Sly the Sleuth and the Food Mysteries Read Free Page A

ran out his back door. He cut through the hedge.
    I knew he would.
    I followed him.
    He went around the front of Melody’s house. And disappeared.
    I crawled through the little tunnel between the bushes. Branches poked me hard. But I gritted my teeth; this was important.
    â€œHi, Brian,” I said.
    â€œHi, Sly.” He moved over and I squished in. “Want candy?” He slapped something in my hand.

    â€œSure.” I took a bite. It was a Hershey’s bar. “This is good.”
    â€œI know,” said Brian.
    â€œThings taste good in the morning?” I asked.
    â€œI have popcorn too.”
    â€œYour mom doesn’t know about this, does she? That’s why you’re hiding, right?”
    â€œCandy makes her sad,” said Brian.
    Hmmm. I wondered if Mrs. Olsen had ever tried chocolate. Chocolate makes my mother happy.
    â€œWhere did you get this junk food, Brian?”
    â€œI traded at school.”
    â€œWhat did you trade?” I asked.
    â€œToys.”
    That sounded bad. “How many toys have you traded?”
    â€œLots.”
    Oops. Brian needed his toys. Any kid did. “Did you start trading because your mother’s cookies suddenly tasted bad?”
    â€œThey made Mitchell sick too,” said Brian. Mitchell goes to Brian’s nursery.
    â€œIs that why you think your teeth are rotting? Because of the candy?”
    â€œHave more,” said Brian. He slapped some in my hand.
    I ate it and licked my fingers. “Well, you don’t have to trade anymore.”
    â€œI like candy,” said Brian. “Better than home cookies.”
    I took Brian’s hand. “Listen. Your mom’s cookies are going to taste better from now on. Better than ever. You won’t need junk food.”
    â€œJunk food is good,” said Brian.
    â€œFor treats now and then,” I said.“You have to watch out for some candy, though.”
    â€œToffee,” said Brian.
    â€œExactly,” I said. “It sticks in your teeth.”
    â€œRotten teeth.” Brian’s voice was sober.
    â€œBrushing works,” I said.
    I heard a rip. The smell of popcorn was strong. Brian chewed loudly.

Three birds
    I told Melody Brian was the dangerous guy in the bushes. She laughed. And she gave me two poster boards as payment. They’re both used on one side. But the other side is good for signs, if I need more later.
    And I might. Because I already solved Jack’s case. His problem was that Fluffy-Clarissa-Punky kept eating the shuffleboard pucks. That was so easy to solve, I didn’t charge him. I explained that she liked the fish oil in them. So, once his cat has eaten up all the fishy cookiepucks, he has two choices. He can buy regular pucks. The kind made of plastic. Like normal people use. Or he can ask Brian for more cookies—the new kind without fish oil.
    Jack never has extra money. So he’s decided to ask Brian to play shuffleboard often. And to bring cookies each time.
    That will make Mrs. Olsen happy. So long as she never finds out what the cookies are used for.
    And Brian is happy. He says home cookies taste good again. Better than ever, like I promised. Poor Brian. He’ll never understand what a really good cookie tastes like. But at least he’s happy. And he doesn’t have to worry about rotting teeth. Plus Melody and I gave him old toys, to replace the ones he traded away.
    Taxi got a bonus out of all of this. I took some of the fishy cookies from Jack’s stash. I gave her one. And I told her about this case. She gnawed and purred the whole time I talked.
    So everyone’s problems were related. My father says it’s like hitting two birds with one stone. But it was really three birds.
    Actually, it was three fish. Ha. I was right: There was something fishy about how Jack and Brian were acting. Ha.
    I’m glad when cases end up funny like that.

Case #2: Sly and Something Cooking

T-shirts
    It was