Free Can You Keep a Secret? by R. L. Stine Page B

mind.
    “But the robber didn’t know one thing,” Lou continued. “He wasn’t as smart as he thought he was.” He motioned us to follow him. “Come here. I’ll show you this.”
    “It’s almost time to eat, Lou,” Mrs. Kovacs said.
    He didn’t answer her. He led us to an alcove at the back of the living room. A wooden counter against the wall served as a desk. The little space was filled with bookshelves and files and papers in total disarray.
    Lou sat down in front of a laptop and tapped some keys. “Look,” he said, motioning Eddie and me closer until we huddled right behind him.
    “The masked robber didn’t realize he was standing under a security camera,” Lou said. “Look at this picture of him. It’s grainy, but you can see him pretty clear.”
    I leaned over Lou’s shoulder to get a better view of the laptop screen. I could smell Lou’s aftershave, very strong and minty. On the screen, the black-and-white picture was dark. But I could see a guy in a ski mask, holding a revolver. He was big, tall and broad. He wore a dark sweatshirt, very baggy, but you could still see that he had a belly that hung over the front of his dark pants.
    “Do you believe it? The guy took a selfie without knowing it,” Lou said. “Check him out. He’s a big dude. This photo will definitely help identify him when he’s caught.” He spun around. He stared at Eddie, then turned to me. “Hey, what’s your problem?” he demanded. “What’s up with you two? How come you suddenly look so pale? I didn’t frighten you—did I?”
    *   *   *
    I don’t know how Eddie and I made it through dinner.
    I definitely had no appetite after seeing a photo of the guy whose money we stole. My stomach was actually doing flip-flops, and I felt as if my heart had leaped into my throat.
    I could see Eddie was totally tense, too. He kept chattering about school and about his job, telling stories about Mac Stanton, and talking about Danny and Riley. Talking a mile-a-minute. Anything that came into his mind. It wasn’t like him at all, but his mom and stepdad didn’t seem to notice.
    Mrs. Kovacs barely said a word. She kept asking us how we liked the spaghetti. It was actually pretty good, but I had to force myself to eat it. I really didn’t feel like eating.
    Lou jumped up a couple of times to answer phone calls. He went into the kitchen to talk, but we could hear every word of his conversations since he was shouting and ranting angrily.
    Finally, Eddie made an excuse. He said we had to work on a history project at my house. And we made our escape.
    “Whew.” He wiped sweat off his forehead as we walked down the block to my car. I noticed a tomato sauce stain on the front of his T-shirt. My stomach was still gurgling. I took a few deep breaths.
    Eddie put a hand on my shoulder. “Can I drive?”
    “You said you don’t have a license,” I replied. “Remember?”
    “I know. I’ll be careful. I just feel like driving.”
    I handed him the key. Actually, I felt too shaky to drive. “Where are we going?”
    “Nowhere,” he said, sliding behind the wheel. “I just want to drive.”
    So that’s what we did. We drove aimlessly around Shadyside and eventually found ourselves going up the River Road, the sun dipping low, turning to gold in the river out my window.
    “Well … that was intense,” Eddie said finally. He pulled the car onto the grassy shoulder and put it in park. “Seeing that masked guy … it kind of freaked me out.”
    “Me, too,” I murmured. I kept my eyes on the sunset. “So now we know where the briefcase came from.”
    “And we know who stole the money and hid it in that hollow tree,” Eddie finished my thought. He started to slide an arm around my shoulders, but I squirmed out from under it.
    “I thought we were talking,” I said.
    “Of course we’re talking, Emmy. But what more is there to say?”
    “Well…” A thought flashed into my mind that sent a shuddering chill down my back. I