just gotten into a car with a stranger — well, he was a stranger to me — and driven off.
I stood there for a little longer, until I realized there was no point in staring down the empty street. Janine was gone, and I couldn't follow her any more that day. I walked home slowly, thinking over what I'd seen.
My parents were home by the time I got there, and I jumped right into helping them make dinner. I was glad to forget about being a detective and just wash lettuce for a while. I didn't bring up the subject of Janine, and neither did they. We talked about baby-sitting, and school, and stuff like that.
I was in the kitchen with my dad when Janine came home a little while later. My mother was in the dining room, and I could hear her talking to Janine.
"Hi, honey," Mom said. "You're just in time to help me set the table. Have you had a nice afternoon?"
"Oh yes," said Janine. "I was working at the college chemistry lab."
Mystery At Claudia's House Page 7
