The Secret of the Shadow Bandit by Singleton Linda Joy

Author:Singleton, Linda Joy
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2016-06-30T16:00:00+00:00

- Chapter 14 -

The Cat Guy

Angel refuses to say more, and hurries me out of her suite.

As we wind down the staircase, my head spins with questions. What family member did King Bragg lose? The only family I know about is a sister and his nephew. Is Mr. Bragg married? Divorced? Widowed? Does he have any children? And why not confront the person who stole the emerald king and demand it back? Why all the secrecy?

When I smell the sweet aroma of pastries and cinnamon, I know we’ve reached the kitchen even before Angel opens the door and pushes me inside. She leaves so fast the door slams behind her.

“I’ve missed you so much!” Dad rushes toward me with outstretched arms. But instead of putting his arms around me, he grasps the herb bag.

“Glad to see you too, Dad,” I tease.

“Thanks for bringing my herbs, Kelsey. Not having the right ingredients is like working blindfolded without hands.” Dad arranges the herb containers on the marble island. “I owe you big time. Would you like an apple crumble muffin—fresh from the oven?”

I never say no to Dad’s muffins. When I take a bite, sweet cinnamon and apple melts in my mouth. As I eat, I admire Dad’s new kitchen. It’s as big as a classroom with three ovens, two refrigerators, floor-to-ceiling dark-wood cabinets, and a marble-topped island.

“Impressive, huh?” Dad smooths a wrinkle on his starchy formal white apron.

“Very cool. It must be fun working in a fancy castle.”

“It’s not an authentic castle,” Dad says. “It’s just a large house with battlements and turrets. And this kitchen looks pretty, but it lacks necessities like herbs. I did find salt and pepper shakers, but they belong in a museum, not a kitchen. Mr. Bragg has very expensive taste.” Dad opens a cupboard and pulls out cut-crystal salt and pepper shakers.

“Ooh!” I say. “Sparkly.”

“There are diamond encrusted S and P symbols on the silver caps.”

“Wow! Can I hold one?”

“Be careful,” Dad says as he hands me the S shaker.

I cradle it carefully, running a finger over the pointy edges. My Sparkler friends would be impressed. “Pretty but I’d be afraid to use them,” I say as I hand the shaker back to Dad.

“Exactly why I won’t use them.” Dad puts the crystal shakers aside then reaches into the bag I brought and pulls out his wooden shakers. They’re dented, shabby, and stained, but he holds them with a loving expression. “If I drop one of these it won’t shatter into a diamond disaster.”

I chuckle then get serious. “Dad, can I ask you something?”

“For a bigger allowance?” he jokes.

“Not what I had in mind, but can we talk about that later?”

He laughs. “Spit it out, Kelsey. What’s on your mind?”

“When we toured the castle last night I didn’t see any pictures of Mr. Bragg’s family. In our home there are photos of us kids plastered all over the walls. Doesn’t Mr. Bragg have any family?”

“You met his nephew.” Dad sets his wooden shakers on a windowsill behind the porcelain sink.

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