Dunc and the Scam Artists Read Free Page B

cousin, Little Brucie, are coming over after a while. My mom says I have to be home when the little monster arrives so that I can keep him from wrecking the place and eating the other goldfish. Besides, I know where I went wrong. It was when I agreed to go along with you last night. I should have stayed home and knitted.”
    “Can you knit Amos? I didn’t know you could do that.” The look spread across Dunc’s face. “It just might come in handy sometime.”
    “Dunc, that is just an expression. Something people say when they wish they had stayed at home and minded their own business.”
    “You probably have all sorts of talent Amos. There’s probably no limit to your abilities.”
    Amos rubbed the knot on his forehead. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather leave my abilities untapped. By the way, we are going to leave this particular case alone now that we’ve tipped off the bad guys, aren’t we?”
    “Sure Amos, I just need to check into a couple of things and then we’ll give it up. You go on over and watch Little Brucie. I need to go downtown for a while. When I get back, I’ll come over and help you.”
    Without the volleyball net, Little Brucie was in rare form. From the time he arrived until Dunc got back from town, he led Amos on a wild chase, destroying anything that got in his path.
    When Amos wasn’t looking, he superglued Amos’s new tennis shoes to the bathroom floor. While he was in the bathroom, he stuffed seven rolls of toilet paper down the toilet and when Amos caught up with him, he was crawling after the cat with a hair dryer in one hand.
    Dunc yelled as he rode up the driveway, “Amos, come down here. I’ve got news for you.”
    “You come up here. I can’t take my eyes off this kid for one minute. He’s liable to torch the place.”
    Dunc walked in the front door and ducked just in time to avoid a flying bowl of red Jell-O.
    “Hey, what’s going on here?”
    “Brucie is playing flying saucer,” Amos said.
    “Cute kid.”
    “I’ve had enough fun for one day. I’m going to get my mom to watch this little alien.”
    Securely out of Little Brucie’s reach, the boys relaxed in Dunc’s room.
    “So what big news do you have for me?” Amos asked.
    “Well, I checked on Mrs. Dell’s property. It hasn’t been stolen. I also found out that she hasn’t reported being robbed or anything.”
    “That’s nice for her. So what’s the big deal?”
    “Don’t you get it Amos? The crooks haven’t made their play yet. We still may have time to save her.”
    “Dunc, I don’t think you live in the real world with the rest of us. What do you think we are, a couple of superheroes or something?”
    “No really Amos—I have a plan that might just save Mrs. Dell and catch the crooks at the same time.”
    “You always have a plan. That’s the trouble. But they never work out the way you plan them.”
    “This one is so simple, it’s got to work. Listen, I already talked to Mrs. Dell and set it up without her really knowing about it.”

It was a superhot day, one of those days when Amos thought he’d like to just live inside the air conditioner.
    But instead, Amos was sweating and complaining. “Why did your plan have to involve physical labor? You didn’t have to tell her we were Boy Scouts trying to earn a merit badge. At least we could have gotten paid. This is our one and only spring break. It only lasts two weeks and then it’s gone.”
    “A little yard work never hurt anybody Amos. I’ve been noticing your arms lately.”
    “What’s wrong with my arms?”
    “They’re kinda puny. They could be a little more solid, have a little more muscle.”
    “I really don’t care if I ever have any muscles or not, especially if this is the way you get them,” Amos said tiredly.
    Dunc chopped another weed. “Well, you know I don’t care, but some girls like guys with muscles.”
    Amos dropped his rake and stood up as straight as he could. He puffed out his chest and flexed