The Missing Mummy (6 page)

He whipped around, clasping a lumpy gym bag to his chest. In the sarcophagus, Dink saw a pile of gold objects.

Dr. Tweed's eyes were blinking and twitching at the same time.

“Hello there,” Officer Fallon said. “Taking a trip?”

Dr. Tweed lunged toward the plywood-covered hole in the wall. Swinging both hands, he smashed the gym bag into the wood. The wood
crunched and fell outward, and Dr. Tweed leaped through the opening.

Outside, he tripped over a bag of cement and plunged into the goldfish pond. The gym bag sank to the bottom.

Dr. Tweed flopped around in the shallow pond, then sat up, spitting out water. Lily pads hung from his ears and slimy algae dripped from his eyebrows.

“I need to call my lawyer,” he sputtered.

Just then Officer Washington walked into the park. She was leading the woman from the restaurant, who wore handcuffs.

“So she talked?” Officer Peters asked his partner.

“Yep. These two were supposed to take a taxi to the airport in a few minutes,” Officer Washington said. “Their next stop was Europe, where they hoped to sell the treasures.”

“Take her away,” Officer Peters said. “I'll bring our wet friend along in a few minutes.”

Officer Washington led her prisoner out of the park.

Officer Peters stepped into the pond and helped Dr. Tweed to his feet. He leaned the wet thief against a tree and snapped handcuffs onto his dripping wrists.

Officer Fallon pulled off his shoes and socks and waded into the pond. He lugged out the gym bag, filled with Egyptian treasure and pond water.

“Thanks for your help,” Officer Peters told Officer Fallon. “I'll call you later.”

Officer Peters picked up the heavy gym bag with a grunt. He nudged Dr. Tweed forward, and the two left the park. Their sopping shoes made squishing noises as they walked.

Officer Fallon sat on a bench next to Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose. He wrung pond water from his dripping pant legs.

“Good job, kids,” he told them.

Then he pulled out his pad, opened to a fresh page, and began writing. He paused.

“In all the excitement,” Officer Fallon said, “I've forgotten what day this is.”

The kids grinned at each other.

“It's Wet Wednesday!” Josh told him.

Collect clues with Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose
in their next exciting adventure
,
THE NINTH NUGGET

Suddenly, they heard Josh yelling, then a big splash. They looked upstream and saw Josh sitting in the water.

Dink and Ruth Rose ran to help, but Jud reached him first. “Are you okay?” Jud asked, reaching for Josh's hand.

Josh grabbed Jud's hand and stumbled out of the stream. He was soaked from the waist down, but grinning.

“Look what I found!” Josh said, sticking out his other hand.

Dink's eyes bugged out. Josh was holding a chunk of gold the size of a potato!