Chapter 8

Chapter 8 Ruth Rose snatched the wig and eyebrow off the TV and hid them behind her back. Josh pushed the eject button and slid the video inside his shirt. Dink stared at the door. He didn't think he could walk. The bell rang again. Dink looked at his friends. Then he took a deep breath and opened the door. Ruth Rose slipped out just as Detective Reddy walked in.

"Hi, there," said Detective Reddy. He grinned at Dink and Josh. "Gee, you kids are clever. How'd you find the redhead with the video?" Dink stared at the man in front of him. He couldn't believe it. Detective Reddy wasn't a detective at all. He was a bank robber! And he was standing in Dink's own living room! "We were just lucky I guess," Dink mumbled. The man patted his mustache. "So where is it?" Dink wouldn't let his eyes look at the lump under Josh's shirt. "Where's what?" "The video. You called and said you had the video. So where is it?" Dink's mind went blank. He didn't know what to say. Think, Dink! he commanded himself. Josh came to the rescue. "We hid the tape upstairs, remember, Dink?" Dink stared at Josh. "Huh? Oh, yeah, now I remember." He grinned at the man. "We wanted to make sure no one saw it before we gave it to you." "Come on, Dink." Josh headed for the stairs. "It takes two of you to get one video?" the man said.

"Well…um…it's in my mother's room." Dink held up his front door key. "I'm the only one allowed to unlock her door." Dink hurried up the stairs behind Josh. They ran into Dink's bedroom and shut the door. Dink's guinea pig, Loretta, started squeaking and running around in her cage. "Not now, Loretta," Dink said. "Where'd Ruth Rose go?" said Josh. "I can't believe she ditched us!" Dink didn't answer. He paced back and forth in front of his bed. He tugged on his hair. He snapped his fingers nervously. "Dink, stop, I'm getting dizzy." Josh said. "What're we gonna do?" Dink stopped. "I don't know! We can't give him the video. He'll destroy it. Then nobody can prove anything! He'll get away scot-free. And he might even go after Lucky!" "We have to catch him and hand him over to the cops," Josh said. "Do you have any rope? We'll jump him and tie him up!" "I don't keep rope in my bedroom, Josh," Dink said. "Besides, he's bigger and stronger than us. He might even have a gun!"

"Need any help up there?" the man yelled. Dink opened his door a crack. "No thanks. Well be right down." Dink grabbed a soccer video from his bookshelf and handed it to Josh. "Let's give him this." "But what happens when he finds out it's not the real video?" Josh asked. "I don't know. But we don't have any choice." Josh pulled Lucky's video out of his shirt. He dropped it in Loretta's cage and covered it with shavings. "Guard it, Loretta," he said. They walked downstairs. Dink tried to smile. "We found it!" he said. Josh handed over the soccer video.

Just then the front door flew open. Ruth Rose was standing there with Officer Fallon and Officer Keene from the Green Lawn Police Department. Dink was never so happy to see anyone. "That's him!" Ruth Rose declared. She pointed at the man holding the videotape. "He robbed the Green Lawn bank!" The officers stepped into the living room. The man smiled. "I'm a private detective, officers," he said. "Mind showing us some identification, sir?" said Officer Fallon. The man patted his mustache. "I don't have my wallet with me." "You don't?" Officer Keene said. "Detectives are required to carry their identification at all times." "Sure, and normally I do. But I left my wallet in the car. I'll get it and be right back." "His mustache is fake!" Ruth Rose said, stepping in front of the officers. "And so is that wig!" Everybody stared at the man. Suddenly, he grabbed Ruth Rose and held her in front of him.

"Outta my way!" he yelled. "I'm leaving, and the girl's coming with me!" Ruth Rose took a deep breath. Then she let out the loudest scream of her life. "AIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEE!"