The Adventures of Jack Lime (10 page)

“I get twenty-five bucks a day,” I said, jacking up my rate on the fly. I figured a whole team of over-achievers could ante up twenty-five clams without breaking the bank.

“I'll consult with my colleagues,” she said, and marched across the cafeteria. They got into a huddle, and I finished my sushi, minus the wasabi.

When they were done deliberating, Jennifer came back to my table. “Twenty-five dollars a day is fine.”

“Good,” I said, and then threw back the rest of my Red Bull. “Then I need to have a word with the rest of the team.”

She motioned them over with a wave, and they all took a seat around my table. They were a motley crew of oddballs who fit the bill for kids who would excel at a trivia contest.

“I'll need to know a little about each of you, but we need to keep it quick. Just tell me your name, your grade and the last time you saw Tobias, capiche?”

They nodded.

Here's a rundown of the info I got from the team:

1. Jennifer O'Rourke: Grade 12, team captain, cute as a button and twice as smart. She was the team's history and literature expert.

2. Maximillian Stromopolous: Grade 11, tall, dark and dour. The guy looked like he hadn't cracked a smile since first grade. He was the science expert.

3. Peggi Miggs: Grade 11, wound as tight as a mob snitch in prison. She was the math expert.

4. Lisa Aucoin: Grade 10, small and mousy with bad case of chronic halitosis. She was the team alternate.

They all agreed that the last time they saw Tobias was when he left school on Tuesday at five p.m., just after their team practice. His grandfather picked Tobias up in his car and, as far as they knew, drove Tobias home.

“Do you have any suspects in mind?” I asked, looking around the table.

“Suspects?” they mumbled, their eyebrows raised in unison.

“Yeah,” I said, “anyone who might hold a grudge against Tobias?”

There was a short pause while the girls twiddled their thumbs. Max, however, was glaring at me like I'd just insulted his sister, mother and grandmother all at once. Most people get nervous when somebody stares at them like that. Me, I just get interested. That's when Jennifer broke the tension.

“May we speak in private?” she said, standing up.

“I don't know, Jennifer,” I said. “I think Max has something he wants to get off his chest.”

“This is ridiculous,” Max said, standing up and switching his icy glare from me to Jennifer. “This is utterly ridiculous!” Then he stalked away. Lisa Aucoin sprang up and chased after him. Peggi Miggs just stayed right where she was and looked confused.

“Please, Jack,” Jennifer said, taking me by the arm. “Let him go. He's just upset because we've decided to bring the case to you rather than get Principal Snit involved.”

“I'll let it go for now,” I said, and I let her guide me to a more private table at the back of the cafeteria. “But Max better watch himself. He doesn't know who he's messing with.”

“Forget Max,” she said. Then she leaned in and whispered, “I suppose Valda Pernickle may still harbor some feelings of animosity toward Tobias.”

“Valda Pernickle?” I asked. That name sounded more made up than a girl on her way to the prom.

“His ex-girlfriend,” she said. “They had a messy breakup. She blames the Academic All-Stars Trivia Tournament.”

“And you actually think this girl is capable of kidnapping Tobias?”I asked with a smirk.

“You don't know Valda,” she said, without an ounce of humor.

“Is there anyone else?” I asked.

She shook her head. “I don't think so.”

“I'll see what I can find out.”

“And remember, Jack, we need him back before tomorrow night,” she added, as we stood up. “Before the Regional Final starts.”

“What time is that?”

“Seven.”

“Then I'll need two things. First, give me your number so I can get in touch with you. Second, show me where Valda's locker is. I'll need to ask her a few questions.”

Thursday, March 12, 12:43 p.m.
Iona High, Locker 225

Jennifer gave me her number and took me up to Valda's locker. Jennifer's hair smelled like pink cotton candy, and she had a cute way of talking out of the side of her mouth. I thought I could get hooked on a girl like her if I wasn't careful, and I wasn't planning on being careful.

Valda's locker was in the science wing on the second floor. I said my good-byes to Jennifer and took up a position a couple of yards away from the locker. I casually leaned against the wall, pretending to look over a chemistry quiz I'd found on the ground, while the hallway filled up with students coming back from lunch. Mixed in with the crowd was a tall dame with pale skin and jet- black hair who stepped up to Locker 225. She wore a scowl that made her look like a red-hot poker, and I wasn't crazy about burning my hands. But I had a job to do, and I wasn't going to let a Sour Sally like Valda get in my way.

“Valda Pernickle,” I said, stepping over to her locker.

“What?” she barked, giving me a quick once-over.

“I was wondering if you know anything about the possible whereabouts of Tobias Poe.”

“I have no idea where Toby is,” she said with a sneer. “And I really don't care. I haven't thought about him since we broke up seventeen days ago. And who are you to be asking me personal questions, anyway?”

“My name is Jack Lime, and I'm trying to track him down,” I said.

“Well, I don't want to talk about him, Jack Lime,” she said, fiddling with her combination lock.

I decided to try turning on the old charm instead of playing it straight up. “I'm sorry if I caught you at a bad time, Valda, and I'm sure an attractive young lady like yourself is better off without Tobias. But I need to find him, so if you could give me any information, I'd be forever in your debt.”

“I know I'm better off without him. I've never been happier, but I really don't know where he is,” she said, pulling on the lock. It still wouldn't open, so she started spinning the dial again.

“Is there anywhere in particular he used to go to get away from things? Somewhere he'd go to be alone? Somewhere he might go to hide?”

“Without Tobias holding me back, I can date anyone I want. I can go on a date every night of the week,” she said, trying the lock again. It still wouldn't open. “What was your name again?”

“Jack,” I said. This conversation was getting dangerously off track. “Valda, is there anywhere Tobias would go to get away from things?”

Valda quit with the lock and turned to face me. Her expression went from irritated to fascinated faster than you can say Attention Deficit Disorder.

“What did you say?” she asked.

“Is there anywhere Tobias would go to get away from things?”

“His study.”

“His study?”

“He calls it his study, but it's really just an old shed in his backyard. But enough about Toby,” she said, leaning in. “I don't think we've ever met before, have we, Jack?”

“No,” I said. “I just moved here.”

“You're the new boy from California,” she said, sliding even closer to me. “They were right.”

“About what?”

“You
are
cute.”

“Ah … yes … well,” I mumbled, inching away from her. “I don't suppose you could give me Tobias's address?”

“Thirteen Oort Cloud Court,” she said in a husky whisper. “More important, Jack, what's
your
address?”

“Say, it's been a real treat talking to you, Valda,” I said, and tried to make a polite exit. “Thanks for the tip on the study. I'll be sure to check that out.”

“Wait,” she said, grabbing my arm. “Could you just hold my books while I open my locker?”

Before I could think of a reason why I had to leave immediately, she threw her backpack into my arms. It weighed a ton. If this girl could lug around a bag that heavy, she might actually be able to overpower a brainiac like Tobias and lock him in a closet.

“Thanks,” she said, popping open her locker. What I saw made me a little scared, and a whole lot suspicious. Valda's locker was wallpapered with pictures of herself and a boy; he was a little shorter than her, heavyset but not fat, with curly brown hair and glasses. “Is that Tobias?” I asked.

“Whoops,” she said, slamming the door shut. “I haven't had a chance to take those down yet, but Toby doesn't mean a thing to me anymore, Jack.” She grabbed my arm. “My, you're strong aren't you?”

“Not strong enough to hold this bag much longer,” I said. “What's in here, anyway? A dead body?” As soon as the words left my mouth, I wanted to take them back, but Valda didn't blink.

“I'm sorry it's so heavy, but I read a lot of books,” she said, batting her eyelashes. “What I really need is more dating, less reading, don't you think?”

“Right,” I said. “Well, I need to get going …” I couldn't think of a logical way to get out of this intimate little conversation, so I put the bag down and started backing away.

“Come back anytime,” she said, and waved good-bye with her index finger.

“You bet,” I said, and made a quick exit down the hall.

Thursday, March 12, 4:07 p.m.
52 Katana Boulevard, The Mist

I decided it'd be best to investigate Toby's shed under the cover of darkness. Folks in Iona don't take kindly to kids snooping around in their backyards in the middle of the afternoon, and Jennifer had made me promise to keep this investigation quiet. Plus, I had another hunch I wanted to follow. Max Stromopolous was the only person on the team who had got all twisted up about me getting involved in the case. The way I figured it, Max might have been miffed that he wasn't the top dog on the team and wanted to get rid of Tobias so he could have the spotlight. It was just a hunch, but I decided it was worth looking into. Plus, it gave me an excuse to call Jennifer.

“Jack,” she said, once I explained what I was thinking. “I understand that you're the professional, but I believe you are wasting your time investigating Max.”

“Thanks for the concern, doll, but any gumshoe worth his salt will follow all the leads before crossing any suspects off his list.”

“Am I on that list, Jack?” she asked.

“Did you kidnap Tobias?” I asked.

“No,” she said.

“That's good enough for me,” I said, and I could hear her smiling on the other end.

“I guess you have to do what you feel is right, Jack,” she said. “But don't press Max too much. He's very sensitive.”

“I bet he is,” I said. “Now how about that address?”

Jennifer gave me Max's address and apartment number. He lived in a luxury condominium complex called The Mist on the main drag in The Steppes. If you've never had the pleasure of visiting The Steppes, Doc, it's a lot like wandering into Beverly Hills; the houses get a whole lot bigger, and the fences get a whole lot higher. Naming the place The Mist was in keeping with the mysterious quality Luxemcorp was trying to build around their highfalutin' neighborhood.

I stepped into the main foyer and was about to buzz up when I noticed a nice old lady loaded down with grocery bags coming up the front walk. I decided to improvise.

“I can help you with those, ma'am,” I said, flashing her my pearly whites.

“Thank you, young man,” she said, handing me the bags.

“No problem at all,” I said. “I was on my way up to visit a friend anyway. Now I can surprise him.” Did I feel good about lying to a nice old lady? No, but when opportunity knocks, you've got to answer the door. Plus, it's not like she didn't get anything out of the deal. She didn't have to lug a bunch of heavy bags up to her condo, and it gave her the chance to hang out with a handsome young man. She thanked me for my hard work with a homemade chocolate chip cookie.

I ate my cookie and made my way up to the penthouse suite. The door was a big, wide piece of dark wood that looked heavy and thick. There was no peephole in the middle (that would probably ruin the aesthetics), which was a bonus, since I didn't want to have this conversation through the door anyway. There was no bell, so I did things the old-fashioned way: I knocked.