Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Buddy gasped. His eyes grew wide, and Dink thought he would start crying. "Don't worry Buddy. Pete will be fine till we get to the bottom of this," Officer Fallon said. He looked at the troubled teenager. "But what are we going to do with you?" "What do you mean?" Buddy asked. "How old are you, son?" Officer Fallon asked. "Fourteen," Buddy said. "But I'll be fifteen in three months!" "Fourteen," Officer Fallon repeated.

"So I can't let you stay in that trailer alone." Buddy glanced up with a sly look in his eyes. "So why don't you put me in jail with Pete?" Officer Fallon laughed. "No, that won't do." "He can stay with us," Dink said. "My folks won't mind. We've got a spare room." Officer Fallon turned his gaze on Dink. "Are you sure?" "I can call my mom and ask her," Dink said. "Sound all right with you?" Officer Fallon asked Buddy. "Sure, I guess," the boy said. He looked at Dink. "Thanks, man." Officer Fallon handed his phone to Dink. Two minutes later, it was settled, and Dink hung up. "Mom says Buddy can stay as long as he needs to," he said. "She's getting two huge pizzas for tonight!" "Cool!" cried Josh. Then he looked at Dink. "I'm invited, right?" Dink nodded. "Ruth Rose, too. We'll have a party." "Okay, why don't I drive you four to Dink's right now?" Officer Fallon asked.

"Can I go get my toothbrush and stuff?" Buddy asked. Officer Fallon stood up. "Fine, we'll stop at the trailer first. Shall we go?" Dink, Josh, Ruth Rose, Buddy, and Pal all climbed into Officer Fallon's cruiser. Buddy rode up front, and Pal lay sprawled across Josh's lap in the back. It took only a minute to reach the quiet campsite. Officer Fallon parked near the picnic table. "Buddy, I need to search the trailer before you go inside," Officer Fallon said. "Search for what?" Buddy asked. "As far as I can see, both you and your brother had a chance to take the baseballs," Officer Fallon said kindly "I want to believe you, but there are too many unanswered questions about those baseballs. If they're not in your trailer, that's one question answered." Buddy dug in his pocket, then handed over the key to the trailer. "But you won't find 'em," he muttered.

Officer Fallon climbed out of his cruiser. He strode to the trailer and used Buddy's key to let himself inside. "He doesn't believe me," Buddy grumbled. He picked up a pinecone and tossed it at the trash barrel. "Officer Fallon just wants to find Mr. Pocket's baseballs," Dink said. "They're really valuable." "Well, he won't find them in our trailer," Buddy insisted. "I believe you," Ruth Rose told Buddy. "If you and your brother didn't steal them, we have to find

out who did!" "Great, but how?" Buddy asked. "Anyone could have snuck into the clubhouse." "But only people who came to the game knew the baseballs were in that glass case," Dink said. "Oh my gosh!" Josh said. "The thief might live right here in Green Lawn!" "Yeah," Dink grumbled. He was remembering the hundreds of people sitting in the bleachers. Was one of them the baseball thief? "The first pitch was at eleven o'clock," Buddy said. "What time did Pete go inside for his medicine?" Dink asked. "It was around quarter past eleven," Buddy said. "Then I went looking for him a few minutes later. That's when I saw the smashed case and took off for the trailer." "So that means someone stole the balls between eleven and eleven-fifteen," Ruth Rose said.