4. Mischief

Chapter 4 Mischief Bradley recognized Officer Fallon and Officer Keene. Bradley's mouth fell open. Pal barked at all the excitement. All the kids stopped playing. The little girl hugged one of her dolls. "Hi, kids," Officer Fallon said. He smiled under his floppy mustache. "Hello, Lucky. How's school?" "School is cool," Lucky said. A woman with red hair came out onto the porch behind Lucky. Two of his redheaded brothers

stepped out after her. Bradley knew they went to the same school, but he didn't know their names. "Hello, Roberta," Officer Fallon said. "Hello, Officer Fallon," Mrs. O'Leary answered. "What brings you our way?" "I'm afraid there's been some mischief in town, Roberta," Officer Fallon said. "Someone's been stealing leprechauns." "Ours got stolen, too!" Bradley said. "Right off our porch!" "Huh," Officer Fallon said. "That makes three so far, then. Mr. Paskey at the Book Nook said his was taken last night. He left it out for the paint to dry. And Mrs. Wong at the pet shop says hers got swiped off her deck." "But what does that have to do with us?" Roberta O'Leary asked. "We still have Josephine's leprechaun." She pointed to the fairy-princess leprechaun on their porch steps. Officer Fallon gave Lucky a strange look. "I'm arresting Lucky for the thefts." He and his partner

walked toward the porch. Officer Keene was holding handcuffs. Bradley couldn't believe what he was seeing. Lucky O'Leary was no thief. He tutored high school kids who needed extra help. He was a volunteer fireman. He'd never go around stealing leprechauns! "I didn't steal anything!" Lucky said. He took a step backward. "My son is innocent!" Roberta O'Leary said. "That's not what we heard," Officer Fallon said. He took Lucky by the arm. "Come with us to the station, son." Lucky's little sister Josephine began to cry. "He didn't do anything!" she said. "You leave my brother alone!" The officers put Lucky in the cruiser's backseat. All the redheads charged up onto the porch. "Mommy! What's happening?" they all asked. "Everything will be fine," Mrs. O'Leary said. Then she herded her gang into the house.

Bradley couldn't move. He felt like a statue.