Hoot: Part 6

By CARL HIAASEN

Officer Delinko was met by a man in a dark blue pickup truck. The man, who was as bald as a beach ball, introduced himself as Curly. Officer Delinko thought the bald man must have a good sense of humour to go by such a nickname, but he was wrong. Curly was cranky and unsmiling.

'You should see what they done,' he said to the policeman.

'Who?'

'Follow me,' the man called Curly said.

Officer Delinko got in step behind him. 'The dispatcher said you wanted to report some vandalism.'

'That's right,' Curly grunted over his shoulder.

The policeman couldn't see what there was to be vandalised on the property, which was basically a few acres of scraggly weeds. Curly stopped walking and pointed at a short piece of lumber on the ground. A ribbon of bright pink plastic was tied to one end of the stick. The other end was sharpened and caked with grey dirt.

Publisher: Macmillan

Price: $16.95

Age group: 8-12 yrs


Want to win this book?
Send us all six of this week's Kids into Books coupons from the print edition of the New Zealand Herald and you'll go into the draw.