Michael had moved the purple sock too close to his face, and he wrinkled his nose as he took a whiff. He tossed it back onto the ground beside him. Then he looked at the girls.
“Heard what?” he asked.
They all studied Michael for his reaction as Nancy stated, “Katie’s lucky headband has been stolen, and she doesn’t think she can attempt the record without it.”
Michael gasped. “Oh no! That’s terrible.”
George nodded. “It is. Although, I guess on the bright side, now the judge will have plenty of time on his or her hands. . . .” But Michael was already shaking his head. “Nope. No way. She’s bound to be upset by a change in plans. The last thing anyone wants is to attempt a record in front of a cranky judge.”
Michael began pulling apart the giant stack of socks. He paused and looked at the girls. “Besides, I couldn’t do that to Katie. Us world record attempters stick together. I wanted us both to earn one today. I’d hate to win one instead of her.”
He piled his socks into his arms and straightened up. “If she’s not attempting today, then neither am I.”
The girls exchanged glances. It was clear they were all having the same thought: if Michael would only compete if Katie did, that would make him the last person to take her headband.
But now what? They were fresh out of clues . . . again!
The afternoon sun was beating down on the yard, and Michael offered the girls a cold drink while he put his bundle of socks away.
He deposited the pile on a bench in the mudroom, and then they followed him through the dining room and into the kitchen, passing Michael’s little sister, Caroline, on the way. She was sitting at the table, which was covered in newspapers and hot-pink glitter. She was so absorbed in her craft project, she didn’t even notice when Bess called out a hello to her.
George elbowed Bess. “That’s kind of like you when a new clothing catalog comes in the mail.”
Beth smiled and elbowed her cousin back. In the kitchen, Michael handed each girl a tall glass of icy water, which they drank standing up.
As they placed their empty glasses in the sink, Nancy said, “Maybe we should head back to the arcade and see if there have been any developments in the case since we’ve been gone. It’s always possible the headband turned up.”
Bess and George agreed. Michael walked them to the door and cast a wistful glance at his sock pile as he wished them luck.
The girls hurried along the sidewalk to Starcade, hoping that they’d return to find Katie happily bopping around the dance mat with her lucky headband keeping her bangs off her face. They spent the short walk comparing some of the funnier world records they had read about (Longest Bumper Car Marathon! World’s Largest Pepperoni Pizza! Most Hot Dogs Eaten in One Minute!).
They held their breath as they entered the arcade, but let it out in a whoosh when they immediately spotted the Dance-A-Thon game sitting quietly in the corner.
Nancy quickly spied Katie by the air hockey tables, deep in conversation with her mother and the arcade owner. Some of the crowd from earlier had thinned out, which wasn’t a good sign.
Had everyone given up on Katie?
Well, at least it didn’t look like the judge had arrived yet. They still had time to solve this mystery—even if they were out of clues.
But just then George leaned in close to the other two girls and whispered, “I think I found another suspect for us to interview.”