Book 2-Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

Alex Bishop in Follow That Mystery

                                                                                    Chapter 47

                                                                     Welcoming a new member

     Lyndell didn't have a sly grin on her pretty face as she did when she interrupted the last meeting of the North Side Detectives.  Now, her face was sober and stubborn.  She closed the door quietly and stared at the faces that were gaping at her, and then quickly focused on her brother's face.  Alex blinked at her, fearing what she would say.

     "Alex.  I want to help you all catch the bad guy." (Alex's fears were now realized.)  I know I'm only thirteen.  But I'm the same age as you were when you helped solve your first case."  Alex started to say something, but Lyn plowed on.  "I won't tell Mom or Dad or anyone else what you all are up to, if you say I can't be a part of this."

     "But I'm begging you to let me be involved in this case."  And then her brown eyes begin to tear.  "This is personal to me this time Alex.  I want to be able to remind myself that I helped get the guy that shot my brother," she ended sniffing back her tears.  Glenna and Dawn's eyes were filling up too.

     Dawn jumped up from her place on the sofa and ran over to hug her.  Alex heaved a big sigh but then said, "Okay sis.  Come sit beside me."  Lyn gave him a small smile and took her seat next to him, with Dawn on her other side.  "Okay.  Where were we?"  Lee asked.  Everyone laughed, because that was Lee's usual line when the group had lost their place in conversation.  "Well, at least this time, we have a really good description of the suspect." Fletch said.

     "That's definitely gonna help," Lee agreed.  "But unfortunately," Dawn put in, "That's all we have as far as clues go."   "Fletch turned to Alex and said, "But that's not going to stop us, right?"  He suddenly leaned forward with his hands clasp in front of him.  "Lack of clues has never stopped us before, has it?"  Glenna asked with a sly smile on her face.

     Alex chuckled and said, "No.  Lack of clues hasn't stopped us in any other case, and It won't stop us this time."  "Well, what do we know?"  Alex posed and then answered his own question.  "The crook walked to the store.  I heard no car leaving the parking lot.  So, I'm supposing he lives close by."  Lee rolled his eyes.  "That's stating the obvious.  Everyone laughed, and it felt good after the somber way the meeting had started.

     Dawn quickly passed out pens and spirals.  Lyn grinned up at her when Dawn handed her a pad and pen.  "Thanks," Lyn whispered.  "So what sits near the store in the way of places we can hide in and observe the front door of the building?"  Fletch asked.  "There are a couple of abandoned houses across the street," Alex said, rubbing his itching arm.  He was glad it was healing but the itchiness was driving him crazy.

     "I wonder if the convenience store across from yours Alex, has been hit?" Fletch asked, taking a handful of mints and nuts from a bowl on the coffee table.  "It hasn't lyn said with conviction. "I've been reading the paper everyday since your store was hit Alex and there's not been any robberies in the paper, except yours Alex.  No robberies have been broadcast on the news either.  I've been watching for that too."  Alex gave his sister an affectionate nudge and an impressive grin.

     "I wonder if the police are staking out either of those stores," Glenna posed.  "I don't think they have the man power for that,"  Dawn said, "At least not to do it every night."  "What makes you say that?"  Lee asked with a wry grin at her.  "Well, my dear "Watson" if you read the paper every day like Lyn and I do, you would know that many of the officers in the police department are taking medical leaves right now in protest of not having received their raises this year.  The administration is calling it the "Blue Flu."

     Alex laughed and said, "Lee.  Don't you know by now, it is non-productive to argue with Dawn."  Lee just growled at him.

     Lee quickly changed the subject.  "Has your boss been in touch with you Alex?" he asked.  "When I was first admitted, he talked to Dad,"  Alex said,  "Mr. Adams said I should take all the time I needed to heal and that my job would be waiting for me.  Obviously I can't come back to work until I get this cast off," Alex ended.

     "Are you going back to school on Monday?"  Dawn asked him. " Yeah.  As you know, I can use my left hand as well as my right."  And I have my pills for pain.  I've hardly had to take the meds any more.  I wish they had a pill to stop the itch.  That's my problem now," he said with a frown, and sticking a straw down inside his cast to stop an itch.

     "Okay, back to the situation at hand," Lee said, grabbing up his pen and notebook.  "I think we should stake out the two convenience stores."  "What?"  Glenna said loudly, "Are you crazy?"  "Shush," everyone said.  "Oh sorry," she said.  As Alex expected, he heard foot steps running down the hallway to the family room door.

     Lyn was the first one to slide her notebook underneath her; which earned her another grin from her brother Alex.  "You learn quickly," Alex praised her.  When Janeen poked her head in the door, there were no note books or pens to be seen.  "Are you alright Alex?"  his mother asked, breathless from her running.  "Yeah Mom.  We were having a discussion and Glenna got carried away."

     Janeen smiled at Glenna who turned pink with embarrassment.  "Okay," his mother said, and was about to close the door when she spied Lyn.  "Lyndell, I told you not to bother Alex and his friends," she said in a moderately stern voice.  "She's not Mom.  We invited her," Alex said, glancing at his sister with a smirk on his face.

     Janeen looked surprised but pleased and gave the group an approving smile and shut the door.  Alex knew she wouldn't be so approving if she knew what their group was planning to do.  Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief and took out their spirals and pens again.  Then Glenna, in a much softer voice, picked up the conversation where they had left it.

     She turned back to face Lee and said, "Don't you think we should give the police that are still working, do their job.  Detective Burns told Alex his case was top priority.  I think he would stake out those stores all by himself if he had to."  Before Lee had a chance to say anything, Fletch blurted out, "I agree with Glenna."

  Lee glared at him, but that didn't stop Fletch from putting in his two cents.  "Let's give it a couple of weeks and see if the cops can catch this guy," Fletch ended.  Lee looked mutinous until Alex spoke up.  "They're right Lee.  Besides, I'm the one that was shot.  If we're going to do anything, I want to be there.  And I want to be perfectly healthy at the time," he said, raising his cast in the air.

     Lee's face softened and he said, "You're right Alex.  You have more right to be there than the rest of us do.  Alex nodded and smiled at him.  "But, we can go see what those abandoned houses look like, during the day of course," Lee smirked and nodded, "and generally check out the area."Sounds good to me," Dawn said.  "Me too," Fletch said, raising his hand like he always did.  Glenna agreed too with a sigh and a smile and then kissing lee on the cheek.

                                                                             End of Chapter 47