Read The Bloodwater Mysteries: Skullduggery for Free Online Page B

always claimed everything was his favorite, then wolfed it down like it didn’t matter how it tasted.
    Eric waited for his dad to finish loading his plate. He could tell his father was about to head upstairs to do some work.
    As his father pushed back his chair, Eric said, “Hey, Dad, you hear about what happened at Indian Bluff today?”
    His father looked at him. “What are you talking about?”
    â€œA couple of kids found a cave in the bluff.”
    Mr. Bloodwater frowned. “Cave?”
    â€œRight where the development is going. They went inside and found an old skeleton.”
    â€œCool!” said the twins together.
    â€œEric, dear, please let’s not talk about skeletons at the dinner table,” said Mrs. Bloodwater.
    Mr. Bloodwater’s frown had deepened into a scowl. “I hope that won’t hurt our land deal. We’re supposed to break ground Friday!”
    Eric reached down and scratched at his leg, which had begun to itch. He said, “You’ll never guess what else they found in the cave.”
    Mr. Bloodwater stared at him.
    â€œWhat?” he finally asked.
    â€œThat archaeologist from the college.”
    â€œDart? What was that busybody doing there?”
    â€œI don’t know. He was in pretty bad shape when they hauled him out of the cave. I think they took him to Mercy Hospital.”
    His father stood abruptly and headed toward his office, leaving his astonished wife, his sons and his lasagna behind.

15
    colleagues
    â€œI bet I can pop a wheelie in this thing,” Brian said. He was sitting in a wheelchair that had been left near the hospital entrance.
    â€œBrian, get out of the wheelchair.”
    â€œPush me. I don’t feel like walking.”
    â€œNo.”
    â€œCome on. It’s a hospital. Wheelchairs are the primary mode of transportation.”
    Roni was ready to walk away, then decided to call his bluff. “Okay, you want to be transported?” She grabbed the wheelchair and started to push it straight toward the street. Brian came scrambling out of it. Roni stumbled and lost her hold on the wheelchair. The chair continued on its own, bounced over the curb and rolled out onto the street. Before Roni or Brian could retrieve it, an orderly came running out of the hospital and grabbed the chair.
    â€œDon’t you kids have anything better to do?” he growled.
    â€œSorry,” Roni said. “It was an accident.”
    â€œWe’re here visiting a friend,” Brian added.
    â€œVisit, then. But keep your mitts off the equipment!” He parked the chair and went back inside.
    â€œGood one, Watson,” said Roni.
    â€œHey! I wasn’t the pusher.”
    â€œCome on—we have work to do.”
    Dr. Dart’s room, they learned, was on the third floor. They took the elevator up.
    â€œI could be relaxing in the deluxe comfort of a wheelchair,” Brian pouted.
    â€œYou’re lucky I don’t put you in a wheelchair for real,” said Roni. “Turkey trot or no.”
    â€œTurkey tail, ” Brian said.
    â€œHere we are.” They stopped outside room 313 and looked through the open door. Dr. Andrew Dart was lying in bed staring up at the ceiling.
    â€œHello? Dr. Dart?”
    The archaeologist turned his face toward them.
    â€œCome in! Come in! I’ve been expecting you!”
    Â 
    Andrew Dart had almost forgotten this meeting with his colleagues. In fact, he couldn’t even remember their names, or what they were supposed to be discussing. They looked so young. Perhaps they were graduate students. He hoped they would overlook the fact that he wasn’t dressed for the occasion. For some reason he was still in bed. He tried to act composed. He would just have to make do.
    At least they had brought in a lovely stone tool for him to identify.
    â€œVery nice,” he said, turning it in his hand. “As you can see, it is far too delicate to actually be used