The Further Adventures of Jack Lime (8 page)

“If you don't mind, Mr. Snit,” my grandma said through gritted teeth, “let's hear what Jack has to say.”

Snit nodded. “Go ahead, Jack.”

“You want to know what I have to say? I say I'm the thorn in the side of every two-bit crook and criminal this side of the Iona River. I say the grifters and goons in our little burg are getting tired of me ruining their plans, so they're starting to point their crooked fingers in my direction. I say that the dirty rotten scoundrel who's behind these charges is bitter because I hurt his gambling operation. I say you cut me loose and this problem will be solved faster than you can say slander.”

“Jack,” Grandma said, “you're telling me that you didn't steal anything?”

“I didn't steal anyone's diary,” I said. “I might've temporarily taken some incriminating information out of the hands of a blackmailer, but I only did that to protect a client.”

“Who was your client, Jack?” Snit asked. “Maybe they can corroborate your story.”

“I'm afraid I can't tell you that, Mr. Snit. They have to remain anonymous.”

“Jack!” Grandma yelled. “It's not your job to protect everyone at Iona High. And you can't sit here and tell me that you only borrowed something. Stealing is stealing.”

“I gave it back,” I said. “Just like I said I would.”

“No!” Grandma said, leaping up. “This will not do! You did something wrong, and I will not sit here and argue with you about it. Mr. Snit, I'll leave this in your hands. If you think that Jack should be expelled, and I wouldn't be surprised if you did, I will stand by your decision. As for you, Jack, you're to follow orders and do your work. If I hear that you're involved in one of your cases, you'll be spending the rest of the year receiving your education at home, with me. Do you understand?”

“Homeschooled? With you? You can't be serious, Grandma?”

Grandma's eyes got so big that I thought they might shoot out of her head like some cartoon character.

“Oh, I'm serious, Jack,” she said. “And do you know what the great thing about being homeschooled is?”

“You get to sleep in?” I said.

“No,” she said, smiling, “it's that school never ends. You won't have time for anything else, just school, day after day after day. Do you understand?”

“I understand,” I said.

“Thank you, again, for coming in to see me, Mrs. Lime,” Snit said, standing up.

“Not at all,” she said, shaking his hand and heading for the door, but she stopped before she left. “Jack,” she said, “aren't you going to walk me out?”

“Of course,” I croaked. The front doors at Iona High are only a hop, skip and a jump from Snit's office, but I had a feeling this was going to be a very long walk.

Thursday, October 10, 12:28 p.m.
Iona High, The Main Foyer

As I predicted, Grandma and I had a lovely stroll to the main doors. While we walked, she helped me imagine, in great detail, exactly what it would be like working from sunup to sundown in the comfort of our front room while she watched me do my reading, writing and arithmetic problems over and over again. She left and I headed back to the office. Unfortunately Mike the Bookie stepped in front of me with a kid who had blond hair, big blue eyes and who was wearing a red golf shirt with the collar popped up.

“Jack,” Mike said, “was that your grandmother?”

“She always comes here for lunch on Thursdays, Mike,” I said. “We sit down with Snit and make a list of who's been naughty and who's been nice. And guess what? You made the naughty list this week.”

“What about my friend here? Is he on the naughty list, too?”

“I don't know, who's your friend?”

“This is Sebastian Cain.”

Cain smiled. “I've heard a lot about you, Lime. None of it's been good.”

“Figures the two of you would be best buddies,” I said. “Well, you're not going to get away with it.”

“Get away with what?” Mike asked.

“You're not going to get away with your little diary scam, Mike,” I said, “and Cain's not going to get away with stealing Madeleine's painting.”

“I don't know what you're talking about,” Cain said, chuckling.

“And even if we did know,” Mike added, “nobody's going to listen to you, Jack, especially not Snit.”

“We'll see who's listening to me at the end of the day, Mikey.”

“Sure we will,” Mike said. “But I want you to know, Jack, that Sebastian's dad is a bigwig with Luxemcorp.”

“A seriously big bigwig,” Cain added.

“And once he hears that you pushed me around and stole my diary, he's going to make sure you get kicked out of Iona High,” Mike said. “Our school doesn't need any more thugs.”

“No, Mike, you got that covered, don't you?”

“Why don't you run along and go play detective,” Cain said, stepping up to me. “Just don't be surprised if you're not back on Monday.”

I grabbed Cain by his red collar and pulled him close. “Don't think you're walking away with any prizes tonight, Sebastian. I'm going to be on you like a wet sweater on a gorilla. You got that, pal-o? I'm taking you down.”

“You'll never find that painting before tonight,” Cain hissed. “I guarantee it.”

“That ransom note was just a diversion, wasn't it?”

He smirked.

“Tell me where it's at,” I growled, “or you're going to be in for a world of hurt.”

“What are you going to do? Call your parents? Oh wait, they're dead, aren't they?”

I was close to doing something I was really going to regret, when our little party was rudely interrupted.

“Let him go, Mr. Lime!” Van Kramp ordered.

Cain winked and I knew I'd been duped. They wanted to get under my skin, and I was silly enough to let them do it. Now I was trapped. I saw Van Kramp hauling me into Snit's office. I saw Snit calling my grandma. I saw years of homeschooling stretching out in front of me.

“Let him go!” Van Kramp repeated.

I was just relaxing my grip when, for the first time ever, my condition kicked in at exactly the right moment.

Thursday, October 10, ?:?? p.m.
Sleepy Land, Jack's Dream

I dreamed I was at the train station, standing beside a pay phone that was ringing. I picked it up.

“Hello?”

“Jack?”

“Yeah, who's this?”

“It's KC.”

“What do you want now?”

“It's a setup, Jack. They're setting you up again.”

“Who's setting me up?”

“Don't go snooping around this place, Jack. And whatever you do, don't answer any phones.”

“It's too late,” I said. “I'm talking to you on a phone.”

“No you're not,” she said.

I spun around and there she was, standing behind me, wearing a big white poufy dress. A shiny black train was on the tracks behind her. The windows were filled with shadowy figures.

“Who's setting me up?” I asked again.

“Just don't come back to the station,” she said, and then she whirled around and ran onto the train.

“Wait!” I called, but the doors shut and the train rumbled away.

That's when I woke up.

Thursday, October 10, 12:47 p.m.
Iona High, The Main Foyer

I was surrounded by a small mob of gawkers and slack jaws, all staring down at me. Van Kramp was trying to hustle them away while Snit kneeled beside me and looked concerned.

“Are you okay, Jack?” he asked. His breath reeked of coffee.

“I think so,” I said, sitting up.

“Take it easy,” Snit said. “You've been asleep for almost ten minutes.”

“I'm fine,” I said. “I'm just hungry.”

“Victor,” Snit said, turning to Van Kramp, “could you go get him a sandwich from the cafeteria, please.”

Van Kramp nodded and left. I stood up and scanned the crowd for Mike or Cain, but they must've scrammed when I went down.

“Let's get back to the office,” Snit said, and he pushed his way through the crowd. We got inside and he led me back to my cell, but before he opened the door, he stopped and said, “Mr. Van Kramp told me about you and Sebastian Cain, Jack, but I'm going to do you a favor and pretend it never happened. However, I'm warning you, young man, if you stick even a toe out of the detention room for the rest of the day, I'm calling your grandmother. Have you got that?”

“Loud and clear,” I said.

“Not a single solitary toe,” he said, wagging his finger in my face.

“Not even my little one,” I promised and he opened the door to my cell. Bucky was still inside, snoring away on the desk.

“Wake up!” Snit yelled as I strolled in.

Bucky sat up and looked around. “Is it over?”

“Not yet, Mr. King,” Snit said. “And I expect to see some work done by the two of you before you leave.”

Snit left and I took a seat on the floor.

“Getting into trouble again, Limey?” Bucky asked, and yawned.

“Finding things out is more like it. I don't suppose I could pay you to ask a few questions for me? You know, use your muscle to get some answers?”

“Pay me with what, Lime? A favor?”

That's when Van Kramp came in with my sandwich.

“Feeling better?” he asked.

“Just peachy,” I said.

“Good, then there's no reason why the two of you should bother me for the rest of the day, correct?”

“Correct,” Bucky said, eyeing my sandwich.

Van Kramp left and Bucky headed my way.

“You look pretty hungry, Bucky. I could pay you with this sandwich?”

“You're going to give me that sandwich anyway, Lime.”

“I don't think so,” I said, standing up. Bucky stared down at me and I heard his big knuckles cracking as he curled his hands into fists.

“You're a real tough guy, ain't you, Limey?”

“No tougher than anyone else,” I said. “I'm just not afraid of getting hurt.”

“Over a sandwich?”

“It's not about the sandwich,” I said, “and we both know it.”

Bucky laughed. It sounded like a buzz saw cutting through wood.

“You're a real piece of work,” he said, leaning in. I got my face ready for something bad to happen, but Bucky just turned around and sat back down in his cushy chair.

I breathed again, unwrapped the sandwich and handed him half.

“My mother always taught me to share,” I said.

“You're a real piece of work,” he said again. “You know I almost rearranged your face just now?”

“That's what I like about you, Bucky. I always know where I stand. There are some people out there, well, you just can't tell what they're going to do next.”

“People got a lot of different reasons to do things. Me, I do things for the money. It's the only reason to do anything anyway.”

Bucky was wrong about that, but I wasn't going to debate him. I barely survived the sandwich incident and didn't want to push my luck. Instead I turned my attention to the pile of work sitting beside me on the floor. If I busted my hump, I could get it all done before the final bell. That way Snit wouldn't waste time raking me over the coals at the end of the day for slacking off, and I could track down my new BFF, Sebastian Cain.