The Unusual Suspects (The Sisters Grimm, Book 2) Read online

  "You're looking at the wrong people," she said, feeling encouraged by the old woman's revelation. "You should be looking at the Everafters."

  "Liebling, Everafters are people." Granny said, setting down her knife. "They have families and homes and dreams."

  "And murderous plots, kidnapping schemes, and plans to destroy the town."

  "You don't really believe they are all bad, do you? What about Snow White and the sheriff?"

  "They're Everafters. We just haven't discovered what they're really up to yet."

  "Sabrina!" Granny Relda shouted. "No grandchild of mine is going to be a bigot! Hatred can grow, child, into something terrible and beyond your control!"

  "You're defending the Everafters? They took my parents away and you are defending them?" Sabrina cried. She jumped off the stool.

  "Yes, I’m going to defend them and anyone else who people choose to discriminate against."

  "How can you do it?" Sabrina screamed, on the verge of tears.

  "Because that is what I choose to do," the old woman said. "Yes, there are bad people among the Everafters but there are bad people among us all. You can't blame them all for the actions of one. I know it is difficult when you don't know who is responsible, but the guilt cannot be everyone's."

  Sabrina felt as if she were being suffocated. The kitchen suddenly seemed so small, as though there wasn't room for the both of them anymore.

  "You can look at it any way you want," she said, taking a step backward. "But if they aren't all in on it, then they sure aren't stepping up to help. And every time you smile at one of them or shake one of their hands you are just making it that much easier for them to stab you in the back."

  "Sabrina," Granny said. "You have to get a hold of your anger. If you cannot learn to control your hatred, your hatred will control you."

  "I'll get a hold of my anger when my mom and dad are safe at home," the girl cried.

  Sabrina spun around and rushed out of the room, up the stairs, and into her bedroom. She slammed the door and ran to her bed. Burying her head under the pillows, she broke into violent sobs. In two weeks it would be Christmas, the second Christmas since one of them—one of the Everafters—had kidnapped her parents. Why didn't anyone care about bringing them home? Why was she the only one who saw what was really going on in Ferryport Landing?

  ************************************

  Sabrina awoke to a knocking on her bedroom door. She looked over at the clock on the nightstand and realized it was already seven o'clock at night. She had been asleep for more than three hours. Still in her robe and socks, she crawled out of the bed and crossed the room to open the door. Mr. Canis was waiting on the other side.

  "The family awaits you in the car," he said.

  "I don't feel like going anywhere," she responded. The thought of seeing Granny Relda and Daphne right now made her sick to her stomach.

  "Child, this is not an invitation," Mr. Canis said. "There is work to be done. Get dressed now and meet us at the car."

  "Where are we going?"

  Mr. Canis took a deep breath before he answered. "The answer to that question will not change the fact that you are going there. We are waiting in the car."

  "I'll be down in a minute," Sabrina said. She closed the door and got dressed, but the fresh clothes didn't do anything to hide the horrible odor coming off of her. She had slept through bath-time, and now she smelled like a slimy, bottom-feeding fish.

  She hurried through the empty house, put on her coat and hat, and opened the front door. Granny was waiting outside with her key ring in hand.

  "Feeling better?" she asked.

  Sabrina nodded. Thankfully, the old woman wasn't going to keep harping on their conversation.

  "Good, a nap can do wonders for a person. Hurry along. Everyone is in the car."

  Daphne, Elvis, and Puck were in the backseat looking warm and well fed. The little girl and the dog both stared out the window when Sabrina got inside. Apparently, her little sister was back to giving Sabrina the silent treatment, and this time Elvis was joining her. Puck, on the other hand, looked at her and laughed.

  "You are in so much trouble." He chuckled, sounding impressed.

  "Where are we going?" she asked.

  "The sheriff needs our help," Granny replied.

  They cruised through the country roads, heading toward the elementary school. Mr. Canis pulled into the parking lot. Sheriff Hamstead's car was parked nearby. When everyone piled out, the old man once again climbed onto the top of the car and sat in his meditative posture. Elvis whined when he realized he was being left behind again.

  "Buddy, you can come in with us, but there's a criminal stealing blankets out of the backseats of cars," Daphne warned. "He might snatch yours while we're inside."

  The big dog bit down hard on the edge of his blanket and eyed the windows suspiciously as the family went into the school.

  They rushed to the principal's office, where they found the sheriff sitting in a chair taking notes while Mr. Hamelin paced back and forth.

  "Relda, what are you doing here?" the principal asked.

  "The sheriff asked us to come by," she explained.

  "The Grimms are pretty good at finding people," Hamstead said awkwardly. It was obvious to Sabrina he was trying to be discreet about the family being deputized.

  "We're happy to help," Granny Relda said.

  "No offense, Relda, but my kid is freezing out in the cold somewhere. I don't need an old woman and two kids, I need the police department," Hamelin said.

  "I've got the best tracking dog in the world in the car," Granny said. "I'd take Elvis over a hundred police officers any day. We'll find your boy."

  The principal sat down in his chair and rolled it over to the icy window. "It's so cold out there," he whispered.

  "My girls were chasing Wendell this afternoon," Granny said.

  "I heard all about it," the man responded, without turning away from the window.

  "Then you know he's involved with the deaths."

  Hamelin spun around in his seat angrily and pointed his finger at the old woman. "He didn't do it," he shouted.

  "I know that, Piper. In fact, 1 think he's been trying to stop what's going on in this school."

  "He's so curious. One afternoon we watched an old black-and-white detective movie on TV together and he was hooked. Now, everything's a mystery. I should have known he'd get himself in trouble."

  "He also seems to have picked up his father's flair for music. I hear he's using a harmonica to control animals."

  "Relda, he's a good kid," Hamelin said.

  Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and Mr. Sheepshank entered.

  "Oh, hello, everyone. So sorry to interrupt," he said, pointing to the wristwatch on his freckled arm. "Mr. Hamelin, it's time."

  "Counselor, my son is missing!" the principal shouted angrily. Sabrina turned to look at the rosy-cheeked man, who smiled nervously.

  "Of course. We can talk later," he said. He closed the door and was gone.

  Daphne took her silver star out of her pocket and pinned it to her chest so that everyone could see her badge. "Mr. Hamelin, we don't want you to worry. We'll find your son and bring him back to you."

  Granny Relda smiled at the little girl.

  "Why are you so eager to help me?" Hamelin asked.

  "That's our job," Daphne said. "To protect and serve." The little girl reached down, yanked on her belt, and pulled her pants up. Sabrina almost burst out laughing, but quickly stopped herself when Sheriff Hamstead's angry face told her he recognized the little girl's impression.

  "I know you've had a history with my family, Piper, but I like to think we're never too far along to start over," Granny said, extending her hand. Hamelin stared at it for a moment, then shook it firmly.

  "All we need is his locker number."

  The principal punched a key on his desktop computer and the screen lit up. He typed in a few strokes and smiled.

  "He's
number three-two-three. That's right around the corner, near the boiler room door," he said. "What should I do? Can I go with you?"

  "Wait here," the sheriff said as he stood up from his chair. "We'll call you as soon as we know anything."

  Hamstead and the family walked out of the office and down the hall until they found 323, right where the principal had told them it would be.

  "Do you have some kind of magic that opens locks?" Sabrina asked, as she eyed the combination lock on the door.

  Granny opened her handbag and pulled out a hammer.

  "I wouldn't call it magic, exactly," she said, handing the hammer to Puck. The boy grinned and raised the hammer high over his head. He brought it down hard on the lock and it snapped in two.

  "Can I do another?" he asked, but the old woman snatched the hammer out of his hand and placed it back into her handbag. Then she tossed the broken pieces of the lock to the floor and opened the locker. Inside was a winter coat Wendell had left behind. Granny pulled it out and tucked it under her arm.

  "I really appreciate this," the sheriff said.

  "Don't think twice about it," the old woman said.

  Back in the parking lot, the Grimms and Puck found Mr. Canis still meditating on the roof of the jalopy.

  "We're heading into the forest," Granny said, opening the back door and letting Elvis out. "Why don't you stay here in case Wendell wanders back to the school."

  "Are you sure you won't be needing me?" the old man said.

  "We've got this one handled," Granny Relda said.

  "Can I ask you a question, Mr. Canis?" Daphne asked.

  "Of course, little one."

  "What do you think about when you're sitting on top of the car?

  Mr. Canis thought for a moment, then looked up at the moon, now high over the nearby forest. "I concentrate on all the people I hurt when I was unable to control myself."

  "And that helps you stay calm?" Sabrina asked.

  "No child, it helps remind me of my guilt," he replied.

  Sabrina didn't know a lot of fairy-tale stories. Her dad used to say fairy tales were pointless. When other kids were reading about the Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, her father was discussing the news with his daughters or reading them the Sunday comics using different voices for the characters. Sabrina and Daphne had done their fairy-tale reading on the sly or at school. Still, everyone knew the story of Little Red Riding Hood, and as Sabrina looked at Mr. Canis, a terrible realization ran through her. This man sitting on the car roof, who slept across the hall from them at night, had killed an old woman once upon a time. Only it wasn't a story, it had really happened. He'd tried to eat a child, too. How could Granny let him live in the house? No wonder her dad had forbidden even a copy of Mother Goose from entering their home. He was trying to protect them from the truth.

  Granny was busy holding Wendell's coat under Elvis s nose. The giant dog took a deep lung full and was soon trotting across the school lawn, sniffing madly in the grass.

  "Looks like he's got the scent, lieblings," Granny said. "Let's go find our Wendell."

  Chapter 8

  Ivis's big feet crunched on the hard ground. The night had grown bitterly cold and every once in a while Sabrina spotted a snowfiake floating toward the ground. She was freezing, even in her heavy coat. If Wendell was still alive out in the woods without his, it would be a miracle.

  Elvis sniffed the air. Once the big dog caught a scent, he never lost it. When he reached the edge of the trees, he stopped and barked impatiently at the family. It was obvious they were slowing him down.

  "Oh, I wish I could bottle his energy," Granny Relda said, taking Sabrina's arm in order to help herself across the school's icy lawn. "I'd be a rich old lady."

  When they finally reached Elvis, he led them into the woods. He sniffed wildly, rushing back and forth along a path, following the scent, but managing to stick close to the family, as if he knew the old woman would have a difficult time keeping up with his pace.

  Sabrina heard a branch snap in the distance and saw the dog's keen ears perk up. She expected him to run off howling in the direction of the sound, but instead he continued to follow his invisible path.

  It seemed as if they had been searching for hours and Sabrina's toes were getting numb. Puck complained and suggested that they give up several times, insisting that Wendell's rabbit army had probably turned on him and were now feasting on his chubby body. Sabrina was also ready to give up, when they came to a small clearing and a sight so incredible even Granny Relda gasped.

  On the ground at their feet was a mound of fur nearly four feet high and six feet wide. At first, Sabrina thought it might be a small bear, but as they got closer they realized it wasn't a single animal, but a group of many. In fact, it was a pile of rabbits huddling together in the cold. Elvis growled at the pile, but if the little forest animals noticed, they chose to ignore him.

  "I told you!" Puck cried. "His woodland army mutinied! I hope he was delicious, little rodents!"

  The old woman stepped close to the pile and leaned down. "Wendell!"

  The mound stirred for a moment but then became totally still.

  "Wendell! Your father is worried sick about you," Granny Relda scolded. "Now come out of there this instant."

  "No!" a voice shouted from the depths of the rabbits. "You're going to take me to jail. I won't go."

  "No one is taking you to jail, Wendell," Granny said. "All we want to do is take you home."

  The mound stirred and shivered. A brief note from the boy's harmonica was heard and suddenly the rabbits rushed off in different directions.

  "Run, you dirty little carrot-munchers," Puck shouted after them. "But know today that your kind has made an enemy of the Trickster King!"

  When they were all gone, Wendell lay at the family's feet. Granny stepped forward, helped the boy up, and got him into his coat.

  "I didn't do it," he insisted.

  "Then why did you run?" Sabrina asked.

  "And send rabbits to eat us! I'm a seven-year-old girl," Daphne said. "Do you know how important bunny rabbits are to me?"

  "I didn't think you'd believe me. I knew how it looked, but I was trying to stop them," the boy pleaded. "If I had gotten in trouble, it would have ruined all my work so far."

  He shoved his hand into his coat pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to Granny. The old woman read it, looked impressed, and nodded at him.

  Sabrina took the card and read it closely. It said, WENDELL EMORY HAMELIN, PRIVATE INVESTIGATOR. At the bottom of the card was a magnifying glass with a huge eye inside it.

  "So, you're a detective," Granny Relda said with a smile.

  Daphne snatched the card and studied it. "I want a business card, too."

  "Something terrible is happening inside the school," Wendell said. "I'm trying to find whoever's responsible and stop them."

  "We know. Why don't you tell us everything on the way back to the school," the old woman said. "Your father is there waiting for you."

  The group trudged back through the forest and Wendell told them all he had learned.

  "I was leaving the school yesterday, when I looked back and saw something happening in Mr. Grumpner's room," he said, stopping to blow his nose into his handkerchief. "Sorry, I've got really bad allergies."

  "It's OK, go on," Granny Relda replied.

  "Like I was saying, Grumpner fell backward over some desks and at first I thought he might be sick, but then a monster attacked him. I was kind of far away, so I couldn't really see, but it looked like a giant spider. It grabbed Grumpner and started covering him in its sticky web. Well, I remembered from science class that birds are a spider's natural predator."

  "What's a predator?" Daphne asked.

  "It's like a hunter," Sabrina replied.

  "So, I got out a harmonica I'd bought and blew into it as hard as I could," the boy continued. "I didn't even know if it would work. Dad told me to never do it. He said musical instruments w
ere off limits on account of his past. Please don't tell him I bought the harmonica. He'll get real mad."

  Granny took his hand. "Don't worry, Wendell."

  He relaxed and continued. "So, I just thought of birds and before I knew it the sky was full of them. They were looking at me like I was their leader or something, and it took me a while to realize they were looking for instructions, so I pointed at the window and said 'Save Mr. Grumpner'."