The Case of the Rock 'n' Roll Dog Read Online Free PDF Page B

held something up.
    â€œSki Barbie!” Tessa said. “Thanks for finding her, Mom.”
    â€œHmmph,” Mom said. “Those poles are sharp!” Then she apologized for coming in so late. “The senators are still arguing about that energy bill. If it goes much longer, I’ll have to run up to Capitol Hill and knock heads together.”
    â€œCool!” Tessa said. “Can I watch?”
    Mom laughed. “I didn’t mean it literally. I meant, uh . . . I’ll have to offer some encouragement. Now, what did you girls do today?”
    We told her about school and about how Hooligan went AWOL again. I was going to explain how Colonel Michaels had assigned us to find his baton, but by then it was obvious Mom had other things on her mind.
    â€œI wanted to talk to you about Nathan,” she said. “I’ve been thinking, and I have a suggestion to help you all get along better. And no, Tessa. It is
not
San Diego.”
    Tessa frowned.
    Mom continued. “What I was thinking is that family relations are like international relations. For example, lately the United States has not been getting along with the government of a certain nearby nation. Now, what do you think my secretary of state has advised me to do?”
    I thought of Nate. “Declare war?”
    Mom gave me a look. “No, Cameron. What he suggests is that we
help
the other country—send experts and money to make their farms and roads and hospitals better.”
    â€œNate hasn’t got farms and roads and hospitals,” Tessa said. “And I spent my allowance on pink boots. Remember?”
    I helped Mom out. “Are you saying we should be nice to Nate?”
    Mom nodded. “Exactly.”
    â€œI don’t know much about other countries,” Tessa said, “but I know my cousin, and that is a
dumb
idea.”
    â€œTessa!” I said. “You can’t say ‘dumb’ to the president.”
    â€œI didn’t say ‘dumb’ to the president. I said ‘dumb’ to my mother. Aren’t we supposed to express our opinions?”
    â€œWe’re supposed to be polite,” I said.
    â€œCould I say something?” Mom asked.
    â€œYou should express your opinion,” Tessa said.
    Mom said thank you, she planned to, then, “I’m wondering if either of you has ever heard the saying,‘You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar’? It means nice often gets you what you want.”
    â€œSo if we’re nice, Nate will leave?” Tessa said.
    Mom didn’t say anything right away. I think she was counting to ten. Finally she took a breath. “Let’s try an experiment,” she said. “How about if you two are extra nice to Nate and we see what happens? One week only.”
    It’s tough to say no when Mom is being reasonable. “One week only,” I repeated. “Tessa?”
    â€œOne week only,” Tessa grumbled.
    All this time Mom had been sitting on Tessa’s bed. Now Tessa twined both arms around mom’s neck. Gently, Mom removed one arm, then the other. She gave Tessa a kiss. She came over and gave me one, too.
    At the door, she said, “Good night, muffins,” but I could tell already her mind had moved to other things—probably knocking heads together.
    Our door closed.
    Tessa whispered, “Cameron? I don’t get it. Is Mom saying Nate’s a fly?”
    I yawned. “I think so. Sort of.”
    â€œThat’s what I thought,” Tessa said. “So after we’re done with being nice, we should try a different experiment.”
    â€œWhat’s that?”
    Tessa giggled. “A fly swatter.”

CHAPTER NINE

    THE next morning, Tessa started right in with nice. “Good morning, Cousin Nathan. May I get you a glass of orange juice?”
    Nate is always the last one up. That day his eyes were barely open. He looked at Tessa through his lashes. “Are