We both gasped.

The worst had happened. I was Carmen Sandiego's siamese twin!

"Ivy. We are not - going- to - panic!" Carmen cried.

How?

My question was answered. "Carmen? Are you in here?" I heard a voice call.

Carmen gestured to the closet. "In there!" She quickly backed to the closet.
I opened the door and hid in the small closet. Carmen stood partially in the
doorway. Then Sticky, one of the VILE henchman, entered.

"Is everything all right?" he asked.

"No, everything is NOT all right. Sticky, cancel the next thefts."

"Why?"

Carmen stepped out of the closet, with me close behind. "Because of the
detective I am now attached to."

Sticky turned and left.

I sighed loudly. "What is this? Super glue?"

"Much more powerful. This is experimental glue, almost guaranteed not to
dissolve."

I groaned. "This is worse than the anti-crime sticky foam!"

"I agree, Ivy."

I continued. "At least we knew that oil would get rid of it.-"

I was interrupted by a familiar voice calling. "Ivy, where are you?"

Zack? But he was sick in bed. Not anymore. He came in. Then he saw us. He
screamed and fainted.

"Zack!" I yelled. I dropped down, pulling Carmen with me. I felt his
forehead. It was still burning hot.

I quickly informed Carmen on this morning's events. She nodded and said, "We
have to get him back home."

I signaled the Chief. He screamed at the sight. When he calmed down, we had
to tell him the whole story. Then Zack woke up.

One uncomfortable trip later, with a dash of persuasion, Zack was back in
bed. Carmen and I stumbled downstairs together. Suddenly, the door opened. It
was Dad. I quickly threw open the closet door. Carmen slipped inside. I stood
in the door frame. I hid my handcuffed wrist behind my back.

"Ivy? What a surprise." Dad commented. His partner on the force, Parter was
behind him.

I'll tell you one thing. Parter is nuts. I don't know why he's so crazy. I
guess it's his weird sense of humor.

Dad looked at me. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, why should anything be wrong?" I answered quickly. I felt Carmen elbow
me.

Dad looked back at me. "Very smooth. Anyway, I'm going to check on Zack.
Coming, Parter?"

"I'm sorry, Charlie. But what we did last night was so nerve wracking! It was
waiting. Then waiting. and what do you know? Waiting some more! And only to
wait for more waiting!"

"That's what a stakeout is all about." Dad replied. "Statistics prove that
90% of what happens on a stakeout is completely boring."

Parter ignored him. "Let's see. We started at 8PM last night. Then we sat
there until fifteen minutes ago. It about 10:15 now, so that makes.." he did
the math in his head. "Sixteen hours!" Parter then examined the table. "This
is unforgiveable!"

"What is?" I asked.

"That dust I noticed on your lampshade last week! It's still here!"

Dad turned in the direction of the stairs and left. Parter followed. I sighed
and walked out of the closet, bringing Carmen with me.

"Who was the ham-it-up actor?" she asked.

"Partisan Childers the Third. Best known as Parter. Alias the mixed-up police
officer."

"He never was on COPS!"

I laughed. Then I sobered. "We have to get out of here. But where to go?"

"Perhaps Sara Bellum can invent something to remove this glue. She's
currently in Barcelona."

"Barcelona it is then. Let's take the C-5." I declared. Seeing wacko Sara
Bellum wasn't exactly my solution of choice, but we had to work with what we
had.

Soon we were in Spain. The C-5 dropped us in an office building. Then I saw a
familiar figure headed in our direction. I recognized the blond hair and
business suit. "Carmen!" I cried. "Get in the mop closet."

"A janitor coming?"

"Worse. My mother."

Carmen obeyed. Mom reached us. She saw me and smiled. "How's your brother?"

"Doing fine." I said meekly. "Dad's with him now."

"What brings you here?" Mom asked.

I decided it would be best to tell her the truth. "Well, I was chasing Carmen
and she was evading me. Then we got sort of stuck."

"Stuck?" Mom repeated. "Do you need information of sorts?"

"Not that kind of stuck!" I walked into the hall, revealing Carmen. "This
kind of stuck!"

Mom gasped and bit her lip.

To Be Continued..........