Detective Camp by Ron Roy Read Free Book Online Page A

“Remember how Mademoiselle Musée told us GrandmaMoses painted on fiberboard?” Dink asked. “Well, my dad uses fiberboard for projects. It’s really hard stuff. He has to cut it with a power saw. The painting we saw under the towel had really smooth edges, like it was cut with a modern saw. But the painting inside the trunk door had rough edges. Like they were cut by an old person with a handsaw.”
    “What a scam!” Josh said. “I’ll bet she looked up all the Darbys’ paintings in that book of hers. When she found ones that were valuable, she made copies and hid the real ones in the trunk door!”
    Detective Robb walked out of the kitchen with a fresh mug of coffee.
    “You three look like you’re up to something,” he joked.
    Dink made up his mind. “Detective Robb, can we tell you something?” he said. “It’s, um, pretty bad.”
    The detective nodded and sat on the kids’ bench. “Of course. What’s bothering you?”
    Dink repeated everything he, Josh, and Ruth Rose had talked about. When he got to the part about finding the paintings inside the hollow trunk door, Detective Robb raised his eyebrows.
    “Have you told anyone else your suspicions?” he asked Dink.
    Dink shook his head. He felt better now that he’d told someone, but his heartbeat was still racing.

    “This is a serious accusation,” the detective went on. “Still, I can see how it’s possible. Mademoiselle Musée told me she was a painter first, then turned to art restoration. When she realized that the Darbys owned some valuable paintings, maybe she couldn’t resist the chance to make some easy money.”
    “Do you think she was planning to sell the paintings she hid?” Josh asked.
    Detective Robb nodded. “More than likely. There are plenty of art buyers who don’t care where paintings have come from,” he said, standing up. “Don’t tell anyone else what we’ve talked about. I have to make a call and put some things in place. Then I’ll have a talk with Mademoiselle Musée.”
    Detective Robb looked down at the kids. “And stay out of the lodge,” he said.

The kids watched Detective Robb pull out a cell phone as he walked away.
    “This is creepy,” Josh said. “Should we go back to the cabin?”
    “We eat lunch in fifteen minutes,” Dink said. “We might as well wait here.”
    Just then Remote the goat and Ronald the rooster came around the corner of the barn. Remote headed right for the kids, but Ronald stopped to scratch in the dirt.
    The goat rested his chin on Josh’s knee.
    “My dog does that when he wants tobe scratched,” Josh said, stroking the goat’s silky ears.
    “Oh my gosh!” Ruth Rose cried, making the goat back up. “Josh, your
M
stands for
Mote
!”
    “
M-O-A-T
, like surrounding a castle?” Josh asked.
    “No,
Mote
is Buzzy’s nickname for Remote, remember?” she said. “And Buzzy made up some of these clue cards. So maybe the
M
stands for
Mote
, and those are goat hairs on your card!”
    “Ruth Rose, you’re a genius!” Josh said. He pulled out his clue card and compared the hairs on the back to the goat’s hairs.
    “They’re the same!” Dink said.
    “So do you think the map piece is hidden on Mote?” Josh asked.
    “Luke said the clues would lead us to a place,” Ruth Rose said. “Where’s Mote’s place?”
    “I know!” Dink said, bolting toward the barn. He showed Josh and Ruth Rose the doghouse where the goat slept. “I’ll bet the map piece is in there.”
    Josh got down on his knees and peered through the opening. “I hope he didn’t eat it,” he said, crawling inside.
    Josh began turning over the straw bedding. After a minute, he backed out holding a flat tin box. “Ta-da!”
    Josh opened the box and found a piece of paper that looked like the ones Dink and Ruth Rose had found.
    “We found it!” Ruth Rose said.
    “Just in time for lunch,” Josh said, grinning.
    The kids ran around to the picnic tables. Most of the other campers were there, but a few