Button Hill Read Online Free PDF Page A

head. “You’re right, Riley. You win. And now for your prize.” Dekker grabbed the cellar door and watched Riley’s face disappear as he slid it shut. Then he locked it with the latch.
    Riley screamed. “Dekker, that’s mean!”
    â€œUse the walkie-talkie if you want to say something, stupid,” he said into his. “You have to stay down there until I get upstairs.” Dekker started to climb the stairs to the kitchen. His handset crackled.
    â€œI’m telling Mom!”
    â€œShe’s not back for days, remember?”
    â€œI’m telling Auntie!”
    â€œI’ll tell her myself. Hey, Aunt Primrose, Riley’s locked in the cellar! Oh, wait—she left too.”
    â€œLet me out! Dekker!” Lightning flashed in the kitchen window, and a burst of static interrupted her shouting.
    Dekker climbed the stairs to his room. Ranger was sitting on the bed, looking at him. “What are you staring at?” Dekker pushed the button on his walkie-talkie. “I’m in my bedroom now. Do you still read me?” He waited, but the speaker only crackled with background static. Rain pelted against the window. He turned up the volume and tried again. “You have to answer, Riley. I can’t let you up until you do.” The speaker hissed again as lightning flashed outside. “Argh. Stupid weather. Come on, Ranger. We’ll go let my wussy sister out.”
    Dekker banged down the basement stairs, and Ranger followed. When they reached the cellar door, he shouted, “All right, you can come up now.” He undid the latch, and the rail shrieked as he pulled the door across. “Game’s over.” All was quiet. He turned to Ranger. “See? Now she’s trying to scare me.” He went down into the cellar. “Riley, you win. You can come out now.” He looked around. Nothing moved. The clock ticked steadily in the corner.
    The hatch that had been locked over the old well lay to one side. Dekker leaned over the hole. It was dark and deep.
    Up the stone stairs, in the basement, the old-fashioned phone began to ring.

Four
    Dekker’s mind raced as he followed Ranger out of the cellar into the basement. Please don’t be down the well, please don’t be down the well, he pleaded silently. The antique phone was ringing like an alarm clock, nonstop. He picked up the earpiece hanging on the side and leaned toward the mouthpiece. “Hello?” he said. The line crackled and popped. “Who’s there?”
    A voice seethed back. “Dekker. I want to play Finding Things with you.”
    â€œWho is this?”
    â€œFind me and maybe I’ll tell you. I’m in the deepest place in the house.” The phone made a series of clicks and went dead.
    â€œWhere’s my sister?” Dekker shouted into the phone, but there was no reply. His heart began to hammer. He tried his mom’s cell-phone number on the rotary dial, but no sound came out of the earpiece. It was like the old phone wasn’t even connected. But how could that be? He scanned the basement and called, “Riley, are you there? Come out!” But there was nobody by the freezer or under the stairs, and none of the boxes had been disturbed.
    Dekker ran back down to the cellar. He tried not to look at the open well. He checked the cupboards again. Ranger stood at the top of the stairs, whining. Dekker felt a light tap on his left shoulder, and he whirled around. “Who’s there?” Something tapped him on the head, and he jumped. He looked up and saw the vegetable chute high above. A muddy raindrop dripped onto his nose. The hole at the top was leaking. “The chute! She must have climbed up there. But how?”
    The chute was at least eight feet off the floor, and there was nothing to stand on. No way she could have jumped or climbed. Thunder sounded in the distance. Water ran steadily into the cellar from above.
    Dekker finally