Annie and the others turned toward the voice, to see sheriff Cooper striding to them with a smile on his face. "Hey!" Annie said when he reached them. "Don't you even take Sundays off?" She was hoping he didn't see a guilty look on her face, like she was trying to hide something from him, which she was.
He chuckled. "No rest for the weary," sheriff Cooper said, looking around at the boys sitting interspaced between his amateur detectives. "Ah, young men from Ridgewest I presume." "Yes sir." Collin said, standing and offering his hand to sheriff Cooper. Collin was as tall as the sheriff at five foot seven. He quickly introduced the other boys who shook sheriff's Cooper's hand also.
After the introductions were made, Katie and Annie made room on the sofa for the sheriff's girth to fit between them. "Well, are you all having a good time today?" He asked the teens. Annie thought he seemed a little restless. He was clasping and unclasping his hands and his eyes were darting about the room. She wondered if his seeming anxiousness had something to do with the case, but she didn't think she would find out with the boys there.
A few in the group gave a an answer to the sheriff's question, such as: "Great!" "Super." "Lots of fun." Zack ended. Annie was very tense thinking of the what the boys now knew and the sheriff didn't. She was very uncomfortable and couldn't stand it anymore, so she blurted out in a quiet voice, "The boys know about the theft."
The sheriff didn't seem surprised. "Well, I guess news gets around fast even when just one person starts it. After all, I'm sure that some of the older girls from your school date boys from Ridgewest, and they would have no doubt told their boyfriends about the missing money.
The common room was filling up now with students from both schools, who had had their fill of the outdoors. "Shall we find another place more private to continue our conversation?" "I think that would be a good idea." Annie said with a grin. The sheriff had decided on the cafeteria, which should've been empty at that point in time.
Annie walked on one side of the sheriff and Zack on the other as the group made their way down the hall to the lunch room. The sheriff noticed the album tucked under Annie's arm and said, "Telling your new friends all about your mother and her friends escapades here." He ended on a chuckle.
Before Annie could answer, Zack piped up, (only quietly this time) "My Mom, Josie was Sara Adams' best friend. And they were in the club together." He said proudly. The sheriff's eyes widened; and Annie thought that sheriff Cooper had heard the word, "Club" and now knew that Annie had told them that they had resurrected the Mystery Club Detectives, and he wasn't happy about it.
But, she was wrong. "Josie was your mother?" He said, now grinning from ear to ear. Annie relaxed and grinned too. (Now that she knew she wasn't in trouble, at least not yet.)
The same short, dark haired custodian that walked by Annie, the sheriff and Annie's friends a couple of days before, was now passing the group going in the other direction, pushing a laundry cart. He gave the sheriff a grimace while scrunching up his bushy eyebrows as he looked over his shoulder and watched the friends go through the cafeteria doors with an odd look on his face.
The sheriff and his miniature friends took seats around the table where they normally had these talks, the sheriff still grinning. "I can't believe this! I'm now meeting another offspring of one of the nicest people I ever knew." Zack beamed at him, at the compliment to his mother. "Your mom was a great kid. I remember how inseparable Sara and Josie were," he ended with a wistful smile on his face.
"I know. Mom told me." Zack said, grinning at Annie. "Did you tell the boys everything?" the sheriff asked Annie, with a sly look at her. This might be the trouble she feared. Annie thought. But, she said, "Yes." Sheriff Cooper looked around the table, the same knowing look on his face, his eyes ending on Annie's. She gulped. Then a smile spread across the sheriff's face.
"Well, if you trust these boys, then I do." He said. Annie and her friends took a collective sigh of relief. "We'd really like to help." Zack said earnestly. Sheriff Cooper eyed him speculatively . "You boys might be a big help actually." Annie, Beth, Katie and Trisha gaped at him. He chuckled at them.
"Like I said before, I'm sure the word about the theft spread because a girl told a boy what happened. Well, a girl, maybe the thief, would've told her boyfriend all about it," he said, looking at the teens, each one in turn. Zack's eyes lit up with excitement. "You're right sir, we can listen in to conversations, look for suspicious behavior...." Zack was beside himself with glee. The others just had to laugh at his eagerness.
"Well girls, are ready to take in new members?" sheriff Cooper asked, Looking specifically at Annie. "Annie giggled. "Well, I think if we don't let them in, Zack will have some sort of spell." Everyone laughed, and Zack turned red, but was obviously thrilled. "Thanks." Zack said immediately, nodding at Annie, Beth, Trisha and Katie.
"You know sir, I was just thinking, and now disrespect to our friends here...." Collin started, glancing at the girls, ...."but, does anyone think that boys are going to....well,....and for the lack of a better word....gossip, as much as boys." It seemed that all the girls wanted to club him, and Zack gave Collin a look of unbelief that he would say such a thing. Annie wanted to throw something at him, but seeing the red creeping up his neck and the apologetic look on his handsome face....she laughed instead. And in a moment, everyone laughed with her.
When the laughter died down, the sheriff said, "I guess we'll find out," he said with a chuckle. "I think I should visit your headmaster, Mr. Hartman and asked if this is okay with him. Because just like Ruthie is the go-between for the girls, your headmaster will have to be for you fellows." "Mr. Hartman's cool. He'll do it." Zack assured him.
Sheriff Cooper proceeded to tell the boys the same rules he told the girls, that if they saw or heard something really suspicious to tell their headmaster or himself if he was around, but never to take any action or make any accusations. The boys readily agreed.
"Well kids, I've gotta go," the sheriff said, rising from his chair and then pushing it into place again. By the way, I just realized the other day that I had to admit I will have to examine a group of people as possible suspects that I didn't think could be involved before." Annie and the others gave him blank stares.
"Who?" Annie finally ask. "Well, I've learned that Granger Foods, a grocery supply company makes their weekly deliveries here every week. And they did just that on the day of the theft. I'm also questioning the staff here tomorrow, and the cleaning crew." "Not Ruthie!" Annie said, suddenly upset.
"No. Of course not. She has an ironclad alibi. Actually, she came to me and insisted on giving it to me. But Ruthie isn't the only member of the housekeeping staff." Just then, an announcement came over the P.A. system. "All Ridgewest Students are to return to school...." said Miss Leighton. "We hope you all had a pleasant time today. We look forward to seeing you again at our next function, which will be the combined Autumn track and field day on Friday."
"See you all later." Sheriff Cooper said waving and walking away. "We'll all walk you out." Annie said sweetly, in her southern drawl. Collin grinned at her lovely accent. But he didn't say anything. Since he'd found out how cruelly she was teased about it he would never be another one that would hurt her that way.
When the friends arrived at the front entrance, Zack said, we'll see you all on Friday he said waving and taking every other step to the bottom of the stairs. Beth, Katie and Trisha waved goodbye to Zack, Charlie and Jamie, but when they looked around for Collin and then Annie, they couldn't see them.
While the others were talking, Collin snuck down the stairs with Annie following him. He motioned her aside of the walkway beside a big oak tree. Collin's friends had spotted the two of them and were hollering at him to come. Collin waved them down, and they ran off toward the school. Then he turned to Annie.
"I thought if we had each other cell numbers, we could keep in touch with the case, you know." Collin said with a sheepish grin. Annie giggled. "Yeah, right." She said, a blush creeping up her face. Annie took a pen and pad from her pocket, as if she was expecting this. That what she feared Collin was thinking; although he looked pleased that she had it with her.
She then wrote down her number and gave it to him. "I'll call you tomorrow and then you'll have mine, okay?" "That would be good." Annie said. "Well, so long for now." Collin said, backing slowly, giving her a wave. Annie smiled at him and waved back, then Collin took off around the building.
Annie walked back to the school steps and saw her friends waiting for her. They were all smiling knowing smiles at her. She joined them on the top steps trying not to look too pleased. "Where did you get off to?" Beth asked her. Annie just smiled, a blush in her cheeks. "I'm hungry, aren't you?"
End of Chapter 8
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