Backyard Bandit Mystery Read online

  Then she remembered. . . .

  It was gone.

  Sold to Eric for fifty cents!

  NINE

  It was Sunday morning. Church day.

  But Stacy’s thoughts were somewhere else.

  “I have to talk to Eric before Sunday school,” she told her puppy. Sunday Funnies had already found the Sunday paper. And the comics.

  She hurried to the teeny-weeny attic window. She pushed her face against it. “Can’t see a thing,” she muttered.

  So she combed her hair and got dressed.

  Before anyone else was up, she went outside. She dashed across the street.

  Brr-i-i-i-n-g!

  She rang the doorbell one long ring.

  Eric just had to answer it.

  She waited.

  And waited.

  At last, he opened the door. “What are you doing over here?” he asked.

  Stacy stared at him. Blond hairs were sticking out. Every which way!

  “I came for my beanbag angel,” she said.

  He raised his eyebrows. “It’s mine. I already told you.”

  “Well, sorry,” Stacy said.

  Eric frowned. “I paid for it, Stacy.”

  “I know, but I want it back,” she said.

  He argued. “It was on the sale table!”

  Stacy shook her head. “Well, I never should’ve put it there.”

  “But you did.” Eric bunched up his mouth.

  “I HAVE TO HAVE IT BACK!” shouted Stacy.

  She crossed her arms and made a big frown. She tapped her toe and waited.

  Surely, Eric would come to his senses.

  “Well? Are you gonna give it back?” she asked.

  “I said it’s mine,” Eric grouched.

  “You’ll be sorry, Eric Hagel,” she said. And marched home.

  After church, Stacy saw Eric again. He was standing outside, waiting for his mother.

  “Did you listen to the preacher today?” she asked.

  “Uh-huh,” he answered.

  “Well? Are you gonna be a cheerful giver?” she asked.

  Eric stared at her. “Are you gonna be a grumpy giver?”

  Stacy didn’t answer. Eric was right about her, but it didn’t sound so nice.

  Then she remembered the missing sale stuff. “Have you heard about the robbery? I think there’s a bandit in our cul-de-sac,” she said.

  Eric scratched his head. “What are you talking about?”

  She told him. “Lots of our sale stuff has disappeared.”

  “Since when?” he asked.

  “Last night, during supper. That’s when the robber must’ve come,” she explained.

  He shook his head. “Don’t know anything,” he said.

  “Some of your stuff is gone, too,” she said.

  Eric’s eyes got big. “My stuff? Don’t you mean the stuff I donated? I’m no grumpy giver,” he insisted.

  “Very funny, Eric,” she said.

  And she spun away on her heels.

  TEN

  Stacy looked at her watch.

  Almost two o’clock.

  Eric was being a big pain. He refused to give back the angel. He just wouldn’t.

  Stacy felt horrible.

  Abby Hunter would be home soon. Very soon.

  Stacy didn’t know what to do. She couldn’t get Eric to budge.

  Besides that, there was a mystery to solve.

  Who was the backyard bandit?

  Stacy didn’t know.

  She raced down the cul-de-sac to Dee Dee’s house. “We have a problem,” she said.

  Dee Dee opened the door and let her in. “What’s wrong?”

  “There’s a bandit on the loose,” Stacy said.

  “A what?” Dee Dee’s eyes were wide.

  “Lots of our sale stuff is missing,” she explained.

  “Oh, that.” Dee Dee grinned.

  Stacy stared at her. “Do you know who the bandit is?” she asked.

  “Follow me,” Dee Dee said.

  They went upstairs.

  “Is this what you’re missing?” Dee Dee asked.

  There was Dunkum’s old radio on the dresser.

  “What’s it doing here?” asked Stacy.

  Dee Dee explained. “I traded some of my stuff with the boys.”

  Stacy couldn’t believe her ears.

  “How can we make any money that way?” she demanded.

  “Oh, there’s plenty of money,” Dee Dee said.

  “There is?” Stacy said, surprised.

  “Sure! Your granny paid bunches of money. She bought that smelly old cologne. Your grandpa’s pajama top, too,” said Dee Dee.

  “For how much?” Stacy asked.

  “Twenty bucks,” answered Dee Dee.

  “Twenty? That’s way too much,” said Stacy.

  “I know, but she wouldn’t listen,” Dee Dee said.

  Stacy couldn’t believe her ears.

  “Your granny wanted to make some nice kids happy,” Dee Dee explained. “That’s just what she said.”

  “Nobody told me about this,” Stacy said.

  Dee Dee shook her head. “I guess you were busy makin’ lemonade.”

  Stacy thought about everything. “So, we’ll buy the flags with Granny’s money?”

  Dee Dee grinned. “Yep.”

  “Wow,” Stacy said.

  “Real cool,” Dee Dee added.

  “Well, there’s only one other problem now,” Stacy said.

  Dee Dee looked up at her. “The beanbag angel?” she asked.

  Stacy nodded. “I need to get it back. What can I do?”

  “I have an idea,” Dee Dee said. And she whispered in Stacy’s ear.

  Stacy listened carefully.

  Then she said, “You’re right. Thanks for a great idea!”

  And up the street she ran—to see Eric about the angel.

  When Stacy found Eric, he was playing with his hamster. A teeny-tiny cat collar was on Fran the Ham’s neck.

  “Nice trade,” Stacy said. She meant the cat collar.

  Eric looked up. “Oh, you heard?”

  She nodded. “You traded your treasures. Wanna trade something with me?” she asked.

  “Whatcha got?” he said.

  “A whole sale table full,” she replied.

  Eric smiled a strange little smile. “Really? You’d give me everything on the table?”

  Stacy nodded. “Only if you give back my beanie angel.”

  Eric rubbed his head. “You must really want it,” he said.

  “Sure do,” she said.

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

  She took a deep breath. “Abby gave it to me a long time ago.”

  Eric’s eyes nearly popped out. “Abby gave it to you?”

  “That’s why,” she said softly.

  “Why didn’t you tell me?” Eric said.

  “I should’ve,” Stacy replied. “I’m sorry.”

  Eric grinned at her. “This is our secret, OK?”

  “Thanks,” Stacy said.

  “And you can forget about trading the sale stuff,” he said. “I don’t want it.”

  Stacy smiled. “You’re a cheerful giver.”

  “Here, hold my hamster.” Eric ran inside to get the angel.

  Stacy held Fran the Ham carefully.

  At that moment, Abby and her family rode up the cul-de-sac. The Hunter family waved to her.

  Stacy called to them, “Welcome home!”

  Abby leaned out the van window. “Did I miss anything?” she asked.

  “You just wait,” Stacy said, grinning.

  Abby smiled back. “Double dabble good,” she said. Then she picked up two suitcases and ran to her house.

  Fran the Ham made twittering sounds in Stacy’s hand. Nothing special. Just cute little hamster noises.

  Stacy leaned over and whispered in the teeny-weeny ear. “Flag Day’s gonna be super. Thanks to a super-duper Granny.”

  She thought f
or a second. “Thanks to Eric, too.”

  Stacy felt great. Even if she had to say so herself.

  THE CUL-DE-SAC KIDS SERIES

  Don’t miss #16!

  TREE HOUSE

  TROUBLE

  Abby Hunter and Stacy Henry are busy with a spring project. They’re building a tree house (with a little help from Stacy’s grandpa).

  When the hideaway is finished, the girls discover that a very cool tree house can cause very BIG trouble. Especially when they start posting signs that read: “Definitely No Boys Allowed!”

  What will happen to their faithful motto: “The Cul-de-sac Kids stick together”? Is this the end for Abby’s club on Blossom Hill Lane?

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Beverly Lewis thinks yard sales are super. “Where can you have so much fun for a dime?” she says.

  Some “treasures” she’s found are a computer desk, a toy train with tracks, bikes, and a beanbag angel.

  Beverly thanks her sister for a great idea. (Barbara thought the Cul-de-sac Kids should trade their treasures in this book.)

  If you like mystery and humor, read all the Cul-de-sac Kids books. You’ll be glad you did!

  Also by Beverly Lewis

  The Beverly Lewis Amish Heritage Cookbook

  GIRLS ONLY (GO!)†

  Youth Fiction

  Girls Only! Volume One ·Girls Only! Volume Two

  SUMMERHILL SECRETS ‡

  Youth Fiction

  SummerHill Secrets: Volume One ·SummerHill Secrets: Volume Two

  HOLLY’S HEART

  Youth Fiction

  Holly’s Heart: Collection One ‡ ·Holly’s Heart: Collection Two ‡

  Holly’s Heart: Collection Three†

  SEASONS OF GRACE

  Adult Fiction

  The Secret ·The Missing ·The Telling

  ABRAM’S DAUGHTERS

  Adult Fiction

  The Covenant ·The Betrayal ·The Sacrifice

  The Prodigal ·The Revelation

  ANNIE’S PEOPLE

  Adult Fiction

  The Preacher’s Daughter ·The Englisher ·The Brethren

  THE ROSE TRILOGY

  Adult Fiction

  The Thorn

  COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER

  Adult Fiction

  The Parting ·The Forbidden ·The Longing

  THE HERITAGE OF LANCASTER COUNTY

  Adult Fiction

  The Shunning ·The Confession ·The Reckoning

  OTHER ADULT FICTION

  The Postcard ·The Crossroad ·The Redemption of Sarah Cain

  October Song ·Sanctuary (with David Lewis) ·The Sunroom

  www.BeverlyLewis.com

  †4 books in each volum ‡5 books in each volume

  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