Shadow Over Second (4 page)

Zero Ford was pitching for the Mudders this game, with Chess Laveen behind the plate. Phil Koline, the Bulls’ right fielder,
led off. Zero threw the first pitch.

Strike one!

“Way to go, Zero!” Turtleneck yelled from first base. “Two more like it!”

But Zero couldn’t seem to find the plate for the next three pitches. The count rose to 3 and 1.

Then Phil drilled a pitch to deep right center. He pulled up on second for a double.

One man on, no outs.

The Bulls’ next batter tried to bunt the first
pitch. The ball rolled foul just left of the third base line marker. Strike one.

He tried it again — and missed again. Strike two.

The Bulls’ coach must have told him to swing away at the third pitch. But instead of hitting the ball, he fanned. One out.

The Mudders’ fans cheered.

Next up was Adzie Healy, the Bulls’ center fielder. He took three pitches — two balls and a strike — then flew out to left.

“One more, Zero!” Nicky cried. “One more, buddy!”

The next batter strode to the plate. Nicky recognized him at once. It was Stick Jolly.

“C’mon, Stick, show ’em what you’ve got!” yelled a voice from the Bulls’ stands. It sounded familiar to Nicky. Sure enough,
Stick’s brother, Sam, was in the bleachers.

Seeing him made something in Nicky’s mind click. But before he could work out just what it was, he heard the crack of the
bat
hitting the ball. Hard.

It was coming right to him! Nicky backed up a step, held his glove up in the air — and caught the ball for the third out!

The Mudders’ bench erupted with cheers. But Nicky just tossed the ball aside and jogged off the field, his head low.

There’s some reason I’ve heard of Stick’s brother
, he thought.
But what?

He just couldn’t remember.

Barry McGee was first up for the Mudders at the top of the third inning. He stepped to the plate and on the very first pitch,
knocked in a double between short and third.

“Okay, Turtleneck,” Coach Parker called. “Show ’em your stuff!”

Turtleneck socked a line drive that smacked into the pitcher’s glove — then bounced out again! He was safely on first by the
time the pitcher recovered the ball. Barry hadn’t moved from second.

After Turtleneck came José Mendez. José wasn’t the strongest hitter, but sometimes he could surprise you.

This time it was the ball that surprised everyone. José hit it right toward third base, but it took a funny bounce toward
second. Barry, Turtleneck, and José ran as fast as they could. But only Barry and José were left on the diamond at the end
of the play. The second baseman had beaten Turtleneck to the bag, and he was out.

Two players on base, one out.

Nicky knelt in the on-deck circle, watching T.V. take a few practice swings. His heart was thumping.

This is it
, he thought.
Even if T.V. gets out, I’ll have a chance to make an RBI. I could bat Barry home.

T.V. swung at three pitches. He missed three times.

Two outs.

Nicky stood up. He was about to go
through his pre-batting ritual when he remembered his promise to his mother.

Oh, man
, he thought.

“Batter up!” the umpire called. “C’mon, son, time’s ticking.”

Reluctantly Nicky stepped into the box.

Here goes nothing
, he thought dismally.

But when the pitcher reared back and threw, Nicky’s instincts took over. He swung. Hard.

Crack!

A high-flying ball straight into the hole behind the shortstop! Nicky’s cleats tore up the dirt as he hightailed it to first.

Safe!

A loud cheer rose from the Mudders’ fans. It got even louder when Barry McGee beat
the throw to home.

The score now read Bulls 2, Mudders 1. And Nicky knew that the scorekeeper was placing a small, neat check mark in the RBI
column next to his name.

One down, three to go
, he thought, dazed.
Maybe I’m not jinxed after all! Or maybe Mom’s right
, he added.
Maybe superstitious rituals have less to do with my hitting than I think!

A moment later, Alfie Maples popped out to end the Mudders’ turn at bat.

The Bulls’ second baseman led off at the bottom of the third. He drilled a low pitch to deep right. It sailed between José
and Alfie and went for a triple.

Adzie Healy drew a walk, Stick Jolly fanned, and Jim Hance singled. Bases loaded.

“C’mon, Zero, use your magic touch!” T.V. shouted from third base.

Zero did. He struck out the next batter. Then Turtleneck caught a fly ball. Three outs.

The Mudders could do nothing their turn at bat, and the Bulls came up still ahead by one run. By the end of the inning, they
had added two more runs to their lead. Bulls 4, Mudders 1.

The fifth inning saw no change in the score. In fact, both teams brought three batters to the plate and watched three batters
return without getting on base.

The Mudders started off the sixth and last inning at the top of the order. Once again, Nicky watched T.V. from the on-deck
circle. T.V. hit a solid single.

Nicky stood and marched straight into the batter’s box.

Okay, Mom, a promise is a promise
, he thought, gritting his teeth.
But let’s see if that first hit was just a fluke.

What happened next made Nicky question forevermore the value of superstition. He swung at the first pitch — and connected
so hard that the bat cracked in two! He didn’t

wait to see the pieces land. He just ran as fast as he could. When he stopped, he was standing on third base.

Nicky had chalked up another RBI. The score now read Bulls 4, Mudders 2.

The cheers that burst forth from the stands were deafening. Even if the Mudders didn’t win the game, Nicky was sure the fans
would go home happy. His grin was so wide, it almost split his face in half.

But then he heard a noise that wiped the smile from his lips.

It was a low laugh. So low it sounded muffled.

He spun around and found himself face to face with Stick Jolly.

“Bet you thought that RBI was going to help your stupid team pull ahead, didn’t you?” Stick said. “Well, guess again!”

Nicky was stunned. Stick’s words were hateful. But it was his laugh that had jolted
him. He had heard that laugh earlier that day —
only moments before he and Turtleneck had discovered themselves locked in the shed!

But if that were true
, Nicky told himself,
then Stick must be the one who put the peg into the latch!

Then Nicky hesitated. Was a barely heard laugh enough evidence to accuse someone of sabotage?

As Alfie Maples stepped to the plate for his turn at bat, Nicky replayed the morning’s events over again in his mind: from
the time he and Turtleneck walked into the shed, to when Babe Ruth barked, to when they discovered they’d been locked in,
to when Mr. Chong had freed them….

Suddenly, clear as a bell, Nicky saw himself running down the shed ramp —
and tripping over a rut in the grass!
But he and Turtleneck had been back and forth across the lawn countless times that morning. Not once had Nicky noticed anything
strange about the ground around the shed.

More important, he knew he had seen a rut like that once before. It was just like the one he and Turtleneck had repaired in
the baseball diamond after Stick Jolly had ridden his bike on it!

It was you!
he wanted to shout.
You’re the one!

But he didn’t. Something was still missing. What motive could Stick have to lock the shed with Nicky and Turtleneck inside?
That was a question Nicky just couldn’t answer.

Alfie struck out his turn at bat. Then Bus sent a streaking grounder through short. It was enough to score Nicky, but not
enough to win the Mudders the game. As Nicky
watched from the Mudders’ bench, Chess Laveen popped up to end the sixth inning. The final score was Bulls 4, Mudders 2.

“Okay, fellas, let’s line up and shake hands,” Coach Parker called. Nicky joined his teammates. He automatically murmured
“Good game” to each of the Bulls’ players.

When he got to Stick, he hesitated, then stuck out his hand. Stick took it. As he did, he glanced over his shoulder at his
brother, Sam, and gave a sly smile.

Suddenly Nicky’s memory came flooding back. He knew what it was about Sam Jolly that had been nagging at his brain since the
start of the game. It was something he had overheard a few days ago.

Sam Jolly, Stick’s older brother, was the person who held the record for most RBIs — the very record Nicky was closing in
on! What better reason would Stick need to keep Nicky from the game?

Nicky tightened his grip on Stick’s hand.
Stick’s eyes widened. Nicky stared at him, then said in a low voice, “I know what you did, Stick. And I think it stinks.”

Stick tore his hand free. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said. But he couldn’t meet Nicky’s gaze.

The lines of players had stopped moving when Nicky did. Now the two teams gathered around Nicky and Stick. Turtleneck pushed
his way next to Nicky.

“T., take a good look at the guy who locked us in the shed today,” Nicky said. Turtleneck’s eyebrows shot up.

“What’s going on here?” Coach Parker asked. The Bulls’ coach appeared beside him.

Nicky took a deep breath. “Coach, Stick Jolly is the reason Turtleneck and I were late to today’s game. He locked us in my
shed. We would probably still be in there if my dad hadn’t let us out.”

“You can’t prove I did that!” Stick cried.

“I think I can,” Nicky said. He explained
about the rut in the grass and the muffled laugh. “I figure he was trying to prevent me from breaking his brother’s RBI record,”
he concluded.

The Bulls’ coach laid a heavy hand on Stick’s shoulder. “Well, son?” he asked. “The truth, now.”

Stick hung his head. “Yeah, I did it,” he whispered. “I got the idea from your dad that day your puppies got loose. I knew
you were superstitious — I’ve seen that ritual you go through before you bat and all — and I overheard you and Turtleneck
talking about it, too, just before I put the peg in the shed latch. So I figured, even if you did get out in time for the
game, you’d think you’d been jinxed and wouldn’t play well.” He grimaced. “I guess it was pretty dumb, but that record is
important to my brother. I-I’m sorry, Nicky.”