Read Online Phantom Horse by Bonnie Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bonnie Bryant
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be overheard. The other students were all clustered around Adam and Max or checking their own cubbies for missing items.
“What?” Lisa asked.
“It means Shannon is still our number one suspect,” Stevie whispered.
“What makes you say that?” Lisa whispered back. “I still think Troy is just as likely a suspect, and he was here today, too. Not to mention Veronica, of course; although, as obnoxious as she is, I seriously doubt that she’s the thief.”
“But think about it,” Stevie said. “Things have only disappeared when Shannon is around. Isn’t that just a little too coincidental?”
“It’s a bit strange,” Lisa said. She went to the bench in front of her cubby and sat down to take off her riding boots. “But then again, things have only disappeared so far when the whole riding class is around, too. It could be a coincidence that Shannon has been here both times. If Troy is the thief, wouldn’t it make sense for him to wait to take things until there are a lot of people around? Besides, we don’t know for sure that nothing has disappeared at other times. Max wouldn’t necessarily mention it if anyone in his adult riding classes has had things stolen, or his private students,or even the younger kids’ class.” She tossed the boots into her cubby and started lacing up her shoes.
“Well, maybe,” Stevie said. She didn’t look convinced. “But you have to admit it makes Shannon look awfully guilty.”
“I’m not saying you’re wrong,” Lisa said tactfully. She knew that once her friend got an idea in her head it was usually hard to dislodge it. “I’m just saying we should keep our options open. For all we know, the thief could be someone we haven’t even thought of yet.”
“Like who? Max?” Stevie demanded impatiently.
Lisa rolled her eyes, feeling a little impatient herself. “I don’t know, Stevie. But no matter what we think, we can’t accuse anyone without some real evidence.”
“Hmm,” Stevie said thoughtfully. She watched as Max walked out of the room with Adam. Once they had convinced themselves that none of their things had been stolen, the other students began putting on their jackets and leaving. “I guess you’re right about that. So there’s only one thing to do. We have to lay a trap so we can catch Shannon red-handed.”
“How are we going to do that?” Lisa asked.
“Just leave it to me,” Stevie said. “I’ll think of something. In fact, I think something is starting to come to me already. I’ll be right back,” she said suddenly. She turned abruptly and hurried out of the room.
Lisa shrugged and turned back to her cubby to get herjacket and backpack. A moment later Carole entered and sat down on the bench next to her. “Oh, there you are,” Lisa said, glancing up quickly and then continuing to dig through her backpack. She had just remembered that her science teacher had given the class homework, and she wasn’t sure she’d brought home her science textbook. “You missed all the excitement.” Not noticing the worried look in Carole’s eyes, she began to fill her in on what had happened.
Meanwhile Stevie had found Joe and Shannon in the driveway, waiting for Shannon’s mother to pick them up. They were standing close together and talking quietly, but that didn’t stop Stevie. She walked over and came to a stop right in front of them.
“Hi there,” she said with a big smile.
Joe looked up in surprise. “Oh, um, hi there, Stevie,” he said. “What’s up?” Shannon didn’t say anything, but she smiled shyly at Stevie and took a step away from Joe.
“Not much,” Stevie replied. “I just wanted to ask Shannon how she’s liking spending time at Pine Hollow.”
“Oh, she loves it,” Joe assured Stevie, stepping a little closer to Shannon.
Stevie noticed Shannon edging away from Joe again. Stevie turned to her. “Is that right, Shannon?” she asked. “I mean, of course all of us love Pine Hollow or we wouldn’t spend so
“What?” Lisa asked.
“It means Shannon is still our number one suspect,” Stevie whispered.
“What makes you say that?” Lisa whispered back. “I still think Troy is just as likely a suspect, and he was here today, too. Not to mention Veronica, of course; although, as obnoxious as she is, I seriously doubt that she’s the thief.”
“But think about it,” Stevie said. “Things have only disappeared when Shannon is around. Isn’t that just a little too coincidental?”
“It’s a bit strange,” Lisa said. She went to the bench in front of her cubby and sat down to take off her riding boots. “But then again, things have only disappeared so far when the whole riding class is around, too. It could be a coincidence that Shannon has been here both times. If Troy is the thief, wouldn’t it make sense for him to wait to take things until there are a lot of people around? Besides, we don’t know for sure that nothing has disappeared at other times. Max wouldn’t necessarily mention it if anyone in his adult riding classes has had things stolen, or his private students,or even the younger kids’ class.” She tossed the boots into her cubby and started lacing up her shoes.
“Well, maybe,” Stevie said. She didn’t look convinced. “But you have to admit it makes Shannon look awfully guilty.”
“I’m not saying you’re wrong,” Lisa said tactfully. She knew that once her friend got an idea in her head it was usually hard to dislodge it. “I’m just saying we should keep our options open. For all we know, the thief could be someone we haven’t even thought of yet.”
“Like who? Max?” Stevie demanded impatiently.
Lisa rolled her eyes, feeling a little impatient herself. “I don’t know, Stevie. But no matter what we think, we can’t accuse anyone without some real evidence.”
“Hmm,” Stevie said thoughtfully. She watched as Max walked out of the room with Adam. Once they had convinced themselves that none of their things had been stolen, the other students began putting on their jackets and leaving. “I guess you’re right about that. So there’s only one thing to do. We have to lay a trap so we can catch Shannon red-handed.”
“How are we going to do that?” Lisa asked.
“Just leave it to me,” Stevie said. “I’ll think of something. In fact, I think something is starting to come to me already. I’ll be right back,” she said suddenly. She turned abruptly and hurried out of the room.
Lisa shrugged and turned back to her cubby to get herjacket and backpack. A moment later Carole entered and sat down on the bench next to her. “Oh, there you are,” Lisa said, glancing up quickly and then continuing to dig through her backpack. She had just remembered that her science teacher had given the class homework, and she wasn’t sure she’d brought home her science textbook. “You missed all the excitement.” Not noticing the worried look in Carole’s eyes, she began to fill her in on what had happened.
Meanwhile Stevie had found Joe and Shannon in the driveway, waiting for Shannon’s mother to pick them up. They were standing close together and talking quietly, but that didn’t stop Stevie. She walked over and came to a stop right in front of them.
“Hi there,” she said with a big smile.
Joe looked up in surprise. “Oh, um, hi there, Stevie,” he said. “What’s up?” Shannon didn’t say anything, but she smiled shyly at Stevie and took a step away from Joe.
“Not much,” Stevie replied. “I just wanted to ask Shannon how she’s liking spending time at Pine Hollow.”
“Oh, she loves it,” Joe assured Stevie, stepping a little closer to Shannon.
Stevie noticed Shannon edging away from Joe again. Stevie turned to her. “Is that right, Shannon?” she asked. “I mean, of course all of us love Pine Hollow or we wouldn’t spend so
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