The Adventures of the Holmes Club

Chapter 11: The Plot Thickens

***Penny***

I've been sick four a week. Okay, that's not accurate. Almost a week. I've had conference calls with the Club all week so they can keep me posted and I can keep them posted. 

It's really quite convenient. I sit in my bed all day doing homework, and right at 3 o clock, I call the Club and they tell me all the relevant information about the day. 

We figured out, as a team, that the play thing was sort of a red herring. It wasn't exactly relevant to the case, but the person who had kidnapped Mr. B had wanted us to match ourselves to the characters. 

[***Alina*** I totally thought of that already!]

With all my extra time, I managed to match us all up to the right characters. When I told the others, they complained about who their characters were. 

The play was Lost in Yonkers. Highly convenient, seven characters, seven members of the club, including Mr. B.

Me (Penny) - Jay 

Alina - Arty [Why do I have to be a guy?]
Nadia - Grandma [You are sort of mean, Nadia.]

Sophie - Aunt Bella [But she's a moron.]
Louis - Eddie [That's not that bad, the leader, in some ways.]

Max - Aunt Gert [But that's a girl.] [It really does suit you, Max.] [Shut up, Nadia, you're the Grandma.]

Mr. B - Uncle Louie [Really, Penny? You made our teacher a gangster?]

But in the end, they all decided just to go with it. That was after I told them it didn't really matter anyway.

Max got the next clue. He got it right after I posted the list on the website I had created for the Holmes Club. 

It wished me well, and advised the others to pass all their upcoming tests, because if they didn't all get A's, time would be taken of the time we had left to find our teacher. Luckily, the others all managed to pass their tests, and on Saturday, Sophie sent us a message in all capitals.

GUYS, I JUST HEARD THE MOST FANTASTIC NEW MUSICAL! THAT'S NOT ACTUALLY THAT IMPORTANT, BUT I GOT THE NEXT CLUE!!! WE HAVE TO FIND AN OLD STUDENT OF MR. B WHO WORKS IN ADI!!!

I responded immediately, that's not hard, all we have to do is search the school archives. But what is ADI?

Louis had some bad news though, There are no records from the past few years, we had a really bad computer crash last year, and all the records were destroyed.]

That set us back a few hours, until Nadia texted us, Guys, I found Mr. B's Facebook. I've been looking through his friends, and I think I found the right one. 

Included in the message was a hyperlink. Naturally, I followed it. I read through the page.

It was the Facebook page of one Michael Carter. He had graduated ten years ago, and had recently graduated from college with a degree in mechanical engineering. He now worked at a place called Anderson Development Industries.

ADI? I guessed.

I added the guy as a friend and closed the app. 

Nice job, Nadia. 

I opened my laptop and powered it up. I opened my browser and navigated to my website. I started a new page.

I typed a brief entry.

November News.

Requested: Friends with Michael Carter on Facebook.

I posted it and leaned back into my pillows.

A few minutes later, someone commented. 

Congratulations, but it only counts if he accepts. Otherwise, he's not really your friend.

***Sophie***

I was surprised I got the clue. Whoever is messing with us should know that I'm not responsible. 

Penny tells me I'm smart, but she could just be joking. I don't know how to interpret what Penny tells me. 

***Nadia***

I was proud of myself for finding Michael.

It seemed that Penny was proud of me to, and Louis texted me directly that I did a good job.

***Max***

Really, I have to be Aunt Gert? This is just all wrong.

I just invented something. Lollipop flavored ice cream.

***Louis*** 

This was getting harder and harder, figuring out how we were supposed to save our teacher. Maybe we should just give up. No one can hold children responsible for something so dangerous and confusing.

***Alina***

I should stick to playing my trumpet. Investigating is not for me, not at this age, any rate. I would need to go to college before I decided to be a detective.