The Mystery of Babe Ruth Baseball by David A. Adler Read Free Book Online Page B

wearing a bright green jacket.
    â€œThere’s another way out of the playground,” the guard said. He turned and started to walk toward the other exit. Then he stopped.
    â€œIs that him?” the guard asked, pointing to a boy sitting on one of the park benches.

Chapter Three
    The boy sitting on the bench was wearing jeans and a bright green jacket. He was sitting behind the two children who were playing catch.
    â€œYes, that’s him,” Cam said.
    Cam, Eric, and the guard ran to the bench. The boy looked up at them. He smiled and said, “Well, look who’s here. It’s the girl with the amazing memory and her quiet friend.”
    â€œA valuable baseball is missing from one of the exhibits,” the guard told the boy. “We’re looking for it.”
    â€œI’m sorry, but I don’t know where it is.”
    Cam looked at the boy. There was something in one of his jacket pockets. It was round and about the size of a baseball.
    Cam closed her eyes and said, “Click.” She looked at the picture in her mind of the boy when he was holding the Reggie Jackson baseball card.

    Cam opened her eyes and said, “What’s that in your pocket? It wasn’t there before.”
    â€œOh, this,” the boy said, and reached into his pocket. “You just didn’t notice it.”
    He took out a baseball and showed it to the guard.
    â€œThis can’t be the missing baseball,” the guard said. “It’s not signed by Babe Ruth. It says ‘Little League Slugger.’ ”
    The guard turned to Cam and Eric and said, “I don’t know why I listened to you. Maybe there never was any Babe Ruth baseball. Now I have to get back to the exhibit hall. But first I think you owe this boy an apology.”
    Cam and Eric told the boy that they were sorry. The guard walked back to the exhibit hall. Cam and Eric walked to a bench on the other side of the playground and sat down.
    Cam and Eric lived next door to each other. They were in the same fifth grade class, and they spent a lot of time together. Eric knew that Cam wouldn’t give up the search for the missing baseball so quickly. She didn’t.
    â€œWhere did he get that ball? He didn’t have it when we saw him at Mr. Baker’s exhibit.”
    â€œMaybe he found it,” Eric said.
    â€œMaybe.”
    Cam closed her eyes. She said, “Click.” Then she added, “I’m trying to remember everything I saw at the exhibit.”
    While Cam’s eyes were closed, Eric looked around the playground. He saw a side door to the exhibit hall open.
    â€œCam, look! Isn’t that the girl we saw at Mr. Baker’s exhibit?”
    Cam opened her eyes. She looked at the girl leaving the exhibit hall. The girl had long brown hair and was carrying a gym bag.

    â€œYes. That’s her. And there’s enough room in that gym bag for twenty baseballs. I’ll bet she left through the side door so no one would see her.”
    The girl walked past Cam and Eric, but she didn’t notice them. She walked out of the playground. At the corner she crossed the street and walked toward the bus stop.
    â€œCome on,” Cam said. “Let’s follow her.”
    Cam and Eric had to wait at the corner for the traffic light to turn green. As they waited, the girl got farther and farther ahead. When the light changed, Cam and Eric ran to get closer. The girl turned and saw them. She began running, too.
    The girl held the gym bag with both hands as she ran. She ran past the bus stop. She turned and saw Cam and Eric behind her. She looked scared.
    At the corner the girl quickly looked to see if any cars were coming. Then she ran across the street.
    â€œLet’s rest,” Eric said to Cam when they reached the corner.
    â€œNo. We have to catch her. I’m sure she took the baseball. That’s why she’s running.”
    Cam and Eric crossed the street and chased the girl. She