“Get out!” Jennifer screeched, holding the knife with both hands.

Brendan raised his hands and looked to June. Watching Jennifer with the knife, June knew that she could easily disarm her without Shifting. In fact, a rare opportunity had presented itself: June had every right to attack Jennifer and unleash years of torment back onto her. June’s heart beat faster with excitement. Then she noticed Igor’s eyes, watching her. Young, innocent, not the eyes of a little demon. She bit down on her tongue and forced away the gleeful thoughts of all the painful things she could do to Jennifer.

June motioned toward the hallway with her head, and Brendan ran. But June backed away slowly, keeping her eyes facing Igor. He stood just behind Jennifer now with his head tilted like he was confused.

Raising the pitch of her voice, June said, “Argh, the treasure wasn't here. We're leaving.”

Igor nodded.

“What?” Jennifer said. “Don't make me, like, stab you!” She unconvincingly sliced the air. Then looking for Igor, she found him and moved to stand in front of him, knife pointed at June. At least she isn't trying to use him as a human shield, June thought. She's actually trying to protect him.

Convinced that Brendan was safely removed from Jennifer and the knife, and that Igor would be okay, June turned and ran down the hallway toward the sunroom and the back yard. She found Brendan just inside the back door shoving the Geiger counter into the backpack, and without a word they raced through the yard and past the pirate ship play set. June reached the concrete wall first and made a basket with her hands. Brendan stepped in and she boosted him up. He struggled again, and this time she did jump and push him—they had already been caught, now they needed speed more than stealth. Sure enough, he rolled over the top and fell to the other side with a scream and a thud.

June easily hopped up and over the wall and dropped to the other side as Brendan stood and dusted himself off. “What was that for?” he asked, but he had an enormous smile on his face. “Also, you touched my butt when you did that, so I hope it was worth it.”

“Oh, gross,” June said, and dramatically wiped her hand on a cottonwood tree. “I can't believe that was Jennifer Hammond.”

“I know. And she pulled a knife on us!” He paused. “I hope Igor's okay.”

“He is, I made sure,” June replied. “Let's get out of here.”

She grabbed his hand and led the way through the thick forest. Brendan had gotten really quiet as soon as she touched him, so June waited until they had gone about a mile before she stopped between two thickets of black gum trees. They stood in a pocket of moonlight and she pulled off her mask. Brendan did the same.

“I don’t think it was Crushov,” he said.

“Agreed. He was trying to figure out why the card reader failed.”

“Exactly! No vial, no Mr. Moseley. Plus, Crushov didn’t do an evil laugh or evil hand motions,” Brendan said with a straight face.

This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.

June waited to see if he would grin or laugh, but he remained stone-faced. So she laughed enough for the both of them. “Oh Brendan, I’m worried about what Blimey! Detectives has done to you.”

He tilted his chin up at her and winked. “It’s prepared me for nights like this, is what it’s done. We’ve ruled out Dr. Crushov for now. Where to next? I vote for your aunt’s house. She was the one with the snakes, right?” He playfully swatted at a few orange leaves hanging from a low branch nearby.

“Yes, she studies snakes, but I told you she isn’t a suspect. Dr. Chase is the next most-likely culprit, so let's go to his house. Wait here, you know the drill.”

As she moved to step behind the wide, gnarled trunk of a big sycamore tree a short distance away, her stomach thundered and she fell to her knees in pain.

Brendan rushed over. “June! Are you hurt?”

Holding her stomach like it might split open, she said, “No, I just need to eat something. It would be better if I Shift first. Just give me a minute.”

While Brendan watched with concern, she waited for the racking pain to subside. When it finally did, she disappeared behind the tree, stripped down, and Shifted, emerging moments later both monstrous and meek. Brendan was waiting with a packet of hot dogs already opened. He handed it to her, took her clothes, and turned around without a word. June smiled and felt a warmth in her tummy now, and she hadn’t even eaten a bite yet.

She downed the entire package in a few gulps. Her stomach felt better, but she was still hungry. Very hungry. She deliberated whether to ask for another round of hot dogs when Brendan broke the silence, his back still to her.

“Do you want another package?”

Her cheeks burned. If I don’t eat any more I’m just being smart and rationing our food, she thought. Brendan only grabbed six packages, and I’ve eaten two. Plus, a single package of hot dogs before they went into the school had lasted for a while.

Brendan spoke again. “Why are you embarrassed to eat around me?” He sounded hurt.

“I’m—it’s just—I’m not.”

“You’re my best friend. I’ve heard your stomach growl and I know you’re in pain when it does.”

“I’m fine.”

“June, you aren’t fine.” Brendan turned. His green eyes still carried approval and the warm something else. But lines of worry were etched around the corners too. “It’s fine if you don’t want me to watch. I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable. But I hope you’re not denying yourself what you really need because I’m here.”

In that moment, she wanted to hug him, and she wanted to punch him, and she didn’t know why she felt either way.

“Don’t flatter yourself,” she said, and tried hard to form a smirk. Her monstrous face didn’t move willingly.

He studied her. “Fine,” he eventually said. “You haven't told me much about the crime scene at the lab. What did you notice?”

June was relieved at the change of subject and filled Brendan in on everything she’d seen at the lab that morning.

“I don't know,” he said when she’d finished. “That sounds like a long message and a lot of blood. Maybe Mr. Moseley isn’t—”

“But the message said we'd exchange him for the research.”

“It said they would tell you where he is, not what kind of condition he would be in.”

“No,” June said, “what use is a hostage if they are—” She didn't finish the sentence; she didn’t even want to consider the possibility. “We need to go. Climb on.” She crouched.

Brendan hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. He stuck a hand in a pocket of his black pea-cloak and pulled out a pair of goggles. So that was the favor he had asked from Igor. When they were adjusted and situated on his face, June realized they were Scooby Doo goggles. One lens reflected Scooby, and one lens reflected Shaggy. If she’d been drinking anything, it would have come out of her nose.

She was shaking with so much laughter that Brendan couldn’t get situated on her back for a solid minute.

“And what’s so funny about this?” he asked as he tried to wrangle his arms around her neck.

“Those goggles have Scooby Doo all over them,” she said, fighting desperately to control the giggles.

“I think that’s pretty appropriate considering we’re out solving a mystery,” he replied emphatically.

That response cost them another minute while June laughed until tears matted the fur around her eyes, and then they were rocketing toward Dr. Chase’s house.