Book 1-Alex Bishop and the North Side Detectives

Continue Alex Bishop and the North Side Detectives

                                                                                    Chapter 12

                                                                                   The Break In

( Hi Readers,  well, I'm back.  My computer crashed on the day of my last update, so after a few days of trying to fix it, I finally left it to someone who actually could.  Hopefully it won't happen again.  As always, thanks for reading my stories.)

     The next day, Alex spent a good hour trying to convince Dawn to let the "real" detectives handle the bomber case; telling her that if the North Side Detectives could discover who the culprit was, surely the local police would.  Alex also told her that he was sure the police would check the school files, looking for disgruntled employees.

     Alex even went so far as to call Detective Burns and ask him if he had, or intended to check the school files for clues as to who had committed the crime.  He felt stupid asking him this question because Alex thought that would be procedure in a case like this.  Detective Burns' answer to Alex, was for him and his friends to leave the case to the professionals; that is was too dangerous for the teens to be involved in this case.

     The detectives' answer only served to make Dawn angrier and more determined to go through with their plans.  "Look Alex,"  Dawn began, "We found evidence in Mr. Wells' case that the police missed.  Who says they won't miss things this time?"  After the boys had tried to dissuade Dawn without success, Dawn had had the last word.  "I will do it myself, if you guys don't help me.  She said stubbornly.  And of course, none of them were willing to do that.

     Alex knew there was nothing else for it, but to hope their plan worked.  The good thing was, Alex thought he had convinced Lyn that the group had decided against the break-in.  She had given him a suspicious look, but when she didn't hear anymore talk of it, while listening at doors for the next week, she was finally convinced that the plan had been aborted.  When Alex had told Lyn the caper had been called off, he actually thought he could talk Dawn into his way of thinking.

     Alex, Lee, Dawn, Fletch and Glenna were planning the break-in for Friday night.  Since Alex didn't think that his parents would believe he, Lee and Fletch going to bed at 8:30 at night, his friends weren't sleeping over.  Instead, everyone was creeping out of their bedroom windows at 8:45 and meeting in the nearby park, where they all had met to discuss the Wells' case.  The group would walk to the school from there.

     Dawn was taking her spiral to write down the names of the possible suspects they found in the files.  All of them carried flashlights and had gloves tucked into their jeans.  The group learned from Lee that the file room had no windows; which was good because no one could see in, but no light from outside, so the group couldn't see what they were doing.  They certainly couldn't turn on the lights.  Lee became very vague when Alex asked him how he knew so much about the file room.

     At 8:45 that Friday night the five friends climbed out their bedroom windows.  All their parents worked, except for Alex's mother Janeen, who went to bed when her husband did.  Alex did check on Lyn before he left, and she was fast asleep.  When Alex arrived at the park his friends were already there.  Alex came running up panting.

     "Is Lyn asleep?"  was the first question Dawn asked.  "Out cold."  Alex assured her.  "Okay.  Everyone got everything?"  Dawn asked, clutching her bag.  "Any questions?"  she added.  "Yeah.  I have one,"  Alex said, raising his hand.  Dawn's brow lifted.  "How are we getting in?"  Everyone looked at him, stunned.  Except Lee, who had a smug look on his face.

     "What?"  Alex said irritably.  "Well, there's the broken window."  Lee said in an obvious tone.  "Don't you think the workmen might have replaced that, or at least boarded it up?"  Alex said testily.  "Well, if it's a board, I've got this," he said, taking a claw hammer from a large canvas bag.  "And in case we have to pick a lock,  I have this little gem," he said, taking something else from the bag's depths.  It was an instrument, a little smaller that a finger nail file.

     Glenna stared at Lee with wide eyes, as she had never stared at him before.  "You're amazing!"  she said.  Fletch frowned and Lee turned red, but it was so dark, no one could tell.  "Thanks Glenna.  It's nice to be appreciated," he ended with a small grin.  "I'm not going to ask you how you acquired the skills to use these things."  Alex said, raising a brow at his friend.  Lee got a sly look on his face, but said nothing.