Turkey Trouble on the National Mall (5 page)

“And we want it all back,” Mr. Smiley went on, “after you’ve caught your turkey thief.”

“What happens if Arnold gets to Mr. Leroy’s shop at ten and Mr. Leroy isn’t there?” KC’s mom asked.

“Then it’s over,” the president said. “That means he didn’t believe our e-mail, or he got tipped off somehow. We’ll never see him or the turkeys again.”

“Is Arnold ready?” the vice president asked.

The president nodded. “Ready and
excited,” he said. “His brother, Dez, will be with him, and two FBI agents will follow as backup.”

Mr. Smiley closed the briefcase and handed the key to the president. “Keep me in the loop,” he said. “And now I’m going home to eat Thanksgiving dinner.”

They watched the FBI director leave the room.

“It’s almost time for our dinner, too,” KC’s mom said. “Your parents will be here soon, Marshall. You kids want to wash up first?”

“What’re we having?” Marshall asked.

KC’s mom winked. “That’s a secret,” she said.

Ten people sat around the president’s dining room table—Marshall and his parents, Arnold and his brother, Yvonne, the vice president, KC and her mom, and the president. Everyone had the jitters because the shiny metal briefcase holding the fake
money lay on a table in the corner.

KC’s mom and Yvonne carried trays into the dining room. “Yvonne and I decided to serve our favorite foods,” the First Lady said.

She and Yvonne set down steaming bowls of tomato soup. Goldfish crackers floated on the soup.

“Yay!” cried Marshall.

Then Yvonne added a giant platter of spaghetti. Next came a huge green salad. The First Lady placed a tall chocolate cake on the table next to the briefcase.

“These are all my favorites, too!” said Marshall. “How did you know?”

Lois smiled. “I asked your parents,” she said. “Everyone dig in!”

“First I want to propose a toast,” the president said. He stood and picked up his glass of cranberry juice. “To Yvonne and the First Lady, who prepared this delicious food, thank you. To KC and Marshall and the vice
president for convincing so many people to pardon their turkeys. And to Arnold and Dez for agreeing to rescue Cloud and his feathered friends!”

Everyone joined the toast by clinking glasses.

After dinner, Marshall’s parents went back to their apartment. Marshall had his toothbrush and pajamas. He was staying at the White House overnight.

“Don’t forget to feed Spike!” Marshall told his parents as they left. “Tarantulas like Thanksgiving, too!”

Arnold and Dez left to prepare for the money and turkey exchange.

The president and vice president locked themselves in the office with the money.

KC and Marshall went upstairs to KC’s room. Her mom had told them that if they wanted to stay up for the excitement later, they had to get some rest.

But when KC threw herself on her bed at eight-thirty, she didn’t feel at all sleepy. “I wonder where Cloud and the turkeys are right now,” she said, cuddling with her stuffed animals.

“I wonder if there’s any more of that chocolate cake left,” Marshall answered from where he was lying on KC’s rug. He yawned and closed his eyes.

KC tossed Mr. Gorilla at him, and Marshall used him for a pillow.

About an hour later, KC’s bedroom door opened. “Turkey time, kids,” the president whispered.

The kids grabbed their jackets and followed the president. A clock at the bottom of the stairs announced that it was almost ten. Except for Marshall’s parents, the same people who had eaten dinner together were in the kitchen.

Yvonne was heating milk for hot chocolate, and eight mugs were lined up on the counter.

KC slipped into the pantry. When she came out to the kitchen again, there was a bulge under her jacket.

“You fellows know what to do?” the vice president asked Arnold and Dez.

Arnold nodded. “Yup. We go to the Crafty Guy shop on New Street,” he said. “If Leroy is there, we get him to take us to the turkeys. When he does, we hand over the money.” Arnold and his brother wore baggy jeans, dark sweaters, and ski caps. KC thought they looked like bank robbers.

The briefcase stood on the counter, next to the mugs. Yvonne poured steaming milk into each, and the smell of hot chocolate filled the room.

Everyone walked outside to Dez’s truck, sipping from their mugs. KC stayed in the truck’s shadow, where her mother wouldn’t see her.

“You’ll have two FBI agents following your truck,” the president told Dez. “You can talk to each other through devices in your caps. The agents will arrest Mr. Leroy as soon as you say he’s accepted the money.”

“And where will you be, dear?” KC’s
mom asked the president. “I know you won’t want to stay in the White House when all the excitement is out there!”

The president shook his head. “I’ll be here with you and the kids, waiting for the good news.”

He looked at Arnold and Dez. “Thank you two for doing this,” he said, glancing at his watch. “Ten minutes.”

“I’m a little nervous, sir,” Arnold said. “Can I use your bathroom?”

Everyone laughed and walked back inside with their empty mugs.

KC stopped Marshall and pulled him behind Dez’s truck.

“What are you doing?” Marshall asked her. “Let’s go inside. It’s cold out here!”

“It won’t be cold in the sleeping bags,” KC said. She put a foot on the truck’s rear bumper and started to climb.

“What are you doing?” Marshall yelped.

“I’m getting in the truck, Marsh,” KC said, throwing a leg over the tailgate. “Don’t you want to see the turkey crook get arrested?”

“But that’s crazy!” Marshall said. “We can’t go with them!”

“Why not?” KC asked. She was sitting on the straw, fitting her legs into the opening of one of the sleeping bags.

“Because your parents will kill us and my parents will send me to my room for a million years!” Marshall said. “With no food!”

“Don’t be silly,” KC said. “Nobody said we couldn’t go with Arnold and Dez. Besides, we’ll have them to protect us. Are you getting up here, or am I going all by myself?”

Marshall stared at KC. “Protect us from what?” he asked.

“Whatever,” KC said. She reached a hand out and helped Marshall into the truck. “Get inside the sleeping bag before they come back again.”

Marshall climbed into the bag. “Why are we doing this?” he asked. “Can’t we just stay home and wait, like normal people would?”

“Because I want to see, that’s why,” KC said. “Besides, I’m not normal.” She shoved something crinkly at Marshall’s sleeping bag.

“What’s that?” he asked.

“A bag of popcorn,” KC said. “Leave some for the turkeys.”

Just then Arnold and Dez hurried out the back door and climbed into the truck. Arnold was carrying the briefcase filled with fake money.

KC and Marshall pulled their heads inside the sleeping bags like two turtles.

The pickup-truck motor started, and Dez pulled around the White House and onto Pennsylvania Avenue. KC peeked out of her sleeping bag and saw the FBI car following. She didn’t know what the FBI agents would do if they saw her, so she kept low.

KC felt the truck slow to turn a corner. Then it slowed more, and the motor stopped. “We must be at the craft store,” KC whispered into Marshall’s ear. “Keep your head down!”

“Don’t worry!” Marshall said.

They both heard the pickup’s doors open, then close. They heard footsteps leaving the truck, then, five minutes later, returning.

“We’ll follow you to the park,” KC heard Arnold say.

“When do I get to count the money?” Aidan Leroy asked. They were standing only a few feet from where KC and Marshall were hiding.

“As soon as we count the turkeys,” Arnold answered.

Then the brothers climbed back into the truck and it moved forward again. KC was trying to picture Aidan Leroy’s car being followed by Dez’s pickup truck, which was
being followed by the black FBI car.

KC lay in the sleeping bag looking up at the dark sky. This was a lot more fun than staying home waiting to hear what happened!

Soon they were driving under trees. There were no more lights. Dez’s pickup went from riding over smooth streets to bumping over hills and holes. KC’s and Marshall’s sleeping bags were tossed up and down in the straw.

The truck stopped.

The kids heard doors slam, then voices. They put their heads back inside the sleeping bags.

“The turkeys are in the barn,” Aidan Leroy’s voice said.

“Show us,” Arnold said.

Then the voices moved away.

KC stuck her head out of the sleeping bag enough to see Arnold, Dez, and Aidan Leroy walking toward a barn. They seemed to be in a dark field surrounded by trees.

One of the men carried a flashlight. Its beam bounced along the rough ground, then shone on the barn door.

She saw Aidan Leroy unlock the barn door and pull it open, revealing the rear of a big green truck. A thick rope was wound around the truck’s back door, holding it closed. Aidan Leroy unwound the rope, then yanked open the door. Suddenly the night erupted with the sounds of 117 excited turkeys. A dim light inside the truck showed feathered bodies moving around. KC hoped Cloud was one of them.

The three men talked for a minute, but KC couldn’t hear what they were saying. Then Aidan Leroy closed the truck door, and Arnold and Dez followed him around the truck, farther into the barn.

“Come on, Marsh,” KC whispered. “Now’s our chance!”

Marshall’s head popped up. Pieces of
straw were stuck in his hair. “Chance to do what?” he asked.

“To see what they’re doing,” answered KC. “While they’re inside the barn!”

“I’m having a nightmare,” whimpered Marshall. “In a minute I’ll wake up and be home safe in my own little bed.”

KC slithered out of her sleeping bag. Keeping as low as she could, she slipped out of the truck bed onto the ground. Hoping Marshall was right behind her, she crawled toward the green truck in the barn.

Suddenly the truck’s rear lights went on, blinding KC. She dropped to the ground, unable to see a thing.

KC looked up to see if the truck was backing out of the barn. It was not. But she could tell that all of the truck’s lights were on, even in the front. Scrambling on her hands and knees, she crawled to the back of the truck and hid underneath. The rope that held the door shut was hanging in front of her eyes.

“Move over!” Marshall said as he came tearing after her. They both lay on the ground beneath the truck. Over their heads, they could hear the turkeys moving around and gobbling.

“Where are Arnold and Dez?” Marshall whispered. “What’s going on?”

“They’re in front of the truck,” KC whispered. “I’ll be right back.” She turned and
wriggled the length of the truck until she was between the front tires. The engine rumbled over her head. Straight ahead, she could see three pairs of feet. Two pairs were wearing heavy boots. The third pair of feet wore shiny black loafers. She listened, then wriggled back to Marshall.

“He’s using the headlights so he can see to count the money,” she said.

“Then what happens?” Marshall said. “If anyone moves this truck, we get squished.”

“No, we won’t,” KC said. “The truck is way too high. It’ll go right over our heads. Any minute now, the FBI guys will run in and arrest Mr. Leroy and we’ll get our turkeys back!”

“Good!” Marshall said, pulling the bag of popcorn from inside his jacket.

Before he could reach into the bag, they both heard a Beatles tune echoing inside the barn.

KC froze. Was someone in the truck, playing the radio? Then she realized that she was hearing a cell phone’s ring tone.

“Hello?” someone said. KC heard some muttered words and watched the black loafers walk to the rear of the truck. Aidan Leroy’s feet stopped ten inches from KC’s nose.

“Hello?” he said again. “Yes, I can hear you now. I’m with Arnold. He brought the fifty thousand, just as you said. I was counting it when you called.”

KC’s heart nearly stopped. Leroy had to be talking to his sister in France! Now he would find out that this was all a trick to catch him!