Samantha and Nipper walked around the water tower, out of the park, and past the mailbox. They were one house away from home when Nipper stopped suddenly. He put out his arm and blocked his sister.

“Ugh,” she said as his arm whacked her in the belly. “What now?”

Nipper stood on tiptoe and peered down the Snoddgrass driveway.

“Wait right here,” he said. “I really want you to see something.”

Giggling, he skipped down the driveway.

He hopped over a hula hoop and continued toward Missy’s house. He stepped on a strand of yarn lying on the ground and nearly wiped out, but he steadied himself and kept going.

Before Nipper could reach the side porch, Missy pushed open the screen door.

“So, it’s you here again,” she said, stepping outside.

Nipper stopped. He kept smiling as he looked up at her.

“Decent people always use the front steps,” she told him. “This won’t look good on your record.”

He ignored this and cheerfully held out his hand. The black-and-green ring rested in his open palm.

“We went to London Bridge and I got you this present,” he told her.

Missy looked at him suspiciously. Then she walked down three steps, letting the screen door slam behind her.

“Wait. What’s that hole in your shirt?” she asked, pointing at his collar. “It looks like somebody else tried to stab you.”

Nipper waited.

Missy looked down at the scorpion and gazed into its emerald eyes.

She grinned, exposing the large black space where one of her teeth was missing.

Slowly, she took the ring from Nipper and slid it onto the index finger of her left hand.

“Thanks. Now get out of here,” she said briskly, and turned away.

Nipper took one careful step backward. He didn’t slip or trip!

Quickly he spun around and dashed back to the sidewalk. He grabbed Samantha’s arm and pulled her off the sidewalk and down into a bush.

“Ouch,” she said. “What are you—”

“Shhhh,” he whispered. “This is going to be great.”

They crouched in the bush and waited.

Missy marched up the steps.

She didn’t stumble.

She didn’t fall backward down the stairs and land in poop.

She didn’t accidentally bash her face against the house.

Missy grasped the handle of the screen door and paused. She looked back over her shoulder and shot a menacing glance in the general direction of Samantha and Nipper. They didn’t think she could see them, but they both ducked a little closer to the ground.

“Jeremy Bernard Spinner,” she called out. “I know you’re hiding in that bush.”

Then she turned back to the house and opened the screen door.

“Can we go home now?” whispered Samantha.

“Hold on,” said Nipper. “Keep watching.”

Missy didn’t trip on her own shoelaces. An airsick owl didn’t fall from the sky and smack her on the top of the head. A cement mixer didn’t make a wrong turn down the driveway and accidentally pour cement all over her.

She disappeared into the house and the door swung shut behind her.

“This makes no sense at all!” Nipper wailed.

“She’s Double-Triple-Super Evil,” Samantha reminded him. “Maybe a cursed ring doesn’t have any effect.”

She could sense her brother’s deep disappointment. He looked as if his head were going to explode.

“Don’t worry,” said Samantha. “I’m pretty sure we can figure out how all this crazy, mixed-up stuff fits together.”

“You’re starting to sound like Mom,” said Nipper.

Samantha looped the umbrella strap over her shoulder. Then she held out her hand to help him up.

“Let’s go home.”