The Candy Shop War
Page 18

Trevor accepted the container. “Does it work on people?”
Mrs. White shook her head. “Just glass and ceramics.”
“Too bad,” Nate lamented. “There’s a certain teacher who I wouldn’t mind vanishing for a few hours now and then.”
“Once inside,” Mrs. White continued, “you’ll be in one of two rooms, depending which window you enter. Both rooms lead to the same hall.” She indicated the areas she was discussing on the blueprints. “Sadly, three of the doors on the top floor are connected to the alarm system: the door that grants access from downstairs, and both doors to the room you need to enter.”
“Then how do we get in?” Nate asked.
“This big room is where you’ll find the memoirs and the watch,” Mrs. White said, pressing a finger against the center of the largest room on the blueprint. “Over one doorway is a narrow window, about a foot high, the same width as the door. Here’s where another of my prized candies comes in.” She held up a thin paper tube the size of a soda straw. “This is Proxy Dust.”
“Looks like a Pixie Stick,” Trevor said.
“You tear open one end and sprinkle a little of the powder onto your specially prepared Proxy Doll,” Mrs. White said, indicating a plastic doll seated on a nearby workbench. The doll was a ten-inch male surgeon dressed in scrubs, his nose and mouth hidden behind a pale green mask. “Then you swallow the rest. And presto! Suddenly, you’re seeing through the eyes of the doll, as if your mind were inside the doll’s head.”
“Like remote control,” Nate said.
“Exactly,” Mrs. White said. “You’ll want somebody with you, because while you’re inhabiting the doll, you won’t be aware of anything going on around you.”
“Weird,” Trevor said.
“To get into the room, you’ll vanish the window above the door and toss the doll through the opening. Controlling the doll, make your way to the cabinet in the far corner of the room.” She tapped a finger on the blueprint to clarify which corner she meant. “Do what you must to get inside the cabinet and retrieve both the pocket watch and the book. Feed some string through the broken window to recover the doll and the desired items. Break the connection with the doll by opening the eyelid of the person controlling it and blowing on the eyeball. Then bring me the memoir and the timepiece the next day, wrapped in a towel inside one of your backpacks.”
“Should we walk through the museum today?” Nate asked. “To get our bearings?”
“Studying the blueprint will suffice,” Mrs. White said. “I would rather you not be associated with the museum anytime this week. They do not get many visitors, and I would prefer there be no way to implicate any of you.”
“Should we wear gloves?” Summer asked.
“I’ve tested, and the Melting Pot Mixers will alter your fingerprints,” Mrs. White said. “I suggest you visit the museum around one in the morning. Wear dark clothes. Stay out of sight. Any questions?”
“You said we get reward candy?” Nate asked.
“Always,” Mrs. White said. “Do you kids have any enemies?”
“There’s some sixth graders who love to pick on us,” Pigeon said. “They threw Nate’s backpack down the hill today.”
Mrs. White grinned. “I have some trick candy you might enjoy.”
Nate, Trevor, and Summer shared excited looks. Pigeon giggled and clapped his hands.
*****
When Nate got home, a police car was parked in front of his house. He quickened his pace, worst-case scenarios playing in his mind, and hurried through the front door. His mom was in the entry hall talking to a black female police officer.
“Is everything okay?” Nate asked.
They both turned to face him. “Our Explorer was stolen,” his mom said.
“When?” Nate asked.
“Just over an hour ago, right out of the garage.”
“No way!” Nate said.
“You haven’t seen anyone suspicious hanging around your house?” the tall police officer inquired.
Nate thought about it. “Nobody in particular.”
“I think I have the info I need,” the officer said. She handed his mom a card. “You can call me if you think of anything else.”
“Okay, thanks for coming so quickly.”
Mom let the officer out through the front door.
“How did it happen?” Nate asked as his mom shut the door.
She tossed up her hands. “I was in the kitchen and heard the garage door open. I thought maybe your dad had come home early. I went to greet him and saw the Explorer driving away, with the garage door closing. I ran out through the front door just as the Explorer vanished around the corner—I couldn’t see the driver. I called Cheryl, but she was at a friend’s house, and your dad was still at the office. Want to hear the scariest part? The keys weren’t on the peg by the door. Whoever it was came into the house, took the keys, opened the garage door, and drove away.”
“That’s freaky!” Nate said. “Sounds like it could have been somebody we know!”
“That’s what the police officer said. But who do we know? We just moved in, we have no relatives in the area. Most
likely, some thief cased our house, waltzed right in under my nose, and drove away in our car. Doesn’t make you feel very secure, does it?”
Nate could see that the experience had left his mom feeling frazzled. He gave her a hug. “At least nobody got hurt,” he said.
“Not this time,” she said, biting back a sob.
“It was just some idiot who liked our car,” Nate said. “It creeps me out too, but the last thing he’ll do is come back here.” Nate gave her a hug. “We should do something to take your mind off it. How about a treat?”
His mom held him away from her, looking at him with teary, grateful eyes. “I did pick up some more of that white fudge.”
“Yeah, some fudge.” Nate felt a little guilty with her gazing at him like her knight in shining armor. After all, the fudge was mostly meant to distract her so he would be free to use magic candy. But he was hoping maybe that very quality of the fudge really would calm her down about having their SUV stolen.
His mom took a deep, cleansing breath. “You want some too?”
“I’m more thirsty,” Nate said. “I’m going to have some chocolate milk.”