Free Partners in Crime (9780545463119) by Kim Harrington Page B

asked.
    â€œGetting the phone number for the city hall in Garretson, South Dakota,” Darcy said.
    A moment later, she put the phone in my hand.
    â€œMe?” I yelled. My heart started thumping. “What am I supposed to say?”
    Darcy said, “You’re Bailey Banks and you need a copy of your original birth certificate.”
    An older woman’s voice came on the line. “City Hall. This is Mary; how can I help you?”
    My mouth opened, but nothing came out. Darcy made a spinning motion with her hand, signaling me to get talking. Fiona just sat there looking confused by the whole thing.
    â€œUm, yes,” I said, my voice finally working. “My name is Bailey Banks and I don’t live in South Dakota anymore, but I was born there. My birth certificate isall faded and, um, messed up and I need a new one for … um … school.”
    â€œAh, transferring, are you?” the woman said.
    â€œYes, I’m transferring to a new school,” I replied.
    Darcy nodded in approval at my act.
    Mary said, “Okay, I can help you out.” I heard her fingers clicking at a keyboard. “I’ll need you to mail in — wait a minute.”
    She paused and I pushed the phone harder into my ear like that would help me see what was going on in the town hall right now.
    â€œWell, that’s strange,” Mary said. More keyboard clicking.
    â€œWhat is it?” I asked.
    â€œAre you sure you were born in Garretson, dear?”
    â€œYes. That’s what my birth certificate says.”
    â€œWell, we have no birth certificate on file for a Bailey Banks ….” The woman’s voice trailed off, and I wondered if she thought I was pranking her.
    â€œMaybe it’s not in the computer, but the hard copy is still in the file?” I said. “You know … computers these days.” I figured that was a statement an older woman could relate to.
    She agreed with a little grunt. “Hold for a moment and I’ll check.”
    I covered the phone with my hand and whispered to Darcy and Fiona, “I’m on hold.”
    â€œWhat’s going on?” Fiona whispered back.
    â€œShe couldn’t find Bailey Banks in the computer, so she’s checking the actual files to see if a hard copy of the birth certificate is in there.”
    A few minutes later, the woman returned to the phone. “I’m sorry, darlin’, but there’s no paper original here either. You must have some bad information about where you were born.”
    I thanked her and hung up. Darcy and Fiona were basically panting like Hubble does when you hold a treat in front of his nose.
    â€œWhat? What?” Darcy said.
    â€œWhat did she say?” Fiona echoed.
    I shrugged. “The city of Garretson, South Dakota, has no record of Bailey Banks being born.” I nodded at Fiona. “I think the only evidence that Bailey ever existed is in your house.”
    They both groaned and leaned back in the beanbag chairs. I wasn’t ready to give up, though. “Is thereanywhere else we can look for proof that Bailey really existed?” I asked.
    Darcy scratched her mop of hair. “The only other place to try would be the Social Security database, but that would be hard to get into. I’m not saying impossible, but —”
    â€œDarcy,” I interrupted. “Do not hack into a government website. We could end up in juvie.”
    Fiona gasped. “Do they make you wear those orange prison jumpsuits? Orange is my worst color.”
    â€œNo one’s going to prison,” I said. “No one’s hacking any websites. We’re doing this legitimately. Fiona, have you found anything else in your house that seems suspicious at all?”
    She thought for a moment, one hand clutching her pearls. “I haven’t really searched since I found the birth certificates and the photos.”
    â€œSo here’s our next step,” I said.