Stone Investigations (Stone Series Book 4) by Bob Blanton (open ebook txt) 📗

him.  “We’rehere to mark the passage of summer and our return to school next week.  Whatabout you?”

“Hey, I have to start school next week too, with a tutor,which is going to be worse.”

“Oh, I’m sure that someone you’re paying to teach you isgoing to be just as hard as Mrs. Carter,” Raquel, one of Brianna’s friends fromPCA teased.

“Oh, you’ve got Mrs. Carter again?” Jennifer asked with amean grin.

“Yes, you cannot avoid her, she teaches all the literatureclasses,” Brianna moaned.  “I have to read The Glass Menagerie while I’min New York.”

“Oh, you’ll love that play.  It’s nice and complicated.  Lotsof fancy words,” Emily teased.

“Brea, Emily wants to go out on the Hobie Cat, do you want tocome?” Matthew asked.

“Sorry, I think I’ll just stay here and get some sun.”

“That’s because her highness is afraid to get injured,” Jasonsaid as he and Alex joined the group.  “Jen, Jeffery’s holding the wave runnerfor you.”

Brianna stuck her tongue out at her brother, then turned backto Matthew.  “Go ahead, I’ll be fine.”

Matthew and Emily went out on the Hobie Cat, reprising some of the tricks they’d done when they were in Hawaii in the spring.  Then Matthew had figured out that he could use his portal like a spinnaker, but without the restriction of having to be going downwind.  Since the portal would transfer the force on one surface to the other, Matthew could up open one end up very large and orient it with the wind, then he could pace the other end on the mast of the Hobie Cat oriented toward the direction of travel and voilà, you had a supercharged Hobie Cat.  Of course, he had to make sure nobody was paying too much attention or they would start asking uncomfortable questions.

They managed a couple of rides, blowing by some other sailboats like they were standing still, but since those people didn’t know them, Emily figured it was safe.

◆ ◆ ◆

Matthew made a point to be at the Winthrops so he could ridewith Brianna to the airport.

“You’re certainly a brave young man,” Mr. Winthrop said as heanswered the door.  “You know Brea is a bear at this time of the morning.”  Itwas five a.m., as the Winthrops had to leave early to reach New York at areasonable hour.

“She won’t be too bad.  She’s been getting up at 4:00 everymorning to get adjusted to the time zone.”

“That just means she’ll only be as grouchy as she is at 7:00,which is pretty bad.”

Matthew just laughed as he followed Mr. Winthrop into the house. “Where’s Jason?”

Mr. Winthrop snorted.  “He’s in the back seat of the Mercedes,sleeping.  He went out there right after we got him up.”

“Hi, Matt,” Mrs. Winthrop called out as she came up thestairs.  “Would you mind helping Carl with our bags?  Brea is in the shower.”

“On it,” Matthew said as he grabbed one of the bags by thedoor.

When they had finished loading the bags, Mrs. Winthrop servedthem coffee while they waited for Brea.  Matthew looked at his watch.  “It’s agood thing you’re taking a charter.”  The Winthrops had chartered theStevensons’ jet for the trip to New York.

“We know better,” Mrs. Winthrop said.  “She should be here inanother minute.”

“Where’s Hanna?”

“She stayed at the Stevenson’s last night.  They said theirgoodbyes then.”

“That was probably smart.”

“Hi, Matt,” Brianna yawned as she crawled up the stairs.

“Hi, Sleepyhead.”

“Let’s load up,” Mr. Winthrop said.

Brianna got in the car and slid next to Jason and Matthew got inbeside her.  As soon as they were buckled in, Brianna leaned on Matthew’sshoulder and went back to sleep.

When they got to Palomar Airport, Matthew punched Jason awakeand they helped unload the luggage while Mrs. Winthrop got Brianna out of theMercedes.  She led her over to Matthew so they could say goodbye.  A sleepykiss and a ‘wish you luck’ was all that passed between the two before Briannastumbled up the ramp to the plane, sleepwalking to a seat where she could goback to sleep.

“Sorry, Matt, but you know how she is,” Mrs. Winthrop said,giving Matt a kiss on the cheek.

“It’s okay.  Remind her I said good luck.”

“I will.”

◆ ◆ ◆

“Matt, I know you have the period free, let’s do it,” Emilysaid.  It was Friday before school started and the last chance to change theirclasses.

“Why would I want to take journalism?  I’m going to be acomputer scientist,” Matthew said.

“Because you’re already a secret agent, and journalism willteach you how to read people.  A good journalist is like a good spy, they getclose to people to learn things, and they even follow them around.”

“Why don’t you get Alex to take it with you?”

“She and Jason are taking drama.  They’re going to be totallybusy with that.  Come on, it’ll be good for you.”

“Your reasoning seems pretty weak.”

“Well, I want to take it and I figure if we’re both in theclass, we can help each other.  Besides, working on the school paper will lookgood on your college application.  And besides that, you owe me for warning younot to go with the Winthrops to the US Open.”

“So you’re not above using guilt to get me to take this classwith you.”

“Whatever it takes.”

“Okay, I’m in, but I have a feeling I’m going to regret it.”

“No you won’t.”

Chapter 2Back to School

“Hey, Superman,” Terry Walsh called out when Matthew rode hisbike onto the Pacific Coast Academy campus.  Terry was referring to a shortblurb in the local paper about how Matthew had helped to foil a robbery at adiner when he, Emily, and Jason were driving to the East Coast with Matthew’smother.  The waitress who was behind the robbery had tried to shoot Matthew buthe’d used his portal to block the bullets.  She’d told everyone he must beSuperman because the bullets bounced off of him.  Since she was a little crazy,everyone there had laughed it off.  But that didn’t stop the reporter from puttingit in the article about the event.

“Terry, give it a rest,” Matthew said.

“Aw, come on.  Our own local hero and it turns out he’sSuperman.”

“That waitress was nuts.  She couldn’t hit the broad side ofa barn.”

“Sure, sure.  Just make