Novel - Half Moon Investigations Read Online Free Page A

And I got the feeling that the anger was not all directed at me.
    “As far as I’m concerned it’s a closed case, but I’d advise your brother to steer clear of Bella for a while.”
    Red nodded, accepting the advice, then remembered that he was supposed to be angry at me. He leaned in close, brushing against me.
    “Roddy will steer clear of Bella, and you steer clear of us. As of now, Half Moon, you are retired. Got it?”
    I stared him down. I wasn’t retiring for him or anyone else. I thought I was being really brave holding his gaze like that, but five minutes later I realized that this was just what Red Sharkey wanted. It gave him the opportunity to steal my badge.

I GET A STICK FIGURE
    I SAT ON ONE OF THE baby seats outside Mrs. Quinn’s door waiting for the red light to turn green. Red meant Do not disturb; green meant Knock. This was a code that even the kindergartners could follow.
    I felt sick to my stomach. My badge was gone. Just like that, I was back to being a normal kid. Of course, I knew in theory that the badge was just a hunk of metal, and that I was just as much a detective without it. But I had studied for two years to win that badge, and for the past six months it had made me feel special, extraordinary. Without it, I was just another kid who thought he was Sherlock Holmes.
    I had to get my badge back, that’s all there was to it. I knew where it was, or rather I knew who knew where it was, but I had zero evidence and even less chance of a confession. But where there was a theft, there was evidence. I would find that evidence and present it to Red. Then he could either give me back my shield, or I would take my evidence to the police.
    Someone sat beside me. I was amazed to find it was April Devereux. She grinned, and I could see a lump of neon-blue chewing gum behind her perfect teeth.
    “Hi, April. Are you in trouble, too?”
    April shook her head, setting rows of pink beads in her hair rattling like snakes. “Hardly. I don’t do trouble. Just delivering a message for Fitz.” April pronounced message the French way.
    Mr. Fitzgerald was our teacher. He thought allowing us to call him Fitz would make him cool and trendy. He had about as much chance of being cool as I had of winning Olympic gold in the high jump.
    “I just stopped to ask how much you charge?”
    “Charge?”
    April pulled a ten-euro note from her pocket.
    “For detective work. Like finding the organizer.”
    “I suppose ten would be fair for today. I did put myself at considerable risk.”
    April laughed. “Are you serious, Half Moon? I did-n’t hire you for that. You were soooo lucky with that cookie tin, by the way. A pedicure is thirty, so you’d be, like, a third that important. So I’ll give you this ten for a retainer. If you take it, then you work for me.”
    I didn’t ignore the note, but I didn’t grab it either. I wasn’t really used to dealing with girls, unless I was questioning them about missing pencil cases or asking some of the rougher ones to give me back my lunch box.
    “A retainer? To investigate what?”
    April stood, flicking her hair over one shoulder. With her pink puff jacket on, she looked like a marshmallow.
    “It’s more Sharkey trouble, I’m afraid. Not just the little stinky one. The whole family.”
    I patted the pocket where my badge used to be. Red Sharkey was involved. I had already decided to investigate the Sharkeys, this could be a way to make a few euros while I was about it. Do a bit of snooping around for April, and dig up some dirt on Red. Who knows, I may even catch him red-handed with my badge. A couple of surveillance photos later, and the long arm of the law would be getting a lot shorter for Red.
    “Okay,” I said. “Tell me all about this case.”
    April had pulled out a compact mirror, and was checking her reflection.
    “Bonjour,” she said to herself in the mirror. “How are you? You look great. Have you lost weight?”
    I cleared my throat. “Hello. April.