The Fake Cape Caper

By Greg Trine and Rhode Montijo

When Melvin goes to Las Vegas for the Superhero's Convention, Candace is left in charge of Los Angeles. Between the horrible bullies at school and the devious and sinister Spaz brothers (Major and his brother, Big), Candace has her hands very full. And someone has stolen her cape! How will she stop all the bad guys before the city is overrun with crime?

The super-sidekick gets her turn in the spotlight in this fifth hilarious book in the Melvin Beederman series.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Macmillan Publishers
• Release date: Nov 24, 2015
• ISBN: 9781250104748

Greg Trine

Greg Trine is the author of the Adventures of Jo Schmo series and the Melvin Beederman, Superhero series. He lives with his family in Ventura, California. gregtrine.com.

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To my brother Tom

—G. T.

For my super friends: One Hit Wonder,

The Human Piñata, and Master Mime

—R. M.

1

SUPERHERO CONVENTION

Superhero Melvin Beederman was sitting on top of City Hall, taking a break. It had been a busy morning of catching bad guys, sinister sleazeballs, and devious dudes … not to mention devious dames. Twelve drug dealers, seven car thieves, two bank robbers, and one guy who was just thinking about taking over the world. He had that I’m-thinking-of-taking-over-the-world look on his face. Melvin had seen that expression before, and he decided to put a stop to it before it got out of hand.

But now it was break time, or rather lunchtime, and Melvin sat eating pretzels and drinking root beer on top of one of the tallest buildings in Los Angeles. This is my town, he said to himself as he looked around. It was. Melvin was the superhero in charge of L.A. Along with his sidekick Candace Brinkwater, he kept the peace and lunched on top of tall buildings as often as possible.

Suddenly one of the pretzels started ringing.

Melvin jumped. Holy high-tech snack food. I forgot all about my pretzel phone.

Holy high-tech snack food, indeed! He did forget.

Melvin had purchased the pretzel phone at Sneaky Sam’s Gadgets for Good Guys. As everyone knows, Sneaky Sam has been providing crime-fighting tools to California’s secret agents and superheroes since 1942.

The pretzel phone rang again, and Melvin answered it. Hello. Melvin Beederman here.

Melvin! This is Superhero James.

James! Melvin was so excited he almost fell off the building. Almost. James had been one of Melvin’s best friends back at the Superhero Academy. What’s up? Catch any bad guys lately?

More than I can count.

I know what you mean, Melvin said, although he always counted them.

Listen, Melvin, I called to see if you are going to the Superhero Convention in Las Vegas.

Superhero Convention? What about my day job? I’m in charge of Los Angeles, you know. Melvin took saving the world seriously.

Put your sidekick in charge for a few days, James suggested. That’s what Margaret and I are doing.

Superhero Margaret was Melvin’s other best friend from the Superhero Academy. Melvin hadn’t seen either of them in months. Going to Las Vegas sounded pretty great. A Superhero Convention sounded even better. And seeing his best friends in the whole world sounded best of