Chapter 6

Chapter 6 The kids stared at Lucky. "Why not?" Ruth Rose asked. "The detective is helping the bank find the robber. You could be a HERO!" "Shh!" said Lucky. He looked around nervously. Then he beckoned Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose inside. "Come on." Inside Lucky's house, the kids followed him down a hallway into his bedroom. Dink noticed that he was limping. His room had posters of

basketball players on the walls. There were clothes all over the floor. Lucky flopped down on his bed. "Listen," he said. "I'm afraid to give that tape to the detective. What if the robber found out I handed it over? With my luck, he'd come after me." "How would the robber know it was you who taped him?" Dink asked. Lucky sat up. "Because he looked right at me when he ran out of the bank. The guy saw me taping him! That's why I ran to Howard's to get my head shaved." Lucky scratched his fuzzy head. "But if you turn in the tape, the robber will get caught. Then you won't have to worry about him at all," said Josh. "Besides, we'll give you half of our reward," Ruth Rose said. "Right, guys?" "Right," Dink said. "Is Lucky your real name?" The kid shook his head. "It's Paul. Lucky is my nickname. People call me that because I always have such rotten luck. Since school started, my dog died, my bike got stolen, and I broke my toe. I can barely walk to school."

"You can buy a new bike with the reward money," Ruth Rose said. "Then you won't have to walk." Lucky smiled at Ruth Rose. "I'm saving all my money for college," he said. Then he sighed. "It seems like I'll never get enough." Lucky thought for a minute. "Listen, that reward money would really help," he said. "But you guys have to promise not to tell who gave you the video." They all nodded. "Okay," said Lucky. He got off the bed and limped over to his closet. He pulled a box from the top shelf. The box was filled with videotapes. He handed one of the tapes to Dink.

Lucky looked embarrassed. "Um… when can I get the money?" he asked. "Maybe tomorrow," Dink said. "We'll let you know, okay?" "Sure, that'll be fine," said Lucky. He pretended to zip his lips closed. "And remember, you promised not to tell anyone where you got the video. nkledc. Not even that detective." The kids nodded again.

Lucky walked them to the door, stepping around a pile of kids wrestling on the living room floor. Dink noticed they all had red hair and freckles. Josephine popped up out of the pile. "Bye!" she said, smiling at Dink. As soon as they were on the sidewalk, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose triple-high-fived each other. "We got it!" Josh yelled. Dink slipped the tape into his pocket. "Now we just have to call Detective Reddy and get our money!"