Hopping Mad (4 page)

But it was too late to try and find out now. Adam was on his way to Principal Butler's office pushing Mina in front of him! Frank and Joe hurried to follow him. Could this be the end of the mystery after all?

Do you think Adam did it?” Frank asked Joe as they ran along behind him.

“No way!” said Joe. “But he is hiding something.”

What could be so bad that he would rather get in trouble for something he didn't do? Only Mina knew—and Adam wouldn't let her tell!

By now, the word had spread throughout the school yard, and a crowd of kids were following Adam to Principal Butler's office.

“I guess it wasn't aliens,” Chet said as he fell in step with Frank and Joe.

“Yeah,” said Frank. “But I don't think it was Adam, either!”

Frank sped up. He managed to catch up with Adam right as they got to the door of the school.

“Adam!” he said. “You don't have to do this. Joe and I are going to find the person who really ruined the talent show.”

Frank stood between Adam and the door. Since Adam was still holding Mina, he couldn't push Frank out of the way.

“Move!” he yelled. But Frank wouldn't budge.

“No way. Not until you tell the truth.”

The other kids were beginning to whisper. Was Frank right? He and Joe had a reputation for finding out the truth. But why would Adam admit to something he hadn't done?

Adam took his hands off of Mina. It looked like he was going to shove Frank out of the way. But as soon as Mina was free, she started yelling again.

“He didn't do it!” Mina said. “He—”

But she didn't get any further before Adam had his hand over her mouth again. This time he bent down and whispered in her ear. After a minute Mina nodded. Adam let go of her mouth. This time, she didn't say anything.

Adam turned back to face Frank. He snapped his fingers and pointed. Ian and Susie each grabbed one of Frank's arms.

“Hey! Let me go!”

Ian and Susie carried Frank out of the way and dropped him down on the grass. Adam entered the school.

“You okay?” Joe asked Frank.

“I'm fine. We've got to catch up with them!”

By the time Frank and Joe pushed through the crowd of kids around the school door, it was too
late. They just barely caught sight of Adam walking into the principal's office. They ran down the hall after him.

“Yes, Principal Butler,” said Adam as Frank and Joe entered Principal Butler's office. “I did it. I threw the frogs at Melissa.”

Principal Butler's mouth tightened into a hard line. She pushed her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

“Well, Mr. Ackerman,” she said. “I should have known.”

Adam looked upset by that, but he didn't say anything.

“Where did the frogs come from?” Principal Butler asked.

“Uh … I … well… I caught them?”

“And how did you get them into the auditorium?”

“I smuggled them in under my coat.”

“He's not even wearing a coat!” yelled Frank.

“Shut up!” said Adam.

“He's lying!” said Joe.

Principal Butler paused, considering what the boys had said. It seemed pretty obvious that Adam wasn't telling the truth. She looked back and forth between Adam and the Hardy brothers. Then she shook her head.

“Adam has confessed. The talent show will continue. You, Mr. Ackerman, will be seeing me in detention this afternoon. And for the rest of the month. I'll let your parents know you'll be home late from now on.”

Principal Butler picked up the phone and began to dial Adam's parents. Adam screwed his face up, like he couldn't decide whether to be happy or upset.

“That's not fair, Principal Butler!” said Joe. “He didn't do it.”

Principal Butler ignored him and continued dialing the phone. After a few seconds the sound of Mrs. Ackerman's voice mail could be heard. Principal Butler hung up the phone. She checked her watch.

“I have a meeting right now. I need all of you to leave my office.” She looked tired.

Frank opened his mouth to say something.

“I heard you before, Mr. Hardy. If you don't
think Adam did it, find out who did. He has confessed, and that's good enough for me. You have thirty minutes before my meeting ends and I call his parents again. Good-bye.”

Principal Butler pointed to the door. Reluctantly, Frank and Joe left. Adam was right behind them.

“Not you, Mr. Ackerman. You can stay right here. Your detention starts now.”

It looked like the entire school was waiting outside Principal Butler's office when Frank and Joe came out. Everyone wanted to be near the door when it opened.

“Did Adam do it? Is the talent show back on? Is he going to be expelled?”

A dozen voices asked the same questions as Frank and Joe walked away, but they just shook their heads. Adam had confessed … but they were sure he was innocent. Nothing was adding up.

“What do we do now?” asked Joe after they had pushed their way clear of the crowd.

“I don't know,” said Frank. “Thirty minutes isn't a lot of time to figure out this mystery.” Frank looked up at the clock. It wasn't even thirty minutes anymore. Now it was more like twenty-eight minutes! Time was running out fast.

“What would Dad say?” asked Joe. He paused for a moment.

“Start with the evidence,” the boys said at the same time.

“The frogs are gone,” said Frank. “So the only evidence would be back in the auditorium itself. Maybe we missed something. Let's go look.”

Joe didn't have a better idea, so the boys headed back to the school auditorium. From outside, they heard voices shouting.

“No! Stop that!”

What was happening? Could the prankster be
causing trouble again? Frank and Joe shoved open the doors and rushed inside.

On the stage, Melissa was chasing Todd around. She had taken off her yellow-and-black checkered cap, and was trying her best to hit him with it. But Todd had longer legs and was managing
to keep just outside her reach.

“You keep starting the second horus too soon! You're cutting off my line.” Melissa swung her hat again, and Todd skipped backward.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Melissa must have caught a glimpse of Frank and Joe. She spun around quickly.
She hid the hat behind her back, and a big fake grin lit up her face.

“Well, hello there!” She beamed. “Our performance has been put off for a little while, but we'll be on in just a bit! But it's always good to see our fans.”

She gave a little bow. She seemed surprised to find Frank and Joe still standing there when she straightened up. The grin left her face.

“You can leave now,” she said.

“Actually, we've got a few questions for you,” said Frank. He took out his notebook and got ready to record her statement.

“Oh!” said Melissa. “You want an autograph. Of course.”

Melissa hopped down off the stage and ran over to Frank. She grabbed the pen and notebook from his hand.

To my biggest fan!
Melissa.
She wrote in big
curling script, and she dotted her letter
i'
s with stars. But that wasn't the information Frank wanted.

“Thanks, but we wanted to ask you about the frogs. Did you notice anything strange before they started to appear?”

Melissa put one hand dramatically to her forehead. “I'm still too upset to talk to the press,” she said. “I might faint.”

She sat down dramatically on one of the chairs.

Frank shrugged.

“What about you?” Joe yelled out to Todd.

“Me?” Todd seemed surprised anyone would talk to him. Apparently, he was used to Melissa getting all the attention.

“Did you see anything strange?”

But before Todd could answer, Melissa was back on her feet.

“It was horrible! Simply horrible. There I was, ready for my big number, when that frog hit me
smack in the face! It was cold and wet and awful. And I know Principal Butler thinks it was a prank on the talent show, but I know I was the target. Whoever did it must have read the interview I gave to the school newspaper, where I talked about my love of frogs and how I would never want to see them hurt. Did you read that issue? I have signed copies if you want one. When I'm famous—I mean, more famous than I am now—I'm going to start a charity for frogs.”

Once Melissa started talking, there was no stopping her. Frank tried to jump in, but Melissa just kept going.

“It must be one of those crazy stalkers that celebrities get. I guess this is going to be my life from now on, so I had better get used to it. It's the price of fame.”

Melissa paused to take a breath, and Frank jumped in.

“But where did the frogs come from? Did you see anything?” If they could figure out where the frogs had come from, maybe they could find some evidence of who brought them in the first place.

“What? I—I don't remember.” Melissa was stumped.

“Did someone throw them from the audience? Or from backstage?”

Todd had been lingering in the background, listening to their conversation. Now he jumped in.

“They weren't thrown,” he said. “I saw the one that hit Melissa fall from a crack in the ceiling—right up there.”

Todd pointed above their heads. Frank and Joe peered up at the ceiling. It was too dark to make out much of anything all the way up there. It must have been thirty feet above their heads! But if that was where the frogs came from, that was where they had to go. Now, how could they get up there?