The Magical Flight of Dodie Rue (20 page)
Read The Magical Flight of Dodie Rue Online
Authors: F.C. Shaw
Cecily cleared her throat. “I have a secret. At least I think it's a secret. I want to tell you because you're my best friend.”
Rollie grinned. “I have a secret, too! I think I can tell you. I mean, I wasn't told not to.”
Cecily's green eyes sparkled. “You tell me yours first.”
“But you mentioned your secret first.”
“Oldest to youngest.”
“Cecily, I'm only two months older than you.”
“It still counts.”
“Nope, ladies first.”
“We decided I'm not a lady.” Cecily shoved her hands deep into her trouser pockets. “Tell me or I'll call you Roly-Poly.”
Rollie grimaced, “I hate that. It's not even close to my name. It's
Rollie
with a short
o
. Not
Rolie
with a long
o
.”
“Roly-Poly, Roly-Polyâ”
“Wait!” Rollie held up his hand. “I know how we can settle this. Let's both tell each other at the same time in code.”
They concentrated quietly, and wrote in their notebooks. Then they tore off their papers and exchanged them. They used a common cipher: a long strand of letters with only every third letter used to make words. Quickly they circled every third letter, read the letters, then gaped at each other.
“You got a letter too?” Cecily gasped.
“It came this morning!”
“Mine too!”
“What's your favorite book you're bringing?” Rollie eyed her.
“Um, that is the least of my questions right now. How about this question: what is this all about?” Cecily whipped out her letter from a back pocket. “I've never heard of this Sherlock Academy of Fine Sleuths.”
“It's really exciting.”
“I'm not so sure yet. It could be a fraud.”
Rollie blinked at her. The thought that the Academy might be illegitimate never crossed his mind. He was too enraptured by the idea of becoming a detective like Holmes. “Are you going?”
Cecily shrugged. “I suppose so. There's nothing to lose, but I'm not getting my hopes up.”
“Where is the school?”
“The return address says London.”
“That's not much to go on. London's huge.” Rollie scanned the letter for any more details.
Cecily stood and paced the bedroom. “Jot down the Five Ws.”
Rollie flipped to a new page in his pocket notebook. He listed down the page WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, and WHY. “Who is it?” he mumbled, scribbling. He chewed on his pencil.
“What is it?” Cecily stopped, then resumed pacing.
“Where is it? When does this Academy start?”
Cecily stopped pacing and narrowed her eyes. “Why do they want us?”
Rollie read his letter, “
We believe you possess the qualities we seek in fine students
.”
“What qualities?”
Rollie nodded his agreement and jotted that question down. “Tuesday seems like forever away.”
“Four days if you count today.”
Rollie shook his head. “Let's not. Let's say three days. It's more bearable.”
Cecily nodded. “Very well. Three days until we clear up this mystery.”
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About the Author
F.C. Shaw started writing stories when she was eight years old. She loves children's stories, Sherlock Holmes, and mysteries, so had to write a book combining all three. She spends her afternoons writing for kids, and her nights dreaming of new stories. She lives with her husband and two sons in a home they have ambitiously dubbed The Manor in Santa Maria, California. When she's not plotting stories, she teaches visual arts in local schools and enjoys a good game of Scrabble.
Want F.C. Shaw to come to your school?
F.C. Shaw's fun and interactive assembly encourages kids to explore their own imaginations. Using the great Sherlock Holmes and her own Sherlock Academy series as a base, she teaches kids how to write a mystery story by developing characters, creating a setting, placing clues, and devising a solution. F.C. Shaw's assembly is a perfect educational experience for your school. For more information visit:
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