Attack of the Spider Bots Read Free Page B

putting their heads together to find the mysterious Solomon Parker.
    â€œA ghost would be easier to find!” Beamer exclaimed in frustration. “Which, for that matter, is what he might have become by now,” he added with a shrug.
    â€œNope, there’s no death certificate, and somebody still picks up mail from that post office box,” said Scilla, feeling proud of her detective work over the past couple days.
    â€œMaybe he just wanted peace and quiet and moved to Fiji,”
    suggested Ghoulie as he tapped keys on Beamer’s computer.
    â€œToo many tourists,” muttered Beamer. “And a really deserted island wouldn’t have any electricity. I’ve got a feeling this guy likes gadgets too much to give up electricity.”
    â€œWhat about askin’ Old Lady Parker?” asked Scilla, who had lain back across Beamer’s bed. “She’s gotta know. She’s his sister, after all.”
    â€œYeah, I thought about that,” said Beamer with a sigh. “But both Mrs. Ringwald and Mr. Schlesinger — you know, the guy with the long mustache and bushy hair — said they had a big fallin’ out years ago.”
    â€œBut they must have sent each other Christmas cards or birthday cards?” she argued.
    â€œNope,” said Beamer, “haven’t spoken to each other for fifty years.”
    â€œWow, that’s some fallin’ out,” said Scilla. “What do you suppose it was all about?”
    â€œMr. Schlesinger said it was over money, and Mrs. Ringwald said it was over a house,” said Beamer. “So who knows? I can tell you one thing: I’m not about to ask Ms. Parker.”
    â€œGood thinkin’,” said Scilla, sitting up with a gulp. “She’s scary enough when she’s in a good mood. Who knows what she’d be like if we riled her about the brother she hates.”
    â€œSo, you’re thinking she was in a ‘good mood’ when we talked to her those months ago?” asked Ghoulie. “If I remember correctly, she didn’t smile once the whole time.”
    â€œProbably no room left on her face for more wrinkles,” quipped Beamer. “Well, at least we’ve got an address for the trolley station,” he said as he leaned over Ghoulie and tapped the Print key on his computer. “Let’s see what we can find there.”

    A teachers’ conference gave the kids a day off from school. Beamer, Ghoulie, and Scilla took the opportunity to ride a bus downtown to the address of the old trolley station. The bus crossed a street that still had trolley tracks sunken into the pavement. It was a bit bumpy, but not as much as it would have been if the tracks were totally above ground like train tracks.
    When they stepped off the bus, the Star-Fighters stared in shock — except for Beamer, that is, who was immediately smacked in the face by a wind-tossed newspaper. The page wrapped itself around his face like it was going to suck out his brain. When Beamer finally wrestled it away, he too saw the trolley station. It was totally in ruins — fit only for things that crawled or hid in ghostly shadows. In fact, the entire neighborhood was a ramshackle collection of abandoned warehouses — a great place for a mob hit or a CIA rendezvous.
    Beamer now realized why the bus driver had raised one eyebrow so high when he showed him the address. The station took up an entire block and was surrounded by a chain-link fence with lots of Keep Out signs.
    â€œNow whadda we do?” grunted Scilla as she plopped down on a bench that was peeled nearly clean of paint. “I don’t think we’re gonna get much information from the rat population.”
    â€œAnd I think this has to be the coldest spot in the city,” muttered Ghoulie, pulling his overcoat tighter around him.
    Yeah, as in North Pole cold , thought Beamer. Not that Santa Claus would be found dead here. Frankly it looked