like the Sylvesters when there’s no evidence on their son.”
The chief then turned to the officers and said, “Lasko, write up what the kids told us, but leave out the garbage about Colin.”
“Garbage?” I gasped.
All three officers turned away from us. As they started up the aisle, Officer Fernandez glanced back and smiled. Maybe he believed us. But with Olaf as chief, did it even matter?
“Can’t say we didn’t try,” Frank said with a sigh as we pulled on our jackets.
“Yeah,” I said, giving the broken window one last look. “I guess it’s up to us ‘so-called detectives’ to investigate Colin.”
CLOSER
9
FRANK
T HE LAST THING JOE AND I WANTED TO do was get up extra early the next morning—especially after that intense night at the Chomp and Chew. But if we were going to make a pit stop at Bay Academy on the way to school, we’d have to get going.
“What if we don’t see Colin?” Joe asked me as I drove up Bay Academy’s block.
“Maybe some of the other kids can help us out,” I said.
“Other kids as in Sierra Mitchell?” Joe teased.
“I never said that,” I insisted, although the thought of running into Sierra had definitely crossed my mind.
I pulled up to the curb across the street from Bay Academy.
With the other expensive student cars parked on the block, mine stuck out like a sore thumb.
As I did my best to parallel park, I caught Joe eyeing his tablet.
“What are you looking at?” I grunted as I turned the wheel. “Anything new go viral?”
Joe shook his head. “I did a search on the Sylvesters,” he said. “No wonder the chief didn’t want to go after them.”
“What did you find?” I asked.
“The Sylvesters donated a whole chunk of money to a Bayport Police charity,” Joe said.
“Money talks . . . Colin walks.” I sighed.
“Speaking of Colin, I don’t think we have to worry about not finding him,” Joe said, pointing out the window. “Because there he goes!”
I leaned over to look out Joe’s window. It didn’t take long to find Colin. He was strutting confidently across the school grounds toward a group of other guys.
“Those are the guys from the Chomp and Chew,” I said.
Colin and his buds fist-bumped, then exchanged words. He seemed distracted, looking past his friends to something in the school yard. I followed Colin’s gaze to a bunch of girls standing a few feet away. One of those girls was Lindsay Peyton.
• • •
Joe and I watched as Colin broke away from his crew and began moving toward Lindsay. As far away as we were, I could still see Lindsay’s look of disgust as he approached.
Lindsay jutted her chin in the air. She appeared to say a few angry words to Colin before huffing off with her friends.
“That girl Stacy was right,” Joe said. “Lindsay can’t stand Colin.”
Colin glared icily at Lindsay until a slow smile spread across his face. Aunt Trudy would call it a “cat who swallowed the canary” type of smile. What was going on inside Colin’s head to make him grin like that?
“We still don’t know why Lindsay hates Colin,” I said.
“Frank, isn’t it a no-brainer?” Joe said. “The guy’s a creep.”
“It might be more than that,” I said.
“Okay, then,” Joe said. “He’s a major creep!”
He reached over and blared the car horn. It caught the attention of Colin and practically all the other students.
“What are you doing?” I asked Joe.
“We came here to talk to Colin, remember?” Joe said. He then leaned out the window and shouted, “Hey, Sylvester! Can we ask you something?”
Colin grinned nastily, then yelled back, “The answer is no! You cannot switch lives with me, even for a second!”
Joe muttered something under his breath as he pushed open his door. I opened mine and stepped out too.
As we headed toward the school, we could see Colin talking to a guard. Colin turned to leave, but the guard held up his hand and called, “Excuse me. Are you Bay Academy
The chief then turned to the officers and said, “Lasko, write up what the kids told us, but leave out the garbage about Colin.”
“Garbage?” I gasped.
All three officers turned away from us. As they started up the aisle, Officer Fernandez glanced back and smiled. Maybe he believed us. But with Olaf as chief, did it even matter?
“Can’t say we didn’t try,” Frank said with a sigh as we pulled on our jackets.
“Yeah,” I said, giving the broken window one last look. “I guess it’s up to us ‘so-called detectives’ to investigate Colin.”
CLOSER
9
FRANK
T HE LAST THING JOE AND I WANTED TO do was get up extra early the next morning—especially after that intense night at the Chomp and Chew. But if we were going to make a pit stop at Bay Academy on the way to school, we’d have to get going.
“What if we don’t see Colin?” Joe asked me as I drove up Bay Academy’s block.
“Maybe some of the other kids can help us out,” I said.
“Other kids as in Sierra Mitchell?” Joe teased.
“I never said that,” I insisted, although the thought of running into Sierra had definitely crossed my mind.
I pulled up to the curb across the street from Bay Academy.
With the other expensive student cars parked on the block, mine stuck out like a sore thumb.
As I did my best to parallel park, I caught Joe eyeing his tablet.
“What are you looking at?” I grunted as I turned the wheel. “Anything new go viral?”
Joe shook his head. “I did a search on the Sylvesters,” he said. “No wonder the chief didn’t want to go after them.”
“What did you find?” I asked.
“The Sylvesters donated a whole chunk of money to a Bayport Police charity,” Joe said.
“Money talks . . . Colin walks.” I sighed.
“Speaking of Colin, I don’t think we have to worry about not finding him,” Joe said, pointing out the window. “Because there he goes!”
I leaned over to look out Joe’s window. It didn’t take long to find Colin. He was strutting confidently across the school grounds toward a group of other guys.
“Those are the guys from the Chomp and Chew,” I said.
Colin and his buds fist-bumped, then exchanged words. He seemed distracted, looking past his friends to something in the school yard. I followed Colin’s gaze to a bunch of girls standing a few feet away. One of those girls was Lindsay Peyton.
• • •
Joe and I watched as Colin broke away from his crew and began moving toward Lindsay. As far away as we were, I could still see Lindsay’s look of disgust as he approached.
Lindsay jutted her chin in the air. She appeared to say a few angry words to Colin before huffing off with her friends.
“That girl Stacy was right,” Joe said. “Lindsay can’t stand Colin.”
Colin glared icily at Lindsay until a slow smile spread across his face. Aunt Trudy would call it a “cat who swallowed the canary” type of smile. What was going on inside Colin’s head to make him grin like that?
“We still don’t know why Lindsay hates Colin,” I said.
“Frank, isn’t it a no-brainer?” Joe said. “The guy’s a creep.”
“It might be more than that,” I said.
“Okay, then,” Joe said. “He’s a major creep!”
He reached over and blared the car horn. It caught the attention of Colin and practically all the other students.
“What are you doing?” I asked Joe.
“We came here to talk to Colin, remember?” Joe said. He then leaned out the window and shouted, “Hey, Sylvester! Can we ask you something?”
Colin grinned nastily, then yelled back, “The answer is no! You cannot switch lives with me, even for a second!”
Joe muttered something under his breath as he pushed open his door. I opened mine and stepped out too.
As we headed toward the school, we could see Colin talking to a guard. Colin turned to leave, but the guard held up his hand and called, “Excuse me. Are you Bay Academy
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