The Trail of the Screaming Teenager Read Free Page B

to work three hours at the dry cleaner’s for my share.”
    Just then Jason plowed into them. “Watch out,” he yelled to Chicken Head. “The police are coming.”
    The ice cream flew out of the cones.
    They landed on Long Hair’s feet.
    “These kids are wacko,” Long Hair yelled. He raced for the water.
    “Cluckity-cluckity-cluck,” said Chicken Head. He danced back to the blanket.
    The girl reached into a pocket. “Here’s a dollar,” she said. “Get yourself another ice cream.”
    “No, thanks.” Dawn smiled at the girl. “I have a mystery to solve.”
    Jill picked up the Marvelous Metal Finder.
    “Here I go again. I’m still looking for that necklace, don’t worry.”
    She began to sweep.
    Buzz, click.
    “Another penny,” Jill yelled. “Nineteen fifty-two. That’s old!”
    Dawn shook her head. “This whole mystery is taking longer than I thought.”
    She looked toward the kindergarten kid.
    They had saved the worst suspect for last.

CHAPTER SEVEN
    N ONI CAME PUFFING up to them. “Wonderful walk,” she said. She looked at her watch. “I think it’s time to go home.”
    Dawn shook her head. “We can’t. We have to check out one more—”
    “Your mother will be home from work soon.” Noni bent down. She reached for the picnic basket. “Your father too.”
    Dawn looked back at the kindergarten kid.
    He was burying his mother in the sand.
    Her face was sticking out of the sand. Her arm holding her book was too. So was one toe.
    “If we don’t check on this now,” said Dawn, “it’ll be too late.”
    “I have to peel potatoes,” Noni said. “I have to slice cucumbers.”
    “Five minutes,” said Dawn. “Just five quick minutes.”
    “Five minutes,” Jill begged too. “I haven’t found one pirate coin. I haven’t found the necklace either.”
    Buzz, click went the detector.
    “A pink bottle-cap,” she said.
    Noni sat down. She smiled at them. “All right. A fast five minutes.”
    Dawn nodded. She was still watching Arno, the kindergarten boy.
    He was covering his mother’s toe.
    Dawn and Jason marched toward him.
    He looked back over his shoulder.
    He picked up a shovel.
    Dawn raced back to Jill. “Can I borrow a nickel?”
    Jill reached into her green jar. She pulled out a greenish-looking nickel.
    Dawn tossed it up in the air.
    She wanted to be sure the kindergarten kid could see it.
    She walked over and held it out toward him.
    At the same time she tried to check out his blanket.
    It was hard to see with his toys all over the place.
    “Turn the page for me, someone,” said the mother. “Please.”
    Dawn reached over and turned the page.

    Arno was smashing the sand down around his mother’s toes.
    “Listen, Arno . . .” Dawn began.
    “Nice burying job,” said Jason at the same time.
    The boy stopped pounding with his shovel. He looked at the nickel. “That’s from the jar?” he asked.
    “It’s for you,” Dawn said. She handed it to him. “I want to ask you about a necklace.”
    The boy waved the nickel in the air. “What else is in the bottle?”
    Dawn rolled her eyes.
    She went back to Jill. “Could I borrow the jar, please?”
    Jill laughed. “Why not? This beach is full of stuff.”
    Dawn walked back to Arno. She rattled the jar.
    He held out his hand, looked inside, and dumped out half of it on the blanket.
    Dawn leaned over. She tried to make him pay attention. “I’m looking for a necklace.”
    Arno mounded more sand up on his mother’s feet.
    “I’m going to make an apartment house,” he said. “Right here on top of my mother.”
    “It’s an almost-diamond necklace,” Dawn said.
    “It has two ruby hearts,” said Jason.
    The boy sat back. “I think I’ll dump some water here. I’ll make it a little squishy.”
    He kicked at his pail. He pointed to Jason. “You can get it,” he said.
    “No, thanks,” said Jason.
    “No answer,” said the boy.
    Jason started for the water. “Some kid,” he said over his shoulder.
    His mother