to test the answer to that question when she'd heard a car in the driveway, slamming doors and teenage boys' voices. So she had run like crazy, leaving the candy bar collection undisturbed, which was probably a good thing. Knowing Nicholas—knowing for instance that he was planning to be a famous detective someday—she had to believe he knew exactly how many bars were in the box, down to the tiniest Tootsie Roll. It had even occurred to her that the reason that sibling collected candy bars was so he could use them as bait to trap chocoholics and other would-be thieves.
She had never risked going back to find out whether Nicholas would know if one of his candy bars disappeared. But, on the other hand, she had never been anywhere near as hungry as she was at that particular minute. She would, she decided, take the risk.
She was backing out of the closet with the first bite of a big Snickers bar already in her mouth when a voice said,“Well, would you look at that. Looks like I caught me a chocolate thief red-handed.”
With the first gulp of Snickers bar caught in her throat, Xandra whirled around to face, not Nicholas, but Quincy. Tall, skinny Quincy, the fish collector, and the oldest and most smart-mouthed of the siblings, who was, at the moment, grinning fiendishly as he moved closer. “Red-handed,” he said again, “or maybe in this case, chocolate-fingered might be a better proof of guilt.”
Xandra tried for the kind of sneer that would imply that Quincy's wisecrack was, as usual, pretty corny. But a good sneer was hard to manage with a mouth full of chocolate.
“So,” Quincy continued, “I guess I'm going to have to decide whether to turn you in or let the Sherlock Holmes of Heritage Avenue make his own deductions.”
Xandra chewed and swallowed while she thought hard and fast. Deciding to pick up on the Sherlock Holmes thing, she said, “Yeah, why don't we see if old Nicholas can figure it out?” She tried to echo Quincy's grin as she went on. “I mean, he probably needs the detecting practice.”
Quincy stepped back into the doorway and spread his long arms and legs, blocking Xandra's escape route. He was still smiling. “Well, you may be right about that. About Nick needing the practice. Not that many criminal types to practice on here on law-abiding old Heritage Avenue.” His grin got more devilish. “But the important question right at this minute is: What should I do about the thief I just caught in the act?” The grin got wider and meaner. “Wouldn't I be encouraging criminal behavior if I let …” He paused and then went on. “How did you happen to know about Nick's candy bars, anyway?”
Xandra decided to try the truth or something close to it. “I was just looking around,” she said. “I came in here a long time ago to look at his other collections and I just happened to see the candy bars. I didn't take one, though. This is the first one I've taken.” Watching Quincy closely, Xandra said, “Why do you think he collects candy bars, anyway? Do you think he just uses them like bait, so he can catch people stealing?”
Quincy chuckled. “Might be part of it. But I think it's mostly because Nelson collects candy bars too. I don't know who started it but they both do it. You know how it is with the Twinsters. Anything one of them does, the other one has to do it faster and higher and bigger and better, or die trying.”
Xandra felt confused. A part of it was surprise that she and Quincy were actually having a kind of conversation and that she was learning some things. She'd always had a suspicion that Quincy, who definitely wasn't the contact-sport type, kind of hated it that the twins were such famous jocks. But she hadn't thought about the twins being jealous of each other.
“I didn't know that,” she said. “I never knew that they ever tried to beat each other out. I thought they always just liked to gang up on other people. Being twins was probably what did it.” She
She had never risked going back to find out whether Nicholas would know if one of his candy bars disappeared. But, on the other hand, she had never been anywhere near as hungry as she was at that particular minute. She would, she decided, take the risk.
She was backing out of the closet with the first bite of a big Snickers bar already in her mouth when a voice said,“Well, would you look at that. Looks like I caught me a chocolate thief red-handed.”
With the first gulp of Snickers bar caught in her throat, Xandra whirled around to face, not Nicholas, but Quincy. Tall, skinny Quincy, the fish collector, and the oldest and most smart-mouthed of the siblings, who was, at the moment, grinning fiendishly as he moved closer. “Red-handed,” he said again, “or maybe in this case, chocolate-fingered might be a better proof of guilt.”
Xandra tried for the kind of sneer that would imply that Quincy's wisecrack was, as usual, pretty corny. But a good sneer was hard to manage with a mouth full of chocolate.
“So,” Quincy continued, “I guess I'm going to have to decide whether to turn you in or let the Sherlock Holmes of Heritage Avenue make his own deductions.”
Xandra chewed and swallowed while she thought hard and fast. Deciding to pick up on the Sherlock Holmes thing, she said, “Yeah, why don't we see if old Nicholas can figure it out?” She tried to echo Quincy's grin as she went on. “I mean, he probably needs the detecting practice.”
Quincy stepped back into the doorway and spread his long arms and legs, blocking Xandra's escape route. He was still smiling. “Well, you may be right about that. About Nick needing the practice. Not that many criminal types to practice on here on law-abiding old Heritage Avenue.” His grin got more devilish. “But the important question right at this minute is: What should I do about the thief I just caught in the act?” The grin got wider and meaner. “Wouldn't I be encouraging criminal behavior if I let …” He paused and then went on. “How did you happen to know about Nick's candy bars, anyway?”
Xandra decided to try the truth or something close to it. “I was just looking around,” she said. “I came in here a long time ago to look at his other collections and I just happened to see the candy bars. I didn't take one, though. This is the first one I've taken.” Watching Quincy closely, Xandra said, “Why do you think he collects candy bars, anyway? Do you think he just uses them like bait, so he can catch people stealing?”
Quincy chuckled. “Might be part of it. But I think it's mostly because Nelson collects candy bars too. I don't know who started it but they both do it. You know how it is with the Twinsters. Anything one of them does, the other one has to do it faster and higher and bigger and better, or die trying.”
Xandra felt confused. A part of it was surprise that she and Quincy were actually having a kind of conversation and that she was learning some things. She'd always had a suspicion that Quincy, who definitely wasn't the contact-sport type, kind of hated it that the twins were such famous jocks. But she hadn't thought about the twins being jealous of each other.
“I didn't know that,” she said. “I never knew that they ever tried to beat each other out. I thought they always just liked to gang up on other people. Being twins was probably what did it.” She
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