"Babysitters Club 02 Claudia And The Phantom Phone Calls" - читать интересную книгу автора (Babysitters Club)

The record book is where we keep track of our baby-sitting appointments as well as all other important club information. Kristy makes us keep a club notebook, too. Each time we complete a job, we're supposed to write up what happened. Then the other club members will know about any problems with kids or their families or homes, and know what to expect the next time they sit for the client.
I should mention here that each of us holds an office in the Baby-sitters Club. Mary Anne
is secretary, which is why she was thinking of the record book. Kristy is president, since the club was her idea. I'm vice-president, since the headquarters is my bedroom and I have a private phone. And Stacey is treasurer, since she likes numbers.
"What about the record book?" asked Stacey.
"It's got all the information in it Ч our appointments, the money we've earned, everything. I could bring it to school every day so we could check the calendar. And during our regular Friday afternoon meetings we could check it for the weekend. That way each of us would be sure to know what the others are doing Ч where they're going to be baby-sitting."
"That's a good suggestion," said Kristy, "except that, as president, I'll take responsibility for the book during school. If anything happens to it, it'll be my fault."
"You don't have to do that," I said. "We could take turns."
"No, it's easier if the same person always has it. I don't mind. So I move that I should bring it to school everyday."
"I second the motion," said Mary Anne, looking relieved.
"Good," said Kristy. "Now what about burglar alarms?"
"What about them?" I countered.
"I think that if we're baby-sitting and anything strange happens Ч a silent phone call, a funny noise outside, anything Ч we should rig up some kind of burglar alarm so that at least we'd know if someone tried to break into the house."
For a moment nobody spoke. At last Mary Anne said, "You mean like stacking tin cans in front of a door so that if the door opened, the cans would crash down and alert you?"
"Exactly!" cried Kristy. "That's a good idea." She tore a piece of paper out of my social studies notebook and wrote:
1. Stack cans in front of door or window (inside).
"But," she added, "make sure you don't put the stuff where the kids you're sitting for could fall over it. And make sure you put it away before the parents come home."
"Right," we agreed.
"Okay. Other ideas? Claudia?" asked Kristy. She was beginning to sound like some of my teachers.
"No," I said crossly, feeling embarrassed. Then I added, "Do you have any?" realizing that Kristy had been doing a lot of talking and
writing and not much thinking.
There was an awkward silence. Then, "How about a Smell Alert?" said Kristy with a giggle.
Mary Anne and Stacey laughed, but I thought Kristy was sounding pretty childish again.
"What," I demanded, "is a Smell Alert, if I may ask?"
Kristy couldn't stop giggling. "You put something really gross, like garbage, outside the house, where the burglar is bound to step in it. Then when he breaks in, you smell him before you even hear him. A Smell Alert!"
I had no intention of laughing. All I said was, "You know, a burglar could be a woman. It doesn't have to be a man."
"Aw, Claud, it was a joke," said Kristy. "Come on."
"Well, I don't have any ideas."
"Okay, okay, we'll keep thinking. Now I'm going to write out our code words. You guys have to keep these a secret. Keep the whole page a secret. Nobody should know our code. ... I'm serious now."
"Okay," we agreed.
"Should we stick with what Stacey said?" asked Kristy.
"What did she say? I forget," said Mary Anne.
"She said, 'Have you found my red ribbon?' " I replied quickly, glad to be able to answer something.
"Right," said Kristy. "And that means that there's some kind of trouble and the babysitter needs the police."
"I think," I said slowly, "that we should stick with what Stacey said, but that we should have a few more code words so we can give more information."
"Yeah. In case there's a burglar listening in on the phone, the person who gets the phone call should answer in code to let the baby-sitter know her message was understood and that the friend knows where she's sitting and everything," added Stacey.
"How about this for the answer?" suggested Mary Anne. "The person would say, 'No, the blue one.' It's simple, and it's still in code."
"That's good," said Kristy, but I could see her shiver at the very thought of a burglar listening in on her conversation.
"I think we should also have a way to let someone know whether we're in really big trouble," said Stacey, "like if a burglar is in the house and we've actually seen him Ч or whether we just think there's trouble."
"Yeah," I replied. "That's important."
"Okay," said Kristy, "how about this: After
the person who gets the call for help goes, 'No, the blue one/ the baby-sitter goes, 'Now I'm in for it/ if there's big trouble, or, 'That's okay/ if she's not sure there's trouble?"
"All right," we agreed.
"I sure hope I can keep all this straight," I said.
"Let's practice," Kristy suggested. "Claudia, let's say you're baby-sitting for David Michael at my house and you hear a noise at the window. What would you do?"
"I'd call Stacey," I said.
"Let's hear your conversation. Remember, you don't know where the burglar is, if there is a burglar, so you have to use the code."
"Okay. . . . Okay, I'd pick up the phone and call StaceЧ "
"Ring! Ring! Ring!" said Kristy, imitating the phone.
Stacey placed an imaginary receiver at her ear. "Hello?"
"Hi, Stace. It's Claud. Did you see my ribbon?"