All That's Bright and Gone by Eliza Nellums

Author:Eliza Nellums
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

Chapter Nine

I go straight upstairs and get ready for bed even though it’s too early.

I miss Mama so bad. If she was here, I wouldn’t care what stupid thing Hannah said. And the sea-pee-ess ladies wouldn’t be bothering us anymore. And she could explain how come she said she found me in a cabbage patch when Mac says he’s my dad. Mama would make everything okay. But she won’t come home until I find Theo’s killer.

I walk out of the bathroom with my toothbrush hanging out of my mouth. Theo’s last picture is looking at me from the end of the hall. Nobody has kissed him goodnight since Mama left.

The last picture is not my favorite photo of Theo. In his scrapbook there’s one where I’m just a tiny baby and he’s eight years old. He’s sitting and smiling with me on his lap. That’s my favorite. It’s weird to think that even though Theo is dead, I’ll always be the second child. I’ll always be his younger sister.

Mama doesn’t have my scrapbook made. She says it’s harder for the second child. But if she did, that picture would be in both of them.

I go back to the bathroom and spit.

Theo’s eyes, just like Mama’s, are watching me walk past. If I don’t solve this mystery, I’ll be letting both of them down.

Maybe I don’t need Hannah to look for clues. Maybe I don’t need anyone. I can try to solve the mystery all by myself. Then everyone will thank me, and Hannah will be so jealous.

I tiptoe down the hall because I don’t want Uncle Donny to hear me and come see what I’m doing. I get to Theo’s door and I wait to make sure the coasts are clear, which means nobody’s coming. They are clear.

I know I’m not allowed to play in here. Stupid Hannah is usually the one who wants to, not me. But this time I’m not playing—I’m investigating—so it’s okay. Teddy pushes past my legs as I inch the door open and creep inside.

“Hi Theo,” I whisper, just in case. “I’m very sorry I ran away last time. I didn’t mean to. But this time I’ll be brave.”

Teddy isn’t worried that Ghost Theo will be mad at us, of course. He’s only interested in playing with Theo’s action figures. He thinks it’s funny to set them up in silly poses.

I tell myself I do not hear any tapping, so I don’t. I walk around the room with my hands behind my back, looking for clues. We already checked Theo’s drawers and bookshelves once. The clues must be somewhere else.

Teddy knocks over one of the Star Wars action figures, the little guy with the sword. I hear Uncle Donny moving downstairs, and I hold my breath.

“Stop messing around, Teddy,” I whisper. I walk to the desk and set Little Sword Guy on his feet again. I can see in the dust exactly where he was standing.

But I’ve never noticed this box before. The action figures are hiding it, the big ones in front of it and the little ones on top.

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.