Cam Jansen and the Graduation Day Mystery (5 page)

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Authors: David A. Adler

BOOK: Cam Jansen and the Graduation Day Mystery

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“You have to give them back when you're done,” she said. “When we get home, Donna and I will need them to play our graduation game.”

Eric uncrumpled two of the programs. He gave one to Cam.

“I'm looking for first names that begin with âM,'” Eric said as he ran his finger down the list of names.

“Michael . . . Martin . . . Margaret . . . Another Michael . . . Here's a Margery. Margery Dubin.”

“I found one, too,” Cam said. “Margery Miller.”

“Is that it?” Eric asked. “Are there just two graduates named Margery?”

“That's it. Now we have to call the guards at the college. Maybe they can find the two Margerys.”

Roger came to the table with a small plate. On it was the bill for the meal.

“I'll take that,” Mrs. Shelton said.

“No, I'll pay,” Grandpa told her. “Ben is my son, and this celebration is my treat.”

“Grandpa,” Mrs. Shelton said, and smiled. “Can we share?”

Grandpa nodded.

Eric's mother and grandfather paid the bill. Then Eric asked his grandfather to call the guards. He told him that Margery Dubin or Margery Miller could help them find his bag.

Grandpa spoke to the guards. Then he closed his cell phone.

“They'll check with the college office to find the two women's telephone numbers. If they can, they'll call them, and if one has my bag they'll ask her to bring it to the college.”

“What do we do now?” Eric asked.

“We walk back to our car,” Grandpa said.

“Look at the twins,” Mrs. Shelton said. “We're not going anywhere with them looking like that.”

Diane had chocolate cream on her face, hands, and dress. Donna had melted ice cream on her face. They were both sticky with syrup.

Everyone waited while Diane and Donna went to the bathroom and washed. Then Cam and the Sheltons left Green Stripes.

Howie started to cry. Mrs. Shelton took him from his stroller and held him.

Meow!

“The cat waited for us!” Eric said. He bent down and petted the cat. “Cam said names are important, so we should give her a name.”

Diane said, “Let's call her Mrs. Talbot. She was my kindergarten teacher.”

“No,” Eric said. “Let's call her CC. That's short for College Cat.”

“CC,” Donna said. “I like that.”

“Cam,” Eric said. “Your great photographic memory solved another mystery.”

“No,” Cam said, and shook her head. “I didn't look at pictures in my head to find Grandpa's bag. I remembered something Harry said.”

“Right now nothing has been solved,” Grandpa said. “I still don't have Ben's gift or my camera.”

They all walked for a while. They came to the two stone columns at the entrance gates to the college, and Mrs. Shelton stopped.

“I forgot where I parked my car.”

Cam smiled. She closed her eyes and said,
“Click!”

“Your car is near the corner of Seventh and Franklin,” Cam said with her eyes still closed. “It's between a red SUV and a motorcycle.”

Cam opened her eyes.

Grandpa took a paper from his pocket and said, “I know where I parked my car. I wrote it down.”

“Wait,” Eric said. “Before we go home, let's talk to the guards.”

“You can stay with Grandpa,” Mrs. Shelton said. “Howie was good for a long time, but now he's restless. I need to get him home.”

The twins went with Mrs. Shelton. Grandpa, Mr. Shelton, Cam, and Eric walked back onto the college campus.

“There they are,” Eric said. “They're still sitting by the table.”

Eric waved to them.

The guard named Paul Cogan stood.

“I have good news!” he shouted.

Chapter Eight

“I was just going to call you. We spoke to both Margerys,” the other guard, Janet Jones, told Grandpa. “Margery Miller has your things.”

“She said she was really glad we called,” the other guard added. “Her little brother was very upset. He wants his toy trains. Luckily, she lives nearby. She'll be here soon.”

“I was also very upset,” Grandpa said. “I have important things in that bag.”

Mr. Shelton, Grandpa, Cam, Eric, and CC waited by the two stone columns. Lots of cars went past. Then one of them stopped. Two women and Harry got out. The older of the two women was carrying a small brown shopping bag.

Harry ran to CC.

“Hello, cat. I missed you.”

“I'm so sorry,” the woman said, giving the bag to Grandpa. “My son took this by mistake.”

The two bags looked exactly alike.

“It was an easy mistake to make. This is yours,” Grandpa said.

Grandpa gave the woman the other bag. The woman gave it to Harry. Then she thanked Janet and Grandpa.

“Hey, cat,” Harry said. “We brought you something to eat.”

Margery opened a can of cat food and put it on the ground. CC ran to it.

Margery told the Sheltons, “She lives under the science center steps. We all feed her.”

Grandpa took out a small silver-wrapped package from his bag. He gave it to Eric's father.

“Open it,” Grandpa said.

Mr. Shelton unwrapped the package. He took out a gold watch and showed it to Cam and Eric.

“Put it on,” Grandpa said.

Mr. Shelton put the watch on.

“Thank you so much,” Mr. Shelton said to Grandpa. “This was once your old watch. Now it's my new watch. I love it.”

“What time is it?” Grandpa asked.

Mr. Shelton looked at his watch, and Grandpa took his picture.

“It's almost two o'clock,” Mr. Shelton said.

Grandpa laughed.

“I know what time it is. I just wanted a picture of you looking at the watch. I'm going to make an album of your graduation.”

“Smile,” Grandpa told Cam and Eric. “I want a picture in the album of my grandson and his very best friend.”

Cam and Eric smiled, and Grandpa Shelton took their picture.

“Thank you for solving the mystery,” Grandpa said to Cam and Eric. “I didn't think I'd ever get my things back.”

Then Grandpa thanked the two guards and took their pictures.

“It's for my album,” Grandpa told the guards.

“I already have an album,” Cam told the Sheltons. “It's up here in my head. I have lots of pictures of my very best friend and his very nice family.”

A Cam Jansen Memory Game

T
ake another look at the picture opposite page 1. Study it. Blink your eyes and say,
“Click!”
Then turn back here and answer the questions at the bottom of the page. Please, first study the picture,
then
look at the questions.

1. How many people are standing on the stage? How many are sitting on the stage?

2. Is there a flag in the picture?

3. Is Eric sitting next to his twin sisters?

4. Is Grandpa wearing a hat?

5. What's written on the sign above the stage?

6. Are baby Howie's eyes open or closed?