Read Ruby Redfort Take Your Last Breath for Free Online Page B

off again, then sat down. The note was most definitely signed by the mayor himself. It wasn’t a copy.
    Just how Ruby Redfort had come by this note is another story, but suffice it to say, Ruby kept a lot of things up her sleeve or, more precisely, in her satchel. Who knew when they might come in handy? The Boy Scouts had it right: be prepared — it was front and center in the Boy Scout handbook, a little bland in its delivery but a good rule. Ruby had chosen it as her RULE 11: EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED AND BE READY FOR ANYTHING.

“SO HOW DID YOU PULL THAT OFF?” asked an impressed Del Lasco at lunch. “You know, the trick with the note.”
    “It’s not a trick,” said Ruby.
    “So how’d ya get it?” said Del.
    “Ah, I have my sources,” replied Ruby.
    “Yeah, well, a truly ‘good’ friend would share those sources with her closest and mostest,” said Del.
    “If you need me to get you out of a jam sometime Del, all you gotta do is make it worth my while,” Ruby said with a smile.
    Clancy arrived at the lunch table, his tray teetering with high-calorie food. He was looking to put on a little weight, but the effort would no doubt prove fruitless, for it seemed no matter how much he ate, Clancy never got wider than a string bean.
    “So, Clance, you gonna watch the swimathon on Saturday?” asked Del.
    Clancy shivered. “No siree. I’ve got no interest in watching kids from Twinford Junior High get devoured by oversize fish.”
    Del looked at him like he had lost a few marbles. She turned to Ruby.
    “What’s with him?” she said, pointing her thumb in his direction.
    “You know Clance, a boy with a fearful persecution complex — thinks the whole of marine life’s out to get him,” said Ruby.
    Del punched him on the arm. “Get a grip, Crew. Nothin’s gonna bother taking a bite out of your shrimpy body.” She took a big chomp out of her sandwich and continued to talk. “I wish it was
our
grade taking part in the swimathon; too bad only the kids in ninth grade get to swim.” Del was captain of the eighth-grade swim team, and she relished any chance she got to compete.
    The ninth grade had been training for this for the past few months and, as a team-building exercise, Coach Newhart was taking them for a seafood cookout — not that he touched mollusks or crustaceans himself. Coach Newhart only ate “real food” and to him that meant food that walked on all fours on dry land — no fins, no feelers.
    Elliot came and joined them. “Hey, where’re Mouse and Red?” he asked, looking around as if they might be under the table.
    “Chess club,” said Del.
    “Red plays chess?” he said.
    “She’s good actually,” said Del. “Well, when she’s not knocking the pieces all over the board, she tends to win.”
    Elliot nodded, surprised but impressed. “So, Rube, how was your vacation?”
    “You know, good,” she replied.
    “So what did you do?” he asked.
    “Swim,” said Ruby.
    “Anything else?” he inquired.
    “Cleaned the bathroom a few times,” she said.
    “Well, thank you for that detailed account of your spring break,” said Elliot. “That all sounds
really
interesting.” He turned to Clancy. “So what did
you
do?”
    “Hung out mainly — with my sisters,” replied Clancy through mouthfuls of fries. “My dad’s taking this Historical Society cruise; left on Friday, so he didn’t have time for us all to go away on a family vacation before — too busy.”
    “What’s the deal with that?” asked Del. “He gets a vacation and you don’t?”
    “My dad says it’s not really a vacation; they’re learning about the legends and history of the Twinford coast. He says it’s good for the ambassador to be seen on a trip like this,” said Clancy. “Ruby’s mom and dad are on it too.”
    “Sounds like a riot,” yawned Del.
    “Actually, the Sibling treasure legend is pretty interesting,” said Ruby. “You should read up about it; as legends go, it’s a good one. Besides,