Stone Investigations (Stone Series Book 4) by Bob Blanton (ereader that reads to you .TXT) 📕

Matthew’s chest, he leaned in.  “You messed with my moves. I think I’ll mess up your face.”

“Leave him alone, Evan,” the girl said.

Matthew reached over with his right hand and grabbed Evan’shand.  With his thumb in the web of Evan’s hand, Matthew twisted the hand andbent the wrist over.  Evan immediately winced at the pain and crouched down torelieve the pressure on his wrist.

“Now, Evan, you can either stand up and walk away, or I’llput you on your knees and make you beg me to let go.  . . . Now, none of that,” Matthew said as he twisted Evan’s hand some more toprevent him from punching him in the groin.

“Make up your mind,” Matthew whispered.

“Okay, okay,” Evan said.

“Alright, I’m going to let you go.  If you try something,I’ll put you down, then make you crawl across the floor.  We understand eachother?”

“We cool.”

Matthew released Evan, “Nice interception, it really helpedus win the game,” he said as Evan stood.   “Sorry about the water,” he added asEvan brushed Matthew with his shoulder.

Evan just gave Matthew a hard stare as he moved away.

“Thanks, I’m Cicely, damsel in distress,” Cicely said.

“I’m Matt, knight in shining armor.”

“You must be new at Fallbrook.”

“Yes, just started this year.”

“Thanks for getting me out of that.  I should have knownbetter than to go down that hallway, but I really had to pee and there’s a lineat the guest bath.”

“You shouldn’t have to put up with that.  I thought Evan wascooler than that.”

“No, not so cool.”

“So you don’t think he was in on the heist?”

“Heist?”

“Of the Pacific Academy mascot.”

“Oh, no way.  That had to be Jerome, and he doesn’t likeEvan.”

“Why?”

“Why doesn’t he like Evan, or why does he have to be the one whodid the heist?”

“Both.”

“Evan’s not rich enough for Jerome and his crowd.  And nobodywould dare pull off a thing like that heist without Jerome being involved.  Hecan get mean if you make him look bad.”

“How would pulling off the heist without him make him lookbad?”

“He’s Mr. Cool.  He has to be involved with anything that’scool.  Not bringing him in on the heist would ruin his cred.  Besides, I don’tthink anyone else has the balls,” Cicely said.  “Are you here with anyone?”

“My sister,” Matthew said.  “I don’t have my license yet, soI rode with her to the game, and of course that means I had to ride with herhere.”

“I know how that is.  So you’re a sophomore?”

“Junior,” Matthew said.  “Birthday’s in November, I startedearly.”

“So you must be smart.”

“I guess.”

“Then you must be smart enough to know that Evan’s going towatch for you to leave, and then he and his friends are going to do a beatdownon you.”

“You think?”

“Smart money says so.”

“What do you think I should do?”

“When you’re ready to leave, give me a sign and I’ll make adistraction.  If you go down the hall, third door on the left is the masterbedroom.  It has French doors that lead outside.  You can work your way aroundtheir lot and meet your sister on the street.”

“Wouldn’t that tarnish my armor?”

“Not as much as getting a beatdown from Evan and hisfriends.  If you win, you ruin our chances for next week’s ballgame, and that’sHomecoming.  If you lose, well . . . you get thepicture.”

“Okay, I’ll let you know when we’re ready to leave.”

“See you around.”

◆ ◆ ◆

“Matt, did you learn anything?”

“I heard that Jerome has to be the culprit.”

“That’s what I got, too.  Did you get a read on him so youcan track him?”

“Of course,” Matthew sighed.

“Good, so are you ready to leave?”

“Yes.  Can you pick me up at the corner?”

“Why?”

“I’ll explain later.”

“Whatever.”

Emily left and Matthew gave Cicely the high-sign and thenmade his way to the back bedroom.  Matthew heard Cicely calling her friends tocome dance with her.  They were high-kicking like the Rockettes as Matthewclosed the door to the master suite.

It was easy getting out the back door, but then Matthew foundhimself in a fenced yard.  Since he wanted to stay away from the house and Evanand his friends, Matthew used his portal to make a step stool so he could hopover the six-foot fence.

GRRR, ARF! ARF!

“Crap, I should have checked for a dog!”

Matthew set his portal for three feet and jumped on it.  Thenhe hopped up, raising it up another foot just as the dog reached him.  Two morehops and he had it over six feet up.  He made it larger so he could lay down onit since he could hear the neighbor opening the door.

“Kahn, what’s going on?!”

The owner came out the back door and looked at the dog whowas below Matthew growling.

“What’s the matter, boy?  Is it a raccoon?”

The dog continued to growl at Matthew.

“Come here.  Come!” the owner ordered the dog.

After a couple more orders, the dog went over to the owner,still looking over his shoulder at Matthew.  Once the dog and owner were backinside, Matthew reached out and grabbed the top of the fence to pull himselfalong it to the front of the yard.  He had planned to cross the yard and go outthe other side, but he didn’t see a way to cross the twenty yards from one sideto the other.  He’d just have to get by the guys in the front using his portalto shield himself.

Once he was past the fence, Matthew dropped to the ground. Then he opened his portal so that it was vertical, one end on each side ofhim.  With it at seven feet in diameter, it would make anyone looking his waysee past him through the portal to the other side.  So unless they were lookingclose to the ground they shouldn’t notice anything.  He carefully walked out tothe street then turned and jogged down to the corner.

“It took you long enough,” Emily said as Matthew got into hercar.

“The neighbor had a dog.”

“I thought I heard barking.  What did you do?”

“I used my portal to get high enough that the dog couldn’treach me.  I should have thought about a dog.  Damn, not a very good undercoverreporter.”

“Hey, we all make mistakes.  So, why did you have to sneakout?”

“I got crossways with Evan.  It was suggested