The Magician's Bird (14 page)
Read The Magician's Bird Online
Authors: Emily Fairlie
Laurie nodded. “There's only one way to do this. She has to see the secret room.”
“NO!” Bud paled visibly. “What if she says forget it and then spills the beans? We can't do that! She can't see it until she agrees!” Bud had lost all faith in his ability to charm Calliope. Apparently all those years of blowing her off had caught up with him.
Laurie smirked. “There's a way. I came prepared.” She reached into her backpack and pulled out a red bandanna, which she flipped around in circles until it was blindfold shaped.
Bud nodded in agreement. “Nice.”
“Okay, Calliope, turn around,” Laurie said, advancing with the bandanna in her hand. “You want to see what we're talking about? We have to take precautions.”
Calliope looked at the bandanna in disgust. “You have got to be kidding me.”
“No joke, Calliope. This is big. You'll understand when you see it. But first, blindfold.”
Calliope hesitated. Laurie could almost see her antennae twitching. Laurie decided to go in for the kill.
“Wear the blindfold, don't wear the blindfold, it doesn't matter to me, Calliope. But know thisâif you don't put it on, you'll
NEVER
know what the secret is.”
Calliope cracked. The thought of never finding out what they were up to was just too much for her. “Fine, blindfold. Whatever. You guys are majorly weird, though, okay? I've
SEEN
you. You're not normal.”
She turned around so Laurie could tie the blindfold, but then stopped her. “Hold on, I've got to call off the backup.”
“What?” Bud felt betrayed. She had backup? What kind of kid thinks to bring backup?
“It's okay, Montana! You're relieved of duty! Just go home! I'll meet you there later!” Calliope yelled at the bushes.
“What?” A tiny girl who looked like a miniature Calliope popped up from the middle of a lilac bush. “You don't need backup?”
“My sister, Montana. She's eight,” Calliope said, like it explained everything. “It's fine, I'll meet you back home!” she yelled back at Montana.
“Are you sure?” Montana looked ticked off.
Bud couldn't believe it. He'd had no idea there was anyone inside that lilac bush. It looked just like all the
other lilac bushes. He couldn't believe he'd been so easy to fool.
“I'm sure! Go home!” Calliope yelled with an edge in her voice. Bud hoped this wouldn't turn into one of those sibling screaming matches he'd heard about.
Montana Judkin looked disappointed. “Okay, fine. But my rate hasn't changed! You still owe me the five dollars!” Montana hitched up her overall-shorts strap and stomped out of the lilac bush and down the street.
Bud stared at Calliope, his mouth still hanging open. He'd had no idea of the depths she was willing to sink to.
Calliope looked vaguely guilty. “What? How was I supposed to know what you guys were going to pull? It's good to have backup,” Calliope grumbled. “Now hurry up with the blindfold.”
“Mouth, Bud,” Laurie said as she tied the blindfold around Calliope's head. “Close it?”
Bud closed his mouth. He wasn't sure how he felt about this new side of Calliope, what with her secret backup plans and all, but it was too late to back out now. He took Calliope by the arm, and then the three of them led her carefully across the school yard toward the shed.
BILL
TO: CALLIOPE JUDKIN
FROM: MONTANA JUDKIN
SERVICES RENDERED
Spying on subjects LAURIE MADISON,
BUD WALLACE, MISTI PINKERTON: | $2.50 |
Providing backup for secret meeting: | $2.50 |
TOTAL DUE: | $5.00 |
EMAIL
FROM: CANDY WINKLE
TO: PRINCIPAL MARTIN WINKLE
SUBJECT: Your Kids
Sweetie, I don't mean to disturb you before your meeting, but those kids of yours are really strange. They seem to be playing some blindfolding game out back? Either that or they just kidnapped another student. I just thought you should be aware.
Kisses,
Candy
EMAIL
FROM: PRINCIPAL MARTIN WINKLE
TO: CANDY WINKLE
SUBJECT: Kidnapping
Thanks, Snuggle Bunny,
Now if any of the kids turn up kidnapped, we have a lead!
You're the best.
Love,
Your Snickerdoodle
Bud positioned Calliope in the middle of the room, facing the sofa, while Misti carefully took the Marchetti Bird out of its cabinet and placed it in the middle of the coffee table. They'd taken to putting everything back exactly the way they'd found it when they left the room, mostly because the shock of finding things mysteriously put away every day was pretty unpleasant.
On the count of three, Laurie whipped the blindfold off of Calliope's head, only briefly getting it caught on her ear.
Calliope's eyes widened as she looked around the room, and then got even wider when she saw the bird. Then she clenched her jaw, folded her arms, and turned to Bud. “What is this place?”
“Secret room.”
“Okay, I'm in.”
REQUEST FOR SERVICES
FROM: Calliope Judkin
TO: Montana Judkin
CLIENT: CALLIOPE JUDKIN
BE ON CALL FOR: Spying, eavesdropping, tailing, other duties as assigned.
RATE: $2.50 per assignment
APPROVE
DISAPPROVE
Approved by: MONTANA JUDKIN
Plan of Attack
by Calliope Judkin
Tailing LeFranco: Montana
On Bird: Misti, Laurie
On Research: Calliope, Bud
RECONVENE AT FIFTEEN HUNDRED HOURS
Note from Misti Pinkerton to Laurie Madison
Fifteen hundred hours means three o'clock, right?
Note from Laurie Madison to Misti Pinkerton
I think so. That's what I'm going with, anyway.
“So Montana's not going to know anything about the secret room, right?” Laurie wanted to be absolutely clear on that point. It was bad enough having Calliope in there without having it turn into an eight-year-old's clubhouse.
“Geez, no. You think I want her knowing about this?” Calliope scoffed. “Trust me, she's strictly a contract employee.”
“Good.”
Calliope looked around the room. “Now, you guys have gone through all this stuff? All these notebooks and things?”
Laurie cringed. “Well, some of them. Not all. There's not much there, though. It's mostly budget stuff, it looks like. And the papers look like they belonged to Maria Tutweiler's dad.” She'd had a little time for exploring when she wasn't tearing her hair out over the Marchetti Bird.
“Plus it's cursive.” Misti shrugged.
“Okay, we can start there. Montana's on LeFranco now, so if he leaves his house, we'll know his movements. We should have this all wrapped up in no time.”
Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin
Lizard Lips is on the move. He just left the house and is messing with the keys to that ugly green station wagon out front.
Text message from Calliope Judkin to Montana Judkin
Thanks. Roger that.
Text message from Calliope Judkin to Montana Judkin
Out of curiosity, why Lizard Lips?
Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin
Seriously? Don't you think he looks like Billy Prescott's lizard, Maury? They could be twins.
Attachment: MaurytheLizard.jpg
Text message from Calliope Judkin to Montana Judkin
Fine, they're twins, now GO! Follow him!
Headline in the
Morning News
late edition
EVIDENCE OVERWHELMING:
TUTWEILER IMPLICATED IN VILE
MURDER
Police Chief Skip Burkiss: Marchetti
Investigation May Be Reopened
Channel 7 online news teaser
Tonight on News 7
âHIDDEN DANGERS IN YOUR COMMUNITY! Does going to a school founded by a murderer put your child at risk? The answer may surprise you. Investigative report tonight at 10.
Headline in the
Daily Herald
late edition
MARCHETTI EVIDENCE REMAINS
UNCONFIRMED
Famed Marchetti Bird reported found,
but experts refused access,
demonstration not forthcoming.
Bud looked up from the notebook he'd been going through. It was a pretty detailed account of the expenses for the school the first year it was open, but no matter how you sliced it, there was no chance the school's chalk budget was going to be exciting. “Anything?” he said to Calliope.
“Not yet,” Calliope said without looking up. “We'll find something.”
“Laurie said these are just budget ledgers. I don't think Maria Tutweiler would confess to murder in the middle of the cafeteria expense account.”
“You never know, Bud. It pays to be thorough,” Calliope said testily.
Bud shoved the ledger away and got up. “I'm done with mine. I'm going to head out and see what else I can dig up. It's okay if we split up, right?”
Calliope hesitated and then closed her ledger. “You know, we probably don't have time to be too thorough.” Calliope grabbed her bag. “Get your stuff. We need to forget about researching Maria Tutweiler. We need to be researching LeFranco.”
Bud did a mental fist pump. Now she was talking.
Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin
Lizard Lips is at the Morning News building. He's been there FOREVER. As of right now, you're covering expenses. Because this stakeout required a pack of mini donuts and a large soda.
Text message from Calliope Judkin to Montana Judkin
Fine. Expenses approved.
Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin
Great! And did I say one pack of mini donuts?
I meant to say two.
Misti craned her head and peered up at the Marchetti Bird's base. Laurie had been holding it up for what felt like an hour, but was probably closer to five minutes.
“Anything?” Laurie said finally. Her arms were getting tired. How much was there for Misti to look at, anyway?
“Nothing,” Misti said. “You can put it down.”
They'd gone at the Marchetti Bird with a magnifying glass and a flashlight, but they still couldn't see any sign that the thing actually could move, let alone figure out how to make it work.
Laurie sighed and put the huge bird back on the table. “Maybe there's nothing to see. Maybe this isn't the real bird.”
Misti shook her head and patted the Marchetti Bird on its sides, like she was frisking it for contraband. “It's the real bird. I can feel it.”
Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin
BOOORING! Lizard Lips went to the bank. I continued the tail inside and acted like I was trying to open a Christmas Club account. He took out some money, but I couldn't see how much.
I had to pretend I was with Mrs. Baker from down the street (you know, the lady with the thousand kids?) so he couldn't ID me.
He was totally fooled.
Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin
P.S. I think the stress from this assignment might require some more mini donuts. And maybe a burger and large fries. Have to keep my strength up.
“Hey, Ron,” Calliope said as she pushed open the door to the
Daily Herald
offices.
“Are we allowed to be here?” Bud whispered, walking nervously into the room. It wasn't exactly what he'd expected from a newspaper office, but still, there were actual reporters at actual desks. It wasn't a place Bud felt comfortable crashing.
“Oh, sure, they know me,” Calliope said. She marched up to the man at the closest desk. “So, Ron, background on the LeFrancos. Father
and
son. Do you guys have that?”
Ron gave a huge fakey sigh and glared at Calliope. “Again, Calliope? You know I'm not supposed to give you that stuff anymore.”
“Okay then,” Bud said, making tracks back toward the door. Didn't have to tell him twice. “Too bad.”
Calliope just grinned. “No problem, Ron, we'll just head back to the archives then. Come on, Bud.”
Ron picked up a folder on his desk and swatted Calliope with it. “Can't even mess with you anymore. Here you goâI figured you'd be by.”
Calliope smiled and took the folder. “Thanks, Ron. See you soon!”
She turned and trotted out.
“Is he supposed to do that?” Bud said, hurrying after her. “Isn't that illegal or something?”
“Just keep your trap shut, Bud, and nobody will find out,” Calliope said, her face serious. Then she punched Bud in the shoulder and smiled. “No, seriously, this is just pulled news clips. Anybody could get it. Ron just saved us some time. He can be our contact when we bring LeFranco down. We give him the exclusive, nobody will care.” Calliope stopped and poked Bud in the chest. “Exclusive, cowritten by
me
, got it?”