The Magician's Bird (20 page)

“Genius!” Laurie echoed. Great. Now if she and Bud ever needed to break into Principal Winkle's house, they'd know just where to look. Laurie sighed. Real smart.

Principal Winkle stood up. “Well, I think we can just leave this for—”

“Sir, excuse me, sir.” Candy Winkle's voice rang out through library. They turned in time to see her pushing her way into the library, hot on the tail of the man in the floppy hat and the
I HEART MARIA TUTWEILER
shirt. “Sir, I'm sorry, but the tours are
canceled
.” Candy Winkle threw up her hands. “Marty, explain to him, please? He just won't listen to me.”

“I'm sorry. I was running late,” the man said, taking his hat off and twisting it in his hands.

“That's okay. Hi, Arnold,” Misti said, hurrying over.

“Hi, Misti,” the man said, brightening. He turned to Candy Winkle. “I have an appointment with this young lady. I'm not here for a tour.”

Candy Winkle rolled her eyes. “That's what he keeps saying, but really.”

Misti put her hand on the man's arm. “Guys, this is Arnold Mars. He's with that carnival that's out on Route 3 past the Tastee Freez.”

Arnold Mars raised a hand and waved shyly. “Arnold Mars.”

“The carnival?” Laurie tried to remember where she'd heard about that carnival recently. “You're the one leaving those messages!” Laurie said accusingly. She didn't care what the guy's name was. He still creeped her out.

“Yeah, which you guys didn't even bother to check on,” Misti said. “So I did. And I think you're going to want to hear what he has to say.” Misti crossed her arms. “Show them the picture, Arnold.”

Arnold Mars reached into his pocket, pulled out an old leather wallet, and took out a faded photo. He held it out to Laurie. “It's the only copy I have. But that's me, and my dad, and my mom, and my little sister.”

Laurie took the picture and looked at it skeptically.

Then she gasped. “But that's . . .” She pointed at the photo wildly.

Arnold nodded. “My dad, Big Al Mars.”

Laurie handed the picture to Bud. “It's Alphonse Marchetti.”

Calliope pulled out her cell phone and dialed. “Ron? You might want to come back here.”

Phone message for Calliope Judkin

“My dad didn't like to talk about his past,” Arnold Mars
said, taking a doughnut from the box in the middle of the table. Candy Winkle had run to the office for snacks. She hoped it would make up for berating Arnold Mars for the past half hour. She'd been sure he was just a creepy tour fan.

“But he told me that if I ever wanted to know about him, I should just talk to Maria Tutweiler, and she could tell me.”

“Wow, that must've been a long time ago,” Bud said, eyeing the doughnuts. He wasn't sure if they were for everyone or just for Arnold.

“It was. And I guess I waited too long. That's why I've been on these tours, and why I wanted to talk to you kids. I thought you might know something.”

“Sorry we blew you off,” Laurie said. “But you should've just said. We thought you were a weirdo.”

Arnold laughed, spewing white powder around the table and onto the remaining doughnuts. Bud decided he wasn't hungry after all.

“So are you a magician too?” Misti asked. “Do you perform at the carnival?”

Arnold shook his head and wiped his mouth. “I'm Big Al, of Big Al's Amazing Ice Sculptures. My dad was the real Big Al, and I just kept the name. I didn't even know
he could do magic. Weird, huh?”

“Yeah.” Laurie nodded. She was glad that Alphonse Marchetti had gone on to have a family and a happy life, though. And you only had to look at the Marchetti Bird to know that he'd been a talented artist. Those ice sculptures probably really were amazing.

“So you're the real heir of Alphonse Marchetti,” Misti said mournfully. She'd only been the heir for few moments, but they'd been nice moments.

“I'd say we both are,” Arnold said, waving his hand over the Marchetti Bird. It just sat there. “I'm not an heir for the old Alphonse Marchetti. Sounds like he's got two heirs—one heir for each of his lives.”

“That sounds nice,” Misti said, brightening.

“We'll make sure to take good care of your dad's bird, too,” Principal Winkle said. “Betty, make a note—we'll need a new display case for the entry hall. We'll make it the centerpiece of the school.”

Police Chief Burkiss cleared his throat from the other side of the room, where he was casually listening. “Seems to me that item is actually the property of that gentleman there.”

He tipped his toothpick in Arnold Mars's direction.

Principal Winkle paled. “Yes, I see, but . . .”

“That seems fair,” Misti said sadly. “It was his dad's.”

Arnold Mars smiled. “That's wonderful. It's really mine?” he said, craning his neck to look at Chief Burkiss.

“Far as I'm concerned.”

“Great. Then, Misti, I'd like to give it to you.” Arnold waved his hands around the bird again and petted it on the head. “It doesn't speak to me the way it does to you.”

“Really?” Misti grabbed Arnold Mars in a huge hug and then beamed at Laurie and Bud. “I'm going to be a magician!”

Draft of a flyer

“I can't believe Alphonse Marchetti's disappearing cabinet was here all this time,” Laurie said to Miss Lucille
once the other adults had all left.

“It made a perfect entrance to the secret passageway from the library,” Miss Lucille said, feeding Ponch and Jon their lunch. The excitement of the afternoon had been almost too much for them, and they were only able to bare their teeth threateningly once or twice before collapsing back on their nest of cedar chips and the bones of their enemies.

“Was that true, about the legend of the Marchetti Bird?” Misti said, stroking the bird's head. “Did somebody really say that about the true heir?”

“Of course,” Miss Lucille said, carefully placing tiny baby corns next to Ponch and Jon.

“Who?”

“Why, me, silly,” Miss Lucille said, chuckling. “Little scatterbrain.”

“It's too bad we all can't use that cabinet to get to the secret room,” Bud said. “Someone's going to get suspicious about the shed eventually.”

“Yes, students aren't allowed to use the back office of the library,” Miss Lucille said sadly, patting Laurie on the hand. “So it's lucky that you four are now my official library assistants.”

“We are?” Laurie wasn't sure that was a good thing.

“And of course library assistants are permitted to use the cabinet as needed.”

“Really?” It was definitely a good thing. Laurie didn't even mind the hand rubbing if she could use that disappearing cabinet to get to the secret room. “That's really cool!”

“Yeah, thanks, Miss Lucille,” Bud said. He could deal with a little bit of crazy if it meant they could get to the secret room whenever they wanted.

“We'll still have to fix that shed floor somehow so they won't notice, but I've got that all figured out.” Laurie grinned.

“Wonderful!” Miss Lucille said, patting Laurie on the cheek. “Now, new assistants, for your first assignment, I'd like you to help Ponch and Jon get settled in their new Popsicle-stick sanctuary.”

Bud and Laurie looked at each other in horror. “Ponch and Jon?”

“Of course!” Miss Lucille handed them the elaborate gerbil annex she'd constructed. “After all, they know you two already!”

Ponch and Jon gave the gerbil equivalent of smiles, their teeth dripping with venom.

Headline in the
Daily Herald

Sidebar on the
Morning News
website

Editor-in-Chief Walker LeFranco resigns

Our editor-in-chief, Walker LeFranco, has resigned his position as head of the
Morning News
, effective immediately. He cited the emotional stresses of the job and says he plans to spend more time with his family.

Note from Horace Wallace, Sr., to Bud Wallace

Note from Bud Wallace to Horace Wallace, Sr.

Banner on the
Daily Herald
website

EXCLUSIVE!
Long-lost photo found in Marchetti Bird reveals LeFranco family ties to organized crime, may explain longstanding vendetta against Tuckernuck Hall.

Text message from Calliope Judkin to Montana Judkin

Text message from Montana Judkin to Calliope Judkin

Headline on the
Daily Herald
website

EXCLUSIVE: THE MARCHETTI HEIRS, an exclusive interview by our own Calliope Judkin

Note from Jack Madison slipped under Laurie Madison's door

Once again, I have to thank some wonderful people—Katherine Tegen, Katie Bignell, Steven Malk, and everyone at Katherine Tegen books.

Big thanks also go out:

To Antonio Caparo, for bringing Laurie, Bud, and the rest of the gang to life.