The Case of the Bug on the Run Read Online Free PDF

appears some other spy is using him for his or her own purposes.”
    I looked at Tessa. “So whoever stole him yesterday afternoon must’ve attached a transmitter before they brought him back.”
    Granny raised her eyebrows. “I don’t recall anyone telling me the bug had been stolen.”
    â€œThat’s because you said you didn’t want to hear it,” said Tessa sweetly. “Remember?”
    I explained before Granny could reply. “We noticed the bug was missing at, uh . . . about sixteen-forty-five. He was back when we came in from Mr. Amaro’s dinner at, uh . . . twenty thirty hundred hours. That’s four-forty-five till eight-thirty in regular-people time, not quite four hours.”
    Mr. Morgan nodded. “And presumably he had beenreturned by twenty-oh-seven when the device picked up the signal from your bedroom.”
    â€œBut wait a second,” Tessa said. “We’ve seen our bug since he came back. There’s no camera attached to him. He just looks regular.”
    Mr. Morgan nodded. “With miniaturization technology, the transmitter could be very tiny. It may also have been camouflaged—painted to match the cockroach.”
    Mom cleared her throat and looked at her watch. “If you’ll excuse me, I have a meeting with Mr. Schott and the joint chiefs five minutes ago. What is it you want the children to do, gentlemen?”
    Mr. Morgan said, “Find out who bugged the bug.”
    Mr. Webb nodded.
    Mom stood up. “All right, fine. Provided, of course”—she looked at Granny—“you think it’s safe?”
    â€œI think we can keep it safe, yes,” said Granny.
    Mom nodded. “Good luck, muffins. You, too, Nate. I’ll talk to you tonight.”
    Mr. Morgan and Mr. Webb stood up. Mom shook hands with each of them. When she was gone, Mr. Webb took a crumpled piece of paper from his vest pocket and handed it to Mr. Morgan, who looked it over.
    â€œThis is our plan of action,” Mr. Morgan said. “The first step is to disable the transmitter. However, I must warn you. Our technician cannot ensure your pet’s structural integrity.”
    Tessa looked at Nate. “Translation?”
    â€œHe means when they unhook the transmitter,they might squash James Madison by accident,” Nate explained.
    Tessa looked horrified. “That is not okay! And anyway, who cares what goes on in Cammie’s and my room? We hardly have any secrets . . . I mean, unless you count the snack stash in Cammie’s underwear drawer.”
    Granny said, “What snack stash?” at the same time that I said, “How did you know about that?” and Nate said, “Anything good?”
    Mr. Morgan wasn’t interested in my snacks. “I think you underestimate the risks,” he said. “All sorts of people could be interested in something you girls say, or something your parents or grandmother says to you—a foreign power, a reporter, even the political opposition. You may not even realize what you know and what you talk about.”
    â€œHe has a point, Tessa.” I remembered how Mom had told us her worries over Mr. Schott’s drone last night.
    Tessa said, “But that doesn’t mean you can just go squishing my pet!”
    In our family, I am quiet, Tessa is loud, and Nate is smart. Now I thought of something that might be a good idea, but—not being either smart or loud—I felt shy about saying it.
    â€œUh . . . ,” I mumbled.
    â€œGo ahead, Cameron,” said Granny.
    â€œWell,” I finally said, “what if we leave the transmitter alone?”
    Nate twirled his finger next to his head—
crazy
—andpointed at me. The grown-ups shook their heads. Even Tessa looked doubtful.
    Oh, fine. What else had I expected?
    Still, I tried to explain: If we left the transmitter alone, the spy—whoever it