Read Who's sorry now? for Free Online

rolled in it.”
    The room stank and Lily had the window wide open and a little fan sitting on the sill blowing out the smell.
    Agatha was wrapped in a towel, looking terribly pleased with herself for gaining all this interest.
    ”Lily, you must come down to the library to see what I discovered,” Robert said, nearly yelling.
    ”What?”
    ”You must see it for yourself.”
    ”Take Agatha down to the kitchen to dry off and let me take a shower first. I smell almost as bad as she did.”
    ”Believe me, this can’t wait. Someone might come home before you see what I found.”
    At least let me change my clothes and pin a scarf around my stinking hair.”
    With Agatha settled on a rug in front of the oven, he headed back to the library just as Lily descended the stairs. She followed him into the library. ”So?” she asked.
    With a flourish, Robert opened the library door that concealed the books.
    ”Good heavens! You found a key?”
    ”Not exactly,” Robert said. ”Take out that book”—he pointed at it and went on—”titled The Biography of Leonard Stokes and open it.”
    Lily did so and almost yelped. ”Money! Have you counted it?”
    ”Not yet. Now open The Persian Wars.”
    ” Five-dollar bills. Robert, do you suppose that all of these books are fake and full of cash?”
    ”One can only hope,” Robert said, grinning like a madman.
    ”We must tell Mr. Prinney about this. I wonder if he might have known all along. Maybe he has the key, come to think of it.” She paused and said, ”What did you mean when you said ‘not exactly’?”
    Robert confessed. ”I took a day off to go to New York—”
    ”I remember that.”
    ”I bought a set of lock picks from a bum in Central Park.”
    ”Lock picks! Aren’t they illegal?”
    ”I didn’t inquire,” Robert said.
    ”We must tell Mr. Prinney about this.”
    ”Why?”
    ”Oh, Robert. Don’t be silly. These fake books are part of Great-uncle Horatio’s estate. Mr. Prinney is the executor. He must be informed.”
    Grudgingly, Robert admitted that she was right. ”But do I have to admit to the lock picks?”
    ”How else could you explain opening the door to the shelves?”
    They were interrupted by an extremely loud grinding noise from the front of the house. Lily yelped, ”Put the books back, close the door, and hide the lock picks. Whatever is that racket?”
    Robert did as she asked and inadvertently closed the door to the shelves. Lily wasn’t there to hear the expletive he voiced. Oh, well, he thought, I got it open once. I can do it again. He followed Lily and discovered that it was the Harbinger boys. They were almost concealed behind the bushes in front of the mansion.
    ”Yo!” Robert bellowed. The noise stopped and Harry came around carrying the scariest saw Robert had ever seen.
    ”What is that thing?” Robert shouted.
    Harry turned off the machine. ”What did you say?”
    ”I asked what that is,” Robert said.
    ”It’s my new Stihl gas-powered chain saw. This is the first time I’ve used it. Cuts through like a hot knife through butter,” Harry said proudly.
    Harry’s younger brother, Jim, came struggling through the prickly bush that remained. ”Isn’t that the bee’s knees?” he asked.
    Robert considered telling the truth—that this was the most frightening gadget he’d ever seen.
    Harry was twenty-nine and two years older than his brother Jim, as well as being taller, sturdier, and smarter. Their father had been a general contractor and taught them how to roof, paint, make furniture, and a variety of other skills. But their dad warned them about doing electrical things. ”Electricians get killed more often than any other trade,” he said. ”Still, rich or poor, there are always people needing repairs they don’t know how to do.”
    ”So were the bushes diseased?” Lily asked, looking at the stumps. She hadn’t joined the men until the noise had stopped.
    ”No. But look up,” Harry said.
    Both Lily and Robert did