Spell of the Screaming Jokers (6 page)

I
froze.

Stared in horror as the truck aimed for Frankie.

Suddenly the truck's brakes began to squeal.

The driver saw Frankie! He was trying to stop the enormous truck!

The tires screamed as they skidded across the road—and the truck screeched to a stop. Barely a foot in front of Frankie.

The driver threw open his door and ran over to Frankie. Jeff and I reached him at the same time. We all knelt down by his side.

Frankie was knocked out cold. But he was breathing.

“What happened?” the driver asked. He was a big, muscular guy.

“A bike hit him,” Jeff explained.

Frankie opened his eyes then. He groaned and sat up.

“Boy, that was a close one.” The driver shook his head.

Frankie wouldn't let anyone call an ambulance. When the truck driver was sure Frankie was really okay, he left.

Jeff and I helped Frankie up. We walked him over to the sidewalk as Louisa came limping down the hill.

“What happened?” she cried.

“The jokers attacked Frankie again!” I told her. “Then he almost got run over by a truck!”

“Frankie, your arm!” Louisa covered her mouth with her hand.

We all stared at his left arm—and gasped.

Next to the club and diamond—there was something new.

A spade.

I whirled to face Jeff.
“Now
do you see them?” I shouted.

Jeff didn't answer. But his eyes were wide. Frightened.

“All I'm missing is a heart.” Frankie's voice was very quiet. He ran his finger over the spade.

“Did the jokers say anything to you?” I asked him.

“Uh-huh.” Frankie nodded. “ ‘You play her game, she'll make you pay.' ”

I grabbed Louisa's arm. “See? It is Mrs. Marder! That's what she said! She's making us pay by scaring us half to death! Listen to this:

“We shake the skull with eyes that gleam

We make our marks, we laugh and scream

Her army strengthens day by day

You play her game! She'll make you pay!

“Don't you guys see? The jokers are part of Mrs. Marder's spell!” I cried. “They must be part of her army. And they keep coming after us. More jokers each time. It started with one. But this time there were four. Next time there'll be
five!
We have to stop Mrs. Marder!”

“Hold on,” Jeff protested. “You've got it all wrong, Brittany. I was trying to tell you before. I
know
Mrs. Marder.”

My mouth fell open. “You
do?”
I managed to get out at last. “How come you never said anything?”

Jeff shrugged. “I deliver her groceries sometimes. That's all. I don't know her very well. But well enough to know that the stories aren't true. She's pretty cranky. But she isn't a witch. And I don't believe she's behind these joker attacks.”

I stared at Jeff for a moment. How come he never told us before about knowing Mrs. Marder?

And another thing. How come he didn't run through Mrs. Marder's yard with the rest of us? And how come he took so long to admit that the marks on Frankie's arm were card suits?

Was he on our side? Or was he on Mrs. Marder's side?

I wasn't sure what to believe. But his grocery-delivery story gave me an idea.

“Maybe Mrs. Marder is behind the jokers,” I said slowly, “and maybe she isn't. But we're going to find out.”

“How?” Louisa asked.

“Simple,” I answered. “We need to spy on Mrs. Marder.”

“O
kay, here's what we do,” I said. “Jeff, you deliver a load of groceries to Mrs. Marder on Monday after school. While you're keeping her busy, we'll sneak around her house. See if we can find out anything about the jokers.”

“One problem,” Jeff said. “I just made a delivery to her house yesterday.”

I still wasn't sure about Jeff. If he went along with our spy plan, then I'd know he was on our side—if not, he was definitely on Mrs. Marder's.

“So when she comes to the door, act confused,” I told him. “Say there's been a mistake. Say anything! Just keep her busy. That way the rest of us can sneak onto her porch. We can peek in the
windows. And maybe even slip inside for a fast look.”

Jeff sighed. “This is a really stupid idea. But I'll do it. Only to prove how wrong you are about Mrs. Marder.”

*  *  *

On Monday I met everyone at the grocery store before we went to Max's—
and
Mrs. Marder's house.

We all chipped in for the groceries. Then we headed for her house.

“Ready, Jeff?” I asked as we stood outside the front gate.

Jeff nodded. He shifted the grocery bag to his other arm. Then he opened the gate and started up the walk.

Three cats jumped down from a windowsill. They circled Jeff, rubbing against his legs.

Louisa, Frankie, and I walked on past the gate. We hid behind the bushes on the far side of the house. I peeked out at Jeff. He had his finger on the doorbell.

I kept my eyes glued to Jeff. He rang the bell again.

At last he turned and mouthed to us: “She's not home.”

I hadn't thought of this. Mrs. Marder had always been home when we walked by.

“Okay,” I said. “She's not home.” I took a deep breath. “Let's see if we can sneak inside.”

“I don't want to,” Louisa protested. “What if she catches us? It's too scary.”

“Come on!” Frankie suddenly leapt up from our hiding place. “Let's go!”

He raced through the gate, whooping. Then ran up the walk and galloped around on her porch.

“What is with him? He's acting like an idiot!” I whispered to Louisa as I dragged her through the front gate.

The cats in the yard hissed as we hurried to the back door. I turned the doorknob.
Click!

Yes! It wasn't locked!

We crept inside.

Jeff quietly shut the door behind us. He set the bag of groceries down on the kitchen table.

Mrs. Marder's kitchen was dark. It had a musty smell. The floor was yellowed. Dirty dishes sat in the sink. A head of wilted lettuce lay on the kitchen table. Beside it—a sharp carving knife.

My heart beat wildly.

We were inside the evil woman's house!

Even in the dark, I could see the cats.

Cats sitting on the counters. Cats curled up on the floor. Cats stretched out on the kitchen chairs.

Black cats—everywhere.

“I can't do this!” Louisa whispered.

“Stay calm!” I told her, trying not to panic myself. “We'll be out of here in a few minutes. Okay, quick! Let's look around. Let's find out everything we can—and get out!”

While Frankie and Jeff poked around the kitchen, Louisa and I made our way down a dim hallway. The doors along it were all closed. Cats followed us, winding in and out among our feet.

I stopped before a door and cracked it open. Only a bathroom.

We walked to the next door.

“What if it's her bedroom?” Louisa whispered. “What if she's in there?”

Louisa's panic was catching. I could hardly hear her over my pounding heart.

I had to force myself to take hold of the old glass knob and twist.

I started to push open the door.

But all of a sudden Frankie and Jeff appeared. Frankie shoved me aside. He raced into the room ahead of me, laughing wildly.

“Frankie! What's wrong with—” I began.

I broke off.

We'd found Mrs. Marder's bedroom.

A big four-poster bed stood against one wall. Facing it I saw a chest of drawers. Set in another wall was a big window. And then . . .

Whoa!

An enormous telescope stood by the window!

I stepped into the room.

It was filled with even more black cats. They sat on the floor, glaring at us with glowing yellow eyes.

Frankie peered through the telescope. He turned to me, grinning. “Take a look!” he crowed.

I put my eye to the telescope—and gasped. “I don't believe it!”

I
saw part of a room.

Max's room!

The telescope was aimed right at Max's window!

I backed away, speechless.

Louisa took a turn at the telescope. Her eyes were wide when she moved her head away from it.

Now it was Jeff's turn. He bent down to take a look. Then he stared at me.

“Maybe you're right, Brittany,” he whispered. “Maybe Mrs. Marder does have something to do with the jokers.”

“Of course I'm right!” I exclaimed. “She's been
spying on us. Watching us play cards. That's why she used jokers for her evil spell!”

“What are we going to do?” Louisa asked.

“We have our proof,” I began. “Now—”

But that's as far as I got.

Suddenly the cats raced out the bedroom door. All at once. As if they had been called.

“She's home!” Louisa's voice squeaked. “We're trapped!”

“Come on!” Jeff whispered. He tiptoed quickly out of the bedroom. We followed right behind him.

Mrs. Marder's voice floated down the hallway to us. We could hear her talking to her cats.

“She's at the front door,” Jeff whispered.

He led the way silently to the kitchen. To the back door.

He turned the knob.

I didn't hear any click.

He turned it again.

Nothing.

He began pulling on the door—hard!

But the door didn't open.

It was locked!

Cats started streaming into the kitchen. Howling madly.

“What's wrong, my little pets?” Mrs. Marder asked.

Oh, no! She's coming. She's right behind them!

Jeff pulled on the door with all his strength.

It wouldn't budge.

I
grabbed the doorknob.

I yanked on it frantically. No use. The door was stuck tight.

“Do something!” Louisa whimpered. “She's coming!”

Frankie leapt to the door. He was grinning an awful grin.

He shoved Jeff and me aside and grabbed the doorknob. The door swung open.

How did he do that? I wondered. But I wasn't about to stop and ask. The four of us charged through the door at the same time!

We ran for our lives.

We raced through Mrs. Marder's backyard to
Max's. I didn't dare look over my shoulder. What if she was behind us? Chasing us?

Jeff rang the doorbell again and again—until Mrs. Davidson opened it.

“Mrs. Davidson!” Louisa cried as she rushed in. “Help!”

“What's the matter?” Mrs. Davidson asked. “Why are you all out of breath?”

“It's too hard to explain,” Jeff told her once we were safely inside. “But we can't play cards with Max anymore.”

Mrs. Davidson's eyes grew wide. “Why not?” she asked. “Your card games are doing Max a world of good!”

“Because when we play, Mrs. Marder spies on us!” I exclaimed. “With a telescope! Then she makes those awful jokers appear.”