station.”
Marty cleared out the Chomp and Chew except for Frank and me. As we sat in another booth, waiting for the police, we talked about the case.
“Do you think Tony knew about the Scaredevils’ plans?” I asked.
Frank shook his head. “He wouldn’t bring Carolyn here if he did,” he said. “Not exactly an awesome first date.”
After a beat I turned to Frank. “So, what do you think?” I asked. “Do we tell the police what we know about Colin? Even if we don’t have any proof to show them?”
“Definitely,” Frank said. “One of us could have gotten seriously hurt just now . . . or even killed.”
Two police officers were already at the Chomp and Chew, talking to Marty. But then the door opened wide and another walked in. My heart sank when I saw who it was.
“Olaf’s in the house,” I muttered.
“Great,” Frank groaned.
Frank and I watched as Chief Olaf walked toward us, followed by the two officers. He was wearing his big shiny badge and his usual cynical smirk.
“Boys,” Chief Olaf said with a nod. “So, tell me what you saw.”
“This!” I said, showing him the rock. “It was hurled through the window we were sitting next to.”
“The word ‘Scaredevils’ is painted on it,” Frank pointed out. “It’s the same gang that tagged our basketball court.”
The chief took the rock from me. He turned it over in his hand before saying, “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
“Okay,” Frank said. “We know who the ringleader of the gang is.”
“How do you know?” Chief Olaf asked.
“We read it in a text,” I said.
The chief held out his hand. “Can I see the text, please?” he said.
“Um . . . we don’t have it,” I said.
“It was on someone else’s phone,” Frank explained.
“Well,” Chief Olaf said. “Then it won’t do us much good, will it?”
“We can tell you what we found out,” Frank said quickly. “For one, there’s a guy paying the Scaredevils to pull the pranks.”
“Paying them?” one of the officers piped up.
“Yeah!” I said. “And that person is Colin Sylvester!”
The chief’s eyebrows flew up so high and fast I thought they’d hit the ceiling. Had we finally told him something he wanted to hear?
But then Chief Olaf shook his head. “It can’t be Colin,” he said. “Not a chance.”
“Why not?” Frank asked.
“Because the Sylvesters are respected citizens of the community,” Chief Olaf explained. “Their son Colin goes to Bay Academy.”
“So all Bay Academy students are honest?” I asked.
I looked over at the other officers, Lasko and Fernandez, for help. They were usually friendly guys, but now they stood behind Chief Olaf, as motionless as Mount Rushmore.
“Look, boys.” Chief Olaf sighed. “I am not going to bring in Colin Sylvester based on a text that I can’t even read.”
“But—” I started to say.
“Kids these days and their texts,” Chief Olaf said to the other officers with a chuckle. “Maybe if they’d all interact more on a personal level, we wouldn’t have all this trouble!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. If Chief Olaf wouldn’t listen to Frank and me, maybe he’d listen to Tony Riley.
“It wasn’t our text, Chief Olaf,” I blurted. “It was—”
“It was something we heard about,” Frank cut in.
I glanced sideways at Frank. Why was he protecting Tony? If Tony knew that rock was coming, he sure did nothing to protect us!
“All we know is that the Scaredevils are starting to target Joe and me,” Frank told the chief. He turned to me. “Show him the videos, Joe.”
I was about to pull out my tablet when the chief held up his hand.
“Those punks are targeting the entire town of Bayport,” Chief Olaf said. “So don’t think you’re so special, Detectives Hardy and Hardy.”
“Can you at least question Colin and see what he has to say?” Frank asked.
“Absolutely not,” Chief Olaf said. “There is no way I am going to embarrass good people
Marty cleared out the Chomp and Chew except for Frank and me. As we sat in another booth, waiting for the police, we talked about the case.
“Do you think Tony knew about the Scaredevils’ plans?” I asked.
Frank shook his head. “He wouldn’t bring Carolyn here if he did,” he said. “Not exactly an awesome first date.”
After a beat I turned to Frank. “So, what do you think?” I asked. “Do we tell the police what we know about Colin? Even if we don’t have any proof to show them?”
“Definitely,” Frank said. “One of us could have gotten seriously hurt just now . . . or even killed.”
Two police officers were already at the Chomp and Chew, talking to Marty. But then the door opened wide and another walked in. My heart sank when I saw who it was.
“Olaf’s in the house,” I muttered.
“Great,” Frank groaned.
Frank and I watched as Chief Olaf walked toward us, followed by the two officers. He was wearing his big shiny badge and his usual cynical smirk.
“Boys,” Chief Olaf said with a nod. “So, tell me what you saw.”
“This!” I said, showing him the rock. “It was hurled through the window we were sitting next to.”
“The word ‘Scaredevils’ is painted on it,” Frank pointed out. “It’s the same gang that tagged our basketball court.”
The chief took the rock from me. He turned it over in his hand before saying, “Tell me something I don’t already know.”
“Okay,” Frank said. “We know who the ringleader of the gang is.”
“How do you know?” Chief Olaf asked.
“We read it in a text,” I said.
The chief held out his hand. “Can I see the text, please?” he said.
“Um . . . we don’t have it,” I said.
“It was on someone else’s phone,” Frank explained.
“Well,” Chief Olaf said. “Then it won’t do us much good, will it?”
“We can tell you what we found out,” Frank said quickly. “For one, there’s a guy paying the Scaredevils to pull the pranks.”
“Paying them?” one of the officers piped up.
“Yeah!” I said. “And that person is Colin Sylvester!”
The chief’s eyebrows flew up so high and fast I thought they’d hit the ceiling. Had we finally told him something he wanted to hear?
But then Chief Olaf shook his head. “It can’t be Colin,” he said. “Not a chance.”
“Why not?” Frank asked.
“Because the Sylvesters are respected citizens of the community,” Chief Olaf explained. “Their son Colin goes to Bay Academy.”
“So all Bay Academy students are honest?” I asked.
I looked over at the other officers, Lasko and Fernandez, for help. They were usually friendly guys, but now they stood behind Chief Olaf, as motionless as Mount Rushmore.
“Look, boys.” Chief Olaf sighed. “I am not going to bring in Colin Sylvester based on a text that I can’t even read.”
“But—” I started to say.
“Kids these days and their texts,” Chief Olaf said to the other officers with a chuckle. “Maybe if they’d all interact more on a personal level, we wouldn’t have all this trouble!”
I couldn’t take it anymore. If Chief Olaf wouldn’t listen to Frank and me, maybe he’d listen to Tony Riley.
“It wasn’t our text, Chief Olaf,” I blurted. “It was—”
“It was something we heard about,” Frank cut in.
I glanced sideways at Frank. Why was he protecting Tony? If Tony knew that rock was coming, he sure did nothing to protect us!
“All we know is that the Scaredevils are starting to target Joe and me,” Frank told the chief. He turned to me. “Show him the videos, Joe.”
I was about to pull out my tablet when the chief held up his hand.
“Those punks are targeting the entire town of Bayport,” Chief Olaf said. “So don’t think you’re so special, Detectives Hardy and Hardy.”
“Can you at least question Colin and see what he has to say?” Frank asked.
“Absolutely not,” Chief Olaf said. “There is no way I am going to embarrass good people
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