Book 4 Trick or Treat

Trick or Treat

Three nights before Halloween, Mike McCarthy noticed a small orange box sitting on the kitchen counter. " What's that?" Mike asked at dinner. " It's for trick-or-treating, " replied Aster, his little sister. “ It's tiny, " Mike said. " You can fit, like, three candy bars in that thing. " Mike always used a pillowcase himself. He used to dream of filling it, but for the past six months he had mainly dreamed of buying a Super Spy kit. Mike's friend Derek had offered to sell his kit to Mike for twenty-five dollars. All Mike had to do now-all he'd been trying to do for the past six months-was gather that sum.

" It's not for candy, " Aster explained. “ It's for money. " Mike almost spat out his chicken sandwich. " You can't go door-to-door asking for money! " he spluttered, turning to his parents. “ Can you?" " It's not for me, " Aster said. “ It's for UNICEF. " “ What's UNICEF?" asked Mike. " It's a charity that helps poor kids around the world, " Aster said. " I could use some help, " said Mike. Mrs. McCarthy rolled her eyes. " Not like these kids, " she said.

The next day at lunch, Mike complained to Derek. " Can you believe it?" he cried. “ Maybe I should collect the money and keep it myself. " " Maybe you should, " Derek said. “ After all, " Mike continued, " I don't know these kids. I'm under no obligation to them. " " None at all, " Derek agreed. " It's not like I'd be doing them any actual harm, " Mike said. “ They'd be no worse off than they were already. " “ Right, " Derek said, " and you'd be a whole lot better off. "

Mike sighed. “ Stop sighing, " Derek said, " and seize this golden opportunity. You got your cute little sister, right?" " You think my sister's cute?" Mike croaked. " I don't, " Derek said, " but the grown-ups are gonna give her tons of money. " " Sure, " Mike agreed. " Then you make her give it to you, " Derek said. It was one thing to talk about stealing but quite another to do it. Mike stared at Derek; Derek stared calmly back. " How?" asked Mike. " You let her know that you can make life very uncomfortable for her, " Derek said. " I can?" Mike asked. Derek nodded, a steely glint in his dark eyes. " Why would I do that?" asked Mike.

" You don't have to do it, " Derek said. " You just have to threaten to do it. " " I'm not gonna threaten my sister, " Mike muttered. And I'm not going to steal from poor kids, either, he thought. Derek sighed this time. “ You disappoint me, " he said. “ So just intercept the money before she delivers it to school. " Mike was silent.