"What? Stop staring at me." she demanded. Of course, no one listened to her.
"How did you know that?" Gordie asked.
"Know what?" she asked back.
"That Vern was going to say something about a body." Chris answered.
"Oh, that. I'm psychic." Flip answered shortly. Rory laughed.
"You're about as psychic as a-" he started.
"Baloney sandwich." Teddy finished. Vern gave Teddy an odd look.
"But baloney sandwiches are very psychic!" Flip said. She leaned inward and whispered just loud enough so they all could hear. "They speak to me." Rory laughed.
"Sure, Flip, sure." he said, rolling his eyes. Chris ignored them.
"How do you know where a dead body is?" he asked Vern. Vern immedantly started on the story about how he had found out about Ray Brower's body and Back Harlow Road. When he was done, Teddy started talking.
"I know the Back Harlow Road! It comes to a dead end by the Royal River. The train tracks are right there! My an' my dad used to fish for Cossies out there!" he half yelled.
"Jesus Christ, man. If they'd have know you were under there they would've killed you." Chris said to Vern.
"Could he have gotten all the way from Chamberlain to Harlow? That's really far." Gordie muttered. Flip looked at the stray lock of hair on his forehead and restrained herself not to stick it to his head.
"Sure. He must've started walking on the train tracks and just followed them the whole way." Chris replied. Teddy nodded.
"Yeah. Yeah, right. And then after dark a train must've come along..."
"El smacko!" Flip and Teddy said simultaneously. She gave a small grin. 'The smack?' she thought.
"Yeah," said Chris. "Hey, you guys! I bet you anything that if we found him we'll get our pictures in the paper!"
"Yeah, yeah. We could even be on TV!" Teddy yelled. Flip made a small gasping sound.
"Ror, we might even be on... Paladin!" she squealed. "As some guests!"
"We'll be heros!" Teddy exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Chris agreed.
"I don't know. Billy will know where I found out." Vern muttered. Gordie looked over at him.
"He's not gonna care, 'cause it's be us guys that find him, not Billy and Charlie Hogan in a boosted car. They'll probably pin a medal on you, Vern." Gordie assured him.
"Yeah, you think so?" Vern asked.
"Sure!" Gordie replied.
"But what'll we tell our folks?" Vern questioned.
"Exactly what you said. We'll all tell our folks we're tenting out in your back field, you tell your folks you're sleeping over at Teddy's, Flip can say she's staying over at Rory's, and Rory can say he's staying over at Flip's. Then we say we're going' over to the drag races the next day. We're rock solid until dinner tomorrow night." Gordie said.
"Man, that a plan-and-a-half!" Chris praised.
"That's a boss plan, Gordie!" Flip grinned.
"But if we do find the kid's body over in South Harlow, they'll know we didn't go to the drag races. We'll get hided!" Vern sighed.
"Nobody'll care, 'cause everybody's gonna be so jazzed about what we found it'd not gonna make a difference!" Teddy assured him.
"Yeah," Chris agreed. "My dad'll hide me anyway, but hell, it's worth a hiding!"
"My dad's away for the week," Flip shrugged. "Besides, he wouldn't care if I disappeared for a weekend anyway."
"Lets do it! What do you say?" Chris asked.
"Alright!" Teddy yelled.
"Gordie?"
"Sure."
"Flip?"
"Heck yes!"
"Rory?"
"Why not?"
"Vern?"
"I don't know..." Vern muttered.
"Vern," Chris said almost scoldingly.
"Come on, Verno!" Teddy encouraged.
"Vern! Vern!" Flip and Rory chanted.
"Come on, Verno!" Chris grabbed Vern in a headlock while Teddy reached over and pinched his cheek.
"Okay, alright." Vern agreed slowly. Flip cheered.
"Too cool! Very cool, very, very cool!" Teddy yelled. Flip laughed and jumped up.
"Alright, men!" she snapped, as if she were and army general. "I expect all of you to gather needed supplies for our mission! We meet at the train tracks at twelve hundred hours!"
"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!" Teddy shouted, saluting. Flip pulled up the door, gave the boys a last salute, and dropped down, not bothering to use the ladder. Rory crawled over to the door and looked down, watching Flip drop and land on her feet.
"She's insane."
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Golden Peaches - She did know, she was just frowning at them. Like you know how you get a bruise and frown at it? That's what she was doing. Frowning disapprovingly. And thank you for the complements!
Lilylaylee - Heh. I have a wicked awesome idea for that, but you guys will have to wait until later to hear it, okay? Okay.
I love you guys! Your reviews make me fill all warm and fuzzy.