"Martin, Ann M - Baby-sitters Club Mystery 014 - Stacey and the Mystery at the Mall" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin Ann M)

"I wonder if that's the same guy who broke into Casa Grande," mused Logan. "My boss said somebody was in there a few nights ago. Whoever it was, he didn't steal anything, though. He just used our stove to cook up a batch of burritos or something. He cleaned up after himself pretty well, but it was obvious he had been there."
"Weird," said Jessi, looking thoughtful. Just then, our bus pulled up and we piled into our regular seats. Alan Gray had given up fighting us for them; instead he usually sat in the front, along with two girls who were working at Rita's Bridal Shoppe. The back two rows of seats felt like home. Claud and I would sit in the
left hand, furthest-back seat, and Kristy and Logan would alternate days sitting with Mary Anne in the right-hand back one. Mal and Jessi always sat in front of Claudia and me, and Kristy Ч or Logan, depending on whose day it was to sit with Mary Anne Ч would sit in the seat across the aisle from Jessi and Mal. Once we were all in our places, we'd make ourselves comfortable, setting our backpacks on the empty seats in front of us and stretching our legs out into the aisles.
That day, as the bus started up, Claud passed out the cookies Ч and handed me some pretzels Ч and we began to talk. I was still feeling a little shaky, but I was feeling something else, too. Determined. ''We have to figure out whatТs going on at the mall," I said. "I can't keep working there if I have to be worried about running into thieves."
"Don't you think we should let security handle it?" asked Mary Anne, with a glance at Kristy.
"I know they're working on it, but maybe they could use some help," I said. "After all, we're there three days a week. If we really put our minds to it, maybe we can figure out how to catch the thief."
"Count me in," said Logan.
"Me, too," said Kristy. "I mean, security has all that high-tech camera equipment and
everything, but I have to admit it doesn't seem to be doing much good. Ms. Gartia reviews the tapes every day, but she never sees anything suspicious. And stuff just keeps disappearing, mostly at night. I know she'd be really impressed if I came up with some answers."
"I wonder if the guy I saw today is the only thief," I said. "I mean, does he work alone?"
"If he does, he's covering a lot of ground every night," said Mary Anne. "I mean, shops all over the mall have reported stuff missing."
"ItТs almost like somebody is living at the mall," Jessi blurted out. She and Mal were turned around so they were facing Claudia and me. "I mean, first I heard about somebody sleeping in the theatre, and then Logan said somebody was cooking in Casa Grande's kitchen."
"Whoa!" said Kristy, sitting up in her seat. "I think you're onto something there. As a matter of fact, I've noticed some strange things, too. Like, the other day I was checking the bathrooms, and I found a tube of toothpaste sitting on one of the sinks. I wondered about it, but I was pretty busy, so I forgot to mention it to Ms. Garcia."
While the others talked, I was thinking about all the things that had been stolen. The camcorders and TVs made sense Ч they were
big, expensive things that could be sold. But what about the things that April had told me about, the stuff that had been taken from Lear's? I tried to recall what she had said. Towels, I was sure. And kids' clothes. Why would a thief take kids' clothes? I told the others what I had remembered.
Everybody looked stumped, and no wonder. It just didn't make sense. Then, suddenly, Mal's eyes lit up. "I know! itТs those kids!" she said. "The ones who came to my first story hour. There was something strange about them. They weren't carrying jackets. And I didn't see a parent pick them up Ч just their older sister. I've seen them a bunch of times since then, too. They're always around. I bet they're living at the mall."
"But why?" asked Mary Anne. "Why would a bunch of kids be living at the mall?" She took a bite of her cookie, which she had been nibbling at, and chewed thoughtfully. (Everybody else had already devoured theirs.)
"I don't know," Kristy answered. "But I think Mal is onto something. What do the kids look like, Mal?"
'They're blonde," she replied. "And a little grubby. Kind of skinny."
"ThatТs them!" said Kristy. "The kids I've seen on the videotapes. The ones who were talking to Mr. Morton. I'm almost positive."
She stroked her chin. "Hmmm. . . . J wonder if he knows anything about this."
"Well, don't go bothering him with a whole bunch of questions, Kristy," said Claudia. "He's being so nice about the day-care center Ч we don't want to do anything to upset him."
"I won't," said Kristy. "Anyway, we don't have any proof about this. Mr. Morton would think I was nuts."
"So what do we do now?" asked Jessi.
"Keep our eyes open, I guess," said Mal. "We're just guessing about those kids. I mean, even if they are at the mall a lot, that doesn't mean they're actually living there. And if they are, and they've been taking things like towels, that doesn't explain the big stuff thatТs been stolen. I mean, what would those kids do with a treadmill?"
Claudia nodded in agreement. "Besides, what about the guy Stacey saw? He sure wasn't a kid. So far, this doesn't really add up. There are still a lot of questions."
Everybody was quiet for a few minutes, and I sat there looking out the window and thinking about the guy in the stockroom. I knew it would take me a long time to forget the sight of the man in a ski mask. I wondered if we were doing the right thing, getting involved in this mystery. I really hoped we could help
solve it, but it could be dangerous. I mean, if it was only about kids living in the mall, that was one thing. But that seemed to be just one small part of the puzzle. Something else was going on, too, something serious. The only thing I was sure of was that I did not want to run into that guy again anytime soon.
The bus was driving through Stoneybrook by then, and I watched as we drove by the elementary school. The playground and playing field were empty, since it was almost suppertime. I thought about some of the kids I usually sit for, and realized that I had been missing them Ч especially Charlotte Johanssen, who is like a little sister to me. As much as I liked Project Work, I realized, I'd be happy when it was over and I could return to my life of school and baby-sitting. Baby-sitting is hard work, but all I could think about as I sat there on the bus was how simple and uncomplicated it usually is. I mean, you may have to deal with a dirty diaper or two, but shoplifters and burglars in ski masks don't enter into the picture.
When we reached SMS, my friends and I jumped off the bus. I was still feeling a little upset, and Claud noticed. "I'll walk you home, Stace," she said.
"ThatТs okay," I said. "I'm all right. All I need is to go home and have supper with my
mom. I just want to forget the mall for a while."
"Are you going to tell your mom what happened today?" asked Kristy.
"I don't know," I said. "I guess not. She might ask me to quit working at Toy Town, and I don't want to. I want to be at the mall with all of you, and help set up the day-care center and everything. And I really want to solve this shoplifting mystery, so things can get back to normal."
"ItТll be okay, Stace," Kristy assured me. "We won't do anything dangerous."
"That's right," said Mary Anne. "We're just going to keep our eyes and ears open."
"But do me a favor," said Claudia, "so I don't have to worry about you." She grinned at me. "Stay out of that stockroom, okay?"
I nodded. "You don't have to tell me that. From now on, if somebody wants Baby Tell Me a Story, she'll have to go get her herself!"
Chapter 11.
"Let's see. The Perkins girls all have colds, Buddy Barrett won a prize for his science project, and Jamie Newton is in a play at his preschool," said Shannon. It was Friday, and we were in Claud's room, having a BSC meeting. Shannon had been writing in the club notebook regularly, but none of us had had time to read it, so she was filling us in on what was happening with our regular clients.
"It sounds like you've been really busy," said Kristy. "I hope you're not too overwhelmed."
"Oh, no, I'm enjoying it," said Shannon. "Answering the phone is no problem, since I'd be here anyway. And sitting so much is a nice change from my regular routine. Plus, the kids are so cute. I think Shea Rodowsky has a crush on me."
"Really?" asked Claud, grinning.
"Yeah," said Shannon. "He's been writing me poems and everything."
"I miss Shea," Kristy said with a sigh. "I even miss Jackie."
Jackie Rodowsky is Shea's younger brother, and he's a great kid except for the fact that he's extremely accident-prone. Sitting for him is mostly a matter of damage control.
The phone began to ring then, and we spent some time setting up a few weekend jobs.
"So, whatТs going on at the mall?" asked Shannon, when Kristy had hung up after arranging a job with Mrs. Hobart.
"What isn't going on at the mall?" replied Kristy. "It's been a madhouse. First of all, we're still working on setting up the day-care center. And we're all involved in our jobs. On top of that, we're trying to solve this mystery. You won't believe what happened to Stacey yesterday."
We gave Shannon the details, and her eyes grew rounder and rounder as she listened. "Wow!" she said, when we had finished. "So what happens next? Do you guys have a plan?"