The Lost Treasure of Tuckernuck (20 page)

“I wanted to start right away, but Mrs. Hutchins thought Monday would be best.” Calliope simpered at them. Her eyes looked cold and hard, though.

“Sounds good to me. Thanks!” Bud grabbed Laurie by the elbow and dragged her away, waving good-bye to Mrs. Hutchins and Calliope.

Note from Calliope Judkin to Secret School Source

I'm in.

Calliope

“Oh, man, Bud.” Laurie couldn't believe it. “What are we going to do?” Once Calliope was established as Gerbil Monitor Number Three, gerbil business wouldn't protect them anymore. Calliope would have a reason to interrupt any conversation she came across. They'd never be able to look for treasure safely again.

Bud set his mouth in a grim line. Well, that was that. No more treasure hunting, even if the school survived the weekend. Not with Calliope around all the time.

“Excuse me, kids.” A burly guy in a hard hat took Bud by the shoulders and physically moved him out of the way. Then he nodded at them both and headed out the front doors.

“Was that …” Laurie stared after the man.

“Yep.” Bud hadn't really believed it would happen. But it was happening.

“Did you see any plastic explosives?” Laurie watched as the man disappeared around the corner of the school.

Bud didn't say anything. He felt like throwing up. They weren't kidding. They really were going to destroy the school. And all the clues with it.

Bud set his jaw. He knew he was a huge disappointment. That was pretty obvious. But he wasn't going to be a disappointment as a treasure hunter too.

His dad was going to be upset, Bud knew that. But it would be worth it in the long run. What dad wouldn't be proud of a son who found treasure? It'd be even better than any old speech. Eighth-grade graduation was a million years away anyway.

Bud swallowed hard. “What do we do? We're going to talk to Miss Lucille. We've got to figure this out before Monday.”

“A lamp or clock? Why, yes, I know about a clock.” Miss Lucille nodded as she checked in books.

Laurie breathed a sigh of relief. They'd figure this out after all. “Where is it?”

Miss Lucille smiled at her and pointed over her head. “Right there. Isn't it wonderful? They have one in every classroom now.”

Laurie ignored the groaning noise coming behind her. Bud could use some lessons in tact. “Yes, I know about those wall clocks. And they sure are great. …”

Miss Lucille nodded in appreciation. Apparently to her, those wall clocks were the best things since sliced bread.

“But is there another clock around? Maybe a desk clock or a different wall clock? One that was here when Maria Tutweiler opened the school? One that”—she sniffled dramatically—“Mrs. Reynolds may have used?” It was a cheap ploy, but she didn't know how to get through to Miss Lucille otherwise.

Miss Lucille's face immediately crumpled up in sympathy. “Oh, you poor dear.” She stopped checking in books and patted Laurie's hand. “There were clocks, yes, beautiful clocks, some big, some small, all different kinds. Mrs. Tutweiler had a big, beautiful one right in the front hall. But then we got these wonderful wall clocks and we didn't need them anymore.” She patted Laurie's hand again. “Believe me, dear, Mrs. Reynolds would've loved the wall clocks.”

Laurie nodded. “I bet she would've.”

“Thanks, Miss Lucille,” Bud said, pulling Laurie's hand away from Miss Lucille's patting hand. It was starting to turn pink under all the patting and rubbing.

Laurie looked back as she headed out of the library in time to see Miss Lucille point at the wall clock and give her a big thumbs-up.

Bud sighed. “Face it, Laurie. If the clock was in the school, it's gone now. And I don't know how we're going to track it down.”

Laurie stopped walking and leaned against a locker.

“So that's it, then.” She scanned the hallway as if she expected the clue clock to magically appear and dance a jig in front of the lockers.

“Where the heck would fifty-year-old office equipment go?” Bud said. If there was a way to track it down, he would. But he didn't even know where to start. “Look on the bright side. If it's not in the school anymore, the school getting demolished doesn't matter. We have lots of time.”

Laurie nodded, but she didn't look at him. “Maybe we can just skip that clue? Start looking for weird inscriptions or big letters? Maybe we don't need to find that clue to find the one that comes after it.”

Bud shifted his book bag onto his other shoulder. “Yeah, we'll do that. That's a good idea,” Bud lied. It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. Still, he guessed there was a chance it could work.

“We won't know what letter we're missing though. Or even if we've found the right next clue. It's going to mess up the whole ‘I HAD' part of the clue.”

“Yeah, well …” Bud couldn't stand to see Laurie looking so gloomy. “How stupid was it to use things that move to hide clues? Way to go, Tutweiler,” he said sarcastically.

Laurie didn't say anything. She just stared over Bud's shoulder with a weird expression on her face.

“I mean, like the clues were so simple and easy to find, right? Good grief,” Bud went on. But Laurie didn't seem to be listening at all.

“Bud, what does your dad look like?” Laurie whispered.

Bud went cold. He'd gotten so wrapped up in how proud his dad would be about the treasure that he'd kind of glossed over how ticked off his dad was going to be when he didn't show up in the parking lot. He didn't need to turn around and look to know what he would see. And sure enough, his dad was storming up the hallway, frowning so hard it was surprising he could even see where he was going. Principal Winkle was hurrying along behind him with a panicked look on his face.

Bud's throat went dry. “Uh, hi, Dad.”

“Bud, I told you to come see me before you left. Is this your father?” Miss Downey appeared from the music hall and stood next to him, watching his dad approach.

Bud just nodded.

“Good. I need to speak with you both.” Miss Downey took Bud by the shoulder and went up to Bud's dad. “Mr. Wallace, thank you for coming. Principal Winkle? We'll be using your office now.”

“Of course, of course.” Principal Winkle looked as confused as Bud felt. Even Mr. Wallace seemed thrown by Miss Downey.

Laurie followed the group as they went into Principal Winkle's office and closed the door.

Then she settled down next to the lockers and started on her homework. There was no way she was missing the fireworks when that door opened again.

Laurie had already finished her math homework and started on her science before the door to Principal Winkle's office opened and Bud staggered out.

He looked awful—pale and with an expression she'd only seen once before, when Trip Ailiff had gotten hit in the head with the dodgeball three times in one period. It wasn't a good look.

“What happened?” she asked, scrambling to her feet. “What did they do to you?”

Bud opened his mouth to answer, but before he could, the door to Principal Winkle's office opened again. Laurie and Bud watched as Miss Downey and Mr. Wallace came out into the hall.

Laughing. And smiling. Miss Downey had her hand on Mr. Wallace's arm. It was the weirdest thing Laurie'd ever seen in her life.

“Okay then, Wally, we have a deal. Bye-bye!” Miss Downey called to Bud's dad as she turned to go back to her classroom. Horace Wallace Sr.'s ears turned pink.

Laurie's jaw dropped and she stared at Bud in disbelief.

Bud gave her a wide-eyed shrug.

Principal Winkle came out of his office and started talking with Mr. Wallace, so Laurie grabbed Bud and dragged him a few feet away.

“Okay, they can't hear us. What happened in there?”

“I've never seen anything like it. It's like she's a witch, Laurie, an honest-to-god witch with spells and magical powers and everything. Spells. But listen, okay? Listen.”

Bud reached out, grabbed Laurie's arms, and stared at her intently. He was freaking her out. It was pretty obvious he'd gone insane. Scary eyes insane. Miss Downey was the least witch-like person Laurie had ever seen. Witches don't wear dresses with tiny flowers on them. Witches don't kick the juice machine when it malfunctions. Witches don't talk about buying stuff on QVC. They just don't.

“Laurie, listen,” Bud said again. “Forget about that. That doesn't matter, okay?”

Laurie nodded her appease-the-crazy-person nod. “Okay, Bud. What matters?”

Bud's face broke out into a huge smile. “I found the clock.”

EVIDENCE THAT MISS DOWNEY IS A WITCH

by Bud Wallace (as requested by Laurie Madison)

Addendum

added by Laurie Madison, skeptical nonbeliever, grade six

Pretty thin evidence, Bud.

CONCLUSION: Not proven.

PART SEVEN

WAYS INTO PRINCIPAL WINKLE'S OFFICE

by Laurie Madison, grade six