The Magic Misfits - Neil Patrick Harris Page 0,24

added, “Isn’t she your teacher?”

Ridley groaned. This was going nowhere! She wanted to tear off her head-wrap and throw it at the librarian, then scream that she was a liar and a bully. But then she thought of Theo standing just outside the doorway. She thought of Ms. Parkly’s advice from the previous night, about looking at problems in another way. Finally, she thought of her mother, screaming at the cheesemonger yesterday about screwing up her order.

Ridley cleared her throat and eased her chair a few inches forward. “Mrs. Maloney,” she said. “You probably know about the troubles that I and my friends have faced over the summer. You were in the park on the night that Mr. Vernon’s shop… You saw everything. You know how much it hurt us.” Ridley looked into the woman’s eyes. “Can’t you please… just tell me the truth?”

Mrs. Maloney’s voice came out like a piano stripped of its strings. “I can’t,” she whispered.

“You can’t tell me what you know?” Ridley asked. “Or you can’t tell me the truth?”

“I can’t…” Mrs. Maloney held a trembling hand to her throat. “I’m sorry, Miss Larsen. Would you excuse me? I’m not… feeling well.”

Ridley had to bite back asking if she felt another “headache” coming on. “If you find that you’re suddenly feeling better, would you please give me a call?” Ridley grabbed a pencil from the desk and jotted her phone number down on Mrs. Maloney’s blotter.

Red faced and wobbly, the librarian nodded a goodbye.

In the lobby, Ridley asked her friends, “Could you hear us?”

Everyone said yes.

“Very suspicious,” said Carter.

“Not very helpful,” said Leila.

“She was also not very funny,” said Olly, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation. “She’s gotta work on her timing.”

“Not everyone can be a comedic genius,” Izzy told her brother. “Not even you.” Olly made a face and then pretended to faint.

“She was lying,” said Ridley, ignoring him. She told the group about how Mrs. Maloney’s darting eyes were a sign. “I thought about going at her harder.” She glanced at Theo. “But then… well… I didn’t think it would help. Maybe she’ll come around.”

“Very wise,” Theo agreed.

“On to the next attacker,” said Carter.

“The grocery store isn’t far from here,” said Leila. “We could talk to the cashier who dumped our food on the ground.”

“Done and done,” said Ridley, ready for answers.

A few minutes later, after taking different routes through the village, the group met at Wentworth Market on Pine Avenue. This time Ridley hid along with Theo, Olly, and Izzy while Carter and Leila approached a young man at the register. Ridley positioned her chair around the corner from where the bread was stacked on some wire shelves.

“Bradley?” Leila said.

“Can I help you?” answered the young man at the register. He wore a dress shirt and necktie, with a dark green apron. His black wayfarer glasses made him look like he read lots of thick books about nerdy subjects.

(Not that that’s a bad thing. Nerdy subjects are some of the best kinds!)

“Do you recognize us?” Carter asked. Bradley squinted, then shook his head. Carter pulled down the scarf. “How about now?”

“What do you want?” Bradley sounded annoyed. His expression said he knew exactly who they were.

“We’ve got some questions about the other day,” said Leila. “When you dumped all of our groceries on the floor?”

Bradley smirked, then checked himself. “Yeah. Sorry about that.”

“Did someone put you up to it?” asked Carter.

Offended, Bradley replied, “Of course not.”

“Then why?” Leila wondered aloud. “Why would you do that?”

“I don’t remember.”

“It only happened last week,” said Carter.

Bradley straightened his tie. “Calling me a liar?”

This was not going well, thought Ridley. Would she have to rush over there and put Bradley in his place?

“Have you ever been hypnotized?” Leila went on.

“I really need to get back to work.”

“Did Kalagan put you up to it?” Carter tried, his voice rising slightly.

The cashier’s eyes bugged out. His thin lips turned white.

“Please,” Leila begged. “We’re in trouble. And it’s not only our family. If Kalagan continues to wreak havoc on Mineral Wells, yours might end up suffering too.”

Taken aback, Bradley blurted out, hushed and rapid, “Stop asking questions.”

Carter and Leila stared at him, unsure. “What was that?” Carter asked.

“It’s not safe,” Bradley added before quickly changing his disposition. He put on a cheery smile as easily as Carter had put on those enormous sunglasses. “Thank you and come again!” he finished.

“What’s not safe?” Leila whispered.

“Thank you and come again!” Bradley repeated, louder. It almost sounded like a threat.

Once outside, Ridley