Free The Hidden Boy by Jon Berkeley Page A

said Bea. “They would have had to lean in over the bushes, and Phoebe stopped them before they got high enough.”
    Mr. Miller took a long slurp of his coffee and eyed them from the caves beneath his eyebrows. “You’re sure they didn’t reach the windows?” he said.
    â€œAs sure as I can be,” said Bea.
    â€œWho are the Ledbetters?” asked Phoebe. “What were they after?”
    The Millers looked at each other. “They need to know,” said Mrs. Miller.
    Mr. Miller cleared his throat. He took a large bite from a slice of toast and munched on it for a while to give himself time to think.
    â€œBefore Willow gets up,” said his wife gently.
    â€œThe Ledbetters are the oldest clan in Bell Hoot,” Mr. Miller said through a mouthful of toast. “They live on a small island in the middle of Mumpfish Lake, about three miles from here. There used to be fruit trees on the island, but they cut them down for firewood many years ago.”
    â€œThat doesn’t sound very smart,” said Bea.
    â€œThey left nothing growing on the island, not even heather. Nobody knows why they did it. Their clan leader is old Maize Ledbetter. She was very highly regarded at one time, but she became more eccentric as she got older. Some believe she’s as crazy as a hen, butshe’s also a very shrewd woman, and gifted with second sight. She has predicted many things with great accuracy.” He took another sip of coffee. “You may be sure she had a good reason for chopping the trees down, at least in her own mind. Now they grow nothing on the island, and scrape a living from farm laboring and odd jobs on the mainland.”
    â€œAnd burglary,” said Mrs. Miller.
    â€œAnd burglary,” echoed Mr. Miller. “That was bad enough, but recently things took a turn for the worse. It’s not valuables they’re after anymore.” He buttered another slice of toast thoughtfully, searching for the words he needed.
    â€œAren’t the police able to stop them?” asked Phoebe, who was only half listening.
    â€œWe don’t have police here,” said Mrs. Miller. “Bell Hoot is a small enough place. Everyone knows everyone else, at least by sight. People get along most of the time, and when disputes arise they can usually be settled by the Quorum.”
    â€œWhat’s the Quorum?” asked Bea.
    â€œIt’s where I’m going this morning,” said Granny Delphine, emerging from the dining room. She was dressed all in black and looked like she meant business.
    â€œI think you have to put yourself on the agenda first,” said Mrs. Miller. “There’s usually a couple of weeks to wait.”
    Granny Delphine turned her spotlight stare on Mrs. Miller, smiled politely, and sat down to breakfast. “Is that coffee? I would love a cup of tea, if you don’t mind.”
    Mrs. Miller picked up the same pot from which her husband had poured the coffee. “Tea,” she said, and poured a cup of steaming red tea.
    â€œThank you,” said Granny Delphine. “I’m sure the Quorum will regard my grandson’s disappearance as a matter of urgency.” She turned to Bea. “The Quorum is a sort of town council, except that I believe they actually get things done. I am going there this morning to see if I can find someone who can be of help.”
    â€œI spoke to Theo again,” said Bea, “through the Squeak Jar.”
    â€œWhat did he say?” asked Granny Delphine.
    â€œI asked him to describe where he was,” said Bea. “He said it’s a place with thin trees, and there’s always a breeze.”
    â€œWhere might that be, Mr. Miller?” said Granny Delphine.
    Mr. Miller scratched the back of his head. “Thintrees,” he said. “Nowhere around here. This forest is old, and the trees are massive, as you can see.”
    â€œThat sounds like the perfect opportunity for the