The Great Shelby Holmes Read Online Free PDF

floors, wood paneling, and mural walls. I felt like we were on the set of some movie about superrich people back in the 1940s. But people actually lived like this. For real.
    My grandma once came to Kentucky to visit us. We took a day trip to Nashville since it was the closest big city. Grandma took Mom and me to a fancy hotel for tea. At the time, I couldn’t imagine staying even a night at such a nice place, let alone living every single day in such a ridiculously fancy building.
    John, you’re not in Kentucky anymore.
    “Any word, Javier?” Tamra asked the man at the security desk, who was wearing the same gray-and-red uniform as the doorman.
    He shook his head solemnly. “Nothing, but don’t you worry, Miss Lacy. We’ll find your Daisy.”
    Another man tipped his cap as he hit the elevator button for Tamra.
    Once we got inside, Shelby started talking in a whisper. “Tamra, I need you to inform your family and whoever else we meet that we are familiar acquaintances. I can’t have people know I’m here to investigate. This way, they’ll be more natural around me and I can study them freely.”
    “But nobody in my family would do this—they all love Daisy,” Tamra protested.
    The elevator came to a stop on the twenty-fourth floor. Once we were inside the apartment, I stopped in my tracks. Although the building appeared to be old, Tamra’sapartment was the exact opposite. It was like I stepped into some futuristic home. Everything was made of glass, white marble, shiny silver, or leather. Every item looked new, expensive, and extremely breakable. I was afraid to walk around for fear that I’d accidentally smash one of the large glass vases overflowing with flowers that seemed to be on every surface.
    I’d never seen anything like it.
    (I need to start getting out more.)
    “You’re home!” a voice cried out. A woman who had the same big brown eyes as Tamra hugged her and said, “I know you’re upset, but don’t go running off like that, okay? We can’t have any more members of the family go missing.”
    “I’m sorry, Mom.” Tamra hugged her back. “I went to find some friends.”
    “Hi, Mrs. Lacy!” Shelby’s voice was a lot louder than normal (which was saying a lot). “Yes, we are friends . Great friends ! Allow me to introduce myself, since I have not yet had the good fortune to make your acquaintance. I’m Shelby Holmes. I attend school with Tamra!” She then laughed really hard as if someone had told a joke.
    Was this Shelby being calm undercover? If so, we were in trouble.
    “Ah, I’m John Watson,” I said to distract everybody from Shelby’s jittery behavior, and shook Mrs. Lacy’s hand like anormal person would do . “Nice to meet you, ma’am. You have a nice home.”
    “Thank you, John.” Mrs. Lacy looked around the apartment nonchalantly.
    “Why, yes, it is rather lovely.” Shelby put her arm around Tamra, who in turn placed her head in her hand, probably wondering what she was thinking, asking Shelby over. “Well done!”
    Mrs. Lacy tilted her head at Shelby, perhaps curious as to why Tamra would’ve chosen this tense time to bring home a new friend, especially one acting so uncomfortably. “It’s nice to meet you both. Thank you for being here for Tamra. We’re all at a loss about what could’ve possibly happened to our Daisy.” Mrs. Lacy looked like a model (and more like Tamra’s older sister than her mom). Every hair was in place, and she had on about fourteen different pieces of jewelry and sky-high heels (how can girls walk in those things?). I felt out of place in a ratty T-shirt and shorts.
    “Has Dad called the cops yet?” Tamra asked, getting us back to the pressing matter of the missing dog.
    “Not yet, sweetheart.” She wrapped her arms around her daughter.
    “Ugh, don’t call the cops,” Shelby groaned. “I mean, what are the cops going to do? Am I right?” She then snorted so loudly I wanted to crawl into a hole for her.
    Mrs. Lacy nodded at