Cam Jansen and the Mystery Writer Mystery (2 page)

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Authors: David A. Adler

BOOK: Cam Jansen and the Mystery Writer Mystery
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“Hey, there’s Cam Jansen,” Danny told his parents. “She’s the
clicking
girl. And there’s Beth. She’s the girl who never likes my jokes.”
Beth told Danny, “No one likes your jokes.”
“Hey,” Danny’s father said. “I’m Mr. Pace, and you’ll like my jokes. Here’s one: What do you get from nervous hens?”
“I know that one,” Danny said, and laughed. “The answer is ‘scrambled eggs.’” Then Danny asked his father, “Do you know Snow White’s father’s name? It’s Egg White. Now the yolk is on you, Dad. Do you get it? The
yolk
is on you.”
“That’s enough jokes,” Danny’s mother said. “Let’s just hang up our coats.”
“Wow,” Beth said as she, Cam, and their parents walked into the hall. “Danny’s father tells bad jokes, too.”
“Welcome,” Dr. Prell, the school’s principal, said. “We have books for everyone. The book fair is in the gym.”
The doors to the gym were open. Cam, Beth, and their parents went in. They stood there for a moment and looked at the many tables. On each was a pile of books and a sign so people would know what kind of books were on the table.
“I’m looking for history books,” Mrs. Jansen told Cam. “You can look by yourself, but please don’t leave this room.”
“I want to meet Jim E. Winter,” Cam said.
Beth said, “Me, too. I love his mysteries.”
“Stay with Cam,” Mr. Kane told his daughter. “I’m going to look at the biographies.”
Children and their parents were looking at books. There were small children, too, running between and under the tables.
“There he is,” Beth said, and pointed. “He’s in the back of the gym, right by the wall.”
Cam looked across the gym. An old bald man with a white bushy mustache was sitting by a table at the far end of the gym. A long line of children were waiting for him to sign their books.
“That man is bald! That can’t be Jim E. Winter,” Cam said. “I saw a picture of him with dark, wavy hair and a dark mustache.”
Beth said, “You must have looked at an old picture of him.”
“Yes,” Cam said. “It must have been a
very
old picture.”
Cam looked at the many people waiting to meet Jim E. Winter. Each had a My Name Is Blake Mystery for him to sign.
“Well,” Cam said, “I don’t care what he looks like. I don’t care how old he is. I just want to meet him.”
Chapter Two
“I’m getting Jim E. Winter’s newest mystery,” Cam said. “I want him to sign it. Then I want to read it.”
Cam looked at the many tables and signs in the gym. There were tables with easy-to-read books, biographies, cookbooks, mysteries, other fiction, and riddle and joke books. Danny and his father were at the riddles and jokes table.
There was a table in the middle of the gym with books by Jim E. Winter. That’s where Cam and Beth went.
Many children and their parents were there. Cam and Beth had to wait to get close to the table.
Beth picked up a book. “This is number twenty-seven,
My Name Is Blake and the Scary Movie Mystery
,” Beth said. “It’s the newest one.”
Cam took a copy of
The Scary Movie Mystery
. Then she found a copy of Jim E. Winter’s first book,
My Name Is Blake and the Diamond Rattle Mystery
, and took that, too.
“Hey,” Danny said, “look at all the joke books I found.”
He had four books. His mother, Mrs. Pace, was with him.
“My dad has even more,” Danny said, and pushed close to the table. “Now I’m getting a Jim E. Winter book.”
Cam found another Jim E. Winter book she had not read. Now she had three books. She went to the end of the line to get her books signed. The line went down the middle of the gym. Beth, Danny, and Danny’s mother got on line right behind Cam.
“This is a long line,” Danny said, “and I know just what to do so we don’t get bored waiting. I’ll tell jokes.”
“Please don’t,” Beth told him.
“Danny,” Mrs. Pace said, “save the jokes for Dad. He likes them.”
Danny opened a joke book. He read a joke and laughed. “Are you sure you don’t want me to tell you this one? It’s really funny.”
“Yes,” Beth said. “I’m sure.”
“We’ll look for Eric,” Cam said. “That’s what we’ll do while we wait. He told me he would be here. I know he wants to meet Jim E. Winter.”
Cam looked across the gym. It was crowded. Lots of people were looking at books. Cam’s mother was still standing by the history table. She was holding an open book and reading it. Beth’s father was by the biography table.
“There he is,” Beth said. “Eric is by the easy-to-read table. One of his sisters is with him, but I’m not sure which one.”
Eric has twin sisters, Donna and Diane.
Cam waved to Eric. He saw her and waved back.
Danny’s father came over. He was holding a large stack of books. “Give me your joke books,” he told Danny. “I’ll pay for them and put them in the car. Then we can get more.”
Danny gave him his joke books.
“Waiting is boring,” Beth complained. “This line isn’t even moving.”
“Yes it is,” Danny said. “The back of the line is moving. It’s getting longer. Even more people are waiting to get their books signed.”
Some children from the front of the line walked past.
“He wrote, ‘Happy Reading, Virginia,’” one of the children said. “He signed it, ‘De tective James E. Winter.’”
Cam and everyone behind her took a few steps forward.
Cam said, “If we read our books while we wait, we won’t be bored.”
Cam opened
My Name Is Blake and the Scary Movie Mystery
. She started to read it to herself.
In the first chapter, Barry Blake is waiting on a long line, too. He and his mother are waiting to see a scary movie. Then, just as they are about to buy tickets, a woman comes to the ticket office.
“Someone stole my purse,” the woman in the book says. “I was watching the movie and someone stole it.”
“Don’t worry,” Barry Blake tells her. “I’ll find your purse. I’ll solve this mystery. I’ll solve it fast and be back in time to see the movie. After the movie, I’ll go home in time to help my mom prepare dinner.”
In the second chapter, Barry Blake walks into the theater. The woman shows him where she was sitting.
The people on line ahead of Cam moved up. Cam and the others moved one step closer to Jim E. Winter.
“I’m still bored,” Beth said, and closed her book. “What’s taking so long?”
Cam stepped off the line. She looked at the table.
“He’s not just signing books,” Cam told Beth and Danny. “He’s talking to people. He’s posing for pictures.”
Eric, his sister Diane, and their father walked over.
“Hi,” Eric said. “Are you waiting for Jim Winter?”
“No,” Beth told him. “We’re waiting for Jim
E.
Winter. Don’t forget the
E
!”
The line moved again. Cam and the others took a few steps forward. Now they could hear Jim E. Winter. He thanked a girl for reading his books.
“What is your name?” he asked.
“Gina,” the girl answered.
Jim E. Winter signed her book.
Cam and the others took one more step forward. It was their turn to meet the author.
Just then Danny’s father came back. He was wearing his raincoat and carrying an umbrella. Both were wet. He was also carrying a large bag of books. He hurried to the front of the line.
“It’s gone,” he told his wife and Danny. “I paid for the books. Then I went outside to put them in the car, and the car was gone!”
Chapter Three
“Is this a joke?” Mrs. Pace asked.
“No,” Danny’s father answered. “It’s not a joke. I went to where I parked the car, and it’s not there.”
“You stay here with Danny,” Mrs. Pace said, and took the umbrella. “I’m going out to check.”
Mrs. Pace walked quickly out of the gym. Mr. Pace stood there. Water dripped off his raincoat.
“This is exciting,” Jim E. Winter said. “This is just the sort of mystery I like to solve. Please, tell me what happened.”
“I went to put these books in my car,” Danny’s father told Mr. Winter, “but my car was gone. I had parked it on the side of the school between a yellow van and a white car. I wouldn’t forget that. I have a good memory.”
“You may have a good memory,” Eric said, “but Cam has the best memory. She can say,
‘Click!’
and remember everything. She can say,
‘Click!’
and solve any mystery.”
“Maybe she does have a good memory,” Jim E. Winter said, and stood up. “But I was once a police detective.”
“Go on,” Eric told Cam. “Say,
‘Click!’
Prove to Mr. Winter that you remember everything you’ve seen.”
Cam looked at Jim E. Winter. She stepped to the side, turned to face the wall, and closed her eyes. Cam said,
“Click!
“You’re wearing a blue shirt,” Cam said with her eyes still closed. “There are two pens in your shirt pocket and a red stain just under the second button.”

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