Cam Jansen and the Joke House Mystery (3 page)

“I think Mr. Gold moved it,” Aunt Molly said. “He brought it into the kitchen. Maybe someone in there is polishing the plate so it will look shiny when he gives it to the winner.”

“I think Eric is right,” Cam said. “I think it was stolen and we have to find out what happened right now. The longer we wait, the easier it will be for the thief to get away.”

Cam got up.

“I’m going to ask Mr. Gold what happened to the plate.”

Eric got up, too. They walked along the side of the room, past several tables, until they were in front, right by the edge of the stage.

Gary Gold was standing at the back of the stage, just in front of the curtain. Cam waved to him. When Gary Gold didn’t respond Cam waved wildly with both hands.

Gary Gold looked at Cam. Then he looked away.

“He’s pretending not to see you,” Eric whispered.

Uncle Sid took a large book from his bag. He opened it. Its pages were blank.

“This book is for people who don’t like to read.”

Cam whispered, “I’ll wait until Uncle Sid is done. Then I’ll tell Mr. Gold about the plate.”

Uncle Sid took a large fake chicken from his bag. He pulled on it to show everyone that it was made of rubber. He dropped the chicken on the floor of the stage, and it bounced.

“Take a look at the eggs this chicken laid.”

Uncle Sid took two rubber balls from his bag and bounced them. He threw the first ball to Gary Gold, who caught it.

Gary Gold bowed, and lots of people cheered.

Sid threw the second ball high over Gary Gold’s head. The ball hit the curtain and fell
to the floor. Gary Gold bent down to get the ball.

Rip!

People laughed and pointed at Gary Gold’s pants.

“His pants didn’t really tear,” Eric whispered to Cam. “It was Uncle Sid.”

Sid held a piece of cloth by the microphone. He tore it some more.

RIP!

The laughter got louder.

Uncle Sid dropped the cloth on the floor. He reached into his bag again. He lifted the bag and looked in.

“It’s empty,” he said. “I guess I’m done.”

People applauded.

Uncle Sid bowed and started to walk off the stage.

Gary Gold walked to the microphone. He looked at the props Uncle Sid had dropped on the floor.

“Wait,” he told Sid. “You can’t go until you’ve cleaned up your mess.”

Eric said, “That’s what my mother always tells me.”

Uncle Sid picked up all his props and put them into his cloth bag. He bowed again and left the stage.

Gary Gold said, “Maybe Uncle Sid will win the chance to take his rubber chicken on television. Maybe he’ll take home this large silver plate.”

Gary Gold said that without turning to look. He pointed to the empty table on the side of the stage.

Uncle Sid put the cloth bag under his table and sat down.

Gary Gold said, “Or maybe our next comedian will win the prize. Please welcome a funny woman who is so old, she’s old enough to be her own mother. Please welcome Granny Janie.”

Granny Janie got up slowly. She had a small wool shawl draped over her shoulders. She shook and stumbled and leaned on her cane as she walked toward the stage.

“Wait,” Cam called out. “Something is missing.”

“Sit down, please,” Gary Gold told Cam.

“You pointed to the table with the silver plate. The plate is gone.”

“I should know where it is,” Gary Gold said. “I put it there myself.”

Gary Gold turned and looked at the table on the side of the stage.

“It’s gone!” Gary Gold said, and hurried to the small table. He lifted the green cloth and looked under it. He moved the curtain aside. Behind it was a bare stone wall.

“The silver plate is gone,” he said. “Someone stole it.”

Granny Janie stood by the microphone.

“There have been three big changes in me as I got older,” she said. “My hair turned white, and I keep forgetting things.”

“That’s just two,” someone called out. “What’s the third big change?”

Janie scratched her head and said, “I forgot.”

Gary Gold walked off the stage. “I’ve got to find that missing plate,” he mumbled as he went past Cam’s table.

Gary Gold hurried through the big room, past all the people sitting at tables. Cam and Eric followed him.

“Helen,” he said to the woman standing by the entrance. “Has anyone left here carrying a large silver plate?”

“People keep coming in. They all want to be here for the contest. No one has left.”

“Thank you. I’ll check the back door.”

Gary Gold turned and saw Cam and Eric.

“What are you doing?”

Cam said, “I’m the one who told you the plate was missing.”

“She’s Cam Jansen,” Eric told Mr. Gold. “She has an amazing photographic memory. She solves mysteries.”

“I don’t need a child detective,” Gary Gold mumbled as he hurried back through the big room. “I need that plate.”

“My old friend doesn’t hear so well,” Granny Janie told the people in the Joke House. “We were going out and I said she should take a coat. I told her it was windy. ‘No,’ she said. ‘It’s Thursday.’”

No one laughed.

“It’s a joke,” Janie explained. “I said ‘windy’ and she thought I said ‘Wednesday.’”

Gary Gold walked quietly along the side of the room. He passed the small empty table at the side of the stage. He pushed through two large swinging doors and went into the kitchen.

Cam and Eric quietly followed him.

In the center of the kitchen was a long blue table. On it were a few plates of cakes and cookies.

“Hi, Boss,” a short, plump man said. He was wearing a large white chef’s cap and a white jacket.

Behind the man, there was a stove, a refrigerator, and a door with a window. Along one side of the kitchen were coats hanging on hooks, and several cubbies. Along the other side was another man washing dishes in two big metal sinks. Large metal counters were attached to the side of the sinks.

“I see trees through that window,” Cam whispered. “That door goes outside.”

“Hi, Hal,” Gary Gold said to the man wearing
the chef’s cap. “Did anyone walk past you and go out the back door?”

Hal shook his head.

“What about you, Stan,” Gary Gold asked the dishwasher. “Did you see anyone leave?”

Stan shook his head.

“I’ve been standing here since six o’clock,” he said, “and no one went through that door.”

“We came at eight,” Eric whispered, “and when we got here that plate was still on the small table.”

A server walked in carrying a large tray of dirty dishes. She took the dishes off her tray
and put them on one of the counters by the sinks.

“Susan, what do you need?” Hal asked.

Susan took a small pad from her back pocket and read from it.

“One order of spaghetti and meatballs, a chicken salad, a cup of vegetable soup, and two teas.”

She put her tray on the blue table. She poured two cups of hot water and put them on her tray. Beside each cup she placed a tea bag. Hal prepared the food and put the plates on her tray.

Gary Gold took a cell phone from his jacket pocket, pressed a few buttons, and waited.

“There’s been a robbery at the Joke House,” he said into his phone. “A valuable silver plate was taken.”

Hal gasped.

Gary Gold listened for a moment. Then he said, “Please come in through the side door.”