The Stinky Sneakers Mystery Read online

  Beverly Lewis Books for Young Readers

  PICTURE BOOKS

  In Jesse’s Shoes • Just Like Mama

  What Is God Like? • What Is Heaven Like?

  THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS

  The Double Dabble Surprise

  The Chicken Pox Panic

  The Crazy Christmas Angel Mystery

  No Grown-ups Allowed

  Frog Power

  The Mystery of Case D. Luc

  The Stinky Sneakers Mystery

  Pickle Pizza

  Mailbox Mania

  The Mudhole Mystery

  Fiddlesticks

  The Crabby Cat Caper

  Tarantula Toes

  Green Gravy

  Backyard Bandit Mystery

  Tree House Trouble

  The Creepy Sleep-Over

  The Great TV Turn-Off

  Piggy Party

  The Granny Game

  Mystery Mutt

  Big Bad Beans

  The Upside-Down Day

  The Midnight Mystery

  Katie and Jake and the Haircut Mistake

  www.BeverlyLewis.com

  The Stinky Sneakers Mystery

  Copyright © 1996

  Beverly Lewis

  Cover illustration by Paul Turnbaugh

  Story illustrations by Janet Huntington

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

  Published by Bethany House Publishers

  11400 Hampshire Avenue South

  Bloomington, Minnesota 55438

  www.bethanyhouse.com

  Bethany House Publishers is a division of

  Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

  www.bakerpublishinggroup.com

  Ebook edition created 2012

  eISBN 978-1-4412-6071-0

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

  To

  Darrel Barnes

  (Surprise!)

  ONE

  Jason Birchall wanted first place in the science fair. So did all the kids in Miss Hershey’s class.

  But Jason was the only one bragging about his project.

  He bragged to his friends Eric, Shawn, and Dunkum. He bragged during math, at lunch, and all during recess.

  Jason was still talking about his project on the walk home from school. “I’m getting first place this year,” he said. “Can you guess why?”

  Eric Hagel and Shawn Hunter shook their heads. “Nope,” said Eric.

  “Nope,” repeated Shawn. “I not.” He was still learning English. Shawn and his brother, Jimmy, had come from Korea.

  “Hurry up, Jason. Spit it out,” Dunkum Mifflin said. “What’s so great about your project?”

  Jason spotted Abby Hunter and her best friend, Stacy Henry. “Hey, girls,” he called to them. “Wanna hear about my science project?”

  Abby and Stacy didn’t even turn around. They whispered to each other instead.

  They’re really dying to know, thought Jason.

  In the middle of the cul-de-sac, Jason stopped. He put his hands up to his mouth and shouted, “I have the best scienee project in the world!”

  Abby glanced over her shoulder. “You’re going to make yourself disappear, right?”

  Stacy Henry giggled.

  Eric and Shawn tried not to.

  “Very funny,” said Jason.

  “Come on,” Dunkum said. “Give it to us straight. What’s your project?”

  “Yes, give us good hint,” Shawn said.

  Jason folded his arms across his chest. He looked at his cul-de-sac friends.

  And . . . whoosh!

  The words shot past his lips. Out into the air they flew. “Super sprouts,” he said. “I’m growing super sprouts.”

  Eric laughed. “Anyone can do that.”

  “Not the way I’m growing them,” Jason said.

  “What’s so special about it?” asked Dunkum.

  Jason’s voice got louder. “My sprouts are growing in a piece of carpet.”

  Shawn looked puzzled. “Magic sprouts?”

  Eric’s eyes got wide. But he was silent.

  Shawn grinned at Jason. “You get first place!”

  “You’re right!” Jason shouted. “And next week we’ll find out!”

  “We sure will,” Eric said. There was a sly grin on his face. A very sly grin.

  Now Jason was worried. He watched Eric run up the steps to his house.

  What was Eric’s project? And why was he acting so strange?

  TWO

  Jason was counting. Three more days until the science fair.

  He sat on the beanbag in his room. He was trying to do math. Ten problems for tomorrow.

  Jason groaned. He was only half finished.

  He couldn’t keep his mind on math. He gazed at the windowsill. The super sprouts were growing there in a piece of green carpet.

  Jason stared at them. He stared hard.

  He imagined a giant trophy floating over the sprouts.

  Jason could hear Miss Hershey’s voice. She was telling the class about his project. Miss Hershey was bragging about him.

  “Now for the best student in the class,” she said. “Will Jason Birchall please come forward?”

  The kids were green with envy.

  Abby and Stacy were pointing.

  Eric and Dunkum were leaning forward in their seats.

  Everyone was whispering. Jason . . . Jason . . . His name flew around the classroom.

  Jason stood up and went to Miss Hershey’s desk. All eyes were on him.

  The teacher held up a shiny, gold trophy. First place!

  “Wow,” said the kids.

  Jason held up his green carpet square and the super sprouts. He held them high.

  “Jason! Yippe-e-e!” The whole class cheered. Wild, happy cheering.

  Z-z-z. Jason was asleep in his beanbag.

  The phone rang. Jason jumped.

  His mother called to him, “It’s your friend Eric.”

  Jason rubbed his eyes. He pulled himself out of the beanbag. “I’m coming,” he mumbled.

  He shuffled down the hallway. His mother held out the phone.

  “Hello?” Jason said.

  “Hi,” Eric said. “You know that sprout project of yours?”

  Jason yawned. “Uh-huh.”

  “Well, don’t plan on winning first place.” Eric sounded too sure of himself.

  “Why not?” Jason asked.

  “Because there’s no chance,” Eric replied. “No chance you’ll get first place.”

  Jason took off his glasses. He stared at them. “That’s what you think!” he said and hung up the phone.

  The next day was Tuesday. Eric was absent from school. He never missed!

  Jason felt jumpy. He got that way when he didn’t take his pills. Being an A.D.D. kid was hard. But the pills helped him think about his work.

  Today was different. He’d taken his pills at breakfast, but he was still jumpy. Jason jittered. He twittered.

  Something kept zipping around in his brain. He worried all through math and history. Through recess and lunch.

  Eric Hagel was never sick. Why had he stayed home?

  During afternoon recess, Dunkum shot baskets with Jason. “Stop worrying,” Dunkum said. “Eric’s probably just sick.”

  “How do you know?” Jason asked.

  Dunkum shrugged. “I don’t.”

  Jason told him
about Eric’s sneaky smile. Then he told him about Eric’s phone call. “He’s acting weird,” Jason said.

  Dunkum only laughed. “Eric wouldn’t stay home to do a science project. No way!”

  Jason dribbled the ball. He aimed, shot, and missed. “Well, I think something’s up.”

  Dunkum’s turn. He shot and made it. “You’ll see. There’s probably nothing to worry about.”

  The bell rang.

  Jason raced into the school building. Maybe Dunkum is right, he thought. Maybe there isn’t anything to worry about.

  He went to his desk and opened his math book. But Jason couldn’t get Eric’s sly smile out of his mind.

  “Jason,” Miss Hershey called, “please come to the board.”

  Jason went. He tried not to look at Eric’s empty desk.

  Why had Eric stayed home?

  What was really going on?

  THREE

  The last bell rang.

  Jason didn’t walk home with the Cul-de-sac Kids. He ran straight to Eric’s house. Right up to his front porch.

  Eric’s grandpa sat in a wicker chair. “Hello, Jason,” Mr. Hagel said.

  “How are you today?” Jason asked.

  The old man chuckled. “Not too bad for my age.”

  Jason wondered, Should I ask about Eric?

  Mr. Hagel peered over his newspaper. “If you’re looking for Eric, he’s upstairs in bed.”

  Jason remembered what Dunkum had said. “Is . . . is Eric too sick for company?” he asked.

  “My goodness, no.” Mr. Hagel waved his hand. “Go wake him. He’s sleeping the daylight away.”

  Jason wondered about that. “What’s wrong with Eric?”

  “Ah, nothing a good night’s sleep won’t cure.”

  “Sleep?” Jason said. “Eric’s not sick?”

  The old man shook his head. “My grandson is mighty busy these days. I think he was up half the night.”

  “Busy with science?” Jason asked.

  Mr. Hagel chuckled. “That’s right.”

  Jason opened the screen door and marched into Eric’s house. Up the stairs and right into his friend’s bedroom.

  Eric was working at his desk. Still wearing pj’s.

  “Looks like you’re not very sick,” Jason said.

  Eric leaped out of his chair. He stood in front of his desk. “What . . . what are you doing here?”

  Jason inched closer, but Eric didn’t move.

  “I said, what are you doing here?”

  Jason pushed up his glasses. “Your grandpa told me to wake you.”

  Eric shook his head. “I don’t believe you.”

  “Go and ask,” Jason said.

  “It’s a trick,” Eric said. “You just want to see my science project.”

  “You’re wrong, Eric.” Jason turned to go.

  “You think you’re so smart,” Eric kept talking. “But, Jason Birchall, you just wait!”

  Jason wanted to bop his friend. He really wanted to. But he made a fist inside his pocket and punched it into his pants. Then he headed for the steps.

  “No, you wait,” Jason muttered.

  FOUR

  It was Wednesday.

  One more day till the science fair began.

  Miss Hershey’s class was ready. Especially Jason.

  At recess he started bragging again. “My project will take first place.”

  Eric sat on a swing. He pushed his foot into the sand. He was never like this. Too quiet.

  Jason wondered why.

  Dunkum and Shawn came over. “What’s up?” Dunkum asked.

  Jason said, “Eric’s not talking.”

  Dunkum laughed. “Why not?”

  Shawn spoke up. “Maybe still sick?”

  Jason shouted, “He was never sick!”

  Jason paced back and forth in the sand. He wondered why Eric was keeping his project a secret. It worried him.

  Abby and Stacy came over. They wanted to swing.

  Eric got off and went to play ball. Dunkum and Shawn left, too.

  Jason started to leave. Then he heard Abby tell Stacy about her project.

  “I can make it rain,” Abby said.

  Stacy giggled. “Sounds drippy.”

  Jason hung around. Abby’s project sounded terrific.

  Abby laughed with her best friend. “It’s simple. All you need is an ice-cold soup dipper and a teapot.”

  Jason couldn’t believe his ears. Where did Abby get such a good idea?

  Then Stacy told Abby about her project. Jason crept closer.

  “My project is called A Tight Squeeze,” said Stacy. “I’m going to show how to make a giant hole out of paper.”

  “Sounds easy.” Abby began to swing.

  “Big enough to put over your head? Oh, and the paper can’t rip while you do it,” Stacy explained.

  Abby stopped swinging. “Now that sounds hard.”

  “Sure does,” Jason said.

  The girls looked up. “You were snooping!” Abby said.

  Jason grinned.

  “By the way, how are your super sprouts doing?” Abby asked.

  Jason stood tall. He stuck out his chest. “My sprouts are super and they’re sprouting. That’s how they’re doing.”

  The girls giggled. “What a silly project,” Stacy said.

  “Is not!” Jason replied.

  They began to chant. “Jason’s growing super sprouts . . . super sprouts . . . super sprouts.”

  Then they started giggling again.

  Jason couldn’t stand it. He ran to the ball field.

  The girls had no right to make fun of his sprouts.

  Super or not.

  FIVE

  On the way home from school, Dunkum told about his science project. “I’m doing a taste test.”

  “You’re going to feed us?” Jason said.

  Dunkum nodded. “Just some turnips, carrots, and an apple.”

  “Sounds yucky,” Jason said.

  “Bet you can’t tell the difference between them,” Dunkum said.

  “Bet I can,” Jason said. “Easy!”

  Dunkum’s eyebrows shot up. “We’ll see.”

  Shawn nodded. “Dunkum have super tongue.”

  Dunkum chuckled.

  But Eric was silent.

  “What about your project?” Jason asked Shawn.

  “I make you see sound,” he said. “I make sound dance on wall.”

  “Are you joking?” Jason asked. “You can’t do that!”

  Shawn’s dark eyes were shining. “You will see.”

  “Tomorrow,” Dunkum said.

  “Tomorrow!” Jason shouted. But he was thinking about his project. Not Shawn’s.

  Jason dashed home to check his sprouts.

  His mother was waiting at the door. “Time for a snack.” She gave him a hug.

  Jason took his afternoon pill with his snack. Then he ran to his room.

  Sunshine poured onto the windowsill.

  He hurried over to his super sprouts. Bright green.

  Next he touched the long carpet square. Damp.

  Jason grinned. He found his notebook and wrote down the steps.

  Shallow box

  Plastic trash bag lining

  Scrap of carpet

  Alfalfa seeds

  Some sunshine

  Water

  And . . . super sprouts!

  He signed his name to the science paper. Everything was ready.

  Jason went outside to ride his bike.

  Eric was across the street at Dunkum’s house. He was carrying a folder. A large black one.

  When Jason got back from his ride, Eric was coming out of Abby and Shawn’s house. What was he doing?

  Jason zipped down the street, pretending not to care. He rode to the school playground and hid behind a tree. He spied as Eric headed to Stacy’s house.

  Eric rang the doorbell, and Stacy let him in.

  This is weird, thought Jason. Eric is up to something. Something very
strange!

  SIX

  Snooping on Eric is great! thought Jason.

  He watched Eric go to Mr. Tressler’s house next. Mr. Tressler and Eric’s grandpa were good friends.

  Eric rang the doorbell and waited. Mr. Tressler let him in.

  Jason waited, still hiding behind the tree.

  Soon, Eric came out. He headed to Jason’s house next.

  Quickly, Jason hopped on his bike. He had to know what Eric was doing!

  Jason flew down Blossom Hill Lane. He braked in front of his house.

  Eric stopped on Jason’s driveway and frowned.

  “What’s up?” Jason asked.

  “Can I borrow your thumb?” Eric asked.

  “My thumb?” Jason said. “What for?”

  Eric smiled. “For my science project.”

  Jason got off his bike. He folded his arms across his chest. “I’m not helping you. And that’s final.”

  “But—”

  “You heard me!” Jason shouted. And he stomped into the house.

  Thirty minutes later, Jason’s doorbell rang. He was ready to sock Eric in the nose.

  Jason grabbed the doorknob.

  It was Stacy Henry. She was holding her white cockapoo puppy. His name was Sunday Funnies—because he always found the Sunday comics first. Before anyone!

  Stacy’s science folder was tucked under her arm. “I need to test my project,” she said. “Can you help me?”

  Jason didn’t want to at first. Why was everyone asking for his help?

  “Please?” Stacy said. “It won’t take long.”

  He opened the screen door. “Okay.”

  They went into the kitchen. Stacy put her puppy down on the floor. She took out a piece of paper and some scissors from her folder.

  “Here,” she said. “Try to cut a hole big enough to pass over your body.”

  Jason picked up the scissors. “Easy.”

  While he cut, Stacy asked about his project. “Can I see your super sprouts?”

  “Only if you don’t laugh at them,” he said. He put the paper and scissors on the table.

  “I promise.”

  “Okay then,” Jason said.

  He went to his room and came right back, carrying the box. Inside, the carpet was full of bushy green sprouts.

  She sniffed the sprouts. “Smells good. May I taste?”

  “Just a little,” Jason said. “I need lots of them for tomorrow.”