Ari narrowed her eyes in suspicion. An amateur sleuth, she had a 6th sense when things were up; they were up now, in the vacant lot downtown.
She moved in closer, sliding under the chain that blocked unwanted visitors. The square area was between two brick buildings on Bix Street: a tutoring center to the right, and a deli on the left.
She saw an old, cracked chalkboard on a wooden stand, with the word danger written on it: clearly a clue! There was also a sink, stained with rust, and a tattered doll, quite dusty.
None of these things had been here before. She suspected that the area had been chosen as the hideout for a gang of thieves. She’d check with the chief Friday.
Suddenly there was motion just above her. Looking up, she spied a face in the 5th-story window of the school.
Then, in a rush, she saw an aged overhead projector pop out the window. It flew down toward her. She heard a cry: Look out below!
She needed one last thing to grasp the situation.
Aha! a moving van.
And then—the answer hit her.