So Sweet a Changeling: A Novel of the Terribly Acronymed Detective Club (Book 6)

Chapter Twenty-One: Johnny, Summer, 1979

Johnny answered the phone one Wednesday afternoon. Dad was at work of course, so he couldn't answer it, and Mom was busy in another part of the house and not near the phone, and Nonno didn't speak English so he never answered the phone. Johnny only happened to be home because he'd called in sick at Gastaldo Concrete, where he worked for the summer, with some kind of food poisoning, and by that time he felt a little better but still in no condition to do the backbreaking work of spreading concrete.

"Hello?"

"Johnny? It's Joe."

"Joe?" he asked, confused. "Where are you?"

"On Boyne Street."

"Why are you on Boyne Street? You're supposed to be here, weeding."

"I'm here with the police."

"Police?! What the f--"

"Don't tell Mom, please. All I need you to do is come here and pick me and Lauren up."

"You and Lauren? What the hell is going on, Joe?"

"Actually, I can't let Lauren come with me unless you bring her mom. Can you go get her mom and drive her here, too?"

"Joe, you're making no sense. Why are the police there with you?"

"Because something's happened over here, and we need our parents to come pick us up, but I don't want Mom here because she won't understand what they'll tell her."

It suddenly dawned on Johnny that he should ask, "Are you okay?"

"Me? I'm fine, a little shaken, but unhurt. Rachel, I don't know."

"Rachel?!" he squawked.

"And then there's Danny and Mrs. Trybek, they're hurt pretty bad."

"Who are Danny and Mrs. Trybek?"

"I'll explain later. Can you just come? Bring Lauren's mom. Heck, bring Al's mom and Sunny's mom too, I don't think any of them have cars. They can all walk home if there's not enough room in the car."

He sighed in frustration. He wasn't going to be able to do anything if he didn't get off this phone, and the only way he was going to do that was if he just did what Joe said, as gross as he felt right now. He just hoped he didn't have to vomit at any time during this adventure. "I'll bring as many as want to come with me," he said. "Where on Boyne Street are you?"

"As soon as you turn left off Ewen, you'll see the police cars."

"Jesus, what the hell happened?"

"You'll see when you get here."

"All right, fine. See you soon."

He hung up, realized he needed to get into better clothes and went into his bedroom to change. He grabbed his keys and yelled, "Ma! I have to go out for a minute!"

"What?! I thought you sick!" she yelled back.

"I'll be back soon!" he yelled and walked out the door. 

He looked over at the two-unit apartment building that Dad owned and rented out, the bottom unit to Rachel's family, the upper to Lauren's. Joe had mentioned bringing Lauren's mom. Why did everyone's parents have to come pick up their kids? What in the world had Joe and his weird friends gotten themselves into, running around looking for lost dogs and playing detective?

He sighed and walked over to the building and up the stairs to the Hasegawas' apartment. He knocked on the door. Mrs. Hasegawa answered as if she were waiting for him behind the door. She was a small, pretty woman, pretty for being a mom, with brown hair in a ponytail, wearing a white t-shirt and jeans, a young look, but it worked for her. "Hello," she said, "you're Johnny, right? I got the call that you were coming."