Shadow Over Second Read online

  But Mr. Chong didn’t seem to know what he had done. “Well, never fear, you’ll hear me cheering you on at the game on Monday. Your mother conned me into taking the day off. I have to put up the fence so these little guys can roam around the backyard. In fact,” he added with a slow smile, “I could use two able-bodied young helpers. Any volunteers?”

  He looked from boy to boy. “Hey, why so glum? It won’t be that bad! Besides,” he said, “you can play with the puppies!”

  On Monday morning, Turtleneck showed up ready for work — and play. He had his baseball glove and uniform in his backpack, since Mr. Chong had said he’d drive them to the field in the afternoon.

  Nicky was nervous about the game. All the previous night, he had tried to convince himself that his father hadn’t really “whammied” him. He had almost talked himself into believing it. Almost.

  Mr. Chong stood beside several rolls of chain-link fence. He handed Nicky a tape measure and pointed to a pile of poles.

  “We’ll need to mark off spots to put the fence poles,” Mr. Chong said. “Nicky, you and T. measure out a big rectangle. The house will be one side, and the shed will be the middle of the opposite side. Lay down a pole at the corners, then one every ten feet along the sides. Okay?”

  Nicky and Turtleneck nodded.

  “Great! Now my job is to find out which of our neighbors has a sledgehammer I can borrow to pound the posts in. Back soon!” He disappeared down the street.

  Nicky and Turtleneck set to work. They crisscrossed the lawn, moving back and forth from the pile of poles to different spots on the rectangle. An hour later, the poles were scattered evenly around the yard, but Mr. Chong still hadn’t returned.

  Turtleneck tugged at Nicky’s sleeve. “Let’s go play with the puppies,” he said. Nicky glanced at his watch.

  “We have to be at the field in an hour for warm-up,” he warned. “Maybe I should find my dad.”

  “We’ll keep an eye on the time just in case we have to walk.”

  Nicky agreed. He led the way to the shed, pulled the peg out, and opened the door. Babe Ruth and her litter rushed to meet them. Nicky quickly pulled the door shut before they could escape.

  The boys rolled on the floor, tickling the puppies and having their noses and ears nipped by sharp little teeth. After a while, the puppies tired out. One by one, they fell asleep. Nicky and Turtleneck lay down beside them, being careful to keep their voices low.

  “Hey, T.,” Nicky whispered after a moment. “Do you — do you think I’ll be okay at the game today? Or do you think my dad jinxed me?”

  Turtleneck shrugged. “You’re a good player, Nicky. What do you think?”

  “I don’t know —” Nicky’s reply was cut off when Babe gave a sharp woof and jangled her collar. For a second, Nicky thought he heard something else, too. But the sound was gone before he could identify it.

  Turtleneck sat up suddenly. “Oh, my gosh! What time is it?” he asked. Nicky checked his watch.

  “Uh-oh. It’s five of two,” he said. “Since Dad’s not back yet, I guess we should get ready and head over.”

  He pushed on the door to the shed.

  It didn’t budge!

  He pushed again, harder this time. Still no movement!

  “T., come here and help me!” he cried.

  Both boys shoved as hard as they could. But the door stayed closed tight.

  All of a sudden, Nicky stuck his hand in his pocket. “T., do you remember what I did with the peg when we came in?” he asked.

  Turtleneck shook his head. They stared at each other in fear.

  “Someone must have put the peg back in!” Nicky whispered hoarsely. “It’s because of the jinx! Turtleneck, we’re trapped!”

  7

  “Who would lock us in here?” Turtleneck wondered. “And why?”

  All at once, Nicky remembered the strange sound he’d heard after Babe had barked. It had been so soft, he figured he had imagined it. But now he wasn’t so sure. In fact, the more he thought about it, the more he was sure he had heard muffled laughter.

  Suddenly Nicky was angry. He started pounding on the door and yelling with all his might.

  “Dad, let us out of here! This isn’t funny! Let us out right now!”

  Turtleneck stared at him in amazement. “You think your dad’s out there?” he asked.

  “I think he did this as a joke!” Nicky fumed. “Boy, has he ever gone too far this time!”

  The boys hammered their fists on the door together and shouted over and over to be let out. The puppies woke up and added their cries, too.

  After what seemed like an eternity, the boys heard a voice on the other side of the door.

  “Hold on, hold on,” it said. Moments later, the door swung open. Mr. Chong stood before them, holding a camera.

  “Real funny, Dad!” Nicky exploded. “But you’re not going to add this moment to the family album!”

  Nicky and Turtleneck rushed down the shed ramp. Just as they reached the bottom, Nicky’s foot caught on something. He stumbled and almost fell, but didn’t. He glanced back to see what he had tripped over. There was a deep groove in the grass. Nicky frowned, but Turtleneck’s voice interrupted his thoughts.

  “C’mon, Nicky, shake a leg!”

  The boys scrambled into their uniforms while Mr. Chong pulled the car out into the driveway. Mrs. Chong was seated beside him, looking worried. They jumped into the backseat, and the car sped off.

  “Nicky, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but —,” Mr. Chong began.

  Nicky blurted, “I’ll tell you what I’m thinking! I’m thinking that thanks to you, I’ll never break that RBI record!”

  “Nicky!” exclaimed Turtleneck, horrified.

  “Talking about it can’t hurt anything now, T.,” Nicky grumbled. “The damage is done.”

  Mrs. Chong looked over her shoulder. “Nicky, we’ll explain everything to Coach Parker. I’m sure he’ll let you in the game.”

  “That won’t matter,” Nicky replied bitterly. “I’m not going to get a hit anyway. Even if Dad hadn’t locked us in the shed —”

  Her eyes blazing, Mrs. Chong spun around in her seat. “You think your father locked you in the shed?”

  Nicky crossed his arms over his chest. “All I know is that when the door opened, there was Dad. With his camera. But it really doesn’t matter if he was the one who did it or not. He jinxed me, and the jinx is coming true. Dark forces are working to keep me from reaching the RBI record.”

  Mrs. Chong narrowed her eyes. “‘Jinxed you’? ‘Dark forces’? That’s it! Nicky, this superstitious nonsense has gone on long enough! Do you seriously believe anything your father — or anyone — says can cause you bad luck?”

  Nicky sat in stony silence.

  His mother sighed. “Nicky, if you don’t get a hit this game, it won’t be because of something your father said. It will be because you think superstition counts more than your ability! Now, promise me that you’ll put this silly jinx idea right out of your head!”

  Nicky locked eyes with her for a moment. Then he nodded once.

  “And as for you,” she continued, turning her gaze to Mr. Chong. “Why exactly were you holding your camera? And what happened to the sledgehammer?”

  Mr. Chong raised an eyebrow. “The sledgehammer is in our garage. And I was holding the camera because I had just reloaded it. I plan to take a whole roll of pictures of today’s game.”

  Nicky sank lower into his seat. He felt like a heel for accusing his father.

  But if his father hadn’t locked the shed, who had?

  8

  When they reached the baseball diamond, the game was already in progress. The Mudders were at bat in the top of the second inning, with the score at Stockade Bulls 2, Peach Street Mudders 0. The boys rushed to join their teammates.

  “What happened to you guys?” Barry McGee said. “Forget we had a game this afternoon?”

  “We sure could use your stick, Nicky,” added T.V.
Adams.

  “Thanks, T.V.,” Nicky said. But even if the coach lets me play, I’m not sure I’ll be much help, he added silently.

  “Nicky! Turtleneck! Come here!” Coach Parker called.

  Uh-oh, Nicky thought. Here it comes.

  “Your mom has explained what happened, Nicky,” Coach Parker said. “Since your tardiness wasn’t your fault, I see no reason why you and Turtleneck shouldn’t play. Go warm up.”

  Nicky’s heart soared. He and Turtleneck exchanged high fives, and the rest of the Mudders cheered. Only one person, substitute player Jack Livingston, looked disappointed.

  That look made a strange thought cross Nicky’s mind.

  Could Jack have wanted to play so badly that he locked the shed?

  As soon as he thought it, Nicky knew he was pointing fingers at the wrong guy. Jack might not be the best player, but he was a good kid who wanted the Mudders to win as much as his teammates did.

  Well, now I know two people who didn’t lock us in, Nicky thought. But that doesn’t tell me who did.

  He pushed the thought from his mind. Now was not the time to think about anything but the game. He pulled his cap low over his eyes and turned his attention to the batter.

  Zero Ford was pitching for the Mudders this game, with Chess Laveen behind the plate. Phil Koline, the Bulls’ right fielder, led off. Zero threw the first pitch.

  Strike one!

  “Way to go, Zero!” Turtleneck yelled from first base. “Two more like it!”

  But Zero couldn’t seem to find the plate for the next three pitches. The count rose to 3 and 1.

  Then Phil drilled a pitch to deep right center. He pulled up on second for a double.

  One man on, no outs.

  The Bulls’ next batter tried to bunt the first pitch. The ball rolled foul just left of the third base line marker. Strike one.

  He tried it again — and missed again. Strike two.

  The Bulls’ coach must have told him to swing away at the third pitch. But instead of hitting the ball, he fanned. One out.

  The Mudders’ fans cheered.

  Next up was Adzie Healy, the Bulls’ center fielder. He took three pitches — two balls and a strike — then flew out to left.

  “One more, Zero!” Nicky cried. “One more, buddy!”

  The next batter strode to the plate. Nicky recognized him at once. It was Stick Jolly.

  “C’mon, Stick, show ’em what you’ve got!” yelled a voice from the Bulls’ stands. It sounded familiar to Nicky. Sure enough, Stick’s brother, Sam, was in the bleachers.

  Seeing him made something in Nicky’s mind click. But before he could work out just what it was, he heard the crack of the bat hitting the ball. Hard.

  It was coming right to him! Nicky backed up a step, held his glove up in the air — and caught the ball for the third out!

  The Mudders’ bench erupted with cheers. But Nicky just tossed the ball aside and jogged off the field, his head low.

  There’s some reason I’ve heard of Stick’s brother, he thought. But what?

  He just couldn’t remember.

  Barry McGee was first up for the Mudders at the top of the third inning. He stepped to the plate and on the very first pitch, knocked in a double between short and third.

  “Okay, Turtleneck,” Coach Parker called. “Show ’em your stuff!”

  Turtleneck socked a line drive that smacked into the pitcher’s glove — then bounced out again! He was safely on first by the time the pitcher recovered the ball. Barry hadn’t moved from second.

  After Turtleneck came José Mendez. José wasn’t the strongest hitter, but sometimes he could surprise you.

  This time it was the ball that surprised everyone. José hit it right toward third base, but it took a funny bounce toward second. Barry, Turtleneck, and José ran as fast as they could. But only Barry and José were left on the diamond at the end of the play. The second baseman had beaten Turtleneck to the bag, and he was out.

  Two players on base, one out.

  Nicky knelt in the on-deck circle, watching T.V. take a few practice swings. His heart was thumping.

  This is it, he thought. Even if T.V. gets out, I’ll have a chance to make an RBI. I could bat Barry home.

  T.V. swung at three pitches. He missed three times.

  Two outs.

  Nicky stood up. He was about to go through his pre-batting ritual when he remembered his promise to his mother.

  Oh, man, he thought.

  9

  “Batter up!” the umpire called. “C’mon, son, time’s ticking.”

  Reluctantly Nicky stepped into the box.

  Here goes nothing, he thought dismally.

  But when the pitcher reared back and threw, Nicky’s instincts took over. He swung. Hard.

  Crack!

  A high-flying ball straight into the hole behind the shortstop! Nicky’s cleats tore up the dirt as he hightailed it to first.

  Safe!

  A loud cheer rose from the Mudders’ fans. It got even louder when Barry McGee beat the throw to home.

  The score now read Bulls 2, Mudders 1. And Nicky knew that the scorekeeper was placing a small, neat check mark in the RBI column next to his name.

  One down, three to go, he thought, dazed. Maybe I’m not jinxed after all! Or maybe Mom’s right, he added. Maybe superstitious rituals have less to do with my hitting than I think!

  A moment later, Alfie Maples popped out to end the Mudders’ turn at bat.

  The Bulls’ second baseman led off at the bottom of the third. He drilled a low pitch to deep right. It sailed between José and Alfie and went for a triple.

  Adzie Healy drew a walk, Stick Jolly fanned, and Jim Hance singled. Bases loaded.

  “C’mon, Zero, use your magic touch!” T.V. shouted from third base.

  Zero did. He struck out the next batter. Then Turtleneck caught a fly ball. Three outs.

  The Mudders could do nothing their turn at bat, and the Bulls came up still ahead by one run. By the end of the inning, they had added two more runs to their lead. Bulls 4, Mudders 1.

  The fifth inning saw no change in the score. In fact, both teams brought three batters to the plate and watched three batters return without getting on base.

  The Mudders started off the sixth and last inning at the top of the order. Once again, Nicky watched T.V. from the on-deck circle. T.V. hit a solid single.

  Nicky stood and marched straight into the batter’s box.

  Okay, Mom, a promise is a promise, he thought, gritting his teeth. But let’s see if that first hit was just a fluke.

  What happened next made Nicky question forevermore the value of superstition. He swung at the first pitch — and connected so hard that the bat cracked in two! He didn’t

  wait to see the pieces land. He just ran as fast as he could. When he stopped, he was standing on third base.

  Nicky had chalked up another RBI. The score now read Bulls 4, Mudders 2.

  The cheers that burst forth from the stands were deafening. Even if the Mudders didn’t win the game, Nicky was sure the fans would go home happy. His grin was so wide, it almost split his face in half.

  But then he heard a noise that wiped the smile from his lips.

  It was a low laugh. So low it sounded muffled.

  He spun around and found himself face to face with Stick Jolly.

  “Bet you thought that RBI was going to help your stupid team pull ahead, didn’t you?” Stick said. “Well, guess again!”

  Nicky was stunned. Stick’s words were hateful. But it was his laugh that had jolted him. He had heard that laugh earlier that day — only moments before he and Turtleneck had discovered themselves locked in the shed!

  10

  But if that were true, Nicky told himself, then Stick must be the one who put the peg into the latch!

  Then Nicky hesitated. Was a barely heard laugh enough evidence to accuse someone of sabotage?

  As Alfie Maples stepped to the plate for his turn at bat, Nicky
replayed the morning’s events over again in his mind: from the time he and Turtleneck walked into the shed, to when Babe Ruth barked, to when they discovered they’d been locked in, to when Mr. Chong had freed them….

  Suddenly, clear as a bell, Nicky saw himself running down the shed ramp — and tripping over a rut in the grass! But he and Turtleneck had been back and forth across the lawn countless times that morning. Not once had Nicky noticed anything strange about the ground around the shed.

  More important, he knew he had seen a rut like that once before. It was just like the one he and Turtleneck had repaired in the baseball diamond after Stick Jolly had ridden his bike on it!

  It was you! he wanted to shout. You’re the one!

  But he didn’t. Something was still missing. What motive could Stick have to lock the shed with Nicky and Turtleneck inside? That was a question Nicky just couldn’t answer.

  Alfie struck out his turn at bat. Then Bus sent a streaking grounder through short. It was enough to score Nicky, but not enough to win the Mudders the game. As Nicky watched from the Mudders’ bench, Chess Laveen popped up to end the sixth inning. The final score was Bulls 4, Mudders 2.

  “Okay, fellas, let’s line up and shake hands,” Coach Parker called. Nicky joined his teammates. He automatically murmured “Good game” to each of the Bulls’ players.

  When he got to Stick, he hesitated, then stuck out his hand. Stick took it. As he did, he glanced over his shoulder at his brother, Sam, and gave a sly smile.

  Suddenly Nicky’s memory came flooding back. He knew what it was about Sam Jolly that had been nagging at his brain since the start of the game. It was something he had overheard a few days ago.

  Sam Jolly, Stick’s older brother, was the person who held the record for most RBIs — the very record Nicky was closing in on! What better reason would Stick need to keep Nicky from the game?

  Nicky tightened his grip on Stick’s hand. Stick’s eyes widened. Nicky stared at him, then said in a low voice, “I know what you did, Stick. And I think it stinks.”