Mayflower Treasure Hunt (7 page)

“She comes in at noon to relieve me,” Clint said. He was slapping his pockets, as if looking for something. “Rats, I can’t find my mints.” He let out a little laugh. “Clint needs a mint!”

A family of tourists came through the door, and Clint went over to greet them.

Dink watched Clint walk away. He listened as Clint talked about the museum exhibits and took their money. And suddenly Dink knew the truth. He grabbed Josh and Ruth Rose, tugging them into another room.

“What’s going on?” Josh asked.

“Dink, you look sick,” Ruth Rose said. “What’s wrong?”

Dink drew his two friends into a huddle. “The old woman is Clint!” he said.

Josh shook his head. “Clint is a woman?” he asked.

“No, but he was dressed as one when he followed us yesterday,” Dink said. “Clint knew about the jewels, he knew we suspected that drawing was a map, and he knew we were headed for Provincetown on the ferry!”

“So he disguised himself as an old woman?” Ruth Rose asked.

Dink nodded. “Yes, so we wouldn’t know it was him following us.”

“What tipped you off?” Josh asked.

“He talked about the Governor
Bradford Hotel a minute ago,” Dink answered. “The woman who was here yesterday didn’t know we were staying there. Only Clint knew, because we told him!”

“So that was Clint waiting for us last night in the lobby?” Josh asked.

Dink nodded. “He knew we’d go there when we got off the ferry,” he said. “So he went there hoping to steal the necklace from us.”

“He told us he’s an actor, so he could have gotten that costume pretty easily,” Ruth Rose said.

“Another thing,” Dink went on. “He was missing his mints, right? Well, I’ll bet you a million dollars I know where he lost them.”

Josh and Ruth Rose just stared at Dink.

“Clint’s mints are on the deck of the hold, next to that pile of mattresses,”
Dink said. “I heard something fall last night when he threw down the rope ladder.”

Josh peeked around the corner. “He’s still talking to those people,” he said. “What do we do now?”

“We call those cops back,” Dink said. “We’ll tell them I can prove Clint tried to steal the necklace.”

“Prove it how?” Josh asked. “How do we prove he put on a dress and followed us? How do we prove he was the one who got Ruth Rose’s fake necklace last night? Dink, it’ll be his word against ours.”

“But Clint’s fingerprints will be on that basket he lowered down to us!” Ruth Rose said.

“Right, and on his mints container,” Dink added.

“Okay, his prints might be on those things,” Josh said. “But the cops won’t
arrest him just because we say we think he dressed like an old woman and followed us. We need to prove he was really trying to steal the necklace.”

“I think I know how we can do that,” Ruth Rose said. “We’ll trick him into trying to rob the necklace from my bedroom.”

“It’s not in your bedroom anymore,” Dink said. “My mom put it in the hotel safe, remember?”

Ruth Rose grinned. “Yeah, we know that, but Clint doesn’t!”

Dink shook his head. “Ruth Rose, Clint could be dangerous,” he said. “We have to tell the cops about your plan.”

“Okay, but let me put out the bait first,” Ruth Rose said. “Then the cops can spring the trap!”

The kids walked back into the museum’s main room. They pretended to be looking at a painting while Clint
finished up with the other people.

A few minutes later, Clint joined them. “So, what brings you back to the museum?” he asked.

Ruth Rose looked at Dink and Josh. “Should I tell Clint what we found yesterday?” she asked.

Dink didn’t know what to say, so he nodded.

Ruth Rose turned back to Clint. Keeping her voice low, she whispered, “We found the
Mayflower
jewels!”

Clint just stood there blinking.

Then Ruth Rose told him how they went to Provincetown on the ferry and found the jewels. She also told Clint about the old woman who had made them give her the jewels.

Ruth Rose laughed. “But I gave her a fake necklace!” she said, making her eyes big. “I still have the real one!”

“You … you do?” Clint asked.

Ruth Rose nodded smugly. “Yep. But not on me. I have this teddy bear, the kind that has a zippered compartment for your pajamas. I hid the necklace inside it!” she said. “When that old woman figures out we gave her a worthless necklace, she’ll come looking for the real one. But even if she searches all over room 202, she’ll never find it!”

Clint licked his lips.

Ruth Rose lowered her voice. “And we’re gonna sell it! Dink’s mom called some jeweler, and he’s coming at one o’clock to buy the necklace!”

Dink stared at Ruth Rose. This plan of hers was getting complicated!

“Yeah,” Josh said. “This jeweler guy told us the necklace is worth a million dollars. It’s all sapphires, man!”

Ruth Rose looked at Dink and Josh. “You guys ready?”

Dink nodded. He was afraid to
speak. His heart was beating so fast he was sure Clint could hear it if he opened his mouth!

“We’re taking a taxi over to Plimoth Plantation,” Ruth Rose said. “We want to see how the Pilgrims lived after they got here.”

“You’ll enjoy that place,” Clint said. “Um, what time does your taxi come?”

Dink looked at his watch. “Yikes, right now!” he said.

The kids said good-bye to Clint, then raced back to their hotel.

They ran up the stairs to room 202, the room Ruth Rose would share with her brother, Nate.

“Old Clint took the bait!” Josh crowed.

“Do you really think he’ll come?” Dink asked when they were locked behind Ruth Rose’s door.

“Yep,” Ruth Rose said. She placed her teddy bear in the middle of her bed. “Now we can call the cops.”

The kids waited in room 203, right across the hall from 202. They took turns peeking out the little peephole.

“Poor old Clint is sure gonna be surprised when he finds out there’s nothing but jammies inside your bear, Ruth Rose,” Josh said.

“And three cops in the closet,” Ruth Rose added.

Dink kept his eye on the peephole.

Josh picked up a magazine and began reading.

Ruth Rose did a crossword puzzle.

Suddenly Dink yelled, “Oh no!”

Josh bolted up on the bed, and Ruth Rose froze.

“Is it Clint?” Josh asked.

“No, it’s them!” Dink said, throwing open the door.

Standing in the hallway surrounded by luggage were Dink’s parents and Josh’s and Ruth Rose’s families.

“Look who I found in the lobby!” Dink’s mom said. His father came to give Dink a hug, but Dink dragged him into room 203.

“Everybody, you have to get in here now!” Dink hissed. “And be quiet!”

“What do you mean?” Ruth Rose’s dad asked. “What’s going on?”

“Mom and Dad, please. Everyone
just come in, okay?” Ruth Rose said. “We’ll explain!”

“Okay, but this is pretty mysterious,” Ruth Rose’s mother muttered.

The six adults and three little kids all lugged their stuff into room 203. Dink closed the door and locked it.

“Okay, now everyone has to be
real
quiet!” Dink said.

“Especially you two,” Josh told his twin brothers, Brian and Bradley.

“We’re always quiet!” Brian yelled.

“But I’m the quietest!” Bradley yelled.

“Guys, this is serious!” Dink said. “So if everyone could just please sit down somewhere, Josh, Ruth Rose, and I will tell you what’s going on.”

When Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose had finished telling the story, their families stared at them. No one said a word. Even the twins and Nate sat with their mouths open.

“If I have this right, we’re waiting for this thief to show up and burgle Ruth Rose’s room,” Dink’s mother finally said. “Why wasn’t I informed of this scheme?”

Dink gulped. “We didn’t really think of it till after you left,” he said. “But don’t worry, the cops are across the hall.”

“This is the most exciting Thanksgiving I’ve ever had!” said Ruth Rose’s brother, Nate. “Cops and robbers is a lot more fun than eating turkey!”

Dink’s father glanced at his watch. “It’s after twelve. When is this burglary-supposed to happen?” he asked.

Suddenly they all heard a loud voice
yell, “FREEZE, POLICE!”