Coach Amos Read Online Free Page A

blaster. “I guess that’s enough practice for today. You’re getting better all the time. By my calculations, if we keep working, you ought to have it by Christmas.”
    “As long as you supply the popcorn, I’ll keep practicing.” Amos plopped onto Dunc’s bed.
    Dunc straightened the bedspread and carefully sat down beside him. He took out his pocket notebook and flipped through the pages. “I can’t quite figure out this case. It’s too weird.”
    “I’ll say.” Amos reached for another handful of popcorn. “We’ve never had the mafia after us before.”
    “We don’t have the mafia after us. I told you, that was somebody’s idea of a joke. Either that, or someone who’s afraid our team might win tomorrow.”
    “Nobody in their right mind would be afraid of that.”
    Dunc flipped another page. “I called around. Nobody rented any limousines yesterday. Whoever it was either already owned one, or they went out of town to get it.”
    Amos wiped his mouth. “It doesn’t make sense. Who would go to that much trouble over a T-ball game?”
    “Gamblers. I studied the notes from Mr. Posey’s desk last night. I don’t know why I didn’t see it before. The words next to each game are betting terms.”
    “Why would gamblers bet on a little kids’ game? I thought they stuck to horse races and cards and stuff.”
    “I’ve read that there are some guys who are so addicted to gambling, they’ll bet on anything that moves.”
    Amos sat up. “Do you think Mr. Posey is betting on our game?”
    “I can’t prove it, but it looks that way.”
    “Do you think he’s betting for us or against us?”
    Dunc tapped his chin. “Hard to say. But after tonight, we should find out.”
    “What happens tonight?”
    Dunc smiled. “Tonight we use the phone number I copied off that sheet at Posey’s store and set a trap for whoever’s trying to rig these games.”
    “No.”
    “What do you mean—no?”
    “I mean no. I have other, important plans for my evening. And they don’t include setting traps for the mafia.”
    Dunc frowned. “I told you … never mind. What kind of important plans?”
    “Tonight’s channel sixteen movie is
The Worm That Slimed Los Angeles.
It was an old black-and-white, but they colorized it. It’s going to be great. Donny Wilson says the worm is kind of fake-looking, but he burps this really neat slime that turns people into sewer material.”
    “Amos, I don’t think you’re getting the big picture here.”
    “Yes, I am. Donny said I could watch it on his big-screen TV.”
    Dunc sighed. “Amos. What I mean is—this is important. There’s no telling how many games these guys have tried to fix. We owe it to our community to do something.”
    “I don’t know.”
    Dunc tried a different tack. “Your team will think you’re a hero. Ms. Fishbeck will be proud. She might even forget all about how you trashed her office. And Melissa …”
    “What about Melissa?”
    “Well, she
is
Sarah’s baby-sitter. She’s bound to be grateful if we catch these guys.”
    “Grateful?”
    Dunc nodded.
    “How grateful do you think she’ll be?”
    “It’s hard to tell. We won’t know for sure until tomorrow.”
    Amos had another silly grin on his face. “Grateful …”

“I’m not too sure about this.”
    “Would I ask you to do anything wrong?”
    Amos stared at him.
    Dunc leaned against the pay phone. “Everything’s falling into place. All you have to do is give your best imitation of Mr. Posey. Tell whoever answers the phone that the bet on the T-ball game is off, and if they don’t like it, they can come down to the game tomorrow and talk about it.”
    “Why do
I
have to do it?”
    “Because you have his breathing down. And besides, I made sure Mr. Posey would be at the game tomorrow, didn’t I? And Ialso called Mrs. Johnson at the newspaper and explained everything to her so she would bring her video camera to the game. You want to get at least some of the credit for all