Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                       Chapter 40

                                                                     End of Alex's Vaca from Crime

 

     Christmas was the usual happy affair at the Bishop home.  Mr. Wells, and Mrs. Books were in attendance on Christmas Eve as well as Lyn's friends Michael, Amy and Nikki.  Janeen, Alex's mother laid out a wonderfully delicious Christmas ham and all the trimmings in the beautifully decorated dinning room.

     Dawn, Chet, Lee, Glenna, Fletch and Anna stopped by after having dinner with their families bringing  presents they had brought for Alex and to open presents that he had for them.  Alex, Lyn and the friends were all dressed in comfy colorful sweaters appropriate for the season.  A good time was had by all and it was eleven o'clock before anyone said their goodbyes.

     Lee and Fletch were spending the night, so after everyone else left the boys said goodnight to Lyn and Alex's parents and headed down the hall to Alex's bedroom.  "Great Party!" Lee said as soon as the door was closed.  "Thanks," Alex said,  "Although I didn't contribute anything to make it that way.  That's Mom's thing and she does it well," he said, pulling on his pajamas.

     "Yeah, your mom's great," Lee said, climbing up to the upper bunk of the guest bed in the room.  Fletch always slept in the lower one.  Alex had his own twin bed on the other side of the room.  "Fletch.  You're awfully quiet," Lee told him as Fletch slipped under his covers.  "You're usually raving about Mrs. B's cooking."

     Fletch said, while punching his pillow into a comfortable shape, "Oh yeah, she's a wonderful cook," he said distractedly.  "Okay Fletch.  What's up?" Alex asked, while laying his head on his two bed pillows, his hands underneath them, closing his eyes, and his crossing his ankles; his signature sleeping position.

     "Actually.... I did want to get your opinion on something."  "Shoot,"  Lee told him.  "Have you two noticed that Nick, Sam and Matt have been acting a little weird lately?"  "Are you on about them supposedly peeking around corners again?"  Lee said with a chuckle.  "I have seen them doing that," Alex said in a sleepy voice.

     "I guess I haven't been paying them any attention," Lee admitted.  "I'm just worried they might be up to something....not quite legal," Fletch said in a worried voice.  Alex didn't tell Fletch that he suspected Nick and his brothers were investigating the computer caper.  He wanted to hear what more Fletch had to say first.

     "What makes you think the three of them are up to something?"  Lee asked in a kinder voice.  "Well, I overheard them talking one day last week and...."  "You overheard them?"  Alex interrupted.  "I wasn't eavesdropping honest," Fletch said.  "They were in the kitchen.  Until I heard the voices I didn't know they were there."

     "Anyway, I was in the bathroom just finishing up and about to open the door when I heard Sam say, 'I'm glad Fletch isn't home.'  Well, that got my attention so then I admit I did listen at the crack in the door to hear what more they would say.  Then Matt said something about getting the money for the computers and how they would spend it."

     Lee gaped at him in unbelief that Nick, who was like a brother to him and the kid he thought he knew as well as himself, and Fletch's two brothers would steal anything.  "I couldn't listen to anymore after hearing that, Fletch said,  "So I hid in the bathroom closet until I didn't hear them anymore.  Obviously, I didn't want them to know I'd been spying on them."