Solomon King

Chapter 1

The Thief

Solomon King, school detective, sat silently at his desk in the Bradbury K-8 school office. It was 3:30 pm. He rarely stayed more than ten minutes after school scanning through his case files, but today he found seven new incident reports stuffed into his file cabinet. Solomon missed the previous three days of school due to the flu, and there was no doubt that this sudden surge of activity was inspired by his absence.

I'm gone for a few days and the place becomes a zoo. Solomon thought as he prepared to read the final report. As soon as he started reading his jaw dropped. Someone had stolen one of his classmate's baseball cards. That classmate happened to be his best friend, Danny Lazo. The incident happened last Friday on the school basketball court.

Why didn't he tell me about this on Friday? He thought while clenching his fist. Solomon didn't finish reading the report. He just snapped the folder shut and tossed it into his backpack. He got up and hurried out of the office so fast that he didn't hear Mr. Russell, the school director, say goodbye. Solomon dashed down the dark corridor that led from the office to the front of the school. Once out of the hallway, he sprinted over to the bike rack and unlocked his W X 9000 mountain bike. Solomon hopped on and raced away towards Danny's house.

Black thunder clouds slowly rolled across the sky like an army marching towards enemy lines. Lightning flashed inside them. Solomon wanted to reach Danny's house quickly, interrogate him and get home before those rain clouds unleashed their wrath! Ma won't even let me in the door if I come home soaked and wet! He thought.

Solomon shredded the streets on his way to Danny's house. A six-year-old boy saw him tearing down the road and was seized with terror. Solomon moved with such speed that he was only a shadowy blur. His trench coat gave off the sound of a flag struggling to withstand tornado winds. Before the kid could scream for his mom, Solomon blew past him and disappeared. The frightened little boy thought he had seen a ghost.

Danny and his cousins Lala and Luna were outside playing. Danny was shooting hoops, and the girls were playing tetherball. None of them saw Solomon zooming towards them. He waited until he was thirty feet away, then hit the breaks and slid into Danny's driveway. There was a trail of peeled rubber behind him.

"Hey, watch out!" Danny shouted. "Are you trying to run me over!" Solomon got off his bike and placed it against the garage door, then turned towards Danny.

"My mom is going to ground me when she sees this skid mark!" Danny exclaimed.

"What happened to our baseball card Danny?" Solomon asked.

"Listen Solomon, Danny pleaded, I'm going to get busted when my mom gets home and sees this skid mark!" Danny threw his hands in the air, but Solomon just chuckled and said, "You have bigger problems than a blemish on your mom's driveway."

Danny opened his mouth to speak but Solomon cut him off. "Someone is slithering around out there with your Donnie Coleman rookie card! That's the card I gave you for your birthday!"

"I know," Danny replied.

"Do I need to remind you how much that card is worth?" Solomon continued.

"I know...two hundred dollars." Danny said. His head hung down like a sad puppy.

"That's right, two hundred dollars!" Solomon yelled.

Every word that flew out of Solomon's mouth seemed to shrink Danny a little.

"And to top it off, you let three days pass...You could have at least told me today in class!"

Danny looked at his feet and said, "I was trying to avoid getting into a fight with you."

Danny was right. Fighting wasn't going to get them anywhere and it sure wouldn't bring the card back.

"I'm sorry for getting angry and yelling at you, but that was one of my favorite baseball cards." Solomon held out his hand and after a long pause, Danny reached out and shook.

"It's ok. I shouldn't have taken it to school anyway." Lala and Luna had forgotten about their tetherball game. They were staring wide eyed at Danny and Solomon waiting for the fight to start. "Why don't you girls stop being nosey and get back to your game!" Danny snarled.

As soon as he finished his statement a bolt of lightning ripped out of the atmosphere! The girls screeched and ran inside the house.

"Tut, tut, it looks like rain." Danny said in his best Christopher Robin voice. The boys burst out laughing, breaking the tension that had built up between them.

"I think you're right mi amigo! We have about ten minutes before those rain clouds reach us so, we should go inside and get down to business." The boys strolled into the house and went straight to Danny's room. Once inside, Solomon told Danny to type him up a list of suspects. He wanted to know the names of everyone playing ball that day, as well as the ones watching. Because as far as he was concerned...every student at Bradbury K-8 was a suspect!

Danny sat down at his computer and watched as his list of suspects and spectators flashed across the screen. He made a printout of the list and handed it over. A grin appeared on Solomons face as his eyes scanned the cast of characters before him.

"Looks like you've really got things rolling in here Danny. I ask you for a list and you zing one into my hands before I can even sit down and make myself comfortable." Solomon looked skeptically at Danny and then continued mulling over the names on the piece of freshly printed paper.

"I've been friends with you long enough to know how you work. I knew you were going to want the names of everyone playing ball that day, so I whipped up a list as soon as I got home."

"Is that right?" Solomon said without moving his eyes from the paper.

"Yep." Danny replied.

A moment later Solomon folded the list, stuffed it into his backpack, said goodbye and walked out the room. Danny got up and followed Solomon to the front door. "Any idea who has the card king?" Danny asked. He suddenly felt a wall between himself and The School Detective.

"Too soon to tell." Solomon replied. He pulled a baseball cap from the inside pocket of his coat and put it on.

Solomon stepped out onto the porch and was immediately greeted by a powerful gust of December wind. A light drizzle poured down from the dark, overcast sky. Danny followed Solomon out to the driveway and watched him mount his bike.

"We'll talk more about this later, alright Danny?" Solomon said.

"Okay." Danny replied. And with that, Solomon King was off. He bolted away in a flash, shifting gears as he went. His trench coat flapped wildly behind him like the cape of a masked crusader.

Chapter 2

Studying the incident report

The rain went from a light sprinkle to full blown cats and cows in a matter of minutes. Water cascaded off rooftops as the sound of the heavy downpour radiated through town. The wind howled as it surged around the eaves of homes and through the leafless skeletal remains of what were once full, lush trees. Yes indeed, all signs pointed to the beginning of another long, dismal winter.

Solomon King slashed quickly down the water drenched street. At first glance you'd think a speedboat was ripping across the surface of a lake rather than a twelve-year-old boy racing down the road on his bicycle. Solomon prided himself on being an excellent bike rider. He had several trophies that he'd won while competing in the local dirt bike racing circuit to prove it. The scarier the road conditions the better!

Solomon reached his home and was disappointed that his dad's car wasn't in the driveway. I knew he wouldn't be here, he thought while putting his bike into the garage. Solomon's father is a police detective. He had been spending all his waking hours in the office and on the street working on a high-profile case.

Solomon missed his father dearly but understood why he had to put in all those hours. Besides, The School Detective wouldn't be zipping around on a W X 9000 mountain bike or preparing to step into a beautiful home if his dad didn't spend so much time at work. Solomon unlocked the front door and stepped inside the house.

"Take your shoes off!" His mother called from the kitchen. She had to raise her voice above the sound of vegetable oil sizzling and the kitchen fan blaring. The good smell of dinner floated up his nose and rested in his stomach causing it to growl. He placed his shoes and coat in the front closet.

"Umm!" He groaned. She's making my favorite, fried chicken! He loved watching his mother cook. If she wasn't flipping the chicken, she would be prodding the boiling potatoes to see if they were done. And if she wasn't checking the potatoes or putting butter on the fresh green beans, she was stirring the homemade gravy or peeking inside the oven at the buttermilk biscuits.

Too bad he didn't have time to watch her kitchen magic today. The case of the missing Donnie Coleman rookie card wasn't going to solve itself. Therefore, He had to crack it! There wasn't anyone else that could or even cared to for that matter. The sole responsibility of blowing the lid off this case and exposing the thief lay upon his shoulders.

Solomon trotted upstairs and disappeared into his room. He reached into his backpack and retrieved Danny's incident report and list of spectators. He set them on his desk, sat down and started brainstorming. According to the incident report, Danny claims that he was playing foursquare with his backpack on at the beginning of last recess. He noticed a lineup of kids shooting free throws on the basketball court, so he rushed over and joined in. Danny says he wore his backpack while shooting and was last to make a basket.

His teammates were Skyler Smith, Chan Kano, Brian Kelly, Gregor Kelly, and Geoff Darvin. The opposing team consisted of Goldie Jones, Tommy Green, Eddie Dominguez, Isaac Salzon and Zeke Douglas. Now here's where things get interesting. Ten minutes into the game, Skylar Smith, who happens to be the best basketball player in school, went for a layup. That's when Zeke Douglas jumped into the air and gave him an open-handed chop in the mouth. The blow caused Skylar to lose his balance and he crash-landed on the concrete.

Zeke Douglas was the biggest, meanest kid in school, and he played basketball like it was a demolition derby. The more points his enemy scored the rougher he played. And don't think about walking off the court before the game's finished...no way! Zeke would beat up his opponents until they're too injured to make a shot, then he'd run around tossing in layups and hook shots until the game was over. Kids usually limped away from these "basket brawl" games holding their ribs like wounded soldiers.

It's fair to say that Zeke intimidated most of the students at Bradbury K-8. It's also fair to say that the few kids who weren't afraid of Big Z didn't want to tangle with him. But there comes a point in time where kids get tired of being stepped on and they just can't take anymore. That point came on a dark, chilly Friday at 1:35 pm on the school basketball court when Skylar Smith's body collided with the unforgiving asphalt.

At first it was only a few students. Brian and Gregor Kelly along with Goldie Jones ran up to Zeke, yelling at him for punching their friend. They surrounded him the way a small pack of wolves would circle a dangerous grizzly bear.

Zeke reportedly stood his ground and told all three boys to bring it on! That's when the other ball players, except for Tommy Green, closed in on him. They drew strength in knowing that they outnumbered him. Within seconds, Zeke had eight angry young men milling around him. Ready to pounce if he even breathed wrong!

For a few tense moments, the court was silent. So silent that you could hear a penny drop. Then, an unidentified student screeched, "Fight!" The sound echoed like an ancient battle cry and total chaos followed. Every student on the playground charged over to the basketball court yelling, fight, fight, fight! All of them pushing and shoving to get a better position to view the upcoming action.

Solomon closed the file folder. He rose from his seat and stretched. His temples throbbed. It seemed the more he thought about this case the more his head ached.

Outside, sizzling forks of lightning jabbed down from up above. Solomon looked out his window at the rumbling, dark rain clouds that littered the sky. That baseball card is out there somewhere at this very moment...but where? He thought.

CHAPTER 3

Calling Danny

"Hello Mrs. Lazo, may I speak to Danny please?" Solomon asked. There was a long pause and then Mrs. Lazo started to speak. "Do you know what I found on my driveway when I came home today, Solomon?" Mrs. Lazo replied.

Why does she have to ask a question when she already knows the answer! He thought. "Uh...," Solomon began, groping for words. He swallowed what felt like a lump of dirt and tried a new approach. "See, what had happened was..." Mrs. Lazo cut him off. "I am so disappointed in you Solomon! It looks like you melted a tire in the middle of my driveway!

Solomon tried to speak, but Mrs. Lazo continued to lecture him. By the time she finished, he felt small enough to fit in one of the holes in the phone's mouthpiece. "If it's still there tomorrow, I'll scrub it off with some soap and water." Solomon said in a voice that wasn't quite steady.

Finally, Mrs. Lazo let him off the hook and put Danny on the line. "I told you she was going to get mad about the driveway." Danny whispered.

"Listen Danny, I need you to shed some light on this shady report I've been looking over." Solomon replied.

"Go for it."

"Now," Solomon began, where was Tommy Green when you guys had Zeke surrounded."

"He was across from me on the basketball court."

"What about the spectators? Phillip, Nestor and Robert Snow?"

"They were standing next to Tommy. Once that kid yelled fight, everyone on the playground rushed to the basketball court. Even Phillip. Nestor and Robert got up close to the action."

"What about Tommy?"

"I don't know I lost sight of him. I tried to break out of the crowd so I could get my bag, but too many people were pushing forward. I did see Chan and Eddie cut out of the crowd like hot knives through warm butter."

Wheels turned inside Solomon's head. "Wow, this is very interesting. How long did it take you to get to your bag? "

"Mr. Roper broke everything up about ten seconds later and that's when I finally got free from the crowd. I ran over to my bag and noticed that the side pouch had been unzipped. I was hoping that maybe I just forgot to zip it back up after show and tell, but when I reached inside there..." Danny's voice cracked.

"I got your back Danny, don't worry. I'm going to get my hands on that card if it's the last thing I ever do!" Solomon said.

"It's my fault!" Danny roared. This would never have happened if I wasn't so stupid! You know how Chan is always bragging about his baseball card collection. Yapping about how many he has. Well, I finally had one that he didn't, and it felt great to rub his nose in it!" Danny said.

"He might have it now."

"Him or Tommy." Danny replied. Don't forget Tommy collects cards too."

"Ok, Danny, that's all I need to know. We'll talk more tomorrow." The boys hung up as Solomon's mom called him to wash his hands for dinner.

Solomon was finishing his food when his brother Redmond came strolling in from basketball practice. He walked with the grace of a lean, muscular puma. Redmond's hungry eyes surveyed the abundance of food that was set up on the dining room table and a smile came to his face.

"What's up Red?" Solomon said through a mouthful of chicken, mashed potatoes, green beans, gravy and biscuits. Redmond couldn't help laughing at the sight of his younger brother. "Ma made your favorite again, huh?" Redmond said and began stacking food onto his plate. "What's happening with you school detective?"

"My...I mean Danny's Donnie Coleman Rookie card got ripped off. That's what's happening Red."

"Man, that's too bad, Redmond replied as he eyeballed the chicken platter, searching for the most perfect pieces. "It's ok though, Solomon said as he rose from his seat. I'm going to hook the worm that swiped Danny's card."

"You always do." Redmond hollered as Solomon left the kitchen.

CHAPTER 4

DOJO KHAN

Solomon studied the martial art, Kung Fu. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 5:30 pm to 7:00. His favorite part of class was the sparring session. Nothing like hand-to-hand combat to always keep oneself in shape and ready for action.

His mother usually dropped him off and came back after class, but this night she decided to stay and watch. "Go on inside while I park." Mrs. King said when they pulled up. Solomon climbed down from the family SUV and darted into the dojo.

A classmate named Ace Azevedo flagged him down as soon as he entered the room. "Hey, Solomon." He said with a grunt. Ace was busy stretching, trying to do the splits.

"Why did you miss last Wednesday and Friday?" Ace asked.

"Flu." Solomon replied.

There was a strong feeling of excitement radiating through the room. Every student had been working hard in class and at home in preparation for the upcoming Apex Tiger tournament. They all wanted to do well and bring honor to their instructor Master Khan.

"Have fun Solomon!" Mrs. King sang from across the room. Solomon blushed. Just then, Master Khan came out of his office, followed by a new student. He paused in front of Mrs. King and exchanged a few words. All the while Solomon watched closely.

"My instincts tell me Master Khan is dangerous Ace. I don't know why?"

"Now that you mention it his eyes are kinda scary. I don't like looking into his eyes."

Master Khan shook Mrs. King's hand before moving to the center of the dojo. "Ok guys, warm up time is over, line up." He waited until everyone was in order and giving their attention before continuing. "As all of you know I don't train more than twenty students per class because more students mean?"

"Less personal attention!" The students shouted.

"That's right, but I decided to make an exception in this talented young man's case." He pointed a thumb at the tall, wide-shouldered youth standing beside him. A cocky smile arose on the boy's face. "His name is Rudy Sorvino. He lives next door to Grand master Jaw-Long Sun; and Master Sun taught me just about everything I know. However, He has retired, therefore I am going to take Rudy on as my new apprentice out of respect for Master Sun.

Rudy stepped forward and shook hands with every student. There were two girls in class and Solomon noticed Rudy kiss their hand while introducing himself. "Mr. Suave." Solomon said. Ace grumbled and clenched his fist so tight that his knuckles popped.

When Rudy finished introducing himself class began. At 6:30 the sparring session began. Master Khan took the center of the room and raised his hand. "Rudy, how would you like to test your skill against one of the top students in the dojo?" Master Khan asked.

"I would love nothing more, sir." Rudy replied and marched into Master Khan's office. He came out carrying a duffle bag.

"Looks like he brought his own gear." Solomon said.

"Who cares, Ace grumbled.

As Rudy put on his gloves and footpads... Ace started to gear up, but Solomon put a hand on his chest.

"I'll take this guy on." Solomon said.

"Excellent!" Master Khan exclaimed. He was grinning from ear to ear. Solomon geared up and took his stance in front of Rudy.

Rudy was two years older and big for his age. Solomon looked him up and down realizing that he couldn't exchange blows with him.

Thunder boomed overhead causing everyone in the room to wince. Both boys pumped their fist in anticipation of the upcoming action. Master Khan held his hand in between them, causing the tension to rise. Solomon and Rudy were in the spotlight and everyone in the room watched on with the intensity of a cavern full of hawks. Yes indeed, the stage was set for a major explosion!

On one side you have Rudy Sorvino. The boy had at least thirty pounds on Solomon and was two years older! Mr. Hot Shot protof Jaw Long Sun... New Pupil of Master Komo Khan. No one in class knew what he could do, but he looked like a mean machine and had a great reputation.

On the other side you have Solomon King. He had been in sparring matches with every student in class on numerous occasions and always stepped away victorious. So, there were plenty of kids in class that wanted to see him go down in flames at the hands of Rudy Sorvino. They were all thinking the same thing; "Solomon can beat us, but there's no way he can whip this monster! It's finally his turn to taste defeat!

Master Khan raised his hand and Rudy charged forward throwing a vicious right hook. Solomon bolted forward even quicker, blocking the hook with a left forearm chop. He blasted Rudy with a tiger palm strike to the stomach. The blow sent shockwaves through Rudy's body, and he slowly crumbled to the mat like a demolished building. There was a gasp in the room as the defeated hulk of a young man laid gasping for air at Solomons feet like a pollywog on dry land.

Ace started clapping and yelling Solomons last name repeatedly. Little by little the other classmates joined in on the chanting. Solomon stood over Rudy and bowed. Then faced the class and bowed.

Later, after class let out, Rudy approached Solomon as he waited for his mom to bring the SUV around front. "You're pretty good." Rudy said and offered his hand.

Solomon shook and replied, "Pretty good?"

"Well, you're not as good as you think you are!" Rudy shouted. He locked Solomon's hand in a tight squeeze. Solomon tried to take his hand away, but Rudy was too strong. So, he tightened his grip on Rudy's paw. "I might not be as good as I think I am but, I beat you without even breaking a sweat. So, what does that say about your skill?"

Solomon's comment hit Rudy hard; the boy hadn't lost a match before today and he wasn't taking it well. "My skill!" Rudy screeched. His husky voice turned high pitched and cracked with fury. Rudy broke his grip on Solomon's hand and stepped into his face breathing rapidly, nostrils flaring.

"Listen punk! You got me tonight, but I'm going to smash you Wednesday!" Solomon shoved Rudy, stepped back and took his fighting stance. "You best stay out of my face goat breath before I give you a sample of what's coming Wednesday!" Solomon commanded.

"Let's do it right here dude!" Rudy yelled and clenched his fist. The pair of hot-tempered youngsters would have fought if it weren't for Mrs. King mashing down her horn.

"What's going on over there?" She called from inside the sports utility vehicle. "We'll finish this on Wednesday! Solomon growled and fled to the shelter of his family's massive SUV. "No, I'll finish this on Wednesday!" Rudy shouted.

Chapter 5

Evening Reflection

Solomon took a shower and curled up in bed as soon as he got home. He laid there listening to the wind howl around the eaves and the drumming pitter patter of rain as it struck his window. His body was tired, but his mind was restless.

He had his main suspects narrowed down to Chan Kano, Eddie Dominguez, and Tommy Green. Personally, He didn't think Tommy would steal on school grounds; nor was it his style. Tommy didn't like getting his hands dirty. That's why he hung around Zeke Douglas. He was able to stand back at a safe distance and watch Zeke bully and harass the students of Bradbury K-8. Yet, the fact remained Tommy slipped away from the crowd on the basketball court and disappeared. Therefore, he was still a suspect, just not the prime suspect.

If he had to put his money on someone it would be Chan Kano. The kid was always bragging about how he took a ninjitsu class after school and everyone knows ninjas are all about stealth. Swiping Danny's card in broad daylight would be right up his alley. Not to mention Chan is known to own an extensive baseball card collection. And what baseball card collection is complete without a Donnie Coleman rookie. Yes, Solomon was going to zero in on Chan and put the squeeze on him tomorrow.

On the other hand, a character as shady and ruthless as Eddie Dominguez was not to be overlooked. Eddie didn't break any rules at school, he was too smart for that. When on campus, Eddie strolls around just as calm and quiet as a mouse, but once school lets out, he became a prowling predator. He rode a beach cruiser for hours after school every day looking for kids that were outside playing with their valuables. Once he spots his prey, he coasts over and politely tells them to hand over the goods. All the while grinning like a gremlin. Eddie had a way of intimidating kids by getting up close to them and staring into their eyes. His Thick eyelashes, piercing black eyes and bushy eyebrows did the trick, every time.

Still though, Solomon couldn't help remembering what Danny had said earlier on the phone. "I did see Chan Yee and Eddie Dominguez cut out of the crowd like hot knives through warm butter." Maybe Chan and Eddie joined forces to pull the heist. Solomon saw a clear picture of Eddie standing in front of the backpack and Chan extracting the card with surgical precision. If this scenario was true, He was going to have his hands full.

Solomon restlessly tossed and turned in bed for a while but was eventually whisked away by Mr. Sandman himself. Good thing too, because he was going to need all the rest he could get!

Chapter 6

Gearing Up

Solomon woke up at 6:00 am. He took a few minutes to stretch and clear his mind before heading to his walk-in closet. His room was so dark that when he turned the light on it temporarily blinded him. Once his eyes adjusted to the light, he stepped inside and began to select his clothing.

"Let's see here," he said while flipping through the shirts. He picked out a black thermal top and grabbed his favorite cargo pants. He shifted his gaze to the abundance of shoes that were lined up along the wall. This was going to be the hardest part.
He wanted something rugged and durable, yet lightweight.

He chose the A.L.R Wolff boots. He put his clothes down on top of the bed, then went back into the closet and retrieved a duffle bag. It contained all of his top-secret spy equipment. He rummaged through it and pulled out a palm sized tape recorder.

Solomon suited up. He slid the tape recorder into the left side pouch on his pants. He grabbed his backpack and baseball cap before heading downstairs to get some breakfast. The good smell of his mother's cooking flooded the house. "Good day Solomon!" His mom said upon seeing him. She hummed a tune as she spread butter on his toast and poured him a glass of orange juice with extra ice. His plate was already on the table.

Solomon took a seat and started eating. The delicious food felt so good going down that he felt like singing. "You're too good to me, ma." Solomon said through a mouthful of bacon and eggs. Mrs. King sat down beside him and spread some strawberry jam on his toast. "Don't talk with food in your mouth."

He swallowed his food; "I have to get to school early so I can set up audio surveillance."

Mrs. King laughed. "You are just like your dad, and you look like him too!"

"I look like me, ma..." Solomon blushed.

Solomon was sopping up the last crumbs on his plate with a piece of toast when Redmond came waltzing into the kitchen. "Sit down and eat brother." Solomon said.

"That's the plan." Redmond replied. He grabbed a plate and started stacking food onto it. He toasted six pieces of bread and slathered them with butter and grape jelly. "Only six today, huh Red? Don't you usually require a full loaf at your breakfast feeding?" Redmond didn't reply to the question. He just sat down and dug into his mound of food.

"I can go out back and get the shovel for you Red." Solomon said. Mrs. King put a thirty-two-ounce cup in front of Redmond. It was full of ice and goat's milk. "Ma, who eats a loaf of bread at breakfast and puts ice in their milk? Goat's milk at that!" Solomon exclaimed.

"Shoo fly, don't bother me." Redmond replied. Solomon would never admit it, but he wished he were more like his brother. Redmond was calm, cool and easy going. Everyone loved Red because of his laid-back attitude and athletic talent. College recruits called the house and scouted his games. Redmond could make any shot on the court and slam dunk on anyone!

In a lot of ways Solomon and Redmond were opposites. Redmond was tall and dark skinned while Solomon was average height and brown skinned. Redmond loved grape jelly on his toast and sandwich spread in his tuna while Solomon preferred strawberry jam on his toast and mayo in his tuna. Redmond was mellow and Solomon was high strung. Redmond got along well with everyone and had a lot of friends while Solomon was basically a loner. That being said, Solomon loved and admired his brother a great deal, but he would never admit it! He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly 7:00 am. Time to go!

"I'll catch you later Red." Solomon said while slipping on his trench coat and baseball cap. He grabbed his backpack and headed outside. His mother was already warming up the truck. Solomon climbed aboard and they headed out.

CHAPTER 7

BOBBY MANTIS ARRIVES

The King family SUV coasted into a parking space across the street from Bradbury K-8. There was a light fog floating about and it seemed to be getting thicker by the minute, and that was fine by the school detective. It would provide cover for him while he did his snooping and sneaking.

He said goodbye to his mother and climbed down from the SUV. Solomon watched the truck disappear into the hazy mist and then he turned his attention to the schoolhouse. The school's old-style design combined with the drifting fog gave it a haunted castle appearance. If you used your imagination, it could have easily passed for Count Dracula's lair! Solomon King strolled quickly towards it; trench coat billowing behind him in the breeze, baseball cap pulled down over his brow, and he too became invisible in the ever-thickening fog.

Robert Snow, better known as Bobby Mantis, when he wasn't around, slithered onto school grounds at precisely 7:15 am, just like he did every day. The Mantis considered himself to be the eyes and ears of Bradbury K-8. He walked slowly down one of the long corridors heading for the playground. He paused in the courtyard and fiddled with his headphones before continuing. The Mantis mumbled to himself as he sauntered away.

He promised that one day he would rule Bradbury K-8. That day would come for sure, but it wouldn't come easy. The Mantis knew brute force wasn't the answer. Oh, no... Only a maniacal mind like his could bring an entire student body crumbling to their knees, and he finally hatched a plan to accomplish his mission!

Lies were going to be told. Best friends were going to become arch enemies. Distrust and fear will be the new menu. The Mantis retraced the same steps that he walked every morning. Up and down every corridor and then out to the football field. Meanwhile, Solomon was busy planting his mini tape recorder where no one would see it. He found a good spot and headed out the door. Solomon stopped when he heard footsteps coming towards him.

That's got to be Bobby Mantis making his daily rounds, he thought while slowly creeping back into the boy's restroom. Solomon put his ear to the door and waited until he heard footsteps, then yanked it open and pulled The Mantis in with him. The Mantis let out an ululating scream.

"Top of the morning to you, mantis!" Solomon said.

"What did you say?" Bobby hissed. He couldn't quite make out what Solomon had said because of the headphones; even though they had come halfway off his head from being snatched up. Yet, his keen instincts told him he had just been insulted. Bobby's eyes glittered as he stared coldly at Solomon. Solomon locked eyes with him and smiled. Bobby was wearing a green hooded sweat suit with matching sneakers. His tall, thin frame, oval rimless glasses, little head and sharp, crumby teeth earned him the nickname Bobby Mantis. Not to mention, he was sneaky, underhanded and the biggest gossiper in school history!

"I need Your help, Bobby." Solomon said. Bobby adjusted his glasses and replied: "First of all, my name is Robert. And secondly, like I told you before ...it was a one-time only deal. Solomon turned around, took a deep breath, and gathered himself. The Mantis took a step back, sensing the fire burning in Solomon.

I can help him one more time, Bobby thought. "Let me guess. You're hunting for Danny Lazo's baseball card, correct?"

"Bingo!" Solomon said in falsetto.

"I'm actually very interested in finding out the answer to that question myself." Bobby said as he began pacing the floor. I've had my ear to the ground since Friday and I haven't heard a peep. When something this huge happens on school grounds, I'm always the first to know the scoop!" Bobby started pacing faster as he continued to rant; "The student grapevine starts and ends right here. You obviously know this Solomon, otherwise you wouldn't have swallowed your pride and come to me for information...correct?"

Solomon shuffled his feet and sniffed for an answer. "I honestly can't help you on this one. Not yet anyway." Bobby paused a moment then added. "If you ask me, I think it's a hoax." Wheels turned inside Solomon's head. His thoughts drifted back to the previous day. He found it suspicious when Danny jammed a list of suspects into his hands before he had a chance to sit down, but he wanted to give his friend the benefit of doubt. And when they spoke on the telephone, Danny was quick to mention Tommy Green as a suspect when Solomon said that Chan Kano might have his card.

Solomon shook his head. "Listen Bobby, the sneaky, cowardly, underhanded eel that stole Danny's card is keeping his slimy lips sealed tighter than a zipped-up freezer bag. That's why you haven't heard anything. So, it's not a hoax."

"Suit yourself, dude, Bobby said while turning to open the door. He stepped out into the fog and then added; "I still say your boy Danny is crying wolf." He let the door swing shut as Solomon charged towards it.

"You better let me tap into that grapevine of yours when you get the scoop, Mantis!" Bobby had already faded into the mist, but Solomon was sure he heard the message.

Chapter 8

Blaming Danny

Patience is a virtue. Solomon kept telling himself that as the day slowly dragged on. His original plan was to come to school and immediately start interrogating the students on his list of suspects and spectators.

Yet, after discovering that the all-knowing Bobby Mantis didn't have a clue either, he decided to take a different approach. Turning up the heat and grilling people on the playground might scare the thief into burying the card in his backyard for five years. Or mail it to a cousin for safekeeping. Hey... it can happen!

Solomon's inability to pick up any leads on the case had him so frustrated that he kept his distance from Danny all day. Every time Danny tried to make conversation Solomon turned and gave him the cold shoulder. He couldn't even look Danny in the eyes. The crime was too perfect to be true. There wasn't a kid in school slick enough to pull off this heist!

The only thing I can do now is wait. Solomon thought as the final bell rang, ending the school day. His father told him that the truth always comes out. He hoped the truth would come out soon because his patience was wearing thin.

Solomon was leaning up against the school flag post, waiting for his ride to show up when Danny came strutting towards him. The was a bounce in Danny's step that he hadn't noticed earlier. It was the type of swagger kids get when they're sporting new shoes. Solomon cut his eyes down to Danny's feet and sure enough he had on a brand-new pair of Ultimate Breeze running sneakers.

"Well, well, well, look what we have here!" Solomon said.

"Look at what?" Danny replied.

"The Bradbury Theater Group needs your services, Danny. They're always searching the student body for talented actors. I see a Golden Artist award in your future!"

"What are you talking about?" Danny replied.

"Cut the charade Danny!" Solomon nearly yelled as he pointed down to Danny's pearly white sneakers. With a squint of the eyes, Danny started to realize what Solomon was hinting at. He opened his mouth to speak, but Solomon cut him off.

"What a coincidence! Your card gets stolen on Friday and by Tuesday you're parading around in a two-hundred-dollar pair of shoes? The same shoes your mom said she wouldn't buy because they're too expensive. I heard her tell you she'd only spend one hundred dollars on your shoes. Do the math Danny! You sold the card for a hundo, then collected another hundo from your mom and bingo! Now you get to enjoy the floating comfort of the A.L.R Ultimate Breeze running shoe! Case closed. Solomon turned his back.

"You think you know everything!" Danny returned. "I've been saving my allowance for six weeks! Solomon whirled around to face Danny. "Heh, you couldn't save a dime if your life depended on it! Why don't you be respectable and admit you knifed me in the back!"

The boys stepped towards each other as the shouting match progressed. In a flash, Solomon was nearly on top of Danny's new shoes. "I cannot believe you think I sold the Donnie Coleman! That's crazy!" Danny yelled.

"If the shoe fits wear it!" Solomon replied. The stand-off between Solomon and Danny attracted a lot of attention. Soon, a crowd of curious, anxious students gathered around them. And off in the distance Bobby Mantis stopped in his tracks and turned his face up to the gust of wind that blew past him. He sensed trouble brewing. The Mantis had already made his way across the football field, and he didn't feel like backtracking, but he learned a long time ago not to ignore his instincts. Butterflies swarmed in his belly as he turned and shot across the field.

Bobby reached the front of the school in no time and had to raise a hand to his mouth to hide a smile when he realized what was happening. He knew that Solomon and Danny's friendship would fall apart because of the missing baseball card, but he didn't know it would crumble this quickly! Bobby waited with bated breath for a fight to start.

Unfortunately for him Solomon's mom pulled up in that instant. The vehicle was so high in the air that Mrs. King had a bird's eye view of her son and his friend standing toe to toe in the middle of all those students. They were in the eye of a storm. She smashed her horn and the sound carried like a tornado warning.

Solomon and Danny stopped arguing and looked around. "All right, there's nothing to see here... break it up!" Solomon said, weaving through the crowd. There was groaning and some hissing from the group of kids as they walked away. "Sorry to disappoint you guys!" Danny hollered over his shoulder.

"What's going on down there?" Mrs. King asked as the boys approached the truck.

"Nothing," Solomon said. He climbed aboard the vehicle, fastened his seatbelt, and looked straight ahead. Danny usually hitched a ride with Solomon when he wasn't riding his bike, but today he didn't want to. As if seeing through him Mrs. king spoke up, "get in Danny, I'm taking you home." Danny climbed into the turbo wagon and snapped on his seatbelt.

"So, what's the problem between you boys?" Mrs. King asked, but neither boy responded to her question. "One at a time now, I can't understand what you're saying when you both speak at the same time,"

"Danny wanted a two-hundred-dollar pair of A.L.R running shoes, but his mom wouldn't give him more than one hundred bucks. So, he sold the baseball card I gave him for his birthday and bought them. Instead of being truthful, he said someone stole it from him. All he had to do was be honest, ma."

"Is that true Danny?" Mrs. King asked.

"No, Mrs. King, It's not true!" Danny said. I saved my allowance for six weeks so I could afford these shoes! Solomon is mad that he can't figure out who stole the card. That's the real problem."

"Yeah, right Lazo." Solomon said without taking his eyes off the road. "You wanted those shoes by any means necessary...and my Donnie Coleman rookie card was a casualty."

"What do you mean, YOUR card was a casualty, Solomon?" Mrs. King asked. "Once you gave the card to Danny it became his property, and he is free to do whatever he pleases with it."

Solomon squirmed in his seat. It was a movement that an earthworm might make if someone put it in the sun and held a magnifying glass to it.

"You're frustrated and being mean to Danny. That's not fair, I didn't raise you to treat people this way."

Solomon sighed and looked out the window. They were on Danny's Street. "You owe your friend an apology."

Solomon shifted in his seat again. He didn't want to apologize, but he knew his mom was right. It took a great deal of effort for him to swallow his pride and say sorry, but he did apologize. Danny accepted and climbed down from the Turbo Wagon. He watched them roll away before going inside his house.

CHAPTER 9

The thief is unmasked.

Solomon went straight to the kitchen and poured himself a glass of chocolate milk as soon as he got home. He tilted the cup back and drained it in one gulp, then set it down and headed for his room. He paused at the staircase when he heard a wild cackle ring in the family room.

I know that laugh anywhere, but why is Freddy here at 3:15 pm when Redmond doesn't get home from basketball practice until 4:15 pm? Solomon decided to go investigate. "Hey! What's with all the ruckus in here?" Solomon said, imitating his mom's voice.

"Shut up, little man," Freddy said through a mouthful of bubble gum. "You can't fool me." Freddy didn't look up from the football game he was playing against Redmond.

"You know I made your heart stop." Solomon said as he flopped down on the couch next to Freddy and gave him a nudge in the ribs. That shot to the ribs caused Freddy to throw an interception.

"Man!" Freddy screeched. His voice was high pitched like a 6-year-old girl. "Get your brother off of me Red, before I cave his chest in."

"You couldn't cave my chest in with a battering ram, Frederick. And by the way... I'm going to tell all those pretty high school ladies that you sound like a first-grade schoolchild when you get mad." Now Freddy was furious.

"That's it, Red, I'm not going to help this kid get his card back! I'm gone!" Freddy stood up and marched past Solomon. He would have left too if it weren't for Redmond Kings powerful hand slapping down on his shoulder.

"Chill, Freddy, just tell him what you came to say."

"Only if he apologizes to me." Freddy replied.

"I skipped practice today so Freddy could help you, little bro. You better say you're sorry." Solomon didn't know how Freddy "The wad of gum" Carlson could help him, but if Redmond skipped practice Freddy must have some valuable information. Solomon apologized and then Freddy told his story. When he finished his tale Solomon stood up and started pacing the floor.

"Let me get this straight," Solomon began. "You say a kid approached you at The Gamers Haven last Friday and offered to sell you a Donnie Coleman rookie card. Yet, you don't know his name or what he looks like?"

Freddy let out a sigh. "I told you I was too busy playing my game to turn around and interview the kid Solomon. I asked him to give me a few days to produce the money and he told me to meet him at Willard's Park today."

"What time are you supposed to meet him there?"

"4:30 pm."

Solomon's heart skipped a beat. This could be the break for which he'd been waiting! Solomon looked at his watch and saw there wasn't much time to prepare, but he wasn't one to go off halfcocked, so he devised a plan of action and called it "Operation Recover." When he finished explaining it, all three of them were smiling.

The day had been dark and grey since the early morning fog lifted, but there weren't many rain clouds overhead. That seemed to change as soon as Solomon and his partners arrived at Willard's Park. Solomon had never seen anything like it! Dark purple thunderheads covered the sky for as far as the eye could see. The cloud cover looked Martian, like it was capable of spewing acid rain. He worried a little over this, but if everything went according to plan, things would work out fine.

Freddy sat alone in his muscle car. Redmond took cover in the hedges by the main entrance, and Solomon was hiding in the bushes directly across from Freddy. Redmond and Freddy wanted Solomon to ride up to the park with them in the car, but Solomon declined the offer. He felt more in control of the situation on his W X 9000. Besides, he needed to have his own wheels in case something went wrong.

It was 4:50 pm and the first droplets of rain began to fall from the sky. There was still no sign of the crook. Solomon was growing restless. He pulled out his Two Way Radio and pressed the talk button: "Looks like our little cat burglar isn't going to show his face, so let's pack up and roll out before the rain destroys my equipment."

As soon as Solomon finished his comment a kid came cruising into the parking lot on a dirt bike. He was wearing a hooded raincoat. He rolled over to Freddy's passenger side window.

This is the moment I've been waiting for! Now all I have to do is wait for the card and the money to exchange hands and I will swoop down like an eagle on a snake! Solomon thought.

All I need to do is wait, all I have to do is wait, all I have to do is...

Solomon tore out of the bushes like a Tasmanian Devil. Branches and leaves flew out in all directions. His legs were a blur. Unfortunately, a puddle waited on him just outside of the bushes, and his quickly churning feet lost traction in it. Solomon slammed down into the mud and knocked all the air out of himself before he realized what happened.

"What's this guy doing?" Freddy said as he witnessed Solomon writhing in the mud. The kid on the bike took one look and shot away from the scene like a bullet.

Solomon picked himself up off the ground and went back through the bushes to get his bike. He heard Freddy's car roar to life as he sped off in the direction of the fleeing card thief.

Redmond jumped out of the bushes just as the crook was zooming past him. The mystery boy reached into his raincoat, and with one quick motion threw down a handful of marbles. Redmond lost his balance and crashed into the pavement. Solomon couldn't believe his eyes. He shifted into a higher gear and rose up from his seat, increasing speed as he bolted past Redmond.

The mystery boy bunny hopped curbs, slashed across front lawns, and took sharp turns at every corner, yet his dirt bike didn't stand a chance against the school detectives 24 speed W X 9000! Solomon clicked into his highest gear, put his head down, and pumped his legs as though he were in the final stage of a race. And as the rain drummed down harder, he smiled. He had never felt so alive!

The mystery boy tried to get away, but his lead was shrinking. He was beginning to feel like a piece of metal and Solomon was a magnet that would catch up and connect with him no matter how hard he rode. He was panting like a frightened jackrabbit as he looked over his shoulder and saw that Solomon was close enough to pounce on him.

Solomon's trench coat billowed wildly around him, and, in that moment, he looked more like an enormous raven than a twelve-year-old boy!

Solomon visualized himself leaping off his bike and tackling the cowardly crook. He rose up from his seat and tried to thrust himself off the high-tech mountain bike, but the force he used to kick off the bike combined with the slick road caused his vehicle to slide out from under him.

The vision of himself soaring triumphantly through the air was still in his mind when he collided with the wet street. His body bounced and tumbled down the road, eventually coming to rest in the gutter alongside a curb. His hat was sixty feet away in someone's front lawn and his trench coat was torn to shreds.

The chilly winter wind carried the thief's laughter to Solomon and that's when the boy's identity was finally revealed. It was a shrill, choppy, nasal laugh. A laugh so devious and arrogant that it could only belong to one person. Solomon heard that cackle countless times on the school playground, and it always made his flesh crawl. That laugh belonged to Tommy Green! "How could it be Tommy!" Solomon shouted as he rolled over onto his back. The salty rain washed over his battered and bruised body. A moment later Freddy's car came up beside him and Redmond hopped out.

"You can kiss that card goodbye, Solomon. You blew it." Redmond said as he picked up the W X 9000 and placed it in Freddy's trunk. "He got away for now, Red, but I guarantee you...I will have the last laugh!"

TO BE CONTINUED