Amos and the Chameleon Caper Read Free

was patting her gray hair. Then she picked up her purse and went through the door, smiling.

Tiffany put the phone back on the receiver and sighed. “That was my mom. My dad and his secretary had to fly to Washington, and my mom is still meeting with her home care committee. She won’t be back till late, as usual.”
    “Did she say we could order out for pizza?” Amos asked hopefully.
    “Let’s do that later. Right now, why don’t you show me some holds?”
    “Holds?”
    Dunc looked up from writing in his notebook. “You know—
martial arts
holds.”
    “Oh, those kind of holds. Well, I would,but shouldn’t we take this opportunity to—to—”
    Dunc stood up. “Why don’t we use this time to go talk to Grimes?”
    “That works for me.” Amos headed for the door.
    Tiffany shrugged. “That’s funny. I didn’t think Amos was even interested in the case.”
    “Don’t let that empty look fool you,” Dunc said as he and Tiffany hurried out to the hall. “Deep down Amos is really a detective at heart. He loves these things.”
    “What things?” Amos punched the elevator button.
    “I was just telling Tiffany how much you love detective work.”
    “Yeah, it’s right up there on my list with zits and liver.”
    When they stepped out of the elevator they nearly ran over Grimes. He was sweeping up a cigar ash from the marble floor.
    He straightened and smiled. “Why, hello again. Is there something I can help you young people with?”
    “As a matter of fact, there is,” Tiffany answered. “My friends and I ran into a sweet little elderly lady from apartment thirty-five-B. We were thinking of taking her some cookies later, but you know how fussy my parents are about strangers. I was just wondering what you thought of her.”
    Grimes rubbed the back of his neck. “I think you’re confused, Ms. Tiffany. The only elderly people in this building are Mr. and Mrs. Greenstein in twenty-four-A.”
    “Are you sure? Maybe she’s visiting.”
    Grimes moved behind a counter and looked through his record book. He shook his head. “No visitors have been logged in for the DeFraud apartment.”
    “Is that the couple’s name who lives there?”
    “There’s no couple. Ms. DeFraud is a single lady. She just rented the apartment last week. I don’t know anything else about her except that she paid cash and asked not to be disturbed.”
    Dunc nudged Tiffany’s shoulder. “It’s probably our mistake. Come on, Tiffany, we really should get back to our bird-watching now.”
    “Right.” Tiffany moved toward the elevator. “Well, thanks anyway, Mr. Grimes.”
    Amos followed. “We’re going bird-watching?”
    Dunc jerked him into the elevator and waited for the doors to close. “Of course not. You didn’t want me to tell Grimes we were watching Ms. DeFraud’s apartment, did you?”
    “Are we still doing that?”
    “Look, Amos, it’s like this …”
    “Something weird is going on in that apartment,” Tiffany interrupted, “and we have to find out what it is.”
    Dunc looked at her appreciatively. “I like the way you think. It’s rare to find someone who understands real detective work.”
    The elevator doors opened and Amos stared at Dunc and Tiffany as theywalked down the hall comparing notes. “Scary is a better word for it,” he muttered.
    Dunc glanced back over his shoulder. “Did you say something, Amos?”
    “Don’t pay any attention to me. You two supersleuths go right ahead and work on your case. I’ve got some investigating of my own to do—in the kitchen.”

Amos was dreaming.
    A monster cab with hairy eyebrows and huge, pointed teeth was chasing him down the sidewalk, chewing up everything in its path. It was coming closer and closer, when suddenly Amos tripped over someone’s grandmother. She stared at him with big, black binoculars, and when she had him in focus she started beating him with her walking stick.
    “Amos, wake up.” Dunc shook him again.
    Amos grabbed his arm.