Chapter Four (part c)

Jennifer's heart skipped a beat as she turned around to see who had spoken. But it wasn't a dwarf. It was an intense looking girl with black shiny eyes.

"Who are you?" Jennifer asked her.

"I'm Rachael from next door."

"Hi, I'm Jennifer."

"So?" said Rachael. "Are you moving in or what?"

"I don't know. We're probably staying awhile."

"Well, you better watch out," said Rachael. "The guy that lives here is a real weirdo, you know what I mean?"

"He's not a weirdo, he's my great-grandfather."

"Yeah? Well, he's up to something very suspicious. If I were you I wouldn't get mixed up in it!"

"Mixed up in what?" asked Jennifer.

"That's exactly what I want to know!" said Rachael with a scowl. "Now, what's that in your hand?"

"A stone," said Jennifer and she uncurled her fingers.

"What's it for?" demanded Rachael suspiciously.

"I don't know. But my great-grandfather does, I think."

"Aha!" said Rachael and she looked quite pleased. "Now we're getting somewhere! I knew he'd be mixed up in it somehow. So tell me what you know, tell me right now and remember: whatever you say may be used against you."

Jennifer tried to explain. Rachael took out a notebook and wrote down everything she said. When Jennifer began to describe the boy she had just met, Rachael looked up.

"Brown hair and brown eyes?" she asked. 'And did he have on shorts and some running shoes?"

"Yes he did, how did you guess? His name was...'

"Jamie," said Rachael and she made a face.

"You know him?" asked Jennifer.

"He's my brother," said Rachael. "So he's clean, all right? He's much too dumb to be involved in anything. It's the other one I want to know about."

"Which other one?" asked Jennifer.

"The one you met in the back yard."

"Oh him," said Jennifer and she sighed. "Actually he's kind of hard to describe. Didn't you see him?"

"I only saw you and my brother, " said Rachael. 'Wen I got up close whoever it was wasn't there any more. But you better come clean, there was something going on!"