Case of the Time-Capsule Bandit by Octavia Spencer

Author:Octavia Spencer
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

~ ~ ~ ~

After Randi’s bed was made, her laundry separated, and the rest of her chores finished, she grabbed her fedora and hurried downstairs. The aroma of freshly brewed coffee, hot cocoa, and bacon filled the air. The house was cool and quiet except for the sounds of Mei-Ling preparing breakfast in the kitchen and her father typing away in his office.

She found Mei-Ling standing at the kitchen counter and cracking eggs into a bowl.

“Ni hao, Miranda. I’m making American-style hotcakes. You like hotcakes?”

“I saw you in the front yard. How long have you been doing Tai Chi?”

Mei-Ling continued mixing the pancake batter. “I learned in Hong Kong when I was young. I started training again a few years ago, when my husband died. It helped me with my grief. They say it is very good for the body and mind.” She paused and looked up at Randi. “If you want, I could teach you.”

“No thanks.” Randi checked her watch. It was already eight forty-five. Where’s D.C.? She pulled out a stool and sat at the island while Mei-Ling served her a plate of pancakes and some hot chocolate. Randi stared blankly into the cup and then hesitantly took a sip. It was warm and creamy and tasted a bit like cinnamon. Although Randi hated to admit it, the stuff was delicious. She settled in and took a bite of the pancakes.

Mei-Ling hummed and ladled more batter onto the griddle. A bleary-eyed Herb walked into the kitchen with an empty coffee mug. “Good morning,” he said, half yawning as he pecked Randi on the forehead. “Mei-Ling.”

“Ni hao, Herb. Would you like some breakfast?”

“Smells great,” said Herb. “We haven’t had pancakes in a while, have we, kiddo? Thanks, Mei-Ling. I’ll take it back to the office.”

Mei-Ling flipped a batch of pancakes with cheflike precision and placed them on a plate for Herb.

Randi saw the weariness in her father’s every movement. His eyes were puffy with dark circles underneath, which made him look much older than forty. She could tell that he’d pulled an all-nighter.

“You look tired, Dad,” she said, trying to sound casual. Can he be writing again? she thought.

“I’ve had a lot on my mind lately. Listen, sweetie, about yesterday. I should have told you I’d moved your mother’s paintings to the cellar. But putting a few of her things in storage doesn’t mean we’ll lose her forever. Remember, she’s the angel on our shoulders now. She’ll always be with us.”

“I know,” said Randi, avoiding his eyes. Herb replied with a tweak of her nose, then retreated to his office.

Mei-Ling smiled and wiped down the kitchen counters. Randi watched him go and checked her watch again. Still no sign of D.C. Has he given up? Is that why he’s not here?

She started for the door, but turned back to Mei-Ling, “Thanks for the pancakes,” she mumbled quickly, and ran out.

Upstairs, Randi grabbed a book from the shelf in her bedroom. The previous day had been tough for D.C. As each hour ticked past, he and his mom got a little bit closer to losing their home.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.