Taffy Sinclair 005 - Blackmailed by Taffy Sinclair Read Online Free Page A
Author: Betsy Haynes
wallet back?" I protested. "The custodian should have found it and given it back to her already. Maybe she won't care who took it anymore."
"Get serious," said Katie. "The money was gone from the wallet, right? She's going to want to know who the thief is as much as ever."
"Okay, Jana," said Christie. "I think it's time you went to Wiggins and told her the whole story. You know we'll all back you up. We'll tell her that you showed us the wallet and told us what happened and that you were afraid she'd think you were a thief so you put it where it would be found. She wo uld have to believe all of us."
"Yeah," said Melanie. "We should have done that in the first place."
When I didn't say anything for a few minutes, Katie frowned at me and said, "Well? Are you going to do it?"
I shook my head. "It won't work," I said miserably.
"Why not?" demanded Beth.
"Because everybody, including Wiggins, knows what good friends we are and that we always stick up for each other. Besides, if Taffy decides to tell what she saw, then it will be our word against hers. And you know that Taffy has always been a teacher's pet. Wiggins would believe her in a minute before she'd believe us."
"Couldn't you talk to your mom, Christie?" asked Melanie.
"No. She makes a point of staying out of any trouble I'm involved in. She says it's not good policy and that the teachers w ould resent it if she stuck her nose into their business."
At that moment every bit of confidence I ever had drained away, and a helpless feeling settled in its place. "So where does that leave me?" I pleaded.
Everybody looked at me sympathetically, but no one had an answer.
"I guess I don't have any choice," I said with a sigh. "I'll just have to wait and see what happens next."
What happened next was that Alexis Duvall came running up to us as we headed for our lockers.
"Have you heard what Taffy Sinclair is saying?"
I stopped dead still in my tracks. I tried to swallow, but I couldn't. I could tell that my friends were worried, too. Finally Melanie spoke up.
"No, what? Not that any of us would believe anything she said anyway."
"She says that she knows who the thief is and that maybe, just MAYBE, she'll tell. Can you believe that? There really is a thief in our room, and Taffy knows who it is!"
You would have thought from the way Alexis was prancing around that someone had just told her there really was a Santa Claus. I tried to act excited. I also tried to think of something to say to Alexis that would make me look innocent. I couldn't think of a word. As usual, Beth could.
"Come on, Duvall. You know Taffy. She's always trying to get attention. I'll bet she doesn't know any more about who stole W iggins's wallet than you do." T hen she put an arm around Alexis's shoulder and said in her best Dracula voice, "But if the thief turns out to be you—THE N I VILL BITE YOUR NECK!"
Alexis broke up. She was laughing so hard she had to practically juggle her math book and her lunch to keep from dropping them. I felt a little better, but I still had to face Taffy again. She always got to the classroom early so that she could make points with Wiggins. Her desk was right up at the front by Wiggins's desk, and I had to walk past her to get to my seat. I crossed my fingers three times for luck and made a wish that she wouldn't point to me and tell Wiggins that I was the thief.
Unfortunately I didn't really believe in stuff like crossing my fingers and making wishes, so I wasn't surprised when my f riends and I entered the sixth- grade room and Taffy was already in her seat, watching kids come in. Wiggins was sitting at her desk marking something in her grade book; I couldn't tell if Taffy had said anything to her or not.
"Good morning, Jana," Taffy said in an extra icky sweet voice. "Have you been in the girls' bathroom this morning . . . TO COMB YOUR HAIR?"
My face turned burning hot, and I could feel my eyes bugging out, but Wi ggins didn't look up from her grade book.
"Get serious," said Katie. "The money was gone from the wallet, right? She's going to want to know who the thief is as much as ever."
"Okay, Jana," said Christie. "I think it's time you went to Wiggins and told her the whole story. You know we'll all back you up. We'll tell her that you showed us the wallet and told us what happened and that you were afraid she'd think you were a thief so you put it where it would be found. She wo uld have to believe all of us."
"Yeah," said Melanie. "We should have done that in the first place."
When I didn't say anything for a few minutes, Katie frowned at me and said, "Well? Are you going to do it?"
I shook my head. "It won't work," I said miserably.
"Why not?" demanded Beth.
"Because everybody, including Wiggins, knows what good friends we are and that we always stick up for each other. Besides, if Taffy decides to tell what she saw, then it will be our word against hers. And you know that Taffy has always been a teacher's pet. Wiggins would believe her in a minute before she'd believe us."
"Couldn't you talk to your mom, Christie?" asked Melanie.
"No. She makes a point of staying out of any trouble I'm involved in. She says it's not good policy and that the teachers w ould resent it if she stuck her nose into their business."
At that moment every bit of confidence I ever had drained away, and a helpless feeling settled in its place. "So where does that leave me?" I pleaded.
Everybody looked at me sympathetically, but no one had an answer.
"I guess I don't have any choice," I said with a sigh. "I'll just have to wait and see what happens next."
What happened next was that Alexis Duvall came running up to us as we headed for our lockers.
"Have you heard what Taffy Sinclair is saying?"
I stopped dead still in my tracks. I tried to swallow, but I couldn't. I could tell that my friends were worried, too. Finally Melanie spoke up.
"No, what? Not that any of us would believe anything she said anyway."
"She says that she knows who the thief is and that maybe, just MAYBE, she'll tell. Can you believe that? There really is a thief in our room, and Taffy knows who it is!"
You would have thought from the way Alexis was prancing around that someone had just told her there really was a Santa Claus. I tried to act excited. I also tried to think of something to say to Alexis that would make me look innocent. I couldn't think of a word. As usual, Beth could.
"Come on, Duvall. You know Taffy. She's always trying to get attention. I'll bet she doesn't know any more about who stole W iggins's wallet than you do." T hen she put an arm around Alexis's shoulder and said in her best Dracula voice, "But if the thief turns out to be you—THE N I VILL BITE YOUR NECK!"
Alexis broke up. She was laughing so hard she had to practically juggle her math book and her lunch to keep from dropping them. I felt a little better, but I still had to face Taffy again. She always got to the classroom early so that she could make points with Wiggins. Her desk was right up at the front by Wiggins's desk, and I had to walk past her to get to my seat. I crossed my fingers three times for luck and made a wish that she wouldn't point to me and tell Wiggins that I was the thief.
Unfortunately I didn't really believe in stuff like crossing my fingers and making wishes, so I wasn't surprised when my f riends and I entered the sixth- grade room and Taffy was already in her seat, watching kids come in. Wiggins was sitting at her desk marking something in her grade book; I couldn't tell if Taffy had said anything to her or not.
"Good morning, Jana," Taffy said in an extra icky sweet voice. "Have you been in the girls' bathroom this morning . . . TO COMB YOUR HAIR?"
My face turned burning hot, and I could feel my eyes bugging out, but Wi ggins didn't look up from her grade book.
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