Colin Fischer Read Online Free PDF

and cocked her head slightly. Colin was going somewhere—it was a game he was playing, but she was pleased to play along. At least for the moment.
    “It costs three hundred dollars,” he continued. “I know this because my mother wanted to buy me one, and my father told her absolutely not would he pay thatmuch money for something he was certain I would lose. Whoever bought this phone could afford to lose three hundred dollars. He also had the technical know-how to replace the SIM card and the forethought to plant the phone where Mr. Gates would not be able to find it quickly. Our adversary is intelligent, resourceful, and cunning.”
    “Our
adversary
,” Dr. Doran repeated, a little dubious.
    “Yes,” Colin insisted. “This was intended for me. A ringing cell phone is a distraction in any classroom, but not worth three hundred dollars by itself. The person who did this knows me, and he knew how I would react. So whoever it was went to the same middle school I did and has taken classes with me in the past. That narrows down our list of suspects considerably.” He returned the SIM card to its slot and handed the phone back to Dr. Doran.
    “Okay, cut to the chase,” Dr. Doran pressed. “Who was it? I’ll suspend him so fast he’ll think he’s still on summer vacation.”
    “You’ll never make it stick.” Colin frowned. “Our adversary is too smart.”
    “Colin,” Dr. Doran said, “just give me the name.”
    “Rudolph Talbott Moore,” Colin said simply.
    “And do you know why Rudy Moore would spend all of this money and go to all of this trouble just to make you bark like a dog? For a laugh?”
    Colin shook his head. Adjusted his glasses. “Thechoice of ring tones was a message, directed at me. ‘The 1812 Overture.’ It was a declaration of war.”
    “Yes, Colin. But why?”
    “I suspect it has something to do with the Strange Case of the Talking Doll.”
    “What was strange about the talking doll?”
    “It barked. Like a dog.”
    “I see.”
    “May I be excused?”
    Dr. Doran nodded, and Colin exited without another word between them.
    Colin was on the thirty-ninth step between the main office and class when he saw Sandy Ryan at Eddie Martin’s locker. She had just finished popping open the door and was reaching inside to grab Eddie’s Notre Dame jacket, which she slipped over her shoulders. Colin furrowed his brow and reached for his Notebook—was he witnessing a crime in progress? Could Sandy be so foolish as to believe she could get away with it?
         10:15 A.M. Sandy Ryan at Eddie’s locker. Is she a thief, or has her relationship with Eddie progressed to proto-cohabitation and a de facto communal property agreement?
    If Sandy was aware of Colin, she gave no indication.She just stood at Eddie’s locker, frozen, evidently lost in thought. Colin crept closer, as though he were bird-watching and Sandy was a particularly skittish sparrow. He was about to record his further thoughts and observations on teenage relationship dynamics when he heard the school doors open and the
thud
of familiar, heavy footsteps. Wayne Connelly.
    Wayne approached, silhouetted by the midday sun through the wide front doors. Colin noted the cool air blowing up the hall and realized the door behind Wayne was not quite closed. He was coming in from outside. Colin looked back to his Notebook. Sandy was forgotten. He barely registered the metallic
clank
of Eddie’s locker slamming shut or the staccato
squish
of Sandy’s tennis shoes against the tile as she hurried away. He frowned as he considered Wayne and noted the strangeness of the moment:
         Wayne, 3rd period. Comes in from outside. Very interesting. Investigate.
    Wayne stopped, gaze fixed on Colin. Colin’s eyes met Wayne’s; he was surprised to see no MALICE on his usual tormentor’s face, just HESITATION .
    Colin closed his Notebook and put away his pen. He was on step number forty-three when he heard Wayne’s voice.
    “Where’re you