Chapter 14 | Back to the Magic Shop

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We left the police station and drove home. On the way my father noticed I was still really upset.

"This is why I didn't want you to get your hopes up buddy," he said.

"I know I just thought that if they could hear it all from me they would go and arrest Waldo," I said.

"Well thanks for trying buddy. Listen everything is going to be OK. I'll just find another job and we'll pretend none of this ever happened, okay?"

I was too upset to say anything.

"Okay Barnabas?" my father said.

I wouldn't say okay. I was going to find a way to solve the case and prove my dad's innocence so he could get his job back. He loved that job.

"I know you'll find another job Father," was all I could say.

We got home and went inside. I needed to go back to that magic shop.

"I'm just going to go outside for a while," I said.

"Okay just be back for dinner please."

"I will be," I said.

As soon as I left the front yard I started jogging. I was so angry at Waldo for messing up my father's life and for robbing the bank. He couldn't get away with it. I went around to the back of his shop and started digging in the big pile of snow looking for a top hat.

After digging around for a while I found one! As I started to pulled it from the snow the back door to the magic shop opened. Waldo was there in the doorway carrying a big bag and he saw me.

"Hey! What are you doing back here? You can't be back here kid. Get out of here."

I pulled the top hat from the snow and tried to stuff it under my coat out of sight.

"Hey you can't have that! Wait a second. You're the one who was here earlier. Alright kid give that back before I call the cops."

This was my only chance. I stood up and ran for it but I slipped in the pile of snow. He dropped his bag and came after me. I've never been very athletic and it wasn't too hard for him to get a hold of me. He reached under my coat and pulled the hat out.

"Hey I need that!" I yelled.

"Yeah? Well go buy one somewhere else. You're lucky I'm in a hurry to get out of here or I would call the cops. Now go."

And I should have. I should have just walked away but I let my anger get the best of me.

"I know it was you and I'm going to prove it somehow!" I yelled.

His face turned red.

"Leave kid," he said.

"I know you controlled snowmen with magic top hats and had them rob the bank for you."

His eyes opened really wide. He looked around and saw that no one else was around. Then he grabbed me.

"Hey let me go!" I screamed.

He pulled me into his magic shop and closed the back door behind us. Then he dragged me through the now empty shop to a door behind the counter. He opened it and pushed me through and then locked me in. I was standing at the top of some stairs. I screamed for him to let me out. I pounded on the door. I tried to get it open. It was no use. Then I heard his car start.

I ran down the stairs and looked out a the only window in the basement of the magic shop. It was a tiny one on the back of the building. I could just see the bumper of his car driving away.

The Case of the Missing Snowman (A Barnabas Thackeray Mystery)Where stories live. Discover now