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    In the Grand Scheme of Things
    In the Grand Scheme of Things
    In the Grand Scheme of Things
    Ebook138 pages1 hour

    In the Grand Scheme of Things

    By TJ Perkins

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    About this ebook

    When Kim and Kelly attend a sleep over party no one thought they'd be sneaking over to an abandoned psychiatric hospital late at night.

    The hospital is made up of many different run-down and spooky looking buildings, all of which have a story to tell of the horrible experiments that used to go on there years ago. Ghosts stories are told during the sleep over party and a dare is cast among the guests. Just for kicks the girls sneak over to the abandoned buildings to snoop around. While the other girls are running around and having fun, Kelly and Kim discover footprints, fresh paint, car keys and many other curious items. The fun quickly turns to terror as the girls are chased out by mysterious sounds throughout the building.

    Robberies at nearby art galleries and odd finding in the insane asylum have the girl's curiosity running wild. Using teamwork and perseverance, the young super sleuths are determined to get to the bottom of the strange happenings going on in the abandoned buildings and solve a most curious crime.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherTJ Perkins
    Release dateMar 15, 2015
    ISBN9781311047731
    In the Grand Scheme of Things
    Author

    TJ Perkins

    TJ Perkins is a gifted and well-respected author in the mystery/suspense, Fantasy & New Age genres. A former member of the Maryland Writer’s Association and Sisters In Crime, her short stories for young readers have appeared in the Ohio State 6th Grade Proficiency Test Preparation Book, Kid’s Highway Magazine, and Webzine ‘New Works Review,’ just to name a few. She’s placed five times in the CNW/FFWA chapter book competition. Her short story of light horror for tweens, The Midnight Watch, was published Oct 2007 by Demon Minds Magazine, as well as innumerable short stories in many anthologies.Finished works of her young reader’s chapter books are entitled: The Fire and the Falcon (which won two chapter book awards), Wound Too Tight, Mystery of the Attic, and On Forbidden Ground. Published books in the Kim & Kelly Mystery Series include: Fantasies Are Murder, The Secret in Phantom Forest, Trade Secret, Image in the Tapestry (which won a chapter book award) and In the Grand Scheme of Things (all with GumShoe Press 2006). The Shadow Legacy series was published by Silver Leaf Books and picture book Four Little Withes was published by Schiffer Books and won the 2016 COVR Visionary Art Award.You can find TJ at many Cons on the East Coast as well as FarieCon and the MD Renaissance Festival.

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      Book preview

      In the Grand Scheme of Things - TJ Perkins

      I n the Grand Scheme of Things

      In The Grand

      Scheme of Things

      A Kim & Kelly Mystery

      By: TJ Perkins

      This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each reader. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

      In the Grand Scheme fo Things

      TJ Perkins

      Copyright TJ Perkins 2006

      Published by GumShoe Press at Smashwords

      ISBM: 0-9777538-4-0

      Published by GumShoe Press

      www.authorsden.com/tjperkins

      Printed in the United States of America

      More Mysteries by TJ Perkins

      FANTASIES ARE MURDER

      THE SECRET IN PHANTOM FOREST

      TRADE SECRET

      IMAGE IN THE TAPESTRY

      IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS

      WOUND TOO TIGHT

      MYSTERY OF THE ATTIC

      ON FORBIDDEN GROUND

      Our attention was suddenly directed to the sound of papers falling on the floor near the check in counter. Kim and I instinctively dropped into a low crouch and approached the counter, craning our necks to see what made the noise.

      Table of Contents

      Chapter 1 The Invitation 9

      Chapter 2 Culture and the Critic 17

      Chapter 3 The Thief Strikes Again 22

      Chapter 4 Clue in the Mall 28

      Chapter 5 The Slumber Party 34

      Chapter 6 The Dare 43

      Chapter 7 Discoveries 51

      Chapter 8 Second Thoughts 57

      Chapter 9 Figure in the Dark 64

      Chapter 10 Surprise Information 74

      Chapter 11 A New Ally 83

      Chapter 12 The Winchester 92

      Chapter 13 Getting in Deep 101

      Chapter 14 Officer Martinez Comes to Call 106

      Chapter 15 Kelly to the Rescue 113

      Chapter 16 Secret of the Artist 119

      Chapter 17 Out of the Past 125

      Chapter 18 Fight for Escape 130

      Chapter 19 Truth Serum 134

      Chapter 20 Grounded 140

      Chapter 21 Future Offer 144

      Chapter 1

      The Invitation

      It was a beautiful, sunny Saturday morning as I lightly bounded down the massive carpeted marble staircase of our grand estate home, and happily made my way into the kitchen. Mom was seated in the morning room listening to Baroque, while our housekeeper, Maria, served her a cup of coffee.

      Morning Maria, I said, smiling at her. She gave me a short nod with a smile, and returned to the kitchen area; she was most likely wary of me and all the pranks I pulled on her, therefore not very happy to see me. Ignoring Maria’s placid expression I turned to my mother, Morning Mom.

      Good morning, Kelly, Mom said, motioning for me to lean forward so she could give me a light kiss on the cheek.

      Mom was engulfed in the newspaper, skimming the pages for interesting articles and not really paying any attention to me, which was totally unheard of. I mean, what’s more important than me?

      I hope you’re looking for some great sales, I said, looming slightly over her shoulder.

      Hmmm? she said, daintily taking her cup of coffee around the newspaper without looking at me.

      Giving up on getting attention from her, I sat in the chair opposite and rested my cheek in my hand, as Maria sat a glass of orange juice in front of me.

      That’s not really orange juice… I began, but Mom bent the paper down and quickly glared at me over it. I-I’ll just drink this orange juice. Thank you, Maria.

      Our housekeeper turned away and Mom went back to reading the newspaper.

      You really ought to stop teasing her. One day you’re going to need her help and she won’t believe you, Mom warned in her quiet, yet stern manner from behind the paper.

      Not wanting to start a debate first thing in the morning, I didn’t say anything. Instead, I stared at the back of the newspaper she was holding up and skimmed the articles. Drought in some areas, flooding in the mountains, a few local robberies, and then something interesting caught my attention. It was an article about a string of robberies that sounded very intriguing. With my elbows planted firmly on the table, I read the short article intensely.

      Sixth Museum to be Robbed This Month

      Police are baffled by a string of art thefts at six separate art museums within the Denver City limits; Denver Museum of Art, Museum of Art & Design of Denver, The Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art, Community Art of Denver, Imaginique Art, and The Museum of Western Art Colorado. The six oil paintings stolen, one from each museum, weren’t famous or valuable, the artist is virtually an unknown, however, the pieces had been housed by each museum for the past 15 years and were enjoyed by many. We just can’t figure out the motive, as of yet, said Police Chief Crawford, of the Denver City Police Force. The crimes seem random, and though research has been done, the only information on the artist of the stolen pieces is the signature of Manteeba.

      Why would anyone want to steal paintings that were from an unknown artist? I thought, unless…those paintings have value that no one but the thief knows about. In that case it would be a special secret, one that deserved to be found out. Hmm…maybe the adults just aren’t thinking the right way? If I could be the one to figure it out, it would put me in good graces with the police and help with my detective career. A plan was forming in my diabolical mind…

      Hey, Mom.

      Hmmm?

      What are your plans for today?

      Oh, I don’t know. I was thinking about getting a pedicure later, after your father comes back from playing tennis with Kim’s dad.

      That’s it? I said, a bit shocked that was all she wanted to do on her day off. Oh sure, there was Maria to maintain the majority of the house - Mom only did stuff here and there, and we had a lawn crew that took care of the lawn, Mom chose to do the gardening. She and Kim’s mom loved doing the flower thing. Still I was somehow hoping for something a bit more exciting today.

      What did you have in mind? she asked from behind the newspaper, after a brief pause.

      Shopping with Kim and her mom at the mall, and then a trip to one of the art museums…say… the Denver Museum of Art. I just picked one of the museums listed in the article, feeling deep in my gut that I couldn’t begin my own investigation unless I could get close to the scene of the crime.

      She lowered the paper while I was eyeballing the article about the stolen art, and gave me a smug look.

      Now that school is out, I believe you should be going back to riding and piano lessons. You do still want to do those things, don’t you?

      Well, yes, but…

      Good. She quickly raised the top of the paper again, an act of cutting me off.

      But, but, oh…Maria…will you please bring me some cereal, I commanded in a soft, stuffy manner.

      But what? Mom said stiffly from behind the newspaper.

      Don’t get me wrong, I love learning to play Baroque, Beethoven, Bach…I mean, there’s nothing wrong with putting culture in your life, but must I begin right away? I pleaded, trying to stomp my foot while sitting – it didn’t have the same effect it would have if I’d been standing.

      "And you will have culture to fall back on. You never know when such knowledge will benefit you greatly," Mom said while looking at me from around the paper this time.

      At that moment, Maria sat in front of me a bowl, spoon, small crystal pitcher of fresh milk and a box of Cap’n Crunch with Crunch Berries cereal, oh yeah, but when I went to pour the cereal, out came Cheerios instead.

      Hey!

      Maria turned away, trying hard to conceal a smile. My mom busted out laughing.

      You see? I told you all those tricks you play on her will back fire, Mom said catching her breath through gasps of laughter.

      Touché Maria, I said admitting defeat and motioned for her to bring me the real Cap’n Crunch with Crunch Berries. But seriously Mom, can’t you get your toes done a bit later? Let’s go to the mall, or the museum. See, that’s culture just like you want.

      "Ohhh, maybe another time. Don’t you

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