Chapter 3

Shirley left the Computer Lab and went to see Cindy. Shirley went outside and saw that Cindy was keeping up with her campaign. However, when Shirley got close enough to Cindy, somebody pulled a rope, and it dumped a box of green stuff on Cindy and her stand. Cindy said, "Yuck." Shirley came to help, but somebody took a slingshot and shot ten balloons at Cindy and her booth while Shirley was investigating. When the balloons hit Cindy and her booth, they got covered in feathers. Cindy blew some feathers off her lip and then fell to the ground. Then Shirley looked across the yard and saw somebody in a gardener's suit with a slingshot attached to their belt. Shirley said, "There."

Shirley chased after the mysterious gardener, but he ran off. When Shirley got to the soccer field, the guy kicked a soccer ball at her, but she dodged it. Then Shirley kicked the same ball at him, knocking him into the mud. Shirley ran to him while he was down, but then he tripped Shirley and got up. Then the guy shot a balloon filled with purple stuff in Shirley's face with his slingshot, which hit her down. When Shirley got up, she rubbed the purple stuff off and saw that the guy had escaped. Shirley said, "No. So close."

Shirley brought out her magnifying glass to look for clues. Shirley found the suspect's footprint and used a piece of paper and a pencil to trace it. Next, she cut out the print to examine the suspect's footprint. Shirley said, "I found another clue." Later in the afternoon, Lisa talked to Shirley at her favorite Smoothie Shop. Lisa said, "How am I going to get sabotaged, beat Cindy, and survive?" Shirley said, "I don't know, but I know you can't give up." Cindy was also in the Smoothie Shop checking the computers for the votes with her ex-boyfriend, Brad. Brad said, "Lisa's numbers are up." Cindy said, "Even after the last few attacks. Are you sure your data is all correct?" Brad said, "Numbers don't lie." Cindy said, "I got to step up my campaign somehow, but how?"

Lisa set up a stand outside the next day, and Shirley set a trap from the hooded figure near her booth. When the hooded figure saw Lisa's booth, he loaded a gun with pretzels and shot them at Lisa. Then, Lisa got hit by them, and the pretzels punched holes in her flyers. They cut the ropes on Shirley's net, and Shirley got caught in her trap. Then, the hooded figure cut the net with his boomerang, and Shirley fell to the ground. Lisa pulled the net off Shirley and freed her after the hooded figure ran off. Lisa said, "Are you OK?" Shirley said, "Fine. Let's have a look at the crime scene." Shirley put on rubber gloves, grabbed a few pretzels, and put them in a bag labeled "Evidence." One cheerleader, Scarlet Charm, whose uniform had mud, came by and saw that Lisa had gotten attacked. Shirley said, "Who are you?" Scarlet said, "I'm Scarlet, captain of the cheerleading squad." Shirley said, "Scarlet. Who would you support if Lisa or Cindy won this debate?" Scarlet said, "I would have to support Cindy." Shirley said, "Why her?" Scarlet said, "Cindy has done terrible things to the squad but is trying to keep iPods in the school. Plus, the cheerleaders play the music for their cheers on their iPods." Shirley said, "You can go now."

Scarlet left and went back inside the school. Shirley said, "Scarlet is helping somebody she doesn't like. It looks like I have another suspect." Shirley went to Principal Bat's office and looked around. Shirley looked at his desk, found a clue, and picked it up to look at it. Shirley said, "A petition. This petition has names spelled forwards and labeled 'Save The iPods.' How did Cindy's real petition get in here?"

Shirley heard somebody coming into the office and hid under the desk. When Principal Bat walked in, he had his suspicion that somebody was inside his office. Principal Bat sat down in his chair, and Shirley was extra quiet. Then, both Shirley and Principal Bat heard knocking on the office door. Vice-Principal Felicia walked in, and Principal Bat left his desk to talk to her. When Principal Bat left, Shirley snuck out with the petition and ran off without the Principal or the vice-principal knowing she was there.

Shirley went back inside the school to investigate. While there, Shirley saw Scarlet and Scott talking to each other. Shirley hid behind an open locker and listened to what they were saying. Scarlet said, "So it's certain." Scott said, "Yep, you and your team will surely win the competition." Shirley wrote down everything they said on her notepad. Shirley said, "Scarlet could be doing this to get Cindy out of the way so her cheerleading team won't have any problem winning that competition."

Shirley went outside to see Cindy playing the flute to get the kids' attention and get her petition signed. Cindy first played "B-I-N-G-O" on her flute. Then the hooded figure started to play "Turkey in the Straw" on his piccolo over her, and everybody thought it was Cindy playing. Cindy said, "What's that?" Somebody in the crowd said, "She's trying to trick us." Cindy said, "Wait." Cindy played "Mary Had A Little Lamb" on her flute. Then the hooded figure played "Home on the Range" over her on his piccolo. The crowd booed Cindy and ran off. Cindy got down on her knees and dropped her flute.

Shirley came to Cindy to help her and found a clue behind the bushes. Shirley said, "A piccolo." Cindy said, "But I don't play the piccolo." Shirley said, "You don't." Cindy said, "No, I play the flute." Shirley said, "I bet this piccolo had something to do with the crowd booing you. Play your flute." Cindy said, "OK." Cindy started to play "Three Blind Mice" on her flute, and Shirley played "This Little Piggy" on the piccolo. Cindy said, "That's why I sounded so horrible. Someone was playing that piccolo over me." Shirley said, "This piccolo could be a clue. Plus, it has fresh gray paint on it."

Shirley took a picture of the piccolo with the camera and put the picture in her backpack. Shirley invited both Lisa and Cindy to go with her to the police station. Shirley, Lisa, and Cindy went to Shirley's car to report Shirley's evidence to the police. Lisa said, "Don't you think you're putting your life in jeopardy doing this?" Shirley said, "I know people try to kill me, but it only makes me think I'm getting closer." While Shirley was driving, another vehicle bumped into her car. Shirley looked behind her and saw the hooded figure chasing after them. Shirley hit the gas and tried to outrun him. Then, the hooded figure pushed a button in his car and tried to shoot jelly at Shirley's car. Shirley drove through a tunnel, but the hooded figure turned around and drove off in the opposite direction when she did. Shirley exited the tunnel and took Lisa and Cindy to the police station.

The sheriff said, "Who are you three?" Shirley said, "I'm Shirley Hudson, and this is Lisa Sweet and Cindy Buzzer." The sheriff said, "What's the emergency?" Shirley said, "There's a Lutheran Sumatran High School saboteur." The sheriff said, "Nice prank, kids." Shirley said, "It's not a prank; here's my evidence. A Picture of a Piccolo, a cutout of the saboteur's footprint, a bag of water balloons, and a bag of pretzels." The sheriff said, "Interesting, and have you caught the saboteur yet?" Shirley said, "Well, no, but I will." The sheriff said, "A nice story, time to go."

The sheriff showed Shirley, Lisa, and Cindy out because he didn't believe them. Then, they all got into Shirley's car and returned to school. While she was driving, Shirley had a thought about the mystery. When they returned to school, Shirley investigated the Drama Club while Lisa and Cindy started debating. Shirley opened the door to the Drama Club and saw that they were rehearsing. When rehearsal was over, Shirley decided to speak to the president of the Drama Club. Shirley tapped on one of the actors' shoulders and talked to him. Shirley said, "May I talk to the president of this club?" The actor said, "I am him." Shirley said, "What's your name?" The actor said, "I'm Connor Theater." Shirley said, "Do you wear any costumes by any chance?" Connor said, "Of course, but only while I'm on stage." Shirley said, "OK." Before Shirley left, Connor gave her a pretzel, but she didn't want it. Shirley left the Drama Club disappointed. Shirley said, "Looks like a dead end."