The Malted Falcon by Bruce Hale

Author:Bruce Hale
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

“His other girlfriend,” said Natalie.

“Ah,” said the frog.

Leaves crunched again, and we all turned to look. Freddie Nostrils was brushing twigs from his fur, saying, “What I can tell you is—”

He spotted Lili and stopped. Her mouth fell open.

“You!” they said together.

She hopped toward Freddie. He glanced at Natalie and me, then sidled up to the frog.

“My, my,” he said. “It seems we are on the, er, same track.”

“Could be,” said Lili.

“Making any progress?” asked the prairie dog.

“Possibly,” said Lili. She was cagier than the Three Blind Mice in a kitchen appliance store. But why?

“Does he know what you’re doing?” asked Freddie.

“He who?” said Lili.

Natalie cocked her head and grinned. “He who lies down with dogs gets up with fleas!”

Both of our clients just stared at her. Sometimes, I don’t get mockingbird humor, either.

“You know who,” said Freddie. “Mr. Big.”

Lili glared at the prairie dog. “Not in front of my detective,” she hissed.

“He’s my detective,” said Freddie. “I hired him first.”

“Nuh-uh, I did.”

Strange—I was suddenly Mr. Popularity. If only my teachers felt this way.

I stepped forward. “Wait a minute,” I said. “Who is Mr. Big? And why would he care about you getting your valentine back?”

Freddie stared at Lili. “Valentine?” he said. “Then you have not told th—”

“That’s enough!” said the frog. She shoved Freddie with both webbed feet.

Whomp! He staggered back into the tree.

I grabbed Lili’s arm. “Told us what?” I asked.

“Nothing!” she said.

Freddie grinned a crooked grin. “She is after the same thing I am: the Malted Falcon ticket.”

His words sank in. I released Lili.

Natalie gaped. “You—you lied to us again!?”

Lili shrugged. “I’m not proud of it.”

“Enough!” I said. “I don’t have to take this kind of abuse from a client; that’s why I’ve got a little sister.”

I nodded to Freddie. “From now on, we’ve only got one client. Come on, Natalie.”

We started to go.

“But—” said the frog.

“No froggy buts,” I said.

Freddie smoothed his fur. “Perhaps we should discuss joining forces?”

Lili’s wide mouth began to tremble, and her huge eyes glistened. She caught my sleeve.

“Please, Chet. Just a word before you go?”

A tear quivered on her lower eyelid.

“All right,” I said. “What harm could one word do?”

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