Cam Jansen and the Joke House Mystery (5 page)

Gary Gold and the police officers were on their way to the entrance to the Joke House.

“You told us the plate was here when the show started,” one of the officers said to Gary Gold as they walked past Cam’s table. “There are lots of people here. Anyone could have taken it.”

“Not anyone,” Cam told Eric. “Only people who walked past that small table could have taken it.”

“I saw you and Eric walk past it on your way to the kitchen,” Mr. Jansen said.

“But we didn’t take it,” Eric told him.

“I know that.”

“Mr. Gold and the police officers walked past it,” Eric said. “I know they didn’t take it.”

Eric thought for a moment. Then he said, “Uncle Sid, Granny Janie, Aunt Molly, and Knock, Knock Norm also walked past the table. Maybe Granny Janie has it. Maybe she hid it in her shawl.”

“No,” Cam said. “By the time Janie went onstage, the plate was already gone.”

“I went after Janie,” Aunt Molly said. “So I couldn’t have taken it.”

Just then Susan went through the door to the kitchen. She was carrying a large tray filled with dirty cups and plates.

Cam said, “The servers walk past that small table every time they go into the kitchen.”

“Kevin serves us,” Eric said. “Susan serves the tables next to ours.”

Eric looked around the room.

“There are two other servers.”

“It would be easy for one of them to take the plate,” Cam said. “When a server walks past the small table, he could just grab the plate and put it on his tray.”

Eric said, “Susan and one of the other servers are women. So maybe
she
grabbed the plate and put it on
her
tray.”

“Maybe,” Cam said. “And then the thief would have to hide the plate.”

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

Cam quickly opened her eyes.

“There are cubbies in the kitchen. I bet each server has one. And each cubby is big enough to hide the plate.”

Eric got up.

“Let’s go look,” he said.

Cam got up, too.

“You can’t look in people’s cubbies,” Mr. Jansen told Cam and Eric. “Whatever is in them is private.”

“We could go to the police,” Cam said. “We can tell them where to find the plate.”

“I’m going with you,” Mr. Jansen said.

Cam, Eric, and Mr. Jansen started toward the side of the big room.

“Hey!” Aunt Molly called. “Wait for me! I’m coming, too.”

They all went to the entrance to the Joke House. The police officers and Gary Gold were there. They were talking to Helen. Cam told them where she thought the silver plate was hidden.

Gary Gold said, “I’ll tell all the servers to meet me in the kitchen. If one of them took the plate, we’ll find it.”

They all walked toward the kitchen. As they went through the big room, Gary Gold told each of the servers to come with him.

Gary Gold, the two police officers, Mr. Jansen, Molly, Hal, Stan, Susan, Kevin, and
the two other servers all crowded into the kitchen.

Gary Gold introduced the two police officers.

“This is Officer Jacob Berger,” he said. “His partner is Officer Beth Cooper.”

Gary Gold told them all about the missing prize and where Cam thought it was hidden.

Everyone was quiet for a moment. Then one of the servers looked down, like he was embarrassed.

“It was me,” Kevin said. “I’ll show you where I hid the plate and I’ll tell you why I took it.”

Kevin walked by the stove and refrigerator and past a few hanging coats. He reached into one of the cubbies and took out a sweater. He unfolded the sweater and there was the silver plate. He gave it to Gary Gold.

“I’m not a thief,” Kevin said. “I’m a comedian. I’m really very funny. I wanted to have a chance just like anyone else to win this plate and be on television. I know I would have won.”

“No one who works here can enter the contest,” Gary Gold said. “That’s the rule.”

“You stole something,” Officer Berger told Kevin, “so you are a thief.”

Officer Cooper unhooked a set of handcuffs from her belt.

“You’ll have to come with us.”

“Please,” Gary Gold said to the police. “I have my plate. Don’t arrest him.”

Officer Cooper put the handcuffs away.

“Thank you,” Kevin said.

“But you can’t work here anymore,” Gary Gold told Kevin. “Take your things and leave.
You’ve also lost your chance to ever tell jokes at the Joke House.”

Kevin emptied his cubby. He took his jacket off the hook. He opened the back door and left.

“Thank you for getting this plate back,” Gary Gold said to the police officers.

“We didn’t find your plate and we didn’t catch the thief,” Officer Berger said. “It was this red-haired girl. She solved this mystery.”

“Thanks for your help,” Officer Cooper said to Cam.

Eric said, “Cam has a photographic memory. She used it to solve this mystery.”

“A photo what?” Officer Cooper asked.

“Show them,” Eric said.

Cam looked at everyone standing in the kitchen. She said,
“Click!”
and closed her eyes.

“Turn around,” Cam’s father told her. “That way no one will think you’re peeking.”

Cam turned around.

“Officer Berger,” Cam said, “your badge number is 2164. There is some mud on the
toe of your right shoe. And Mr. Gold, the bottom button of your vest was sewn on with different-colored thread than the others. It must have been replaced.”

Gary Gold looked down at his vest.

“Oh, my, you’re right!” he said.

He gave Officer Berger a paper napkin to wipe the mud off his shoe.

“Officer Cooper,” Cam said. “The red nail polish on two of the middle fingers of your left hand is chipped.”

“Is it?” her partner asked.

Officer Cooper looked at the fingernails of her left hand.

“Yes.”

“Wow!” Gary Gold said to Cam. “Could you and your friend come on my television show and demonstrate your amazing memory?”

Cam and Eric looked at Mr. Jansen.

“You may go, Cam. Eric, I’m sure your parents will also let you go.”

“Cam and Eric are too young to go by themselves, so I’ll bring them,” Aunt Molly told Gary Gold. “Since I’ll be there, maybe I can go on your show, too, and tell some jokes.”

“That would be nice,” Gary Gold said.

Officers Berger and Cooper thanked Cam again and left the Joke House. Hal and Stan went back to their work in the kitchen. The others returned to the big room.

Gary Gold stood by the microphone again. He introduced the last two comedians. Cam and Eric listened, ate their cookies, drank their juice, and laughed.

When the comedians were done, Gary Gold brought all six onstage. One by one, he asked the people in the Joke House to clap for their favorite.

Lots of people clapped for Aunt Molly. But more people clapped for Uncle Sid.
He won the silver plate and the chance to appear on television.