an emergency,” Mrs. Sunburg said. “I don’t know where Benjie is, and I’m afraid something has happened to him.”
“Well. . .” The woman hesitated. “The rules about personal information were made clear when I took this job.”
“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Mrs. Sunburg said. “Perhaps I could speak to the principal.”
“Hold on, please. I’ll connect you.”
When the principal answered, Mrs. Sunburg quickly explained the situation.
“I can’t give you Mr. Kendrill’s number,” the principal said, “but I will call him immediately and ask him to call you.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Sunburg hung up and waited for the phone to ring. She hoped the principal could reach Mr. Kendrill. Too much time was being wasted while she tried to notify someone that Benjie wasn’t here. Although she agreed that private phone numbers should not be given out willy-nilly, she thought there were times when common sense was more important than rules, and this was one of those times.
She kept looking out the window, hoping to see Benjie, but all she saw was the brown-and-white cat. The cat was still yowling and running back and forth through the trees between the Kendrills’ property and her own. Whatever that cat had seen, it had certainly upset him.
Pete’s throat hurt from yelling so much, and it hadn’t done one bit of good. I might as well save my breath, he thought. Mary’s grandmother had paid attention to him only long enough to be sure he wasn’t seriously hurt. No matter how many times he told her about Benjie, she never figured out what he was saying. If only people were as clever as cats.
Pete wished he had some water. Those french fries had been too salty.
Since he wasn’t doing any good at Mary’s house, he plodded back to his own house. His right front leg ached where he had landed on it when the man threw him out of the van. Pete favored the leg, causing him to limp.
He sniffed the front steps. He could tell where the burglars had walked. He sniffed some more around the spot where they had parked the van.
He followed the truck’s smell halfway down the driveway, where he picked up the smell of the men again.
This is where they stopped, Pete knew. This is where the tall one caught me and threw me into the gravel. Pete’s head and leg still throbbed where he had landed.
Benjie’s scent was there, too. This is where Benjie had stood when he knocked on the window.
Pete’s tail drooped down until the tip dragged in the gravel. I’m a failure as a spy cat, he thought. Instead of protecting Benjie, I sat in the van gobbling up cold hamburger. Now Benjie’s life is in danger and I don’t know how to help him.
Exhausted, Pete laid down in the grass beside the driveway and fell asleep.
* * *
Alex got off the school bus at Rocky’s corner rather than riding all the way to his own stop. The boys talked awhile, making plans to get together as soon as they finished their homework.
Then Rocky went toward his house, and Alex walked home by himself.
“Alex!”
Alex saw Mary running toward him. She had ridden the bus home, too, but had gone on to her own stop when Alex got off with Rocky.
“Benjie didn’t come to my house after school,” Mary said. “He was supposed to go straight there when he got off the bus, but he never arrived.”
Alex walked faster, and Mary fell into step beside him.
“Gramma tried to call your parents and can’t reach either of them, and nobody answers the phone or the door at your house. She called the school, too, and Benjie’s teacher said he got on the bus.”
“He probably forgot that he was supposed to go to your house,” Alex said. “Maybe he went home and got his spy backpack, and now he’s in his secret spy place.”
Pete woke up when Alex and Mary approached. He stood and hobbled toward them.
“
Benjie’s been kidnapped
,”
he called.
“
Two men took him away in a van!
”
“Pete!” Alex said. “What are you
“Well. . .” The woman hesitated. “The rules about personal information were made clear when I took this job.”
“I don’t want to get you in trouble,” Mrs. Sunburg said. “Perhaps I could speak to the principal.”
“Hold on, please. I’ll connect you.”
When the principal answered, Mrs. Sunburg quickly explained the situation.
“I can’t give you Mr. Kendrill’s number,” the principal said, “but I will call him immediately and ask him to call you.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Sunburg hung up and waited for the phone to ring. She hoped the principal could reach Mr. Kendrill. Too much time was being wasted while she tried to notify someone that Benjie wasn’t here. Although she agreed that private phone numbers should not be given out willy-nilly, she thought there were times when common sense was more important than rules, and this was one of those times.
She kept looking out the window, hoping to see Benjie, but all she saw was the brown-and-white cat. The cat was still yowling and running back and forth through the trees between the Kendrills’ property and her own. Whatever that cat had seen, it had certainly upset him.
Pete’s throat hurt from yelling so much, and it hadn’t done one bit of good. I might as well save my breath, he thought. Mary’s grandmother had paid attention to him only long enough to be sure he wasn’t seriously hurt. No matter how many times he told her about Benjie, she never figured out what he was saying. If only people were as clever as cats.
Pete wished he had some water. Those french fries had been too salty.
Since he wasn’t doing any good at Mary’s house, he plodded back to his own house. His right front leg ached where he had landed on it when the man threw him out of the van. Pete favored the leg, causing him to limp.
He sniffed the front steps. He could tell where the burglars had walked. He sniffed some more around the spot where they had parked the van.
He followed the truck’s smell halfway down the driveway, where he picked up the smell of the men again.
This is where they stopped, Pete knew. This is where the tall one caught me and threw me into the gravel. Pete’s head and leg still throbbed where he had landed.
Benjie’s scent was there, too. This is where Benjie had stood when he knocked on the window.
Pete’s tail drooped down until the tip dragged in the gravel. I’m a failure as a spy cat, he thought. Instead of protecting Benjie, I sat in the van gobbling up cold hamburger. Now Benjie’s life is in danger and I don’t know how to help him.
Exhausted, Pete laid down in the grass beside the driveway and fell asleep.
* * *
Alex got off the school bus at Rocky’s corner rather than riding all the way to his own stop. The boys talked awhile, making plans to get together as soon as they finished their homework.
Then Rocky went toward his house, and Alex walked home by himself.
“Alex!”
Alex saw Mary running toward him. She had ridden the bus home, too, but had gone on to her own stop when Alex got off with Rocky.
“Benjie didn’t come to my house after school,” Mary said. “He was supposed to go straight there when he got off the bus, but he never arrived.”
Alex walked faster, and Mary fell into step beside him.
“Gramma tried to call your parents and can’t reach either of them, and nobody answers the phone or the door at your house. She called the school, too, and Benjie’s teacher said he got on the bus.”
“He probably forgot that he was supposed to go to your house,” Alex said. “Maybe he went home and got his spy backpack, and now he’s in his secret spy place.”
Pete woke up when Alex and Mary approached. He stood and hobbled toward them.
“
Benjie’s been kidnapped
,”
he called.
“
Two men took him away in a van!
”
“Pete!” Alex said. “What are you
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