The Talking T. Rex Read online

  The two men were standing outside the crime-scene tape. Jud was talking and pointing a finger at the door in Tyrone’s side. Scoop answered him, shaking his head.

  The kids were too far away to hear their words. After a moment, the two men climbed into Scoop’s car and drove away.

  Dean wasn’t with them.

  “Officer Fallon must be holding Dean as a suspect,” Dink said. The sweet lemonade in his stomach suddenly felt sour.

  CHAPTER 6

  As they walked home, the kids talked about the theft.

  Josh stopped walking. A sly look shone from his green eyes. “I figured it out,” he whispered. “I know who stole the money.”

  “Who?” Dink said.

  “It was Tyrone!” Josh said. “While everyone was asleep, he walked to the bank and made a dino deposit!” Dink shoved Josh, and Ruth Rose rolled her eyes.

  Before splitting up, they agreed to meet and walk to the fireworks together. “Drop off your sleeping bags at my house,” Dink said. “My folks said we could sleep outside after the fireworks.”

  “And wear dark clothes,” Josh said.

  At eight-thirty, Josh, Ruth Rose, and their families met at Dink’s house. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose piled their sleeping bags on the picnic table. The adults carried blankets, bags of popcorn, and bug spray. Nate, Brian, and Bradley had each brought their favorite stuffed animals.

  The three families walked to Main Street and turned left. They took another left at Holly’s Gas Station. From there it was only a short walk down East Green Street to the swimming pool, where the fireworks were set up.

  “Why are you three dressed in black?” Ruth Rose’s dad asked. “You look like ninjas.”

  “We’re hoping the mosquitoes won’t see us in the dark,” Ruth Rose said, glancing at Dink.

  Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose walked ahead, leaving the others behind.

  “Good thinking,” Josh said when he was sure he couldn’t be overheard.

  A few minutes later, they all arrived at the town pool. Hundreds of people were already there. Blankets and chairs covered the lawns near the pool, tennis courts, and baseball field.

  The fire truck was parked nearby in case it was needed.

  “I see Jud, Scoop, and Dean,” Josh said. The three men sat leaning against the fence that surrounded the baseball field. “Let’s go sit with them.”

  “We can’t,” Ruth Rose said. “If we do, they’ll see us sneak away later.”

  “Well, let’s at least go over and say hi,” Dink said.

  “Yeah, and we can see if Dean looks guilty,” Josh commented.

  The kids wove their way through the blankets and chairs. Jud noticed them first and stood up.

  “Howdy,” he said, waving. “You guys want to sit with us?” Scoop and Dean said hi, too, but didn’t stand up.

  “Can’t,” Josh said. “We have to stay near our parents.”

  “Officer Fallon is a nice guy,” Jud said. “I sure hope he can find our money. We’re taking Tyrone down tomorrow and leaving.”

  “Where are you going?” Ruth Rose asked.

  “New Haven first, then a bunch of other towns,” Scoop said. “We have a lot more money to earn.”

  Dean didn’t join the conversation. His dark eyes stared straight ahead.

  “Good evening,” a voice said. It was Mr. Linkletter, the Shangri-la Hotel’s manager. He was sitting on a lawn chair a few feet away. Everyone said hi.

  “I hope your room is comfortable,” Mr. Linkletter said to Jud and Scoop.

  “It’s great,” Jud answered.

  Just then a circle of blue light lit the sky over their heads. “Oooh!” cried hundreds of people.

  “They’re starting!” Ruth Rose said. “We’d better go find our parents.”

  “How about breakfast at Ellie’s tomorrow?” Jud asked. “I don’t want to leave without saying good-bye.”

  “Sure,” Dink said. “What time?”

  “We’re getting up real early to load Tyrone onto the truck,” he said. “So how about nine o’clock?”

  “We’ll be there,” said Dink. The kids walked away toward their families. They picked a spot near the tennis courts where they could still keep an eye on the three men by the fence.

  “Guys, did you hear what Jud said?” Ruth Rose asked. “They’re taking Tyrone apart tomorrow!”

  “So if that’s where Dean hid the money, he needs to get it before then,” Josh said.

  “Or whoever,” Dink added.

  “Trust me, it’s Dean,” Josh went on. “Did you guys notice how he just sat and didn’t say a word to anyone? In my book, that spells G-U-I-L-T-Y.”

  Volunteer firefighters had built a low barricade around the fireworks. The police had placed detour signs on River Road to keep cars away. Firefighters in white T-shirts went through the crowd, handing out tiny American flags.

  For a few minutes the kids watched fireworks bursting over their heads. The sky went from black to red, white, and blue. The crowd clapped and whistled and yelled.

  “When the next really big one goes off, let’s boogie,” Josh whispered.

  A second later, the sky blossomed into a giant yellow flower. While every eye was looking up, Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose slipped away in the dark.

  They darted across East Green Street and raced to the high school lawns.

  A nearly full moon cast the dinosaur’s shadow halfway across the playing field. Behind the kids, the sky was still lit with fireworks. A breeze swept across the field, making the yellow tape rattle against the stakes.

  “Now what?” Dink asked. “I really don’t like being here, guys.”

  “I don’t, either,” Ruth Rose said. “But if the duffel bag is still inside Tyrone, we have to find it tonight!”

  CHAPTER 7

  “Let’s just do it,” Josh said. “It’ll take us five minutes. If we don’t find the money, we go back to watch the fireworks.”

  The kids crept under the yellow tape. They were concealed in Tyrone’s dark shadow. The rubber wedge was holding the door open an inch. Josh removed it and swung the door open.

  “I can’t see anything!” Dink said. “How can we search in the dark?”

  “Wait,” Ruth Rose said. She pulled a small flashlight from her pocket. She flipped it on and aimed the beam past the folded steps, into Tyrone’s belly.

  The table and rug were still off to one side. The compartment lid was up, and the space was still empty. Then Ruth Rose shut off the light.

  Dink pulled down the steps, and they scrambled up into Tyrone’s belly. Dink folded the steps back while Josh eased the door shut.

  They were in a dark, stuffy cave.

  “It’s roasting in here!” Josh’s voice complained from the darkness.

  Dink was on his knees. One arm rested against the small table. The compartment that once held the duffel bag was in front of him, but he couldn’t see it.

  “Let’s get this over with,” Dink said. “I’d like to get back to the fireworks before my folks know we’re gone.”

  Ruth Rose flipped on her flashlight and shone it around the small space. “Okay, Josh, show us this secret hiding place,” she said.

  “It wouldn’t be right out in plain sight,” Josh said. “Look for someplace no one would think of.”

  On his knees, Josh shuffled around to face the rear legs. They were attached to the rest of the body with large bolts. “I’ll bet these legs are hollow,” he said.

  Josh felt around and, sure enough, was able to stick his arm down inside one leg. “Nothing down there,” he said.

  Dink examined the other leg, but there was nothing hidden inside that one, either.

  “What about up inside his head?” Ruth Rose asked. Her light followed the cables up Tyrone’s chest and neck. At the top, only a dark hole showed where the head was.

  “Let’s find out,” Dink said. He stood up and tried to reach his hand up to Tyrone’s head cavity. “I’m not tall enough.”

  “Wait a s
ec,” Josh said. He lifted the laptop computer off the table and set it on the floor. Then he slid the table over to Dink.

  Dink climbed onto the table and reached again. This time his arm was inside Tyrone’s head. He moved his hand around in the space. “All I feel are the wires that come from the computer,” he said. “But my arm isn’t long enough to reach all the way.”

  “Could I fit in there?” Ruth Rose asked.

  “Probably,” Dink said. “The head is hollow.”

  Josh giggled. “Like yours,” he said.

  “Let me go up,” Ruth Rose said. “I’ll stand on the table, then you guys boost me.”

  Ruth Rose and Dink traded places. Josh held the flashlight in his mouth as he and Dink lifted Ruth Rose up Tyrone’s throat. She disappeared into the head, with only her feet sticking out. Then her feet vanished and they saw her face peering down at them.

  “There’s nothing up here but a little speaker attached to those wires,” she said. “And a bunch of teeth.”

  Josh flashed the light around the walls. “I don’t see anyplace else you could hide a pile of money,” he said.

  “So what should we do?” Dink asked.

  “First, get some air in here,” Josh said. He handed Dink the flashlight and reached for the door.

  Dink shut off the flashlight. “Don’t open it too wide,” he said. “I don’t feel like getting arrested for breaking and entering a dinosaur!”

  Josh shoved the door. It didn’t move. “Help me, Dinkus. It’s stuck.”

  Both boys leaned their shoulders against the door and pushed.

  “The door must have locked when we closed it,” Josh said. “We forgot to wedge it open with that rubber thing!”

  Dink flipped on the flashlight and aimed the beam up at Ruth Rose. “If I hand this to you, can you shine it out through the mouth?” he asked. “If you yell, someone might hear you.”

  She shook her head. “The mouth is closed.”

  “We have to try something,” Dink said, waving the flashlight around. “I’m not staying in here all night!”

  “Got it,” Josh said. “I think I know how to boot up Dean’s computer. If I can make Tyrone’s mouth open, we can yell for help through the microphone and speaker.”

  “No one would hear us over the fireworks noise,” Ruth Rose said. “But you gave me another idea, Josh. If you can open Tyrone’s mouth, maybe I can climb out that way!”

  “Ruth Rose, Tyrone’s head is too high off the ground,” Dink said.

  He looked at Josh. “Is there anything we can make a ladder out of?”

  Suddenly Josh grabbed the flashlight from Dink’s hand. He shone it around the walls until the beam fell on the row of hooks. “I thought so,” Josh said.

  “What?” Dink said.

  Josh reached out and grabbed a coil of rope. “This,” he said. “We can use it to lower Ruth Rose out Tyrone’s mouth to the ground!”

  Dink looked up at Ruth Rose. “Do you think you could?” he asked.

  Ruth Rose nodded. “Tyrone’s mouth is pretty big,” she said.

  “Like Josh’s,” Dink said, grinning at his friend.

  “Very amusing,” Josh said. He passed the flashlight to Dink, then sat in front of the laptop. He turned it on, then tapped a few keys.

  Several icons appeared on the screen. One of them was labeled TYRONE. Josh clicked on it, and a window appeared showing a list of choices. One of the words was MOUTH.

  “Bingo,” Josh said. “Get ready, Ruth Rose!”

  Josh clicked on MOUTH. A second later, Dink heard a grinding sound.

  “It worked!” Ruth Rose yelled. “Tyrone’s mouth is opening!”

  CHAPTER 8

  Dink set the flashlight on the floor and tied one end of the rope to the folding steps. Josh formed a loop in the other end, big enough for Ruth Rose to step in. He stood on the table and handed her the loop.

  “Are you sure you want to do this?” Dink asked.

  “It’ll be easy” Ruth Rose said. “I climb down the rope ladder from my cousin’s tree house all the time.”

  “We’ll hold the rope till you’re ready to go down,” Josh said. He added, “Be careful of those teeth!”

  “Okay, give me a minute.” Ruth Rose’s face disappeared. Some of the slack rope went with her. “All right!” she yelled. “Just lower me real slow.”

  The boys felt the rope tighten with Ruth Rose’s weight. They let the rope slip slowly through their fingers. Dink felt the friction making his palms burn.

  Then the rope went totally slack.

  “Is she down?” Josh asked.

  They both heard someone banging on the door in Tyrone’s side. “I’ll be right back!” Ruth Rose yelled.

  Dink and Josh sat and leaned against a curved wall. Ruth Rose’s flashlight was growing dim, so Dink shut it off.

  “Wish this place had an air conditioner,” Josh said after a minute. He wiped sweat off his face with his T-shirt.

  “Why not wish for a full refrigerator while you’re at it,” Dink said.

  Josh grinned. “Or a microwave and a pizza. But I’d settle for a big fan.”

  The boys sat in the dark. Dink felt sweat trickling into his eyes.

  “I’m cooking,” Josh moaned.

  “Don’t be such a baby” Dink said. “Imagine what it would be like inside a real Tyrannosaurus!”

  Josh giggled in the dark. “Did dinosaurs eat kids?” he asked.

  “No, Josh, because humans didn’t live then,” Dink said. “Besides, if a T. rex got one taste of you, he’d spit you out.”

  Josh poked Dink in the ribs.

  Dink poked him back.

  Just as Josh put a wrestling hold around Dink’s neck, they heard something thump outside.

  Josh gulped. “Do you suppose it’s Dean, coming to get the money?”

  Dink crawled to the door and put his ear against it. The door opened, and Dink nearly fell on top of Jud. Behind Jud stood Officer Fallon and Ruth Rose.

  “You sure get yourself in some pickles,” Officer Fallon said, shining his flashlight in Dink’s eyes. “Good thing I found Jud at the fireworks.”

  Jud lowered the steps so Dink and Josh could climb down to the ground.

  “Thanks,” Josh said. “We were melting in there!”

  “I don’t suppose you found the money,” Jud said. “Ruth Rose told us what you were up to.”

  Dink shook his head. “Sorry,” he said.

  “I’m afraid that whoever took that duffel bag disappeared with it,” Officer Fallon said.

  Jud nodded. “It must have happened last night after we went to bed,” he said. “I just don’t see how.”

  Officer Fallon shined his light at the ground. “It rained last night, so even if the crook left footprints, they’d have washed away.”

  Footprints, Dink thought. “I saw wet footprints in that garden shed,” he said. Dink pointed through the darkness toward the rose garden. “I went in to get the wheelbarrow for Mr. Pocket.”

  “That means someone went in there after it rained,” Ruth Rose said. “And that was in the middle of the night!”

  “Maybe the footprints were left by our thief,” Officer Fallon said. He put a hand on Dink’s shoulder. “Show me.”

  Dink led the way across the dark lawn. “There it is,” he said when they reached the small garden shed.

  “You folks please stay out here,” Officer Fallon told Josh, Ruth Rose, and Jud. His flashlight beam found the screwdriver. He removed it and opened the door. He played the light over the floor. Dried muddy footprints led from the door to the back of the shed.

  “Hold this for me,” Officer Fallon said, handing his flashlight to Dink. “Stand by the door so I have light.”

  Officer Fallon stepped inside and kneeled to examine the footprints. Then he walked through the shed, checking inside, under, and behind anything large enough to hide a person.

  At the back of the shed, he moved the wheelbarrow. He poked at the stack of burlap sacks
with a toe. Then he peeled off several of the bags and set them on the floor.

  Dink saw him bend over and pull something from under the remaining bags.

  “Jud, would you come in here?” Officer Fallon yelled.

  Jud stuck his head in the door.

  “Is this what you’ve been looking for?”

  Officer Fallon was holding a dark brown duffel bag. It was fat, as if stuffed with something. A long zipper ran along one side.

  Jud beamed. “You found it!” he said.

  Officer Fallon carried the bag out of the shed and set it on the ground. Under the flashlight beam, he pulled open the zipper. Nearly filling the bag were thousands of dollar bills bound in rubber bands.

  Officer Fallon looked up at Jud. “Is this your money?” he asked.

  Jud nodded. “I hope it’s all there.”

  “What’s that?” Dink asked. He pointed to something pale green that was stuck to the side of the canvas duffel.

  “It’s a Band-Aid,” Ruth Rose said.

  “Don’t touch,” Officer Fallon cautioned. He pulled a small plastic bag from his pocket. Using the point of his pen, he knocked the Band-Aid into the baggie, then sealed it.

  “I wonder who this came from,” Officer Fallon said. He held his light on the plastic bag.

  “Scoop put on a Band-Aid like that one yesterday,” Ruth Rose said. “He burned his finger on his car radiator.”

  “I saw one on Dean’s finger, too,” Josh said.

  “We all use them,” Jud said. He reached into a pocket of his jeans and pulled out a green Band-Aid.

  Officer Fallon held Jud’s flat Band-Aid next to the used one in his baggie. The two Band-Aids were the same.

  CHAPTER 9

  “All three of you fellas wear these Band-Aids?” Officer Fallon asked Jud.

  Jud nodded. “Working on Tyrone, we were always nicking our fingers,” he said. “So I bought a box of Band-Aids, and we all keep a few in our pocket.”

  Officer Fallon glanced at the duffel bag. “Who handled that bag last?”