Norah McClintock presents...

The Mike & Riel series

Truth and Lies

Mike's lies are spinning out of control and now he's the number-one suspect in a murder. Okay, so he can't explain his bruised and skinned knuckles, and he can't explain why he was spotted near the park where Robbie was killed. But if Mike really is innocent, then why doesn't his alibi check out, and why are the police so sure that he's guilty?

Scholastic Canada Ltd.
ISBN 0-439-96919-4 PBK
208 pages
Ages 12 to 14
3/16" x 6 ¾"

Excerpt

He didn't accuse me of anything. He hadn't accused me of anything the first time Detective Jones had questioned me either. What did that mean? What was Riel thinking? Geeze, what was Detective Jones thinking?

"I asked you a question, Mike," Riel said.

"I didn't have anything to do with what happened to Robbie Ducharme," I said.

"If I had to put money on it, I'd have to bet that Detective Jones thinks you did," Riel said. "He's catching you in an awful lot of lies, Mike. You lied to me about where you were that night. And then you lied to him. Lying to me, well, that's only going to make it hard for you and me to get along. But lying to the police when they're conducting a homicide investigation? That's pretty serious."

I didn't say anything. I couldn't even make myself look at Riel. I was too embarrassed, because not only had I been caught again, but now I was crying. I couldn't believe it. I was acting like a girl and I couldn't stop. I wiped angrily at the tears that were leaking out of my eyes.

"Look at me, Mike," Riel said, still in that quiet voice. It was so calm, so controlled that I almost wished he would yell. Riel reached back for something. He pressed a couple of tissues into my hand. "Blow your nose," he said. "You'll feel better."

Fat chance, but I blew anyway.

"Now look at me," Riel said.

I raised my head slowly. Riel's grey eyes were fixed on me. I didn't see anger this time. I didn't even see suspicion and disappointment. No, what I saw this time was concern. Deep concern. And it scared me more than anything else.

"If anyone asks me," Riel said, "I'm going to have to say something about what your hands looked like the next day. I'm going to have to tell them what you told me, about how you were horsing around with Sal. Then they're going to want to talk to Sal. Maybe that's not a problem. Maybe that's really what you were doing. Maybe that's exactly how it happened. But if it isn't . . . Well, if it isn't, Mike, I think the best thing is for you to tell the truth now. You lie anymore and you're only going to get yourself tangled up. You know that, right?"

I nodded.

"You think we need a lawyer here, Mike?"

We. At least he'd said we.

"I didn't have anything to do with Robbie Ducharme," I said. "I don't know anything about that. I swear."

"So you'll tell Detective Jones everything? Straight this time?"

I nodded again. "Yeah."