The Sweetest Heist in History Page 3

  “What were you doing up there?” Randi demanded when both Taylor girls were back on solid ground. Pudge seemed to be unable to speak. Saving his sisters had taken every last bit of his energy.

  “We heard Pudge leave this morning,” Maya confessed. “We followed him here.”

  “Why?” D.C. asked.

  “They were trying to spy on him.” Randi looked down at the two little imps. “Weren’t you?”

  Laeleah nodded guiltily.

  They heard the sound of sirens coming toward the orchard. Within seconds, a fire engine had appeared in the Crowleys’ driveway. Pudge’s father arrived less than two minutes later.

  “Where are my girls?” he cried as he sprinted toward the oak tree. When he saw they were safe and sound, he dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around them. “My princesses. I’m so glad you’re okay. I was worried to death.”

  “And you!” There was rage in his eyes when Colonel Taylor turned on his son. “You, young man, are in serious trouble. How dare you bring these two girls here and let them climb a tree that big? If the fire department hadn’t arrived in time—”

  “Excuse me, Gordon?” D.C.’s mom interrupted. Pudge’s dad spun around. His face was so terrifying that D.C.’s mom immediately took a step backward. “The fire department didn’t save your daughter’s life. Your son did. While I was trying to get the ladder out of the barn, he climbed all the way up to the top of that tree and rescued his little sister.”

  Pudge’s father stood his ground. “Perhaps, but he should never have let them go up there in the first place.”

  “He didn’t, sir,” Randi stepped in to explain. “Maya and Laeleah followed Pudge here. We had no idea they were outside until we heard the screams. They climbed the tree so they could spy on us in our hideout.”

  “Is that true?” Colonel Taylor asked his daughters. They hesitated and then nodded their heads like a pair of bobblehead dolls. “Then get in the car. You two are under house arrest for the rest of the day. No, wait. Make that the rest of your lives.”

  As the girls ran to the car, Colonel Taylor addressed his son. “I’m very, very sorry, Kelly,” he said. “I was wrong.”

  Pudge just looked at him for a moment. “I’m tired of being the responsible one,” he said. “I quit.”

  “You quit?” Colonel Taylor responded.

  “I think the boy’s a bit shell-shocked, Gordon,” D.C.’s mom said. “That’s the first thing he’s said since he came down from the tree.”

  Colonel Taylor put his arm around Pudge. “If you don’t mind, I think I should take him home.”

  “See you at school tomorrow,” Randi called out as Pudge and his dad walked away.

  “I hope he’s gonna be okay,” D.C. whispered.

  “He will,” Randi said. “He’s a ninja.”

  * * *

  CHAPTER FOUR

  * * *

  THE SOFT SPOT

  The homeroom bell had already rung by the time Randi shut her locker door. Her legs were gearing up for a sprint down the hall when she came to an unexpected halt. Five older girls were blocking her path. Amber-Grace Sutton stood in the center of the group, her hands on her hips and a snarl on her lips. Randi knew she could take Amber-Grace and her friends down with a single roundhouse kick. It didn’t matter much that they were older and bigger than Randi was. But fighting would have gotten her in trouble at school, and her life stank enough already.

  “What do you want?” Randi asked, keeping her voice steady and casual.

  Amber-Grace flipped her long blond hair. Her glossy pink lips parted in a wide smile. Behind them was a set of perfect white teeth. “Revenge,” she said. The other girls giggled.

  “Yeah?” Randi shot back. “Well, I want my own private hovercraft, and my chances of getting what I want are a heck of a lot better than yours.”

  “That’s what you think,” Amber-Grace said. She took a step toward Randi. “You’ve got everyone in town saying I’m a thief. You’re gonna pay for ruining my reputation.”

  Randi lifted her fists and assumed an attack pose. “Back off,” she ordered the girl. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “Go ahead,” Amber-Grace challenged her. “Have you heard about our school’s zero-tolerance policy when it comes to violence? You punch me, you’re expelled for good.”

  “Not if I punch you outside of school,” Randi was quick to point out.

  “You really think Tae Kwon Do is going to save you?” Amber-Grace snickered. “I’ve lived in this town my entire life. I’ve gone to this school since kindergarten. I know all the best places to stage an ambush. My friends and I are going to snatch you one day when you least expect it. And once I’ve got you, Randi Rhodes, I’m gonna throw you in a closet where you’ll never be found.”

  “Not that anyone would go looking for her anyway,” one of the bullies said with a laugh.

  “That’s right,” Amber-Grace said. “I almost forgot. Little Miss Tae Kwon Do hasn’t got a mama, and her daddy must be awful busy. I haven’t seen him around town in ages. You think that little old lady who lives at your house is gonna be able to protect you, Randi?”

  Once again, she had hit Randi’s soft spot. Randi felt her fists drop. “I don’t need anyone to protect me,” she told them. “I take care of myself.” The last few words came out a bit wobbly. Randi could feel the tears in her eyes.

  “There’s only one way to do that, Randi. You’re gonna have to leave Deer Creek.”

  “Yeah, why don’t you go back to wherever you came from?” said another bully.

  “We don’t want you here,” sneered another.

  It actually seemed like a great idea. “Fine,” Randi said. “Who wants to live in this dinky town anyway?” She spun on her heel and headed toward the school’s front doors. She didn’t care if it meant going to boarding school or getting herself sent to juvenile hall. Randi was going to leave Deer Creek and never come back.

  “And just where do you think you’re going, Miss Rhodes?” The vice principal poked her head out of the school’s front office. “Do you have permission to leave?”

  “No,” Randi admitted. “But I couldn’t stand to look at them anymore.” She pointed down the hall to where the girls had been standing. But all five of them had vanished.

  “Look at whom?” the vice principal asked.

  “They were just . . .”

  “Get to class, Miss Rhodes,” the vice principal said with a huff. “You can tell me all about the school’s ghosts at detention this afternoon.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Three hours later, Randi was in the lunchroom, which was packed with students in grades five through eight. Randi could feel Amber-Grace and her friends watching her as she filled a tray with soggy gray meatloaf and yellow mashed potatoes.

  D.C. took a peek over his shoulder. “You want me to go over there and make them mind their own business?” he asked.

  “And then what?” Randi asked with a sigh. “Are you going to do it again tomorrow? And the day after that and the day after that? Those girls are just going to keep on tormenting me until I lose my mind or get myself kicked out of school.” Randi had to admit it was a brilliant strategy. She couldn’t believe Amber-Grace had been the one who’d come up with it.

  Randi and D.C. carried their trays to a table across the cafeteria. Randi picked up her fork, but the stench that was rising from the food on her plate made her nauseous. Then the smell of meat loaf was overwhelmed by the sickly sweet fragrance of a dozen different kinds of flowers. Amber-Grace and her friends were parading by, smelling like they’d just bathed in perfume. They slowed down as they passed Randi and D.C.’s table.

  “So my mom promised we could go for mani-pedis this afternoon,” Amber-Grace announced, speaking loudly enough for everyone in the cafeteria to hear.

  “That’s awesome. Isn’t it great having a mom?” one of the other girls asked. It sounded like she was reading the words off a piece of paper. Amber-Grace’s friends had clearly
been coached.

  “I really love to go shopping with my mom,” a third girl said. “Don’t you?”

  “You know what happens to girls without moms?” asked a fourth. “They start to turn into boys.”

  “You mean like Randi Rhodes?” Amber-Grace asked.

  “Yeah,” said one of the others. “I mean look at her. It’s supersad, isn’t it? I think my baby brother has the same exact outfit she’s wearing.”

  “That’s enough!” D.C. stood up from the table. “You guys get out of here before I go find a teacher.”

  The girls giggled. “Before you get a teacher? I guess it is true what they say about boys who grow up without their dads,” Amber-Grace added.

  “What’s that?” one of her friends asked.

  “They’re sissies,” Amber-Grace whispered conspiratorially.

  Randi had to grab D.C. to stop him from hurling himself across the table at the girl.

  A bell rang. It was time for the seventh and eighth graders to return to their classes. “Gotta go. We’ll see you two again soon,” Amber-Grace sang.

  “It’s going to take an awful lot of self-control to keep from punching her,” D.C. said.

  “Self-control is overrated,” Randi grumbled. “Hey, look who’s here.”

  Pudge was standing in the center of the cafeteria, searching for his friends. It wasn’t the same Pudge they’d said good-bye to the day before. This Pudge was bouncing on his heels and beaming from ear to ear.

  “He’s looking a million times happier than he did yesterday,” D.C. said.

  “I haven’t seen him smile like that in ages,” Randi said. “Maybe his dad let him choose Maya and Laeleah’s punishment.”

  Randi held up an arm. Pudge spotted it and hurried over. The wide smile on his face turned into a quizzical look the closer he got.

  “What’s wrong with you guys?” he asked. “You look like you just lost your best friend. And I know that’s not possible ’cause here I am!” The smile was back.

  “You’re certainly in a good mood,” Randi mumbled.

  “He wasn’t at the bank, remember?” D.C. explained. “Amber-Grace and her crew aren’t out to get him.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Pudge said, and he didn’t seem particularly interested in finding out. “But I do have some news that may just brighten your miserable lives.”

  “I doubt it,” Randi said.

  “Oh yeah? Well, how about this? My sisters got grounded for following me to the hideout yesterday morning. And I got a reward for saving Grace’s life. Mom’s driving the girls up to Boston tomorrow. My dad and I are going by ourselves Tuesday. No girls. No giggling. No watching The Little Mermaid three times in a row.”

  “That’s great, Pudge,” Randi said weakly. “I’m happy for you.”

  “You don’t get it, do you?” Pudge’s grin was so wide that it looked like it might split his head in half. “What are we gonna pass on the way up to Boston?”

  “The Cumberland Gap?” D.C. asked.

  “What?” Pudge shot the boy a look. “We’re going to pass New York City. Know anybody who might need a ride?”

  Randi nearly leaped out of her seat with joy. “Are you kidding? You can drive me? Have you asked your dad? Is it okay with him?”

  Pudge sat back. “No, I’m not kidding. Yes, we can drive you to Brooklyn. And no, I didn’t ask my dad. He was the one who suggested it. He also wondered if D.C. might want to come along for the ride.”

  “Me?” D.C. gasped.

  “Yep. He said you’re welcome to come with us to Boston if you want.”

  “Actually,” Randi said mischievously. “I think I might have a better idea.”

  “How could anything get any better?” D.C. marveled.

  “I dunno. How would you both like to hang out in Brooklyn with me? My aunt has a huge apartment and she’s supercool. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind a few extra guests.”

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  “I mind,” Herb Rhodes said, putting his foot down. “Gigi isn’t used to kids. Heck, Gigi acts like a kid herself. I don’t think it’s a good idea for the three of you to impose on her.”

  Randi’s heart was sinking fast. “But, Dad, I texted Gigi this afternoon. She told me she’d love to have the company. She says she’ll be lonely without guests on Thanksgiving.”

  “Gigi doesn’t know what it’s like having three kids around,” Herb responded.

  “We’ll be on our best behavior!” Randi pleaded.

  “Says the girl who spent two hours in detention after school today. Thought I didn’t know about that, didn’t ya?” He tapped his temple with an index finger as he slurped up a forkful of noodles.

  “Why are you doing this?” Randi asked. She genuinely didn’t understand. “Why are you treating me like a little kid again? I thought I proved to you that I could take care of myself. I mean, come on! You just wrote a book about me and my friends!”

  Herb shook his head and swallowed. “I wrote a book about three kids playing detective in Deer Creek, Tennessee. You’re talking about going to Brooklyn, Randi. That’s a whole other story.”

  Across the table from Randi, Mei-Ling cleared her throat. She rarely interfered in the Rhodeses’ arguments. But this time she seemed to have something to say.

  “Go ahead and tell Randi she’s crazy, Mei-Ling,” Herb said.

  “Who is Gigi?” Mei-Ling asked instead. Randi stared at her. Then she looked over at her father, who was staring at Mei-Ling, too. The old woman must have heard Gigi’s name a thousand times.

  “Gigi is my wife’s sister,” Herb replied.

  “Oh,” Mei-Ling said. “Were they close?”

  “Very,” Herb said. He’d stopped shoveling food into his mouth. “Gigi knew my wife better than anyone. They were as close as two people can get.”

  “She must miss Olivia-Kay very much,” Mei-Ling said. “Gigi doesn’t have any family left in Brooklyn, does she?”

  “No,” Herb said. “Her parents passed away a long time ago. That’s why she has so much room to spare. She inherited their enormous old apartment.”

  Mei-Ling nodded. “Then maybe Gigi didn’t invite Randi to be nice. Maybe she needs to spend time with the girl her sister left behind. And maybe Randi needs to see the woman who knew her mom better than anyone.”

  Randi sat back in awe. It was a master move. Mei-Ling had made her point—and left no room for argument. And she’d done it without raising her voice or getting riled up. Randi glanced over at her dad. He was staring into the distance, looking at nothing in particular. It was the same look he’d often worn after Randi’s mom had died.

  “Dad?” she asked.

  The life came back to his eyes. “Mei-Ling is right,” he announced. “Maybe it would be a good idea for you and Gigi to spend some time together. Let me just talk to Colonel Taylor and find out if he knows what he’s gotten himself into.”

  “Yay!” Randi hopped out of her chair and rushed around the table to give them both hugs. “Thank you,” she told Mei-Ling.

  “Just promise me you’ll come back,” Mei-Ling whispered in her ear.

  * * *

  CHAPTER FIVE

  * * *

  THE LADY IN BLACK

  Colonel Taylor ran a tight ship. Before they climbed into the silver SUV, each of the kids was handed a typewritten list of rules.

  • No eating in the car.

  • No littering.

  • No shouting or loud talking.

  • No shoes on the seats.

  • Earphones must be used at all times.

  • Food stops and bathroom breaks at 06:00, 09:00, 12:00, 15:00, and 18:00. Plan your fluid intake accordingly.

  “Sorry,” Pudge mumbled, looking horribly embarrassed. “My dad thinks he’s still in the army.”

  “And here I was worrying that you guys might give the colonel trouble.” Herb Rhodes laughed. “I’m going to borrow that list for our next trip.”

  “I’d be fine,” Randi sa
id. “You’re the one who wouldn’t make it as far as Virginia.”

  “You’re probably right,” Herb Rhodes admitted. “I break all of those rules just driving to the grocery store.” He slid Randi’s suitcase into the SUV’s trunk. “You going to be okay?” he asked quietly.

  “Yep,” Randi replied. Up until that second, she’d been eager to leave. But now she realized that she hadn’t spent a single night away from her dad since her mom died. She wasn’t sure she was ready. “You?”

  “I think so,” Herb told her. “I’ll miss you like crazy, though.”

  “I’ll miss you, too.” The hug Randi gave him lasted long enough for everyone else to get in the car and Colonel Taylor to start the engine.

  “You better go,” Herb Rhodes told his daughter. “But please come back soon.”

  It was just a joke, but it reminded Randi of what Mei-Ling had said at dinner. Just promise me you’ll come back. Deep down, everyone seemed to think she might stay in Brooklyn. The possibility had never occurred to her. But now that the thought was in her head, Randi knew it wasn’t just going to go away.

  ~ ~ ~ ~

  Within hours, Randi had gained a newfound appreciation for her father—and had started to feel a bit sorry for Pudge. Life with Colonel Taylor was not easy. The kids were allowed to purchase only the healthiest items whenever they stopped for food. Randi tried her best to convince Pudge’s dad that French fries were essential road trip nutrition, but she couldn’t get him to budge on the matter. Bathroom breaks were timed with the stopwatch function on Colonel Taylor’s cell phone, and taking more than three minutes was deemed unacceptable. Inside the car, the kids were forced to speak in whispers.