Midnight at the Barclay Hotel by Fleur Bradley

Author:Fleur Bradley [Bradley, Fleur]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
Published: 2020-08-25T00:00:00+00:00

JJ’s mom came up behind him, wearing her pajamas with an oversize PB&JJ: Because everything is better with peanut butter! sweatshirt over them. “What’s going on? I could hear them yelling all the way in my room.”

“They caught each other breaking into Mr. Barclay’s office,” JJ whispered. He wasn’t sure why he was whispering. Probably because the librarian was there. It was a force of habit.

“Yes, both of them did indeed break in,” Mr. Clark said loudly. “Now that we are all up to speed on the day’s events—”

“Why?” JJ and Penny asked at the same time.

“Excuse me, I’ll be the one asking the questions here,” Mr. Clark interjected. He turned back to Ms. Chelsea and Buck. “Now, please explain why you broke in.”

Everyone looked at the two burglars, waiting for an answer. There was silence while Ms. Chelsea and Buck tried to come up with a reason.

Breaking the silence, Ms. Chelsea and Buck both spoke at once.

“Well, he—”

“No, she—”

“Stop!” Mr. Clark yelled. “One at a time. You first, Ms. Chelsea.”

She hesitated, then said, “I admit I broke into Mr. Barclay’s office. But it was only to find something that was mine, I swear!”

“What was it?” JJ’s mom asked for everyone.

Ms. Chelsea sighed, and turned off her flashlight. “Mr. Barclay had promised to renew the library grant, but the funding never came through. I came to find proof that he had approved the grant.” Her eyes were welling up with tears now. Forget the crazy plan for a slide and an arcade. “The library depends on that money. Without it . . .” Her voice trailed off. “As of Monday, I’m out of a job,” she whispered.

Everyone was silent.

Mr. Clark said, “Surely Mr. Barclay would have approved funding. He has every year.”

“That’s what I thought!” Ms. Chelsea said. “But then . . .” Her voice trailed off again.

“What?” JJ asked.

“When I called on the phone early last Friday morning, I was told that the grant had been canceled.” When Ms. Chelsea looked up, the tears were streaming down her face.

“Who told you this?” Mr. Clark asked.

Ms. Chelsea looked confused. “You did, Mr. Clark.”

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