The Absent Author

“Please, Josh,” Dink said. “If you come with me today, I’ll owe you one. Just name it.
Anything
!”

Dink’s full name was Donald David Duncan. But no one in Green Lawn ever called him that. Except his mother, when she meant business.

Josh Pinto grinned at his best friend.
“Anything?” He raised his mischievous green eyes toward the ceiling of Dink’s bedroom. “Let’s see, what do you have that I want?” He scratched his head. “I know, I’ll take Loretta!”

Dink tossed a pillow at Josh. “When I said
anything
, I meant anything but my guinea pig! Are you coming with me or not? I have to be at the Book Nook in fifteen minutes!”

Dink rushed into the bathroom, tucking his shirt into his jeans at the same time. Josh followed him.

Standing in front of the mirror, Dink yanked a brush through his thick blond hair. “Well?” he asked. “Are you coming with me?”

“What’s so important about this writer guy?” Josh asked, sitting on the edge of the bathtub.

Dink turned around and pointed his hairbrush. “Wallis Wallace isn’t just
some writer guy, Josh. He’s the most famous mystery writer in the world! All the kids read his books. Except for you.”

“If he’s so famous, why’s he coming to dinky little Green Lawn?”

Dink charged back into his bedroom. “I told you! He’s coming because I
invited
him. I’m scared to death to meet someone so famous. I don’t even know what you’re supposed to say to an author!”

Dink dived under his bed and backed out again with his sneakers. “Please come with me?”

Josh leaned in the bedroom doorway. “Sure I’ll come, you dope. I’m just trying to make you sweat. Usually you’re so calm!”

Dink stared at his friend. “You will? Thanks! I can’t believe Wallis Wallace is really coming. When I wrote and asked
him, I never thought he’d say yes.”

Dink yanked his backpack out of his closet. “Pack my books, okay? I’m getting Wallis Wallace to sign them all!”

Josh began pulling Wallis Wallace books off Dink’s bookshelf. “Geez, how many do you have?”

“Every one he’s written.” Dink sat on the floor to tie his sneakers. “Twenty-three so far. You should read some of them, Josh.”

Josh picked out
The Poisoned Pond
and read the back cover. “Hey, cool! It says here that Wallis Wallace lives in a castle in Maine! Wouldn’t that be neat?”

Dink grinned. “When I’m a famous writer you can live in my castle, Josh.”

“No way. When I’m a famous
artist
, you can live in
my
castle. Down in the basement!”

Josh picked up
The Riddle in the River
. “What’s this guy look like?” he
asked. “And how come his picture isn’t on any of these books?”

“I wondered about that, too,” Dink said. “I sent him one of my school pictures and asked for one of him. But when I got his letter, there was no picture.”

He finished tying his laces. “Maybe Wallis Wallace just doesn’t like having his picture taken.”

Josh squeezed all twenty-three books into Dink’s pack. He grinned at Dink. “Or maybe he’s just too ugly.”

Dink laughed. “Gee, Josh,
you’re
ugly and you love having your picture taken.”

“Haw, haw.” Josh picked up his drawing pad. “But just because you’re my best friend, I’ll draw his picture at the bookstore.”

Dink looked at his watch. “Yikes!” he said. “We have to pick up Ruth Rose
in one minute!” He tore into the bathroom and started brushing his teeth.

“How’d you get her to come?” Josh called.

Dink rushed back into his room, wiping toothpaste from his mouth. “You kidding? Ruth Rose loves Wallis Wallace’s books.”

Dink slung his backpack over his shoulder. He and Josh hurried next door to 24 Woody Street. Tiger, Ruth Rose’s orange cat, was sitting in the sun on the steps.

Dink pressed the doorbell.

Ruth Rose showed up at the door.

As usual, she was dressed all in one color. Today it was purple. She wore purple coveralls over a purple shirt and had on purple running shoes. A purple baseball cap kept her black curls out of her face.

“Hey,” she said. Then she turned around and screamed into the house. “THE GUYS ARE HERE, MOM. I’M LEAVING!”

Dink and Josh covered their ears.

“Geez, Ruth Rose,” Josh said. “I don’t know what’s louder, your outfit or your voice.”

Ruth Rose smiled sweetly at Josh.

“I can’t wait until Wallis Wallace signs my book!” she said. She held up a copy of
The Phantom in the Pharmacy
.

“I wonder if Wallis Wallace will read from the new book he’s working on,” Dink said.

“What’s the title?” Ruth Rose asked.

They headed toward the Book Nook.

“I don’t know,” said Dink. “But he wrote in his letter that he’s doing some of the research while he’s here in Connecticut.”

Dink pulled the letter out of his
pocket. He read it out loud while he walked.

The letter was signed
Wallis Wallace
in loopy letters. Dink grinned. “Pretty neat, huh?”

“Pretty neat,
Mister
Duncan!” teased Josh.

“You should have that letter framed,” Ruth Rose said.

“Great idea!” Dink said.

They passed Howard’s Barbershop. Howard waved through his window as they hurried by.

“Come on!” Dink urged as he dragged his friends down the street to the Book Nook.