Free Case File 13 #3 by J. Scott Savage Page B

on an argument that quickly.”
    â€œMaybe she realized it was the right thing to do,” Angelo said.
    â€œMaybe,” Nick agreed. But part of him wondered if that was all there was to it.
    That night, the three boys gathered at Carter’s house. Carter lay on his bed reading a comic book. Spread out on Carter’s chest, Carter Junior read a miniature version of the same comic.
    Nick swept aside a potato chip bag and at least six candy bar wrappers to sit on the floor by Carter’s bed. “How do you live in this mess?”
    Carter closed his book long enough to check the chip bag for crumbs. “Just fine, thanks.”
    Sitting at the desk, Angelo opened a brown paper bag and took out a couple of Tupperware containers. “I brought some food for the homunculus.”
    â€œReally?” Carter sat up, but wrinkled his nose and plopped back onto his pillow when Angelo opened the containers. “Fruits and vegetables? Yuck.”
    â€œI don’t want you to feed it any more candy,” Angelo said. “And no more soda either. From now on it’s fruit, vegetables, and water.”
    Carter crossed his legs. “I can try. But I don’t think he’s going to go for that stuff. The little guy’s got a serious sweet tooth.”
    Carter Junior crossed his legs. “Fruits and vegetables? Yuck.”
    Carter chuckled. “See?”
    Angelo looked at the homunculus before signaling the other boys. “Can we, um, talk in private? Without you-know-who listening?”
    â€œSure.” Carter lifted the miniature version of himself off his chest and set him on the floor. “Go get us some Cheetos.”
    â€œCheetos,” the homunculus repeated before trotting out the door.
    â€œIs that safe?” Nick asked. “What if your family sees him?”
    Carter brushed the idea away with a wave. “Mom and Dad are on a date, and my sisters wouldn’t look away from the television if the house was on fire. Besides, I’ve trained Carter Junior to sneak around without being seen.”
    â€œReally?” Angelo jotted something in his notebook. “I wondered if it might be learning. If it is, that makes what I have to say even more important.” He steepled his fingers in front of his chest, almost as if he was praying. “We have to assume the homunculus is capable of more than we think.”
    Nick felt something jabbing him in the back and pulled out a Popsicle stick from under the bed. “What do you mean?”
    â€œI think it’s doing more than learning about our food and our mannerisms—what we say, how we act. I think it understands what we’re saying.”
    Carter searched under his pillow for a snack. “Of course he does. I’ve been teaching him all kinds of stuff. How to use the remote control and play video games. He’s prettygood at Need for Speed Most Wanted .”
    Angelo nodded. “Which means it could know what we’re planning.”
    Nick sat up straight, understanding dawning on him. “He knows we’re planning on returning him to the forest?”
    Angelo frowned. “And it’s entirely possible the homunculus doesn’t want to go back to a place where there won’t be any more sugar, snacks, or video games.”
    â€œAre you saying we can keep him?” Carter asked.
    â€œNo. The homunculus is a wild creature.” Angelo gave Carter a meaningful look. “Whether we like it or not, being removed from the wild is not good for it. However, we must at least consider the possibility that the creature may try to stop us from returning it to its home.”
    â€œWow,” Nick said. He checked the hallway to make sure the homunculus wasn’t outside listening. “What should we do?”
    Angelo got up from the desk. “I checked the bus schedule, and we can get dropped off at the exit where your dad got off the freeway. But getting there and back will be