“What do we do next?” asked Pea after they discovered the chestnut mistake. “Should we keep reading?”
“No need!” replied Lou Lou. “This is proof that the Argyles faked the diary! Now we have to tell someone who can help.”
“Our parents? Abuela Josie?” Pea said.
“No, I think it should be someone not related to us. So they don’t look biased when we all make the announcement that saves the Bonanza for El Corazón.” Lou Lou was already thinking ahead to the ultimate victory.
Pea took a sip of tea. “How about Principal Garcia?” She was referring to the principal of El Corazón Public. “He’s a good listener and people respect him, even outside of our neighborhood.”
“That’s a great idea, Pea!” Lou Lou replied. “We should go see him tomorrow.”
“But tomorrow is Saturday,” said Pea. “Surely, he won’t be in his office.”
“¡No es problemo!” Lou Lou said.
“Problema,” Pea corrected gently.
“¡No es problema! I know where he lives. He had my English class over to his house last year for homemade horchata after we won the school reading challenge. He told us that his door is always open to students. So really he invited us to drop by anytime!”
“I’m not sure that’s exactly what he meant. But it’s worth a try,” replied Pea.
“Let’s meet here in the morning and walk to his house. It’s so exciting, Pea! We’ll get this sorted out and take back the Bonanza and your hats!” She stood on her chair. “Like I said before, Lou Lou and Pea to—whoa!—whoa!” The chair wobbled and Lou Lou slipped off and fell onto the grass.
“Oh no!” Pea dropped her scone on the table. “Are you okay?”
Lou Lou got up and grinned. “I’m fine! Now, where was I? Oh, I know—Lou Lou and Pea to the rescue again!”
* * *
At ten on Saturday morning, Lou Lou and Pea went off to see Principal Garcia. Lou Lou brought a bag of her dad’s spinnaker-pole cinnamon rolls to munch on while they walked. She was awake and alert, and had already spent two hours in her sunny garden.
Pea, on the other hand, was sleepy-eyed and yawning. She clutched her blue tote bag, which held the diary, and shook her head to clear the just-woke-up fogginess.
“It would have been polite to bring something for Principal Garcia,” Pea said.
“How about the rest of the spinnaker-pole cinnamon rolls?” Lou Lou suggested. She peered into the paper bag. There were only two left, and she’d already broken a piece off one to eat it. When Pea looked away, Lou Lou stuck the piece back on. With the gooey icing, Principal Garcia would never notice.
Lou Lou and Pea arrived at Principal Garcia’s house, a Victorian-style home painted sea-foam green and turquoise. Pea paused as they reached the flagstones leading to the front steps.
“Lou Lou, what if we get in trouble for accidentally borrowing the diary?”
“That won’t happen,” replied Lou Lou. “Principal Garcia will be happy we told him about the fake diary, and once the Argyles are exposed, no one will care that we accidentally borrowed it. El Corazón will get the Bonanza back and we’ll be heroines!”
“Okay,” said Pea, though she still sounded hesitant.
“And we’ll get your hats, too!” said Lou Lou. She was already marching up the principal’s steps, so Pea didn’t have time for more doubts.
Lou Lou rang the doorbell and Principal Garcia appeared, wearing a white tank top, paisley-print shorts, and rainbow socks. Lou Lou suppressed a giggle at the principal’s weekend attire.
“Why hello, Lou Lou and Peacock. What are you girls doing here?” asked Principal Garcia. He smiled under his bushy mustache, but he was clearly surprised by their visit.
“We have something very important to tell you!” Lou Lou blurted out.
“I already took your advice about planting both shrubs and flowers in my backyard,” said Principal Garcia.
Lou Lou was impressed. “Mixing greenery with bright blooms creates an eye-catching effect.” She remembered the purpose of their trip and said again, “We have something very important to tell you!”
Pea looked at Lou Lou out of the corner of her eye and took over the conversation. “May we please have a chat, Principal Garcia? We brought spinnaker-pole cinnamon rolls.”
Lou Lou held up the paper bag.
“Of course, come in,” Principal Garcia replied. “I’m not sure what a spinnaker pole has to do with a cinnamon roll, but I’ve never met a breakfast pastry I didn’t like.”
“Me neither!” said Lou Lou. “Actually, I’m not crazy about cheese danishes.” Principal Garcia laughed and held the door open.
Lou Lou and Pea followed Principal Garcia into his kitchen, where they sat at the table with glasses of homemade horchata. He listened intently as Lou Lou and Pea explained that Diego’s horse was actually sorrel, not chestnut, and that this proved that Giles’s diary was a fake. When Lou Lou asked when they could get the Bonanza back for El Corazón, Principal Garcia held up his hands.
“Hold your horses!” he said, and chuckled. Lou Lou and Pea smiled politely. Principal Garcia’s face turned serious. “Joking aside, this is a big accusation, niñas. Before we can talk about reclaiming the Bonanza, I need to call the vice-mayor so we can all discuss this diary issue.” He picked up the phone book from a side table and scanned through it.
Pea looked a little nervous, but Lou Lou said, “Sure!” She was interested to see what the Argyles had to say for themselves. Would they apologize? Offer right then and there to return Pea’s hats and the rest of El Corazón’s Bonanza crafts and preparations? Run away ashamed?
Principal Garcia called the vice-mayor and repeated the diary story. Pea raised her eyebrows at Lou Lou.
Don’t worry, Lou Lou mouthed.
“The Argyles are coming over to talk this through,” Principal Garcia said when he hung up. Pea clenched her fists under the table. Lou Lou reached over and squeezed her hand.
It wasn’t long before they heard the screech of tires outside followed by the doorbell.
“Let yourselves in, por favor!” Principal Garcia called. The door slammed and feet stomped down the hall. Amanda’s angry red face appeared in the kitchen doorway, and Lou Lou knew right then that El Corazón wasn’t going to get the Bonanza back without a fight.