Raymond pushed me flat against the wall. I was breathing hard and fast. “That’s Kip Murphy!” I whispered. “That’s the boy Melina likes!” “Shhh!” Raymond pulled me along the wall of the house. We had to get away fast, before Thea caught us. We ran out of the yard, keeping to the shadows, and didn’t stop until we were safely in the woods. Thea wouldn’t follow us that far. She’d be too scared of getting attacked by the Man-Bat or the prowler. Everybody knew Melina liked Kip. Thea knew it better than anyone. But Thea liked Kip too. I remembered the night Raymond and I saw Melina spying on Kip, when she ran away crying. Now I could guess why. She must have seen Thea kissing Kip. That’s why she was mad at Thea. Melina was Thea’s best friend. And Thea was betraying her. Once I got over my shock, Raymond and I swept quietly through the neighborhood, looking for Phoebe. We saw Isabelle and Lydia swimming at night in Isabelle’s pool with Isabelle’s older brother, Martin.
