Page 58 of The Executioners Three
Once more, Freddie was left rolling her eyes at freakin’ rich kids. They had no idea how lucky they were. Then again, right now wasn’t the moment for jealousy. Not when she needed one of those wealthy chosen to trickle down some of his good fortune. Noblesse oblige and all that.
“Is there anything else I can help you with, Freddie?”
“Yeah, actually. Do you know anything about this poem?” Freddie withdrew a handwritten copy of “The Executioners Three.”
But when Miss Gupta read the title, all Freddie earned was a wrinkled brow. Then a headshake. “Who wrote it?”
“I don’t know. It was in a book calledThe Curse of Allard Fortinby Edgar…” Oh gosh, what was the guy’s last name? “Fabre! Edgar Fabre.”
“I can go look if we have that. Do you need the book?”
“No, no. I…theyhave it at the Village Historique. But maybe you could search the poem’s title? And the guy’s name?”
“You bet. I’ll see what our database turns up.” Off the librarian went,and Freddie returned her focus to the microfiche. But after Freddie had printed off a few more articles, Miss Gupta returned with her frown etched even deeper and a single book in hand. “Freddie, I couldn’t find any record of that book you named. Or the author. Are you sure you have it right?”
“Um.” Freddie wasmostlysure. But she was also suddenly doubting herself. After all, the reason she owned Xena was because shedidn’thave a photographic memory like so many sleuths in so many of the books she liked to read.
“You said this was at the Village’s archives?” Miss Gupta now asked. “There are a lot of books in there that are too old to have made it into our databases. When was this published?”
“The 1940s, I think.”
“Oh, not that old.” The librarian flashed an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry, then. I don’t think I can offer much more help. I did at least find a different book for you, though. It mentions a number of people named Fabre.”
Freddie glanced at the title.A History of Bellfounding in America. Bells again—always bells. “Sure,” Freddie said. “I might as well try it. Thanks, Miss Gupta.”
After checking out the book, Freddie hurried once more into the overcast cold of midday. A few minutes later, and Divya’s dulcet tones were filtering through Sabrina.
“There you are, Fred! I’ve been waitingso long.”
“It’s only been two hours since we left the school.”
“Exactly.So long.”
“Where are you?” Freddie asked while she unlocked Steve’s bike. “Are you still with the Prank Squad?”
“Yeah. We just came up with our plan for tomorrow.”
“Oh?” Freddie paused, one leg swung over the bike. “What did you decide?”
“Crickets,” came Laina, her voice in President Steward mode. “We’ll release them in the school.”
“All that noise will drive everyone bananas,” Kyle chimed.
“And,” Divya picked back up, “we’ve already sent Cat and Luis out to every pet store and bait shop in a twenty-mile radius. By tomorrow we should have alotof crickets.”
Freddie had to admit: this was actually quite clever. No, it was not onpar with dead fish in the air ducts and a hell-blasting furnace, but that was what the Prank Wizard was for. Freddie could work with this baseline—andshe could shape it into her own research needs.
“We’re just stuck,” Laina said, “because we don’t know how to get into the school. A nighttime sneak attack won’t work a second time.”
“And no one wants to go back through that forest again anyway,” Kyle muttered.
No one argued with this.
“So you got any ideas?” Divya asked.
Freddie summoned her loudest, most belly-fueled laugh. “Do I have any ideas? Oh, Divya, never doubt the Answer Finder, also known as your Esteemed Prank Wizard.”
“I wasn’t.”
