The Secret of the Shadow Bandit

by Singleton, Linda Joy

  Gavin relaxes a little, seeming less suspicious of us. “RJ’s first rescue was an injured bunny,” he says. “Then I found a bird with a broken wing.”

  “We have all kinds of birds at Wild Oaks,” Becca says and describes her mother’s wild animal sanctuary.

  “We took care of wild animals too.” Gavin reaches for a citrus soda can. “RJ’s tree house was a safe place for the animals to recover. Zee Zee came up with the idea for a club and she wrote those notes. I told her we were too old to have a club but she usually got her way.” He stares down at his boots. “I thought she’d stand by me…when things went bad.”

  “She dumped you?” Becca asks in a sympathetic tone.

  “No…I beat her to it. When I explained that Mom didn’t mean to break the law, you know what Zee Zee said? I’m sorry. I could tell she didn’t want to be with me anymore. So I just left.”

  “You haven’t spoken to her since?” Becca asks.

  “Why bother?” Gavin scowls but there’s pain in his eyes. “We don’t have much in common anyway. I’m into rock-climbing and hiking. Zee Zee is a ballet dancer and she’s really good. Sometimes after our meetings, we’d hang out at RJ’s grandpa’s house and play his old jukebox music so Zee Zee could dance.”

  “You miss her,” Becca says softly.

  “Nope.” Gavin tosses a squashed can at the box but misses and it flip-flops to the ground. He wipes his sticky hands on his jacket. “The club’s over.”

  “So you just abandoned the animals?” Becca scowls at Gavin. “Didn’t you care what would happen to them?”

  “There was only the ferret by then, and RJ took her with him.”

  “No, he didn’t,” I say.

  “What?” Gavin reels back like my words slapped his face. “RJ would never abandon an animal.”

  “Did you ever ask him?” Becca accuses.

  “How could I?” He spreads his arms out in frustration. “I didn’t know where RJ went and he never replied to my messages.”

  “You were going to meet at the tree house that day,” I say, remembering the soda cans, plates, and silverware scattered around the table. “RJ was expecting you.”

  “He was?” Gavin’s eyes widen. “I tried to go to his cottage but couldn’t get in the gate. The password I’d always used didn’t work. Later I found out RJ and his family moved out.”

  “RJ left before you did?” I ask, surprised.

  “When he didn’t answer my texts, I figured his family didn’t want me around because of what Mom did.” Gavin slumps his shoulders.

  A locked gate. A cottage. Our tree house.

  “Did RJ live in the cottage?” I ask.

  “How else could we meet at the tree house?” Gavin twists his lips in a grimace. “Then RJ just left. No texts. Nothing.”

  My thoughts windmill in circles going nowhere. Mr. Bragg said the previous cook lived in the cottage until she was fired. But he also said there weren’t any kids living on the estate, but RJ had lived there.

  I turn back to Gavin. “Do you know why RJ’s mother was fired?”

  “Fired from the account firm?” Gavin wrinkles his brow.

  “What? No. Fired from working for Mr. Bragg as his chef.”

  Gavin gives me a weird look then laughs. “She cooked for him sometimes but it wasn’t her job. She’s an accountant.”

  “So she didn’t work for Mr. Bragg?” I ask, confused.

  “Why would she work for her father?”

  I stare at him incredulously. “RJ’s mother is Deidra—Mr. Bragg’s daughter?”

  “Didn’t you know?” Gavin kicks a rusty can aside. “RJ is the grandson of the rich and famous King of Resorts.”

  - Chapter 20 -

  Mystery Solved?

  Before we go, I try to give Gavin the ARC pouch but he still refuses. “It’s not mine to keep.”

  “Well, it definitely isn’t ours.” I shove the pouch into his hands.

  “Share it with Zee Zee and RJ,” Becca suggests. “You must know some way to contact them.”

  “I guess I could try.” He shrugs. “But they won’t answer.”

  “Give them a chance.” Becca says with an encouraging smile. “Good friends are worth fighting for…and forgiving.”

  He scowls but there’s a thoughtful, almost hopeful, look in his eyes. “Can’t hurt to try, I guess.”

  “If you hear from RJ, let me know,” I add, thinking of the emerald king.

  “And let me know if you talk to Zee Zee.” Becca gives him her cell number.

  “You’re such a matchmaker,” I tease Becca as we walk back to the car. “You’re hoping he gets back with Zee Zee.”

  “Gavin is still crazy about her—isn’t it obvious?” Becca slips into the car and reaches for her seatbelt. “I’ll text Leo to let him know we returned the money and found out about the ARC kids.”

  Mrs. Morales sings softly to country music from the front seat while I watch Becca text Leo. Minutes later her phone dings a reply from Leo.

  Gr8 work. Mystery solved.

  But is it really solved? I wonder as we drive east, where patches of snow shine from mountain peaks. Sure, we returned the papers and cash, found out how the club split up, and what happened to Gavin. But we don’t know where RJ is or why his family left so suddenly.

  And I wonder…

  Why is it a secret that RJ is Mr. Bragg’s grandson?

  Why did RJ’s family move out of the cottage?

  Why did RJ abandon his friends and Bandit?

  Trees, mountains, and sky blur by as I stare out the window and realize there’s only one logical answer: RJ stole the emerald king.

  “Did you see that sign? We’re in Nevada now!” Becca tugs my arm and points out the window. “We’re almost there! I can’t wait to see Zed. It’s been forever since I’ve seen him.”

  I laugh. “It hasn’t even been a month.” I turn to look out the window too and imagine Zed’s striped legs and shiny dark mane. It’ll be cool to see the zorse again.

  “I know he’s happy now, but I miss him.” Becca sighs.

  “He’ll be even happier to see you,” I say, which makes her grin.

  A short while later we drive onto a paved road circling up to a brick single-story house. Puddles splash from recent rain as we park in front of a yard green with cacti instead of grass. Last time we saw Zed’s owner, Eloise Hunter, she was in a wheelchair. Now she steps out of the house only using a cane.

  Her face lights up brighter than her silvery hair as she invites us inside. “I have tea, lemonade, and fresh cookies for you.”

  “Sounds wonderful,” Becca’s mother says.

  Becca bounces back and forth in her cowgirl boots. “Can I see Zed first?”

  Mrs. Hunter chuckles and leads the way to the barn.

  Sun rays shine prisms through high windows, piles of hay climb to the pitched roof, and chickens cluck from a pen. I hear Zed’s welcome—a whinny—before I see him. He’s spunky and kicks his hooves with attitude when he sees Becca. She rushes over and wraps her arms around his neck.

  It’s an amazing afternoon of sweet lemonade, warm chocolate-chip cookies, and watching Becca ride Zed. She says I can ride too, but she has a better connection with him. He allows me to feed him carrots and pet him and that’s enough for me.

  Time gallops by as the sun sinks in the west and soon Becca is hugging Zed good-bye.

  On the drive home, Becca falls asleep but I enjoy the scenery. As we pass the Truckee exit my thoughts whirl back to Gavin. We found out a lot from him, and we may have even convinced him to reconnect with Zee Zee and RJ. I’m still shocked that RJ is Mr. Bragg’s grandson and probably stole the emerald king. But there’s so much I don’t understand. Why did RJ’s family leave instead of just returning the emerald king? And why is Mr. King covering up the theft?

  I’ll probably never know what really happened.

  Leo was right—it’s an unsolvable mystery because the victim is protecting the thief.

 
; But is RJ really the thief? Maybe it was an accident and he broke the chess piece. Instead of confessing to his grandfather, he threw the emerald king away or gave the broken pieces to his parents. Still, a broken or stolen chess piece doesn’t seem like a strong enough reason for a family to leave so abruptly. And why didn’t RJ talk to his club mates? Would it have been so hard to send a text?

  Leo and Becca may think the ARC mystery is solved, but I don’t.

  I must have dozed off, because suddenly I’m jerking my eyes open and Mrs. Morales is parking in front of my house.

  My mother meets me at the door. Instead of asking her usual, “Did you have fun?” she grasps my hand and pulls me inside without saying a word.

  Her expression is grim, like someone has died. I start to ask what’s going on but she silences me with a look so severe that now I’m sure someone has died.

  I follow Mom into the family room. Dad stands abruptly from his recliner when he sees me. He gives me a look so furious that I know immediately my relatives are alive. But I’m not so sure about my own longevity because if looks could kill, Dad’s glare would have already struck me dead.

  What have I done wrong? I think frantically.

  I can’t think of anything—until I smell sickly sweet perfume and see on top of the coffee table is a purple heeled shoe with a bow and satin sash.

  “I can explain!” I start to say.

  But Dad is shaking his head, and I hear a soft mewing. I look past the couch to a wooden pet carrier. Honey peers out through the slats, her yellow eyes sorrowful.

  That’s when I know the horrible truth.

  I’m losing my kitten.

  - Chapter 21 -

  Accused

  “But Honey didn’t do it!” I rush over to the crate. My kitten looks so small and helpless that my heart breaks.

  “She stays in there,” he orders. “Your cat is a menace.”

  “She’s innocent! Please don’t blame her.”

  “We found the shoe in your closet and your kitten was nearby,” Dad says roughly. He won’t even look at me.

  “Sorry, Kelsey.” Mom slips her arm over my shoulder. “When I went into your room to check on your cat, I had no idea it would lead to this. I only looked in your closet because of the perfume smell. I never expected to find your sister’s shoe.”

  “That’s not all we found,” Dad adds furiously. “A hole gnawed right through the wall between your room and your sister’s.”

  “A hole!” My heart sinks.

  “Don’t pretend you didn’t know,” Dad accuses. “We’re living in this house free of charge because of my employer. I warned you to keep your cat out of trouble. But now she’s destroyed a wall. How many things will she destroy?”

  “I swear it wasn’t her. You can’t send her away.”

  “She has to go.” Dad rakes his fingers through his hair. “I just hope I can repair the wall before Mr. Bragg finds out. I can’t risk any trouble—especially after what happened today.”

  “What happened today?” I wrap my arms around myself.

  “That valuable pepper shaker went missing.” Dad’s shoulders sag.

  I suck in a breath. “Not the crystal and diamond shaker!”

  “Yes,” he says quietly. “How could this happen? I know I put it away.”

  “You did. I saw you do it,” I assure him, thinking back to yesterday.

  “But the salt shaker stands alone.” Dad blows out a ragged sigh. “I’ll be lucky if I have my job tomorrow. But if I do, I can’t risk more trouble. The cat has to go.”

  Mom places her hand on my father’s arm. “Honey is just a kitten. She’ll be better behaved when she grows up.”

  “She can’t stay in this house,” Dad says in a strained voice. “I feel terrible about this. I don’t want to…but what choice do I have? I need this job.”

  “We all do,” Mom agrees softly, squeezing Dad’s hand.

  “But it wasn’t Honey!” I jump up from the crate to face Dad. “She didn’t chew Kiana’s homework or steal her shoe or destroy the wall.”

  “Then who did?” Dad demands.

  Both of my parents stare at me, and I realize I can’t keep this secret anymore. “It was a ferret.”

  Mom looks at me with disappointment. “Kelsey, don’t lie.”

  “But it’s true! I saw the ferret.”

  “There have been no reports of a missing ferret,” Mom insists.

  “It’s not a pet—it’s wild.”

  “That’s ridiculous! I’ve learned a lot as an animal control officer and know for a fact that domesticated ferrets cannot survive in the wild.” Mom purses her lips, a quiet signal her anger is building. While Dad has a short fuse and blows up fast, he loses steam quickly, Mom’s anger is roused slowly like a volcano eruption.

  Dad scowls at me. “Next you’ll say the ferret stole the crystal pepper shaker.”

  “She did!” I snap my fingers because suddenly it all makes sense. “That’s why only one shaker is missing. She can’t carry two in her mouth.”

  “Stop making excuses,” Mom says with a warning in her tone.

  “But I’m telling the truth! Yesterday I chased Bandit while she was running away with Angel’s headband.”

  “Bandit?” Mom echoes. “This wild ferret has a name?”

  “I know it sounds weird but it’s true. You can ask Sergei—he saw the ferret too.”

  “I will not ask Sergei anything so ridiculous,” Dad snaps. “I realize you’re upset about losing your kitten, but lying only makes things worse.”

  “But Dad—”

  “No. I will not listen to any more of this. Take the crate up to your room—and do not let that menace out. Then get on the phone to find a home for the cat. This is her last night here.”

  I look from Dad’s furious face to Mom’s glare. They don’t believe me. They won’t listen. And tomorrow my cat will be gone.

  Tears prick my eyes as I lift up the crate.

  Without another word, I leave the room.

  As my bedroom door bangs shut behind me, Honey mews. Her whiskers twitch as if she’s scared. I want to release her from her crate prison but I don’t dare.

  “I wasn’t lying,” I whisper as I sink onto my bed, feeling like a dark moon eclipsed the sun and the world will never be light again. I hurt all over, angry words trampling my heart. I try not to cry but I keep thinking of Dad’s furious face when he called my sweet kitten a menace.

  “You’re not a menace,” I say to my kitten across the room. I want so badly to hold Honey, to tell her everything will be okay. But will it?

  I think back to when Becca, Leo, and I rescued the three kittens. We each chose a kitten for our own. I fell in love with fluffy, orange, stub-tailed Honey. The kittens were so tiny and fragile, and I wasn’t sure they’d survive. But they thrived under our care and a few weeks later Leo took his kitten Lucky home. Not long afterward, Becca’s mother let her keep Chris too. I was the last to keep my kitten, and now she has to go.

  I bend down to the crate and reach my fingers through the slates to pet Honey’s soft fur. She mews up at me, begging to be let out. A lump burns in my throat. I try not to cry. Honey will be fine, I tell myself. Maybe she can live with Becca again and play with Chris all day. She’ll love that…but she won’t be with me.

  A tear drips down my cheek. I wipe it away.

  I can’t put off the call any longer. I grab the upstairs phone and bring it back to my room. When Becca answers the phone her voice is light and cheerful. “Hey, Kelsey. It’s been like fifteen minutes since I saw you. Miss me already?”

  Normally I’d tease back, but I need all my energy to keep from crying. I sink down on the carpet beside my kitten’s crate. “Something’s happened…” I swallow hard then blurt it all out—the chewed shoe, the closet wall, and losing Honey.

  “But the ferret did it!” Becca cries in outrage. “Honey’s too little to do that much damage. Your parents should realize that.”

  “They o
nly believe what they saw—and they didn’t see the ferret.”

  “I saw its footprints and the nest. Even if I hadn’t, I would believe you.”

  “My parents think I’m lying to protect Honey.” My kitten bats a paw through the slats and curls it around my finger. She keeps her claws in, always gentle. “Dad is freaking out because he’s afraid he’ll lose another job. Also a fancy pepper shaker disappeared from the castle kitchen today. I think Bandit stole it but when I told my parents they just got angrier.”

  “Bandit is such a thief.” Becca groans. “My ferrets are male, so they don’t make nests or steal stuff. But we had a female once and when we let her play in the house she stole clothes, pens, even toilet paper rolls.”

  “I begged Dad to ask Sergei but he refused.”

  “That’s so unfair!”

  “I know.” I sigh at my imprisoned kitten. “How can I convince them the ferret is to blame and not Honey?”

  “Proof,” Becca says. “And I know just how to get it!”

  - Chapter 22 -

  It’s a Trap

  I wake up to a gloomy morning. Outside my window, foggy grayness tangles branches into monstrous shadows. I’m tempted to hide under my covers all day, but I’m meeting my friends soon.

  As I slip on my black jeans, my scraped knee stings. That pain is nothing, though, compared to how I feel when Honey mews pitifully from behind her prison bars. I can’t stand seeing her unhappy so I unlatch the crate and cradle her in my arms.

  “It’s not good-bye,” I murmur as I kiss her whiskery face. “You won’t be far away. I’ll visit you at Becca’s every day. It’ll be just like you’re still living with me…only you won’t be.”

  Unless Becca’s plan works, I think, clinging to my only hope.

  For the plan to work, Honey must stay locked in my room, and my heart breaks all over again as I return her to the crate.