Watch Out by Alison Hughes

Author:Alison Hughes
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459822375
Publisher: Orca Book Publishers
Published: 2019-05-31T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

“Doorbell,” said Tom. As usual he didn’t even look up from his computer.

“Yeah, I heard it,” I said blearily. I looked at my clock: 9:00 AM. I put my pillow over my head.

The doorbell rang again.

“I think it’s probably Gary with another package,” Tom said. “Sorry,” he added when he saw my face. “It might be my midi keyboard.”

The doorbell rang again.

“Oh my god,” I said. “Can’t he just leave the package on the porch?”

“With people stealing stuff all over the neighborhood? Please, Charlie. Could you just get the door? I owe you one.”

“You owe me lots more than one. Like, maybe…twenty.” I’m not very witty when I’m tired.

I ran down the stairs and checked the peephole. Gary. Of course.

“Hey, Gary.”

“Hi, Charlie. Another package for ya. For Tom, actually.”

“Thanks.” I grabbed at it, but he held on.

“Another Amazon. Music Central.”

I ground my teeth together. Again with the prying.

“Yep,” I said.

He let go and took out his handkerchief. He swabbed his runny nose. The poor guy had probably caught a cold with all his nighttime patrolling. He kept standing there, like he wanted to say something else. As usual, I didn’t have the heart to close the door on him.

“Hey, kid, those thieves didn’t get anything at that house. I asked the cops. I talk to the cops a lot.”

I’m sure they’re real happy about that, Gary.

“So no need for you to go poking around. Me and the cops, we got it covered. Bad luck last night. But I’m on it.” He looked at the mailbox as he said this.

Despite all the bragging and lumping himself in with the cops, Gary actually seemed worried about me. I was touched.

“Well, okay—”

“Could be dangerous. You never know,” Gary said to the doorbell.

“Anything you’re not telling me, Gary?” I asked.

“Nah. Well, nothing you need to know.” He smiled a little at a bush. “Nothing you need to know.”

Okay, I was sick of these sneaky attempts to get me to keep talking. I needed to get rid of him.

“You’re right, Gary. You are absolutely right. I’ll leave it to the professionals.” The sarcasm went right over his head. “You be careful out there.”

“I will, I will. I got it covered.”

An alarming thought popped into my mind. Gary wouldn’t actually have gotten himself a gun for his night patrols. He wouldn’t be that stupid. Would he? Was he the kind of guy who might do something like that? Dangerous, that’s what he’d said. That was a scary word. Did he mean the thieves, or what he’d do to them if he caught them?

“Look, don’t do anything stupid, okay?” I called after him.

He wasn’t even listening. He’d turned around and was halfway down the path, his bag banging against his thin little legs.

Great. Just great. I already had Uncle Dave to worry about. He had promised to look in the car guys’ garage next time they had band practice. Just to prove there’s nothing there, he said. To prove to me they were good guys.

But what

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