Talk of the Town by Stacia Deutsch

Author:Stacia Deutsch
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2022-01-29T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 8

Vanishing Act

On Sunday morning I rode my bike to Potter Manor by myself. I had to find a way to link Dr. Potter to Greenfield Middle School so I could write my article. It was due the next day, and I still had a lot of work to do. And yet there was much more on my mind than putting together an article for Ms. Surovsky. Daniel had given us a great list of questions, and I thought that as long as I was interviewing Leona Potter for the newspaper, I might also be able to get a few answers for our mystery.

Daniel and Charla had asked to come along, but I felt like I could get more information, snoop better, and maybe even get an amazing scoop for the Gabber if I was on my own.

The gate was open, so I rode up to the manor and parked my bike by a big tree. Like before, Milo was working on the lawn. He looked super focused and he had his earbuds in, so I didn’t interrupt him.

I knocked on the door of the big old house, and Leona answered. She seemed overdressed for a meeting with a twelve-year-old. Flowered dress. Heels. Hair swept up into a twist. Maybe she thought I’d be taking pictures for the paper?

“Jessie,” she greeted me. “Nice of you to come.” When she stepped aside, I was stunned to find Kane, the supposedly vicious fighting dog, sitting patiently at her side.

“Good boy, Kane.” Leona gave the black Labrador a pat on the head. In the evidence video, it was impossible to see what kind of dog had chased Gloria Scott off the Potter property, but up close, Kane was clearly a Lab. Labs are not known to be guard dogs. They’re generally gentle and friendly.

I took a chance and slowly reached my hand toward the dog. Kane sniffed my fingers and wagged his tail. “Can I pet him?” I asked. Grandfather had taught me to always ask before petting a strange dog.

“Of course,” Leona said. “He’s a sweetie.” I realized she hadn’t been in the room when Gideon had told us Kane was a bloodthirsty killer.

As Kane licked my hand, I asked Leona. “Any other dogs around here?”

“One is enough,” she said. “I’ve been training him myself.” She firmly instructed Kane to heel, and he followed us into the parlor with the two couches.

We sat exactly as we had before, with me on the red couch and her on the yellow one.

“Okay, shoot,” Leona said, then laughed. “I mean you can ask me anything.”

“Thanks.” I opened the note on my phone where I’d typed out Daniel’s questions and added a few of my own.

“Do you know where Ms. Scott was last Sunday night?” That was when Charla’s mom’s computer got hacked and Daniel’s video was sent out.

Ms. Potter tilted her head at me and squinted as if the question was unexpected. Still, she answered. “Ms. Scott claims she was at a restaurant with her father,” Leona scoffed.

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