Free The Further Adventures of Jack Lime by James Leck Page B

other business he had to take care of,” Cain said.
    â€œI bet he did,” I said, and checked my watch. It was 4:52. I had eight minutes to get to the train station. The odds were against me, but since when do I pay attention to the odds?
    â€œVery clever plan,” I said, tossing his painting on the lawn. “You divert my attention while Mike makes the drop. I should’ve known better! But don’t start patting yourself on the back yet. It’s just a matter of time before I pin it on you.”
    â€œYou’ve got nothing, Lime.”
    I was going to hammer him with a witty comeback but thought I’d better save my breath. I bolted out of his driveway and started sprinting down the street. If only I had my bike, I might’ve had a chance to make it before the five o’clock train rolled out.
    Thursday, October 10, 5:05 p.m.
2 Main Street, The Train Station
    I ran as hard as I could and I still missed the drop. I stumbled onto the platform just as the train was pulling out of the station. My lungs were burning, and I was soaked with sweat. I leaned over on my knees, sucking in air and thought about throwing up. That’s when I noticed KC, Madeleine and their long-haired friend who had given me his phone heading my way. Despite this catastrophe, they were all smiles.
    â€œJulian saved the day!” KC exclaimed, as they walked over to me.
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    â€œHe got my painting back,” Madeleine said, smiling at the long-haired kid.
    She held up a painting that was a mash of different shades of green all swirling together on a canvas that was a little smaller than a placemat. Across the middle was a diagonal line of black that cut the painting in two.
    â€œIt’s called
Wasteland
,” Madeleine said, beaming at Julian.
    â€œHow?” I said, still trying to catch my breath.
    â€œIt was easy,” Madeleine said. “I just experimented with different shades of green and —”
    I held up my hand and cut her off. “No … how did you … get the painting?”
    â€œI knew about the ransom note,” Julian said, “so I decided to come here a little early to see if I could catch the thief in action.”
    â€œAnd guess what, Jack?” KC said, slapping me on the back. “He did!”
    â€œI just got lucky,” Julian said, shrugging. “He was coming out of the bathroom with the painting. I grabbed it and he ran away.”
    â€œWho?” I asked.
    â€œI don’t know,” Julian said. “He was wearing a mask.”
    â€œAre you okay, Jack?” KC asked. “Why are you so sweaty?”
    â€œI’ll tell you another time,” I said.
    â€œWell, why don’t you come back to the school with us? We’re all going to help get ready for the big show tonight,” KC said. “I’m sure Madeleine would love to have you there, even if you didn’t solve the mystery.”
    Madeleine smiled and nodded.
    â€œI need a drink first,” I said. “And then a very long shower.”
    â€œWe’ll see you later, then,” KC said, and they all left me standing at the station.
    I wiped my brow and headed for the exit. It’d been a long day. I needed time to think and a tall, frosty root beer float.
    Thursday, October 10, 5:51 p.m.
29A Main Street, The Diner
    I spent my time at The Diner sipping on my float and mulling over what just happened. Cain and Mike the Bookie had played me like a fiddle and I’d squeaked out all the right notes. I finished my float and decided to look into this mess later. It was time to go home and get some real grub. Tonight was meatloaf night, my favorite night of the week, but when I reached for my wallet, I realized I still had Julian’s phone in my pocket. I knew he was back at the school, helping Madeleine get set up for the art exhibit, so I figured the gentlemanly thing to do was to return it ASAP. Especially since