“I knew Pearl had something to do with this,” Mrs. Mulberry said. “Why else would we have a swarm of killer bees on the loose in Buttonville? Pearl is always causing trouble!”

“Pearl?” Officer Milly looked around. “Where are you?”

Pearl gulped. The crowd parted down the middle, making room for her. She walked up to the squad car. From the squinty glares being cast her way, she knew she’d already been judged guilty as charged.

Her aunt peered over the top of her dark glasses. “Pearl, is this true?”

“It’s true,” Victoria said. In her usual tattle-telling way, Victoria was more than happy to provide information regarding Pearl’s activities. “She told me that she’d caught a queen killer bee. She even showed it to me.”

“Did you get rid of it?” Ms. Bee asked.

Pearl looked around for Ben. She could certainly use one of his stories right about now. But the crowd had squeezed closer, and she couldn’t see him. At that moment, she felt very alone. She’d faced lots of complicated situations during the last month, but Ben had always been there for her. “I didn’t get rid of it, exactly. I… I…”

The squad car began to rock back and forth as Mrs. Mulberry heaved herself onto the trunk, then climbed onto the roof. She grabbed the megaphone from Officer Milly’s hand. “Have no fear, fellow Buttonvillers. As the president of the Welcome Wagon Committee, I take the safety of our citizens as my top priority. While Pearl has brought trouble, yet again, to our peaceful town, the Mulberrys are here to save the day.” She pointed at Victoria, who held up a piece of paper. “My daughter found a flyer for an exterminator. We called them and they’re on the way!”

“Exterminator?” Pearl cried.