Free Undercover Justice by Laura DeLanoy Page A

They wanted something that he didn’t have and so they took him. So far there is no evidence as to why or how these kids disappeared. We have the first real link and clue with the symbol Nora found.”
    “Did you give it to the police? Does anyone remember what it looked like and what it said?” Kent asked.
    Taking out her notebook, Charlotte opened it up. “I copied it down before Jed left.”
    “Great Job!” Jed said smiling at her. “I want you all to look at it and study it. Then keep your eyes open at school. It must mean something and until we figure out what that is, we aren’t going to know what they are trying to hide, or why they don’t want us asking anymore questions.”
    Because the main reason we had all gotten together was to discuss our project, we spent some time going over it.
    “I know everyone has other things to do today, so if you want to give me your notes on the interviews you did at the Mayor’s office I will start typing them up,” Ollie offered.
    Typical Ollie, I thought, remembering that he likes to do things his way. Smiling, I gladly handed over my notes. At this moment, the last thing I wanted to worry about was my project.
    Reaching over to grab the empty pizza boxes, I stood up and carried them over to the garbage can in the corner of the room. Looking at my watch I realized that I only had ten minutes before Gabby was going to pick me up to go shopping for our prom dresses.
    “Charlotte have you gotten a dress for prom yet?” I asked, her after I walked back to the table. “My friend Gabby Smith and I are going to the mall to look at dresses. She is picking me up in a few minutes. Would you like to come with us?”
    “Oh, no thanks, I already have a dress. My mom is altering her old dress for me, if I get a date that is. Do you have a date? Who are you going with?”
    Four pair of eyes looked over at me. Mortified I mumbled, “Um…no I don’t have a date yet. Things didn’t work out like I thought.”
    “Oh! I am so sorry for asking you that in front of the guys,” Charlotte said quietly to me. “I take it, you and Tyler are not together then?”
    Surprised, I wasn’t aware other people in school outside our circle of friends thought we were going to get together. After all, Tyler had just recently broken up with someone else. We HAD been spending more time together in school. I thought we were becoming an item, but apparently not. “Actually, he never intended for us to get together,” I admitted.
    “I’m sorry, I just thought…”
    “That’s ok,” I interrupted. No need to dwell on it. “The invitation still stands if you would like to go with us anyway.”
    “Oh, thanks, maybe I will.”
    Gathering up our stuff, I was careful not to look at Jed as we said goodbye to the guys and wandered outside to wait for Gabby. I didn’t want to see his reaction to the news that I didn’t have a date for prom. A part of me, hoped he would be glad to hear it, but I didn’t want to be disappointed if he looked like he didn’t care.
    “I am truly sorry that things with Tyler didn’t work out,” Charlotte said after we were out of earshot.
    “You know, surprisingly I am not that upset about it,” I told her and realized that I meant it.
    “Could that be because of a certain good looking guy in there?” she teased.
    Blushing, I allowed myself to picture going to the prom with Jed. I didn’t even really know him, and yet for some reason I was drawn to him. It wasn’t just his looks, or even the mystery surrounding him, it was the way he looked at me. The way I felt being near him.
    “Ok, I admit it, I may have a small crush on Jed, but don’t tell ANYONE. My family wants me to stay away from him.”
    “Why,” Charlotte asked puzzled.
    I told her about the incident with the police we saw last night. She understood that I would be hesitant to get involved with someone in trouble with the law.
    “Did you ask Jed about it?”
    “I started to, and then he