by Janice Hanna
© 2010 by Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Edited by Jeanette Littleton.
Print ISBN 978-1-60260-271-7
eBook Editions:
Adobe Digital Edition (.epub) 978-1-60742-353-9
Kindle and MobiPocket Edition (.prc) 978-1-60742-354-6
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publisher.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
Cover design © Thinkpen Design
Published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 719, Uhrichsville, Ohio 44683, www.barbourbooks.com
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Printed in the United States of America.
Dickinson Press, Inc.; Grand Rapids, MI; April 2010; D10002265
Calling All Supersleuths!
Cr-r-rack! The Philadelphia Phillies baseball player hit the ball with his bat and the noise split the air in the stadium. The dirty white orb soared over the field at lightning speed, heading right for the stands. Kate Oliver watched it, her heart thumping wildly as it sailed in her direction.
All around her the fans hollered, “Catch it, catch it!” at the top of their lungs.
Catch it?
“Oh no! You don’t understand! I don’t know anything about baseball!” Kate murmured. The girl in front of her ducked, and Kate stuck her hand up in the air, knowing she couldn’t possibly catch a baseball, especially not one moving this fast! She started sweating as it flew closer, closer, closer!
With a ka-thump, it smacked against her open palm. “Owie!” Man, did it hurt! She looked down at the ball, shocked. Shaking like a leaf, Kate whispered, “I did it! I really did it! I caught the ball!”
All around her the fans cheered. The players on the field clapped their hands as they looked her way. Kate stood up, held the ball in the air, and bowed as the stadium roared,
“Go, Kate! Go, Kate! Go, Kate!”
Then—quite suddenly—she woke up.
“What a dream!” Kate said with a groan. “I couldn’t catch a baseball if someone paid me a million dollars!”
She trembled as she thought about the ball flying toward her. Why would she dream about baseball when she’d never even been to a game before?
From the corner of the room she heard a strange ka-thunk, ka-thunk, ka-thunk. Odd. The same sound as in the dream. Kate squinted her eyes in the summer morning light to see Biscuit, her dog, playing with a baseball. He rolled it with his nose across the hardwood floor until it hit the wall. Then he grabbed it in his mouth and began to chew on it. A few seconds later, he rolled it across the floor till it hit the wall once again. Ka-thunk!
“Oh no!” Kate jumped out of bed and grabbed the gooey, chewed-up ball. “Not the ball Andrew’s dad signed for me!”
Biscuit whimpered and tucked his tail between his legs. “Go ahead and apologize, you nutty dog!” Kate said. “It won’t do you any good. This ball is worth a lot of money!” She held up the slobbery ball and sighed as she saw the chew marks. “Well, it was worth a lot of money.”
Clutching the ball, she suddenly realized why she must’ve dreamed about baseball. Oh, that’s right! I have a mystery to solve…a very important one! But she couldn’t do it alone. No, she needed help from one of the Camp Club girls!
Kate put on her glasses then tapped a button on the phone beside her bed and said, “Sydney.”
The phone automatically dialed the number and Kate heard it ring. “Answer the phone, Sydney! C’mon, answer…please!” she coaxed.
“H-hello?”
“Sydney!” Kate squealed. “This is Kate. I’m so glad you’re awake.”
“Awake?” Sydney sounded groggy. She groaned and said, “Kate, it’s seven in the morning…on a Saturday. I’m not awake yet. Can you call back later?”
“No, please don’t hang up! I need you,” Kate said. “It’s really important.”
The tone of Sydney’s voice changed. “What’s happened? Are you hurt? Is it one of the other girls? Who’s in trouble? What’s happened?”
Kate couldn’t help but laugh. “Nothing’s happened to me or any of the other Camp Club Girls. We’re all fine. But something’s going on here in Philly—something really big—and I need your help. I sent you an e-mail a couple of days ago, but you didn’t answer. Didn’t you get it?”
“I’ve been at sports camp, remember?” Sydney said. “I sent you a text message last week.”
“Oh yeah. I forgot. Sorry.” Kate started to explain why she called, but just then Biscuit came to the edge of the bed and started whimpering. Ar-ooo! Ar-ooo!
Kate groaned. “Hang on, Sydney. Biscuit won’t stop crying till I put him on the bed. He’s so spoiled.”
“Okay.” Sydney yawned loudly. “But you’re the one who spoils him. You always have…ever since that first day when we found him at camp.”
“I know, I know. I can’t help myself.” Kate reached down and lifted Biscuit—the wonder dog—onto the bed, and he gave her face a couple of slobbery kisses. “Eew, stinky breath! Gross!”
Not that she really minded. She’d loved him from that first day when the Camp Club Girls found him on the golf course. Slobbery kisses or not! Chewed-up baseballs or not!
He gave her one more kiss and almost knocked off her glasses. She pushed them back up with her index finger and turned to the dog using her sternest voice. “Down, boy!” He rolled over onto his back, ready for a tummy rub. “No, silly. I’ll do that later, if you let me talk on the phone!”
He finally curled up at her side and she went back to talking to Sydney. “Are you still there?”
“Yes, but what were you saying?” Sydney asked with another yawn. “ ‘Cause if this can wait, I want to go back to sleep. I’m tired. They really worked us out at sports camp. We ran four miles every morning and played team sports for the rest of the day. Every muscle in my body hurts.”
“I’m sorry, but please don’t hang up yet.” Kate didn’t mean to sound so firm, but she couldn’t help it. “That’s why I’m calling you, because you’re the biggest sports nut in the Camp Club Girls.”
“Hey, are you calling me big?” Sydney pretended to sound offended.
“No, silly.”
“You’re calling me a nut?”
“No.” Kate laughed. “I meant sports fan. I need a friend who knows something about baseball.”
“Well, why didn’t you say so? I love baseball.” Sydney, now sounding completely awake, began to talk about some of her favorite players and some of her all-time favorite games. None of it made a lick of sense to Kate, who cared nothing about baseball or any other sport.
Kate didn’t want to interrupt her, but she had no choice. “Sydney, I’m sure those people are all great, but I need to tell you about something big that’s happening here in Philadelphia.”
“What?”
“Do you know Tony Smith? The Phillies shortstop?”
“Are you kidding? Of course!” Sydney squealed. “Who doesn’t? Do you know how many awards that guy has won? He’s a great player. There’s such a cool story about how he came to play for the Phillies. He’s a free agent, you know. I read all about it online a few months ago.�
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“Yes, but have you read anything in the past couple days?” Kate asked. “ ‘Cause now people on the Web are posting stories, saying he’s not happy playing for the Phillies. They’re calling him all sorts of names and saying he wants to play for another team.”
“No way.” Sydney gasped. “That’s too bad. I thought he liked Philadelphia. I guess I need to catch up on my reading.”
“No, that’s just it. He does like it here.” Kate sighed. “Look, I don’t really know that much about baseball. Or basketball. Or football. Or any kind of sports, really. But Tony’s son, Andrew, is my friend. He says the stories aren’t true, that someone started rumors just to hurt his dad.”
“Are you serious?” Sydney’s voice grew more excited. “Wait…you know the son of a pro baseball player? Can you get his father’s autograph? Tell him you have a friend in DC who wants a signed poster. If he says no, tell him I ran track and field in the Junior Olympics. That should do it. He can autograph it to Sydney Lincoln, the future Olympian.”
“Slow down, slow down!” Kate laughed. “We can talk about autographs later. You’re not letting me finish the story. Andrew says someone’s out to get his dad by putting lies on the Web. They’re making Tony look really bad. Some of the players and fans are mad at him over something that’s not even true. So Andrew asked me to help him figure out who’s trying to frame his dad, but I need your help.”
“Sydney Lincoln, baseball fan, at your service. Just tell me what to do.”
Kate giggled. “Well, you can pray, of course. But there’s something else, too. Can you come to Philly and stay with me for a couple weeks till we get to the bottom of this? We’ve got to stop whoever is setting up Mr. Smith.”
“Wait, what do you mean? Come to your house? Like, a vacation?”
“Sure, why not? You’ll be here for my birthday. It’s on the Fourth of July, you know.”
“Oh, that’s right! I remember. And right in the middle of baseball season. Talk about perfect timing!”
“Better than you think! Andrew and his dad gave me tickets for the Tuesday night game. We’re going to sit just behind the dugout.”
“No way!”
“Yep.” Kate grew more excited as she spoke. “My mom will call your mother today to ask her if you can come. You can take the train from DC.”
“To Philadelphia? Woo-hoo!” Sydney squealed. “Ooh! Puh-leeze pray my mom says yes. I want to come so much! Can you imagine how exciting this is going to be? Two supersleuths working together…again!” After a moment’s pause, she asked, “Have you let the other Camp Club Girls know yet?”
“No. We’ll e-mail them,” Kate responded. “But I need you on site, Sydney, because you know about baseball. I really don’t know anything. To me, those guys in uniform just look like they’re running around. The whole thing is kind of, well, boring.”
Sydney laughed. “There’s more to it than running in circles—and it’s not boring—but you can count on me to help you figure things out. And by the end of this, you’ll know a lot about baseball, I promise. Maybe I’ll even turn you into a fan!”
“Now that would really be something!” Just then Kate heard a knock on her door. She hollered, “Come in!” then whispered, “Hang on a minute, Sydney.”
Her mother popped her head in the door. “G’morning, sunshine! Is that Sydney? Did you ask her if she wants to come visit?”
Kate nodded and smiled. “Yes!”
“Great! I’ll call her mother after breakfast and see if she’ll bring her to Philly on tomorrow’s train. How does that sound?”
“Delicious!” Kate shouted. A wonderful aroma filled the room. Kate closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath. “Ooh, speaking of delicious, is that bacon I smell cooking downstairs?”
“Yes. I’m making pancakes and scrambled eggs, too.” Her mom winked. “Come down as soon as you’re done with your call.” She closed the door.
“Mmm.” Kate turned her attention back to Sydney. “Sydney, I’ve gotta go. Breakfast calls. But talk to your mom quick, before my mother calls her, okay? That way she’s prepared. We want her to have time to think about it. Oh, and Sydney?”
“Yes?”
“Thanks. I really need you.”
“Aw, you’re welcome.” Sydney giggled. “Just pray my mom says yes, okay?”
“Okay. I’m praying.” Kate hung up the phone and bowed her head to pray. If she ever needed help from above…it was now!
Gadgets and Gizmos
After praying, Kate bounded down the stairs with Biscuit on her heels. He yapped, yapped, yapped the whole way! What a silly little dog!
She stopped to look in the large round mirror that hung on the stairway wall. Her shoulder-length blond hair needed to be combed, and her glasses were smudged and crooked again. Oh well. No one cared, right? She couldn’t be a supersleuth and have perfect hair at the same time, could she? Oh, but if only she could do something about those freckles!
As soon as she got to the bottom floor, Kate ran smack-dab into Robby, the robo-vac. As always, Biscuit started barking at the funny little vacuum cleaner that kept the floor clean.
Ruff, ruff! Ruff, ruff! Biscuit took several steps backward but never stopped barking.
“Stop it, Biscuit! I’ve told you a hundred times…Robby won’t hurt you.”
“That’s right,” her mother called out from the kitchen. “And besides, Robby’s doing us a favor, picking up all of the dog hair that Biscuit sheds.”
The dog reached out his paw and tried to tap the vacuum cleaner. It turned around and went the other way. Kate giggled. “See? You’ll never be friends if you keep hurting his feelings!”
She went into the kitchen and practically drooled when she saw the yummy food. Bacon sizzled on the stove and a skillet filled with fluffy yellow eggs looked delicious. To the side of the stove she saw a big stack of pancakes. And the table was set with their nicest dishes, the ones mom only used on very special occasions. Something big must be happening. Kate the supersleuth would find out what it was…pronto!
“Mom, what’s up?”
“Your dad got a patent for one of his projects,” her mother said with a smile. “Remember that robotic security system he’s been working on in the basement?”
“SWAT-bot?” Kate’s eyes widened. “The little robot with the police uniform? Really? That’s so cool!”
“Yes, so we’re celebrating in style.” Her mom lowered her voice. “Be sure to tell him how proud you are, okay, honey?”
“Oh, I am proud!” Kate wanted to be just like her dad when she grew up.
“Good girl.” Her mother smiled. “After breakfast I’ll call Sydney’s mom. I know how much you need your friend’s help right now.”
“I really do, Mom. She knows everything there is to know about baseball. And I think she and Andrew will be good friends.”
“Andrew’s a great kid,” her mother said. “And I’m so happy the Smiths have been coming to church. I’ve enjoyed getting to know his mom.”
“And Andrew loves it, too,” Kate said. “But he’s been so upset over this thing with his dad that I’m afraid he’ll stop coming. Some of the kids in our class at church are saying mean things. They think his dad’s a traitor to the team, and Andrew’s really upset. That’s why I want to help him.”
“That’s my girl,” Kate’s dad said, entering the room. “Always helping others.”
Kate rushed to her father and hugged him. “G’morning, Dad!”
“Good morning, pumpkin. What’s this about Andrew’s feelings getting hurt?”
“People are spreading untrue stories about his dad,” she explained.
“Ah. So the rumor mill is at work?”
“Rumor mill?” Kate asked. “What’s that?”
“Oh, it’s just an expression,” he explained. “When lots of people are talking about someone behind his back, it’s called a rumor mill.”
“The Bible is pretty clear about gossiping,” Kate’s mother said as sh
e put the food on the table. “The Lord doesn’t like it…at all! People get hurt once the rumor mill gets going, just like Andrew and his dad. And his mom, too.”
Kate sighed. “I want to help make them feel better.”
“That’s my girl.” Her father kissed her on the forehead and then looked around. “Where’s Dex?”
“I thought I heard him moving around in his room earlier.” Kate’s mother looked around.
“I’ll bet he’s still asleep,” Kate said. Her little brother often slept in late on Saturdays.
“No, I’m not.”
They all turned as they heard his voice. Dexter entered the room in his pajamas with his hair sticking up all over his head. Kate couldn’t help but laugh at the funny blond spikes. He looked like a martian.
Dex sat down and their father prayed over the food. Kate loved to hear her father pray. It always made her feel so good inside.
As they all ate yummy warm pancakes drizzled with maple syrup, he started talking about SWAT-bot.
“I’m so excited about the new patent,” Kate’s dad said with a grin. “This will open so many doors for my inventions. And SWAT-bot will be featured in a prominent scientific magazine, too. That’s quite an honor.”
“I’m so proud of you, Dad,” Kate said when he finished.
“This is the neatest thing that’s happened to our family in ages!”
“It is pretty cool,” he admitted.
“Will you be on the news?” she asked.
“Oh, I don’t think so, honey. Getting a patent isn’t like being a big sports star or something.”
“Well, it should be!” She paused and then said, “Andrew’s dad is famous, and now my dad is, too!” She stuffed more pancakes into her mouth, adding a quiet, “Mmm!”
Her father laughed. “Well, I don’t know about being famous. I’d just as soon not be! There’s a lot of pressure on people like Tony Smith to perform well. Not a lot of people even know what I do, so if I make a mistake, people are less likely to notice.”
“Speaking of sports, is it still okay if Sydney and I go to the game with Andrew and his mom on Tuesday night?” Kate asked.
