THE NEXT EVENING, MY dad's strangled voice yelling up the stairs tore through my homework bubble and I bolted out of my chair, almost knocking it over. I hustled downstairs expecting the house to be on fire.When I skidded around the corner of the family room, Dad was perched on the edge of his leather recliner with the tv remote in his hand. It was almost his football game pose, but the lines on his face were deeper and more solemn grooves than I was used to seeing. He looked like he'd received the worst news ever. I moved closer to the tv screen, to see what had caused this transformation."-- teacher found behind a dumpster early this morning," reported a newswoman. "Her wounds indicate an animal attack ..."I tuned out some of the reporter's words as the victim's picture appeared on the screen. It was Mrs. Jackson, the strange substitute I'd been so afraid of. Pieces of the story infiltrated my paralyzing shock. She was dead, her throat torn out. Family had already been notified

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING about?" I asked."Tru," Ruthie said, her voice tinged with excitement. "You couldn't have aced your tests like you did most of last year in zombie mode, unless you have a super sensor. When I asked you how you did it, you said you picked the answers that felt right. I used to think you had some kind of ESP going on but you never seemed to hear me when I tried to speak to you with my mind."I didn't know what to be more shocked about, the fact that Ruthie believed I had some psychic power or that she tried to speak telepathically with me. "So," said Conrad with awe in his voice. "Are you saying Tru is some kind of lie detector?"I shook my head in denial but Ruthie kept going. "I think so. Maybe we can do a little supernatural true or false."Zander raised his eyebrows and tilted up one side of his mouth as if to say, "we might as well try.""I don't know, guys," I hesitated. "I don't think I can say for sure if something is true just like that." "Yes, you

MONDAY MORNING, I KNEW something was wrong as soon as I walked into the kitchen. Dad stood in the middle of the room, his hands on his hips and scowling. What now? My stomach clenched. Had he somehow found out about Zander being in my bedroom last night?"What's wrong?" I asked.He pressed his lips together, staring at me like he'd never seen me before. Then with a grunt of disappointment, he ran his hands through his hair and pointed to the kitchen table. "Sit."With robotic movements, I settled into the nearest chair, burying my nervous hands under my bottom.Dad lowered himself into the chair across from me."Tru, I received a surprising phone call this morning. Can you guess who it might have been from?"With a loud swallow, I said, "No." Who tipped him off? Did a neighbor see Zander leave?Dad shook his head. "Tru, I think I've been too lenient with you since your mother ..." He broke off, unable to finish his sentence. "But not anymore," he rallied. Oh no! Would he keep

THE POLICE STATION WASN'T like anything I would have imagined. Near the entrance, a circular driveway with lush green landscaping separated the building from an ordinary parking lot. A bowl-shaped water fountain with an abstract art design stood in the center of the grassy area. The building wasn't just the police station. It acted as City Hall, too, which might explain the beautiful landscaping. As we headed to the police department on the first floor, I was surprised by the lack of criminals being manhandled in handcuffs like I expected from my tv experience. Were it not for a couple of uniformed policemen heading out, it could have been mistaken for any other business. In fact, the reception area looked like a hotel lobby. We approached the sleek-looking front desk where a woman wearing a brown pantsuit was speaking into a phone. She had a pen sticking out of her gray-brown hair, which was pulled tight into in a bun at the base of her neck. I thought maybe this wouldn't be so

THE DAY WASN'T EVEN half over before a shiny new number pad decorated the wall of our entry hall. Dad had a friend in the home security business who expedited the installation of the new alarm system. Tomorrow the installers would return to take care of the windows.Dad called in more than one favor. He also had a buddy who worked at the Santa Cruz police department's K-9 unit. They had a retired police dog who needed a home. They said he'd be great for home security. I texted fast and furiously with my friends. The news of our trip to the police station had already saturated the student body. To make matters worse, the homeroom teachers announced that the police were looking for Dante and asked the students to pass any information about him to the office or the school counselor. Rumors were flying about Dante's possible crimes, including the death of Mrs. Jackson. And since Bobby and "yours truly" were MIA at school, we were also at the heart of the gossip. Even Isaac had been pepp