🌙 Rita Logan and the Dark Tower: The Case of the Silent Chimes
Chapter Two: Secrets in the Tower
Rita’s mind buzzed as she and Georgia walked home. The midnight chimes. The birdseed. The broken latch. Something wasn’t adding up.
The next morning at school, she found Kyle and Lane whispering in the corner by the lockers. They looked nervous—like they were hiding something.
“Hey,” Rita called, dropping her backpack. “What’s going on?”
Kyle tried to grin, but it looked forced. Lane rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh… nothing. Just talking soccer stuff.”
“Right,” Rita said, raising an eyebrow. “Does this soccer stuff happen to involve midnight chimes?”
Kyle’s face turned red. “How did you know about—”
“Gotcha!” Rita crossed her arms. “You were in the tower last night.”
Lane sighed, glancing around the hallway. “Okay, fine. But it’s not what you think. We were… helping someone.”
“Helping?” Georgia appeared at Rita’s side, arms folded.
Kyle nodded quickly. “There’s this guy—Tommy. Homeless. Been around town for months. We saw him sleeping in the park, and it was freezing last night. So, we… let him stay in the tower. Just for a couple of nights.”
Rita’s heart softened a little. She’d seen Tommy before—an older man with a scruffy beard and kind eyes. He often sat by the grocery store, humming old tunes.
“We left some birdseed for the pigeons to keep them from bothering him,” Lane added. “And the wedge was to keep the door from locking behind us.”
“But the bells?” Rita asked. “Why were they ringing?”
Kyle looked sheepish. “That was me. I… I couldn’t resist trying it. Just a few pulls to see if it still worked. I didn’t think anyone would hear.”
Rita sighed. “You do realize the Carillon is a landmark, right? If the council finds out someone’s been inside…”
“I know,” Lane said quietly. “But we couldn’t just leave Tommy in the cold.”
Rita glanced at Georgia, who still looked skeptical but a little less angry.
“Okay,” Rita said finally. “We’ll help you figure this out. But we have to make sure Tommy’s safe—and the tower isn’t damaged. We can’t risk losing it.”
Kyle grinned, relieved. “Thanks, Rita.”
But just as they were about to leave for lunch, a voice boomed across the hallway:
“Lane Larson! Kyle Carlyle! In my office. Now.”
It was Principal Grayson. And from the look on his face, someone had definitely heard the bells.
🔍 Clues for the Reader
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Lane’s family is always busy helping at church—maybe they know resources for someone like Tommy.
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The Carillon is an old building with strict rules about access—why would someone break in without permission?
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Kyle’s dad is a prominent businessman who’s out of town.
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Tommy, the homeless man, might have his own story to tell.
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The bells themselves—could they have a hidden meaning?
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