The Green Toenails Gang Read online

  We went for a walk in the woods.

  We watched the fog gather over the Pacific Ocean.

  Then I packed to go home.

  I looked at my watch. The twenty-four hours were almost up.

  The telephone rang.

  “It’s for you this time,” I said.

  Taffy picked up the receiver.

  She said the following: “Hello.” (Pause) “Really?” (Pause) “Yes!” (Pause) “What?” (Pause) “Well, I’ll get used to it.” (Pause)

  “Bye.” (Pause)

  She hung up. She shouted, “It was Jasmine. She asked me into the club and I said yes!”

  Success!

  “They’re going to tell me their secret at the next meeting.”

  I hugged Taffy. “Aren’t you glad we didn’t start the Green Toenails Gang?”

  “You bet,” Taffy said.

  I picked up my overnight bag.

  “Just one thing,” Taffy said. “Jasmine called me Plimp. Isn’t that a silly nickname?”

  “No, I rather like it,” I said.

  My visit was over. My client was happy. Now all I had to do was go home and face E.J. and my own nickname.

  Willie brought the limo around.

  “So long, best friend,” Taffy said.

  “So long, Plimp,” I said.

  Willie started the limo and we rolled out of the circular driveway.

  I pulled my file on the case.

  I wrote:

  The fog was creeping in.

  Willie turned north, and we drove toward San Francisco.

  I was glad I would never have to ask him to paint his toenails green.

  Published by

  Yearling

  an imprint of

  Random House Children’s Books

  a division of Random House, Inc.

  New York

  Text copyright © 1991 by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and Mitchell Sharmat

  Illustrations copyright © 1991 by Denise Brunkus

  All illustrations of Nate the Great copyright © by Marc Simont

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher, except where permitted by law. For information address Delacorte Press.

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  eISBN: 978-0-307-55654-7

  v3.0