Free Baby-Sitters Beware by Ann M. Martin

on.
    Abby jogged forward. • "Where are you going?" I asked in alarm.
    She didn't answer. A moment later I saw her crouch by the back bumper of the car and write furiously in her notebook.
    Then she jogged back to me. "Stoneybrook Business Bureau stickers," she reported. "The blue hexagon is last year's and the orange one is for this year. . . . Well, I better keep moving. Don't want to look suspicious. See ya later, Mal."
    Abby jogged away.
    I climbed on my bicycle in a daze and pedaled home.
    When I got home, my parents were talking about insulation. I felt that this was becoming an unhealthy obsession with them. But I didn't mention it, although my mother did say, as I walked by the door of the den, "Mallory? Was that jacket warm enough for the weather today?"
    See what I mean?
    "The Stoneybrook Business Bureau," said Kristy. "All roads seem to point to it."
    It was the next afternoon. We'd convened a special meeting of the BSC on the steps of the school to "review the case" as Kristy put it. Among us, we'd managed to keep Mr. Seger's house pretty well staked out, except during the night. Kristy and Abby had gone out for an early morning jog that just happened to take them by Mr. Seger's house. ("We split up at the corner and took turns circling the block," Abby explained.) When they'd had to go home to get ready for school, Stacey had taken over the watch, standing at the bus stop at the end of the road and sauntering casually along the street.
    There had been additional sightings of Noah and of Mr. Seger: Noah climbing into the car with Mr. Seger that morning before school, Noah looking glum and Mr. Seger looking tense. Noah had returned shortly after that and gone in the house. He hadn't emerged by the time Stacey had to leave for school.
    Nobody had seen the Ford Escort.
    Stacey, meanwhile, told us she'd give us a "full report" at the BSC meeting, then headed out to baby-sit the Rodowskys again. Claudia, who was heading home to start work on a report, walked with her. Abby had soccer practice, so that left Mary Anne, Jessi, Kristy, and me.
    We headed for the Stoneybrook Business Bureau. It turned out to be an old house in the middle of Stoneybrook that had been
    turned into an office building, along with most of the other houses on the street. We passed a dentist, a lawyer, a secondhand clothing store, and a used bookstore, before we reached the house we were looking for, a white building with red trim.
    We opened the door and went in. Just to the right of the front hall was a room where a secretary sat behind a desk. He nodded at us.
    Kristy said, "Hello," and walked in.
    "Hello," said the secretary, smiling. "What can I do for you?"
    "Well, we're doing a report for school," said Kristy. "Or at least, I am. About small businesses in Stoneybrook. And I, ah, wanted to interview some of the members of the bureau."
    "Sounds like a good idea," said the secretary. "Let me get you our membership list."
    "You have a list?" I asked, surprised. "I mean, one that we can look at?"
    "Better than that, I'll make you a copy," said the secretary. He took a file out of one of his lower desk drawers. "If you'll excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back with this."
    "Wow," Jessi said softly after he'd left. "That was easy."
    The secretary returned and handed Kristy four sheets of paper stapled together. "Here's the list of our member businesses."
    "Thanks," said Kristy, folding it carefully and putting it in her pack.
    "Let us know if we can be of any further help," said the secretary. "And good luck with that report."
    "Thanks," Kristy replied. We turned and walked casually toward the door. We had almost reached it when the secretary cried, "Stop!"
    I froze.
    Kristy turned.
    The secretary hurried toward her with another set of sheets. "I'm sorry," he said. "I gave you last year's list. Here's one that is more up-to-date. I have extra copies of this one on hand."
    "Oh," said Kristy. "Do you mind if I keep both lists?"
    "Be my guest,"