The Further Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck Page A

get it back. What a bunch of baloney.”
    â€œDid you do those things?” KC asked.
    â€œOf course I did!” I yelled. “But it wasn’t a diary, it was a betting ledger, and I used the cash to help save Lance’s Munroe’s golden derriere.”
    â€œSo what now?” she asked.
    â€œNow I’m under lock and key in the main office for a week, which means it’s going to be hard to solve this case without a little help.”
    â€œWhat can I do?”
    â€œI need info.”
    â€œFire away.”
    â€œWas the door to the art room locked last night?”
    â€œAbsolutely,” KC said. “I asked the art teacher myself. She said she put the paintings in the supply room at four-thirty yesterday afternoon and locked the door behind her. This morning when she opened the supply room, Madeleine’s painting was gone.”
    â€œWere any other paintings stolen?”
    â€œNope.”
    â€œAny suspects? Anyone who would want Madeleine out of the way?”
    â€œI asked Madeleine the same thing. She thinks a guy named Sebastian Cain would probably win if she’s out of the contest.”
    â€œWhy would he want to win so bad? What’s on the line?”
    â€œThe winner is picked by a bunch of profs from the art college in the city. Whoever wins first prize is guaranteed a spot at the college next fall. Plus, Luxemcorp features the winner in their monthly business magazine and puts the artwork on display at the art gallery on Main Street. It’s big-time exposure, Jack.”
    â€œAnything else you need to tell me, KC?”
    â€œI don’t think so,” she said. “By the way, where’s my phone? I need it back.”
    â€œYou’ll have to ask Snit,” I said. “He has a problem with students using phones during suspension.”
    â€œWhy don’t you do it for me,” she said with a crooked smile. “He’s right behind you.”
    Thursday, October 10, 9:39 a.m.
Iona High, My Cell
    Bucky was still asleep on the desk when Snit and I walked back in.
    â€œRise and shine, Mr. King,” Snit barked, slamming a stack of worksheets on the desk.
    â€œIt wasn’t me,” King mumbled, sitting up.
    â€œI’m sure it wasn’t,” Snit said with a cold smile. “But perhaps you should start catching up on your work instead of your sleep. And thanks to Mr. Lime, you won’t be allowed out of here without an escort. If you need to use the bathroom, gentlemen, you’ll have to ask Mr. Van Kramp if he can spare some time.”
    Snit stalked out, and Bucky handed over the pile of worksheets that Snit had left on the desk.
    â€œYou heard the man,” he said, tossing them on the floor, “get to work, Limey.”
    â€œI’ll get to it,” I said, “but first I want to know if you’ve ever heard of a cat named Sebastian Cain.”
    â€œDon’t know him.”
    â€œWhat about an art heist, Bucky? Have any of your lackeys been busy stealing paintings?”
    â€œYeah,” he said with a chuckle, “Bucky King is real big into paintings. Me and the boys are having a sale down by the river tonight. Black tie. Why don’t you drop by and take a look around.”
    â€œThanks for the invite, but I think I’ll pass.”
    â€œThen stop your yakking. I had a late night.”
    My gut was telling me I was barking up the wrong tree. Unless Bucky could sell what he stole for a tidy stack of cash, he wasn’t interested. Even an award-winning painting wasn’t going to fetch much dough on the Iona High black market. So I sat down in the corner and tried to come up with a new way to get out of this hole.
    Thursday, October 10, 11:50 a.m.
Iona High, My Cell
    All the snoring Bucky was doing got to me after a while, so I decided to catch a little shut-eye myself, just to freshen up, you understand. Unfortunately, I didn’t wake up until the lunch bell rang, and I