From The Mysterious Four

The day was hot and the air was still. In her new bedroom, Viola Hart had just unpacked her third box of mystery novels, when a gunshot exploded the afternoon.

Rushing to the window, Viola frantically scanned the street, hoping to catch the culprit in the act. She imagined finding a cop chasing a suspicious-looking woman in a glittering red dress... or a couple of mobsters clutching purple velvet bags filled with diamonds as they raced from a burning car... or a mad old man trying to chase away the birds from his yard—

Another glass-rattling bang caught Viola's attention. Up the street, a big black car turned the corner, leaving in its wake a gray puff of exhaust. The car's second backfire left her imagination in a similar cloud, and Viola zoomed back to reality.

Just an old car backfiring? Oh well, she thought. There can't be excitement everywhere.

Or maybe there could be?

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Excerpted from Clocks and Robbers by Dan Poblocki
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