Chapter 39
The Suspects
Suddenly, Mr. Franks, the Spanish teacher cleared his throat loudly and said, "I'll be gone for a few minutes, so behave like grown-ups." There was a spattering of laughter from the students and then he left the room. Immediately after that a boy came hurrying in the door that Mr. Franks had just exited.
He ran to the back of the cafeteria and called out to another boy sitting at a table. "Hey Ted!" he said in a loud whisper. The boy's friend Ted was sitting with two other boys. Nick, Sam and Matt turned at the sound of the boy's greeting. The four students had books and folders in front of them, but for some reason he couldn't explain, Nick thought they were only props-not to be used, but seen.
"Hey guys!" Glenna said, trying to get Nick, Matt and Sam's attention. "What?" Nick said a bit snappishly, then felt bad because of his rudeness. "Sorry Glenna," he said without an explanation. "That's okay," she told him. "I just wondered if you knew those guys at that table? You've been staring at them so hard."
Nick was quick. He said, "I thought that guy Ted looked familiar, but no, I don't know him." Just then Mr. Franks walked back in the door and sat down in his chair and started scanning papers on his desk. "Oh," Glenna said in answer to Nick's comment. "I know who Ted is," Lee said casually. Nick, Matt and Sam turned their heads so quickly, they almost cricked their necks.
"You guys are talking about the one at the head of the table right?" Lee asked, glancing over his shoulder at the four young men. "Yeah, Matt said. "Okay," lee started, "the guy with the messy black hair and the squinty eyes- the one that looks like a rat..." "Lee!" Glenna said in a disciplinary voice smacking him on the arm. "Well, he does," Lee defended himself. The others laughed out loud, forgetting where they were, and Mr. Franks pounded on his desk for quiet, while Alex and his friends cringe with embarrassment.
Lee leaned forward to complete what he was saying, and the others leaned in to listen. ...."the squinty eyed guy is Ted Brewster. And he hangs around with tough guys who have been in a lot of trouble with the cops." "How do you know this?" Dawn asked with a raised brow and a suspicious look on her face. Lee chuckled softly at her expression. "Well, I've seen them in detention repeatedly...." Dawn gave him an aghast look. He ignored her and went on, ...."when I've walked past that room. And Ted lives right down the street from me and I saw a cop handcuff him once in front of his house and those other three with him now too, and then he hauled them off to jail." Lee finished with a wry look on his face.
"I've see those four boys in detention too when I've walked by in-between classes," Anna said. Nick looked back at Ted's table for a moment and then turned back to his friends and said in a casual voice, "A good bunch to stay away from for sure," he ended. But he had memorized the faces and build of the four boys. He was sure he would be able to identify them when he saw them again.
Alex had not joined in the conversations but had watched Nick's face as he conversed with the others. Alex knew that Nick, Sam and Matt were more interested in Ted and his buddies than was normal. He knew they were up to something; like being involved with the computer caper and scoping out suspects.
The final bell rang out and the friends said goodbye. Nick, Matt and Sam piled into Nick's car and took off for his house and some privacy. Nick pulled up into his driveway as the weather turned nasty-a sleeting rain blowing in horizontally. The boys ran in to the house taking off their wet coats and hanging them on a hook on the closed-in back porch.
"What a break huh?" Nick started. "We now have some pretty good suspects; and we know what they look like." Nick said excitedly. "Let's go get some snacks," he said, leading the way to the kitchen, "then we can have a talk." The boys each picked up a bag of chips and a ham and cheese sandwich and headed for the living room.
The three of them made themselves comfortable on one of the overlong brown leather sofas. The sky had grown very dark outside so Nick flipped on the overhead light before he sat down. "So are you thinking that two of the guys there today were the ones we heard talking in the locker room?" Matt asked Nick.
"Yeah. I do. I think it's the one with the shaggy brown hair and the blond who's hair is almost white. "Why?" Matt asked him. "Because those two were sitting on either side of Ted. And the "Boss" would want to keep his partners in crime closest to him," he said wisely. "Then what's the really big bald guy's job who was sitting with them? To drive the get away car?" Sam said laughing.
Nick and Matt laughed too, but Nick said, "It could be. Or they use him for the heavy lifting." I think it may be time to call Detective Burns and tell him about Ted and his crew," Matt said, expecting the other two to agree with him. "I don't know," Nick said, scratching his chin. The other two chorused, "What?"in unbelief.
"Well, there must be more than one kid named Ted in the school," Nick suggested. "We need to get a confession on tape." "And how to we get that?" Sam asked in an incredulous tone. "Hmm," Nick said thoughtfully. "I think we "dog" them until they meet somewhere secretly for a conversation. Then if they say anything about the stolen goods, we'll know we have the right "Ted."
Sam and Matt didn't look happy with Nick's idea. And Nick laughed at the moderate horror on their faces. "Guys. It's the only way to get the proof we need," Nick told them, taking a big bite of his sandwich. Matt and Sam looked at each other and both sighed in unison. "Okay boss," Sam said, "when does this stakeout for which we will all probably be sorry....take place?"
End of Chapter 39
YOU ARE READING
Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery
Mystery / ThrillerAlex and his friends, Dawn Marks, Lee Martin, Fletcher (Fletch) Clark and Glenna Williams are now in high school, ready for more mysteries and adventures. Mrs. Books is still on hand with a tray of her famous chocolate chip cookies and tea. And Mr...
