"Are you guys ready to stop accusing me of stealing your money?" Ryan asked.
"Because I'm not going to stand here all day. See you later."
Without waiting for an answer, he skated off.
He stopped about half a block away and went back to practicing skateboarding tricks on the sidewalk.
"Well, that was a waste of time," Cole said.
Maggie watched Ryan do a fancy flip. "I still think he did it," she muttered.
Henry was thinking hard.
"If Ryan took that money, there must be a way to prove it."
"I know." Cole cracked his knuckles. "Ryan's a lot smaller than us.
We could hold him down and Maggie could search him."
"Great idea!" Maggie's eyes lit up. "Let's go get him!"
"Hold on." Henry grabbed Maggie's arm before she could rush down the block.
"We can't do that."
"Why not?" Maggie said. "He took my money!"
For a second it looked as if she were about to cry.
"I need that money for horseback-riding lessons."
"We don't know for sure that he's the thief," Henry reminded her.
"And it's not fair to gang up on him.
If he didn't take your money, we'll get in big trouble."
Maggie sighed. "I'm starting to think this investigation isn't worth it.
Maybe I should just go back to the lemonade stand and start over."
Cole nodded. "And maybe you should put a lock on your cashbox," he suggested.
"Good idea," Maggie said.
Henry couldn't believe his ears.
"You mean you guys are ready to give up already?
But we're only on our first suspect!"
Maggie shrugged. "Like you said, the thief is never going to admit to it.
So what's the point?"
"There has to be a way to figure out what happened."
Henry turned to look at Ryan.
Ryan was still ignoring them and practicing his skateboard tricks.
He did a couple of flips, and then jumped the skateboard off the sidewalk.
Henry stared at the shorts.
He could see the pockets open every time Ryan moved.
"If Ryan did take the money, he must have stuck it in his pockets," he murmured.
"There's nowhere else he could be holding it.
And he probably didn't have time to hide it anywhere between then and now."
"Good point." Cole nodded.
"Does that mean you want to hold him down and search him after all?"
"No. I have a better idea."
Henry hurried off toward Ryan before Maggie and Cole could respond.
Ryan stopped skating when he saw him coming.
"Oh, it's you again," he said, not sounding very happy.
"Don't worry. I'm not here to ask you any more questions."
Henry smiled at the younger kid.
"Actually I was just watching you skate. You've got some nice moves."
"Thanks, dude." Ryan looked suspicious but a little proud too.
"So can you do some of the harder tricks?" Henry asked.
"I saw a kid from Oakview School do some awesome tricks last weekend."
Maggie and Cole had caught up to him by now.
"Who cares what tricks he can do?" Maggie muttered.
"I can do tons of cool stuff," Ryan bragged.
"Way more than anybody from Oakview."
"I saw that kid do a handstand on his skateboard," Henry said.
"Can you do that?"
"Sure. Watch me." Ryan skated a short distance away from them.
Then he turned around and headed back toward them, kicking off with one foot to build up speed.
"Who cares if he can do a handstand?" Maggie said.
"Shh." Henry hushed her. "Just watch."
As he got closer, Ryan leaned down and grabbed the edges of the board with his hands.
A second later, he was upside-down with his legs in the air.
"Awesome!" Cole cheered, clapping. "You're really good."
"Thanks." Ryan flipped back onto his feet and stood up.
His face was red, and his pockets were turned inside out.
"I think you lost the stuff that was in your pockets," Henry said.
"I'll help you pick it up."
Henry stepped forward.
A little pile of stuff lay in the spot where Ryan had flipped himself upside down.
There was a peppermint candy, a house key, and a couple of snail shells.
Henry grabbed it all and handed it back to Ryan.
Then he said good-bye and hurried off around the corner.
His friends followed. "What was that all about?" Cole asked.
"Don't you get it?" Henry smiled. "I just proved that Ryan isn't our thief.
If he'd stolen Maggie's money, it would have fallen out of his pockets along with all that other stuff."
Cole's eyes widened. "Whoa! You're right!"
Maggie looked impressed too. But she didn't look happy.
"So now what?" she said. "If Ryan didn't take my money, then who did?"