After Dark

After Dark by James Leck, Yasemine Uçar, Marie Bartholomew, Danielle Mulhall Page B

Book: After Dark by James Leck, Yasemine Uçar, Marie Bartholomew, Danielle Mulhall Read Free Book Online
Authors: James Leck, Yasemine Uçar, Marie Bartholomew, Danielle Mulhall
Tags: Children's Fiction
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best drinks in town. On top of that, he could help us out of this mess.”
    â€œWhat mess?”
    â€œWere you not listening to me last night?”
    â€œThe sheriff said it was just some local kids blowing off steam.”
    â€œHe’s wrong,” Miles said, as Vortex started a blender behind the bar.
    â€œIs this just some prank you play on all the new kids in town?”
    â€œThis situation is as far from a prank as you can possibly get.”
    The blender stopped, and Vortex brought over two large jars filled with a greenish-brown mixture. He put them down and left, disappearing behind the beads and into the back room.
    I sniffed my drink. It smelled like dirt.
    â€œIt tastes better than it smells,” Miles said.
    â€œBetter than dirt? I find that hard to believe.”
    He grabbed his, gulped back half the glass and slammed it back onto the table. “You’ll just have to trust me.”
    I nodded and took a sip. He was right; it tasted a whole lot better than it smelled.
    â€œI’m not crazy,” he said.
    â€œNo, you’re right. It kind of tastes like a Creamsicle mixed with —”
    â€œI’m not talking about the drink, Charlie. I’m talking about last night. I’m not crazy — there’s something highly irregular going on with our mutual neighbor, Mr. Ted Baxter.”
    â€œI don’t suppose he’s connected with the antique dolls you told me about?”
    â€œThe antique dolls?”
    â€œThat stuff about the Holscombs. I didn’t hear how it all turned out.”
    â€œOh, right. Well, they hadn’t been seen for a few days, so the cops took a look inside. All the clothes were folded and put away, the fridge was full of food, the TV was on, et cetera, et cetera, but there was no sign of the Holscombs. They found the dolls tucked under the covers of Mr. and Mrs. Holscomb’s bed … But forget about that. The Baxters are the immediate problem here.”
    â€œSo, you actually think the dolls murdered the entire Holscomb family? And then what did they do? Bury them in the backyard?”
    â€œForget about the Holscombs, would you!” Miles said. “We can go into the long and sordid history of antique doll murders some other time. Right now, I need you to focus on the Baxters.”
    â€œOkay, fine,” I said, taking a bigger sip. “I’ll stay clear of Mr. Baxter. Consider me warned.”
    â€œNo, no, no,” he said, “I’m not talking about staying away from the man. I’m talking about doing something about this situation. Do you understand me?”
    â€œNot exactly,” I said and took another sip. I was starting to think that Dr. Vortex’s Re-Animator might be the most delicious thing I’d ever tasted.
    â€œLast night,” he said, leaning in, “at 8:58 p.m., I was finishing up my nightly ten-mile run —”
    â€œYou should be talking to my sister,” I said.
    â€œI think it’s important to stay fit for emergency situations.”
    â€œSo does she.”
    â€œJust listen.”
    â€œMy apologies,” I said and nearly finished off the Re-Animator in one big gulp.
    â€œI was finishing up my run when I noticed a man, dressed in a navy blue suit, sprinting through Mr. Baxter’s backyard,” he said, and looked at me like this should mean something.
    â€œUh-huh.”
    â€œDon’t you see? Adults in suits don’t sprint through other people’s backyards unless they are highly motivated.”
    â€œHighly motivated?”
    â€œExactly,” he said.
    â€œHighly motivated by what?”
    â€œNow you’re asking the right questions,” he said, smiling. “I didn’t have to wait long to find out because about three seconds after the man in the suit ran by, Mr. Baxter and his wife emerged from the corner of the house, chasing after him toward the rear of their property. And do you know

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