The Missing Mitt Read online

  Since Jason wouldn’t play, Joe had been moved to first base. To cover second base, they’d moved Ellie Freeman from the outfield. She was a good player, but she’d never played second base before. It was going to be a tough game.

  “Strike three, you’re out!”

  The umpire pointed the second Jupiter player back to the bench. So far, thanks to Speedy, the Bandits were doing okay. The first batter had popped the ball straight up into the air, and Frank had caught it, putting him out. Speedy had just struck out the second batter. One more and it would be the Bandits’ turn at bat. Maybe they could make it without Jason after all.

  The third batter stepped up to the plate. He was big. Not as big as Conor, but big.

  The first pitch was a foul ball, off to the side. But the second was right down the middle, and the batter hit it with all his strength.

  CRAAACK!!

  The ball flew toward center field. The batter had aimed right for the hole in the outfield where Ellie used to stand. The other outfielders scrambled to try to catch it, but they were spread too thin. If someone had been there, it would have been an easy out. Instead, the batter made it all the way to third base!

  Things had just gone from okay to bad for the Bandits. And they were about to get worse!

  The next batter hit a low line drive up the middle, right past Speedy. The shortstop snapped it up on the first hop. The first runner was already nearing home. They weren’t going to get him out.

  “Throw it to first!” Ellie yelled to the shortstop.

  But the player hesitated a moment too long before throwing the ball to Joe, and the Jupiter batter made it to the base safely.

  By the end of the second inning, the score was Jupiters 4, Bandits 2. The Bandits needed to get Jason back on the team—and that meant finding his mitt.

  Finally, as the third inning was about to start, Frank got a chance to talk to Conor, who was first up at bat.

  “Hey,” said Frank.

  Conor just stared at him.

  “You’re Conor Hound, right?”

  “Yeah,” said Conor.

  “I’m Frank Hardy.” Frank pulled up his face mask. “I heard you have the most RBIs in the entire league!” Their dad had taught them that people are more likely to answer questions when you put them in a good mood.

  Conor smiled. “Yep!” he said.

  “That’s awesome. Can I ask you a question?”

  “Sure,” said Conor.

  “Why were you over by the pile of gear earlier?”

  “WHAT?” said Conor. “I told everybody, I didn’t steal that mitt!”

  “I wasn’t saying—”

  But Conor cut him off. “I’m not a thief! And I don’t need to cheat to win some dumb game.”

  “Boys!” called Coach Quinn. “What is going on over here?”

  “He accused me of stealing!” said Conor, pointing at Frank.

  “Frank, is this true?”

  “No! I was just asking why he was over by our gear.”

  Frank could tell by the look on her face that Coach Quinn didn’t believe him.

  “Frank, I’m disappointed. This is very unlike you. I’m going to have to ask you to sit out the rest of this game. Please take off the catcher’s gear so we can find someone to replace you.”

  Frank could barely believe what he had heard. He wasn’t accusing Conor of cheating—he was just trying to find out what had happened. But Coach Quinn wouldn’t listen.

  “But, Coach Quinn, we were just trying to help!” cried Joe. The entire team had gathered around to see what was happening.

  “You were involved with this too, Joe?” asked Coach Quinn.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  “Then I’m afraid you’re going to sit out the game as well.”

  Things were going from bad to worse!

  8

  Triple Play

  Sidelined? In the biggest game of the year? How could this be happening? Frank couldn’t believe how bad their luck had been. He watched as another Bandit put on the catcher’s gear and the team got ready to start again. Conor Hound gave him an angry look.

  Joe tried to argue with Coach Quinn, but it was no use. Their parents came over to see what all the fuss was about.

  “What happened, Joe?” asked Mr. Hardy.

  “It wasn’t our fault!” said Joe. “Frank was just trying to ask Conor about Jason’s mitt, and—”

  “Yeah!” chimed in Frank. “And Joe was just trying to get Coach Quinn to understand, but—”

  “Slow down, boys,” said Mrs. Hardy.

  “Yes,” said Mr. Hardy. “Now, start at the beginning.”

  While the Bayport Bandits tried to figure out who would fill the two new holes on the field, Frank and Joe told their parents what had happened. When they were done, Mr. Hardy shook his head.

  “Do you think Conor stole Jason’s mitt?” asked Mr. Hardy.

  Frank and Joe hesitated.

  “No,” said Frank. “I think he’s innocent. He seems pretty upset about it. And from everything I’ve heard about him, he’s a good ballplayer. He wouldn’t need to cheat to do well.”

  “Well,” said Mr. Hardy. “It seems like the only thing to do is figure out where Jason’s mitt really is. If you can do that before the game ends, maybe Coach Quinn will understand that you were just trying to help.”

  “But we don’t even have a suspect,” said Frank.

  “You know what that means. You have to go back over your evidence. Talk to your witnesses. Facts are what solve crimes, boys.”

  Frank and Joe nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Hardy went back to their blanket to watch the rest of the game. The boys pulled out their notebook.

  “The only people who knew anything were Jason and Mr. Mack,” said Frank. “So maybe we should talk to them again.”

  “Good idea,” said Joe. “Let’s talk to Mr. Mack first.”

  Together, they walked back behind the bleachers, to the corner where Mr. Mack and Lucy were sitting. Lucy was tied to a post to keep her from chasing the balls, but she wagged her tail when the boys came over.

  “Shouldn’t you boys be playing?” asked Mr. Mack.

  Frank and Joe explained what had happened.

  “That’s terrible!” Mr. Mack said. “But I don’t know if I can help you. I really didn’t see anyone go over by the gear except for that boy from the other team, Jason, and myself. Like I said, Lucy ran away after that, so I had to go look for her.”

  The boys thanked Mr. Mack for his help and set off to find Jason. He was their last hope.

  “We must be missing something,” said Joe.

  “I know,” said Frank. “But what?”

  The fourth inning was just beginning as they neared the baseball field again. The Bandits were now behind 5–2. Frank and Joe watched for a few minutes. Missing three players made it almost impossible for the team to play. The Johnston Jupiters practically owned the field. This was going to be one of the worst defeats in Little League history!

  The boys went to find Jason. They couldn’t stand to watch the team lose so badly.

  “That is totally unfair!” Jason said before Frank or Joe could even say hi. “And it’s all Conor’s fault! First he steals my mitt, and now he’s got Coach Quinn on his side.”

  “We don’t think Conor stole your mitt,” Frank told him.

  “You don’t?” replied Jason. “Then if he didn’t, who did?”

  “That’s what we’re trying to figure out. Do you remember anything else—anything that might help us figure out where your mitt went?”

  “No! I already told you everything.”

  “Think hard,” said Joe. “Finding that mitt is the only way to get us all back on the team—and the Bandits need us!”

  Jason looked over at the field just as the Bandits’ new first baseman dropped the ball, letting Conor Hound run safely to second. Jason scrunched up his face and tried to remember everything he could.

  “Like I told you, nothing really happened. I
got here, I dropped off my stuff, that stupid dog jumped on me, I threw my lucky mitt on top of my bag, and then I went to practice. That’s it.”

  “Wait a second,” said Frank. He was remembering something. “Lucy jumped on you?”

  “Yeah,” said Jason.

  “Was this before or after you threw your mitt down?”

  “Before, I think.”

  Frank looked excited.

  “Joe, don’t you remember what Mr. Mack said? He said that Lucy jumped on me because she wanted the stick I was holding. She thought we were going to play fetch. If Jason threw down his mitt right after Lucy jumped on him . . .”

  “Lucy must have thought Jason wanted to play. That’s why she left her stick behind!”

  “Lucy took the mitt!” both boys yelled at the same time.

  “Strike three!” announced the umpire. The top of the fourth was over. The boys had only a few more innings to get the mitt and save the game!

  9

  Deep in the Outfield

  Jason,” yelled Frank and Joe. “We know where your mitt is!”

  “You do? Where?”

  “Follow us!”

  The boys took off. They had to see Mr. Mack and get the mitt back from Lucy.

  “Hi again!” said Mr. Mack as the boys ran up to him. “My, you boys sure are running around a lot.”

  “Mr. Mack,” said Joe. “Lucy took Jason’s mitt!”

  “What?” asked Mr. Mack.

  “Lucy must have thought Jason wanted to play fetch when he threw it down with the rest of the gear. She took it!”

  “Oh no,” said Mr. Mack, looking very concerned. “I’m so sorry! I’m sure she didn’t hurt it. She’s very careful with her toys.”

  “Bad girl,” he said to Lucy. Lucy whimpered guiltily.

  “That’s all right,” said Jason. “I just want to get it back so we can play in the game! Where do you think she put it?”

  “Oh, dear,” said Mr. Mack. “I don’t know. She runs too fast for me to keep up with her. She buries sticks and toys out in the woods behind the baseball field, but I don’t know where. Only Lucy knows that.”

  Jason, the Hardys, and Mr. Mack all turned to look at Lucy. Lucy whined and put her head between her paws. Frank and Joe had finally found the culprit—but they’d never be able to get her to talk!

  “What are we going to do now?” asked Jason. “Maybe if you explain everything, Coach Quinn will let you guys play, but I still won’t have my mitt. I can’t play without it.”

  “We’re not giving up yet,” said Joe. “I have an idea.”

  Joe ran back toward the Bandits’ dugout.

  “Where’s he going?” asked Mr. Mack.

  “I don’t know,” said Frank.

  Joe returned with his own mitt in hand.

  “Mr. Mack, can you untie Lucy?”

  Mr. Mack set Lucy free. Joe held the mitt high in the air, above Lucy’s head. She jumped up on Joe, trying to get at the mitt.

  “Here, girl,” Joe said. “Go get it!”

  He threw the mitt as hard as he could. Lucy ran a few feet. She jumped in the air and grabbed the mitt with her teeth. Then she took off running, past the outfield, toward the deep woods.

  “Follow that dog!” Joe shouted.

  “Be careful, boys! Good luck!” called Mr. Mack, as Joe, Frank, and Jason all chased after Lucy.

  Lucy was fast! First she ran straight toward the crowd of people watching the game on their picnic blankets. She leaped right over two little kids and nearly knocked over a giant bottle of soda. The boys had no choice but to run right after her, apologizing the whole way.

  “Excuse me! Sorry!” said Frank.

  “Coming through!” said Joe.

  Jason took one look at the mess made by Lucy, Frank, and Joe and decided to jump over the entire picnic blanket. He took one big leap and landed safely on the other side.

  Lucy’s tail was wagging now. She was enjoying the chase. She stopped for a second, then turned around and looked at the boys. She crouched down on her front legs, the mitt still in her mouth. It looked like she was smiling at them. She waited until the boys got just close enough to grab her. Joe reached out—and Lucy hopped out of his way.

  Joe stumbled and fell.

  “You all right?” asked Frank.

  Joe nodded. Lucy was sitting there, just a few feet away. Frank and Jason both jumped at her at the same time. But again, Lucy dodged out of the way.

  THUD!

  Frank and Jason slammed right into each other. They landed in a big heap on the ground. Joe had to help them both up. Lucy barked once, almost dropping the mitt, and then bounded away.

  She ran straight for the trees. The boys tried to keep up, but their two legs were no match for Lucy’s four.

  “We have to keep up!” shouted Jason. He put on a burst of speed and managed to pass Frank and Joe.

  When she got to the edge of the woods, Lucy paused. It was almost as though she was waiting for the boys to reach her. Jason made it first, with Frank and Joe close behind. Lucy slipped in among the trees.

  Now running was harder. There were roots and rocks everywhere. The boys had to dodge around trees and bushes. Lucy disappeared and reappeared. The boys kept as close to her as they could. But finally Lucy disappeared for good.

  “Where did she go?” asked Joe.

  The boys all stood still and looked around. They couldn’t see the dog anywhere.

  “Oh no!” said Jason.

  “Shhh . . .” Frank held his finger up to his lips. The boys got quiet. In the distance they could hear the sound of digging.

  “This way!” Frank took off running deeper into the woods. He could hear Lucy in front of him, though he couldn’t see her yet. Suddenly the ground disappeared beneath him!

  “Whoa!” he shouted. He had reached the edge of a drop in the woods. There was a five-foot-deep hole in front of him. He threw his arms out to try to keep his balance. But it was no use. He started to fall!

  “Careful!”

  Jason grabbed the back of Frank’s shirt and pulled him away from the edge of the hole.

  “Thanks,” said Frank.

  “Look!” Joe pointed down into the hole. At the bottom was Lucy, digging the hole deeper. All around her was stuff—balls and sticks and toys and Frisbees . . . and Jason’s mitt!

  “We found it!” Jason shouted.

  10

  Secret File #2: A Home Run!

  Lucy wasn’t happy when the boys took both of the mitts back, but she didn’t try to stop them either.

  “Time to go back to Mr. Mack, girl?” said Joe.

  Lucy barked twice. Then she picked up a stick and ran back toward the field.

  “Good girl!” called Jason. Now that he had his lucky mitt back, he was happy again—and ready to go play!

  “Do you think the game is still going on?” asked Jason. “Will we make it back in time?”

  “Hmmm,” said Frank. “The average batter takes two minutes. There are usually five batters on each side for every inning. I would say there should be two innings left!”

  “Awesome!” yelled Joe. “Let’s go.”

  The boys ran out of the woods as fast as they could. This time, they ran straight through the bushes. All they cared about was getting back as soon as possible. When they got out, Mr. Mack was waiting for them, with Lucy beside him.

  “Did you find your mitt?” he asked.

  “Yes!” all three boys shouted at the same time. They kept running.

  When they made it back to the baseball diamond, the Jupiters were leaving the field.

  “Uh-oh,” said Jason. “Are we too late?”

  The boys ran over to Coach Quinn.

  “Is the game over?” asked Jason.

  “No, but I’m afraid it’s not going so well. We’re down four runs, and there are only two innings left. Where did you boys go?”

  “Frank and Joe found my mitt!” said Jason. “Lucy stole it!”

  “That’s great news!�
�� said Coach Quinn. “But who’s Lucy?” She looked out at the players of the two teams.

  “That’s Lucy,” said Joe, pointing over to the bleachers where Mr. Mack and Lucy were sitting.

  “She thought Jason was playing fetch,” Frank explained. “So she grabbed the mitt and buried it in the woods with her other toys.”

  “So you boys really were just trying to find Jason’s mitt. I guess I owe you an apology. How about I give it to you . . . after you get ready to play? It’s the top of the sixth, and the team needs you!”

  The three boys cheered.

  “Wait,” said Jason. “There’s something I have to do first.”

  Jason walked over to where the Jupiters were sitting. He went right up to Conor Hound. They talked for a few minutes. Then they shook hands.

  Jason came back over to Joe, Frank, and Coach Quinn.

  “I had to apologize for accusing him of stealing,” Jason said.

  “That’s very grown-up of you, Jason,” said the coach. “I’m proud to have you on the Bandits.” She shook his hand too.

  Then a big smile lit up Jason’s face. “And I also said I’m sorry that we’re totally going to beat them!”

  Even Coach Quinn had to laugh at that.

  When the rest of the Bandits saw Joe, Frank, and Jason getting ready to play, they gave a huge cheer—and so did the crowd! The Bandits fans had given up on their team winning, but now they were excited again.

  “Coach Quinn is letting you guys play? That’s awesome! We’re totally going to win now. I can’t wait to write this all up in my blog tonight. This has been the most exciting game ever.” Speedy was talking so fast it was almost impossible to understand a word she was saying. The boys would have to check out her blog tomorrow to find out.

  The sixth inning was about to start. Frank took back the catcher’s gear and got suited up. Jason took his regular place on first base, and Joe went back to second. Now there were no more holes in the outfield for the Jupiters to aim for.

  The first three Jupiters up at bat were knocked out one after another. Speedy struck out one, Jason tagged another, and Frank caught a foul ball hit by the third. Now it was the Bandits’ turn at bat. With a little luck, they could narrow the score.