فصل بیست و هشتم

chapter 28

While Kyle and Abia sat in the Lemoncello-abilia Room contemplating their next move, Akimi and Angus came flying through the door.

They were both out of breath from running so hard.

“Your clues sent you up here, too?” asked Akimi.

“Yeah,” said Kyle as he mindlessly set up the playing pieces and cards for Family Frenzy on what had once been the Lemoncellos’ kitchen table. He’d placed the Lemoncello board game next to Irma Hirschman’s Family Frolic so he could make a detailed, side-by-side comparison.

“Did y’all find the answer?” asked Angus.

“Maybe,” said Abia, handing the Family Frolic box lid to Akimi and Angus.

“We don’t like what we found,” added Kyle.

Akimi flipped the Family Frolic lid back and forth a few times.

“Why are you guys even bothering with this game?” she asked. “It’s not a Lemoncello. It’s from some bubble-haired blond lady named Irma Hirschman. She looks like she’s going to a 1960s costume party as Doris Day.” “I beg your pardon?” said Abia.

“We had a sixties theme at school a couple years ago. I wore tie-dye. Haley Daley went as Doris Day.” Akimi set down the box top and stared at Kyle, who had his head in his hands while he studied the two game boards.

“Oh-kay,” she said. “You’re certainly acting weird today. You needed to stop and play some ‘groovy’ 1960s game in the middle of our Fabulous Fact-Finding Frenzy because…?” “I believe Kyle Keeley needs some time to think,” said Abia.

“Oh, really?” scoffed Angus. “Well, we need a list of names for the rest of Luigi’s brothers and sisters. His aunt gave us Massimo, Francesca, and Fabio at the apartment.” “We need six more,” said Akimi. “Plus, his father’s and mother’s names.” “His aunt told us his mom’s name was Angelica,” added Angus. “But, like all good researchers, we want to verify her statement with a second source.” “There might be a family Bible over there in that stack of books,” said Kyle, gesturing limply, his eyes still glued to the two game boards.

“Good idea,” said Angus. “A lot of families inscribe the names of their children and ancestors in the front of a Bible on a family tree.” Akimi and Angus rushed to the stack of books.

And froze.

“Wait a dadgum second,” said Angus. “If you two know where and how to find the answer, plus you had a ten-minute jump on us, why didn’t you just go ahead, jot down what was in the Lemoncello family tree, and win this thing?” “They’re trying to fake us out!” said Akimi. “Very clever, Kyle. Come on—for years you’ve told me Mr. Lemoncello based his first game on his big, crazy Italian family. If that’s the right answer, why didn’t you guys do the Bible family tree thing yourselves?” Kyle didn’t answer. He robotically rolled some dice and moved the boot token around the Family Frolic board.

“He even got the boot from her,” he mumbled. “There has to be some mistake. Mr. Lemoncello would never do something like that….” “Hello?” said Akimi. “Earth to Kyle. What are you mumbling about?” Abia sighed. “We are afraid,” she said, “that ‘Mr. Lemoncello’s family’—with a list of the names of his parents, brothers, and sisters—may not be the correct answer to the question ‘Who or what was the inspiration for his very first board game?’ ” She picked up the lid for Family Frolic that Akimi had dropped.

“It appears as if Mr. Lemoncello may have received the inspiration for his game from a very similar game that was invented five years earlier by a woman named Irma Hirschman, who apparently looked like this Doris Day you spoke of.” “He stole the idea?” said Angus.

“So it would seem,” said Abia.

“No,” said Kyle. “It’s not right.”

“Well, duh,” said Angus. “That’s why they call stealing stuff a crime!” “But Mr. Lemoncello wouldn’t do that. He has so many ideas of his own. He doesn’t need to steal them from somebody else….” “Akimi?” said Angus. “What the heck are we waiting for?” “Hang on,” said Kyle, snapping out of his funk. “This could ruin Mr. Lemoncello.” “So?” said Angus. “Facts are facts. It’s like that deal with Thomas Edison and the lightbulb.” “You’re jumping to conclusions,” said Kyle.

Akimi couldn’t help but smile. “Something you know how to do better than anybody, Kyle.” “True. But…”

“But what?” said Angus.

“Well, what if Mr. Lemoncello isn’t the one who put this board game in this room? What if somebody did it just to make him look bad? We need to dig deeper.” “No. We don’t,” said Angus. “We need to win! Come on, Akimi.” She didn’t budge. “Kyle is right. Stealing ideas? Plagiarism? Those are major accusations, Angus. We could destroy Mr. Lemoncello, his game company, this library—everything.” “But,” said Angus, “what if it is true?”

“What if it’s not?” demanded Kyle. “We owe it to Mr. Lemoncello to examine all the facts, not just a box lid. The way I see it, he’s innocent until totally proven guilty. We should ask for a delay so we can do more research.” “If both teams ask for a postponement,” said Akimi, “I bet they’ll give it to us.” “And then what?” said Angus.

“The four of us investigate further,” said Abia.

“And when the four of us find the truth,” asked Angus, “who gets to race back here, give the correct answer, and win the game?” Kyle looked at Abia.

She nodded.

He turned back to face Angus and Akimi.

“You guys,” he said.