The Triceratops Pops Mystery

Table of Contents

 

“How would anyone get out of here with stolen CDs?” Eric asked. “They've got a security gate that beeps.”

“That's a mystery,” Cam said. “How did someone steal the CDs and get them past the exit gate?”

Eric clapped his hands and said, “I knew it! I just knew it! Wherever we go, you find a mystery.”

Cam picked up a CD. It was in a closed plastic case. Stuck to the inside of the case was a white rectangle.

Cam showed Eric the white rectangle and said, “Here's the magnetic strip. It sets off the alarm when you leave the store.”

Cam thought for a moment. Then she whispered, “Maybe a thief broke open the cases, took off the white rectangles, and stuffed the CDs in his shirt.”

“Maybe,” Eric said.

“I'll look for the broken cases,” Cam told him.

Eric said, “I'll check the registers.”

Near the back of the store Cam felt a draft of cold air. She turned and saw that the back door was open. And there was no security gate there.

Cam was just starting toward it when she heard a loud
“Beep . . . Beep . . . Beep”
coming from the front of the store.

PUFFIN BOOKS

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Registered Offices: Penguin Books Ltd, 80 Strand, London WC2R ORL, England

 

First published in the United States of America by Viking,
a division of Penguin Books USA Inc., 1995
Published by Puffin Books, 1997, 2004
This edition published by Puffin Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 2011

 

Text copyright © David A. Adler, 1995 Illustrations copyright © Susanna Natti, 1995 Logo illustration copyright © Penguin Young Readers Group, 2010 All rights reserved

 

THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS HAS CATALOGED THE VIKING EDITION AS FOLLOWS: Adler, David A.
Cam Jansen and the Triceratops Pops mystery / David A. Adler ;
illustrated by Susanna Natti.
p. cm.—(A Cam Jansen adventure)

Summary: When Cam Jansen and her friend Eric go to the music store at the mall for the latest CD by the Triceratops Pops band, Cam uses her photographic memory to foil a crime.

eISBN : 978-1-101-52532-6

[1. Mystery and detective stories. 2. Memory—Fiction. 3. Compact discs—Fiction.]
I. Natti, Susanna, ill. II. Title. III. Series: Adler, David A. Cam Jansen adventure.
PZ7.A2615Car 1995 [Fic]—dc20 95-4576 CIP AC

 

 

 

 

The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party Web sites or their content.

 

RL: 2.4

For my son Eitan,
who is just learning
to read

H
onk! Honk!

A clown sitting on a huge tricycle honked his horn. Then he handed Eric Shelton a flyer.

“Thank you,” Eric said.

Someone dressed in a large frog costume handed him another flyer.

“Thank you,” Eric said to the frog.

“Ribbit. Ribbit,”
the frog answered.

“Put your hands in your pockets,” Cam told Eric. “If you don't people will keep giving you papers.”

Cam Jansen and her friend Eric Shelton were walking through the Hamilton shopping mall. It was a sale day, and the mall was crowded.

“Listen to this,” Eric said. He read from one of the flyers. “Today only! Big sale at Jason's Sneaker Palace. You'll run faster in Jason's sneakers.”

Then Eric read from the second flyer. “Today only! Free sprinkles, nuts, and syrup on any two-scoop ice cream cone at Mama Minnie's Sweet Shop.”

“I get interesting things in the mail, not at the mall,” Cam said. She gave Eric a card. “Listen to what Aunt Molly sent to me.”

Cam closed her eyes and said, “
Click.
” Cam always says “
Click
” when she wants to remember something.

Cam recited the poem that was printed on the card:

“That's silly,” Eric said. “You're not eight years old. You're ten.”

Cam opened her eyes and said, “And it's not my birthday. That was four months ago.”

Cam smiled, and said, “Aunt Molly is nice but very forgetful.”

Cam closed her eyes again and told Eric, “Now look on the back of the card. There's a smiling hen sitting on an egg. In the egg is the number 125-98976. That's the number of the card.”

“You're right,” Eric said. “You have an amazing memory.”

Cam has a photographic memory. She remembers just about everything she sees. It's as if she has photographs stored in her head.

Cam's real name is Jennifer. When she was a baby, people called her “Red” because she has red hair. But when they found out about her amazing memory they began calling her “The Camera.” Soon “The Camera” was shortened to “Cam.”

“There was money inside the card,” Cam said. “Aunt Molly wrote that I should buy myself something for my birthday. That's why I'm looking for the music store.”

Someone in a rabbit costume gave Eric a flyer.

“Thank you,” Eric said to the rabbit.

Eric read from the flyer. “Hoppy news! There's a pajama and sock sale at Benders.”

Cam started walking quickly through the shopping mall. Eric had to hurry to keep up.

“Let's get pajamas, or a pair of Jason's sneakers,” Eric said, “or some of Mama Minnie's ice cream. I love ice cream with sprinkles.”

Cam said, “No, I want to get the new Triceratops Pops CD. I heard one of the songs. It was great.”

“I'd rather have ice cream,” Eric said. “Close your eyes,” he told Cam, “and imagine strawberry ice cream covered with chocolate syrup. Now imagine red, blue, yellow, and green sprinkles sinking into the syrup. On top of all that are walnuts, sliced almonds, and pecans.”

Cam closed her eyes. She imagined Eric's ice cream sundae. And she walked right into a man carrying two large shopping bags. Apples and oranges fell from one of the bags.

Cam opened her eyes and said, “I'm sorry.” Then she and Eric chased after the rolling fruit and returned it to the man.

Cam told Eric, “I'm not imagining ice cream anymore. It only gets me into trouble. I'm looking for the music store. We have to hurry. My dad said he'll meet us by the bank in an hour.”

Now Eric's eyes were closed.

“I'm imagining the ice cream,” Eric said. “And it's delicious.”

Eric walked into a sign.

“Excuse me,” Eric said to the sign.

“Keep your eyes open and watch where you're going,” Cam told him.

Cam and Eric walked past a jewelry store, a candy shop, and a pet store. Then Cam said, “There's the music store. And they're having a sale, too.”

C
am ran to Ernie's Everything in Music and Video store. She was about to go in when Eric yelled, “Stop! You're going in the wrong way.”

Cam stopped. She looked at the gate. It was clearly marked EXIT. Near the bottom of the gate were two tiny red lights.

Cam turned around and walked back to Eric. “That gate has an alarm,” Cam told Eric. “Each CD and tape in the store must have a magnetic strip on it. If you go through the gate without taking off the strip the gate beeps. When you pay, they take off the strip so you can get out without setting off the alarm.”