Free Lost in Paris by Cindy Callaghan

the idea,” I said. “We just have to make them into a location.”
    â€œI can,” Henri said as though it took no effort at all.
    â€œYou can. What? ”
    â€œYou cannot see it?” he asked.
    I looked at the letters. “No! What is it?”
    â€œI will give you hints and you figure it out,” he said.
    Jean-Luc, Sabine, and Robert ran out of the library and to their car.
    â€œNo!” I yelled, louder than I meant. “Maybe they’ve figured it out. We are in a huge hurry! Just tell us what it is.”
    He looked disappointed with my anger.
    â€œI’m sorry,” I said. “I just really want these tickets.”
    â€œD’accord,” he said. “It’s the Eiffel Tower. You have a few letters left over, but it’s pretty close.”
    â€œVery close. Too close to be wrong. Let’s go!”
    Brigitte skipped the triple mirror check and recheck and pulled out with a lot more power this time. The power of a sloth!
    â€œFirst place, here we come!” I called.

17

    Brigitte passed one side of the Eiffel Tower. We couldn’t park on that street, so she made several turns until we came up on the other side. Under one of the iron lattice archways a girl in a royal blue shirt—different from the last one—was waiting, stretching her gum out of her mouth with one hand and scrolling on her phone with the other.
    Brigitte couldn’t park here either, so Henri and I jumped out and sprinted toward the girl.
    When Blue Shirt looked up from her phone, we were in her face.
    â€œWhoa,” she said, startled. “Where did you come from?”
    â€œWe ran,” I gasped.
    She reached into a box and took out a royal blue gift bag. I peeked into the box. There were nine others.
    We were first!
    â€œWhere is Murielle duPluie?” This was my chance to redeem myself to the world. After all, I was representing the USA! “Does she want to interview us?”
    â€œNope. She’s chasing another story today.”
    â€œMaybe we could give you a statement or something to send to the TV news,” I suggested. I really wanted public attention for this achievement.
    â€œNah. That’s okay.” She went back to her phone. “Good luck,” she added without looking up.
    â€œWhat is the clue?” Henri asked, but I was still thinking about my missed moment in the spotlight. If Murielle duPluie wasn’t going to report on us, then I had to take matters into my own hands. Isn’t that what social media is for?
    I logged onto Twister.com and typed in a post: Hello! Can’t tell you where we are or where we’re headed, but this team is . . . wait for it . . . in first place!
    That was a good start, but I still wanted the shout-out on TV!
    â€œCome here. Hold up the bag—we’re gonna do a selfie.” I snapped a pic of me, Henri, and the bag without getting the Eiffel Tower in the background. The longer we could maintain a lead, the better.
    Back in the petmobile we opened the bag.
    I keep the torch lit for all to see,
    The apple of their eye,
    Tall and strong for liberty,
    I watch the birds and planes fly by.
    48-51-0/2-16-47
    A surge of excitement flowed through my veins. “OMG! I know this! I know the answer to this clue!”
    â€œSo fast?” Henri asked.
    â€œYes. It’s the Statue of Liberty! She has a torch and she’s the symbol of liberty. And the part about the apple—that’s what we call New York City, the Big Apple, and that’s where she is. She stands on an island where she can watch birds and planes fly by.”
    â€œThat sounds like the right answer, but we cannot go to New York for the next clue,” Brigitte said.
    â€œTrue,” I agreed. “Do you have something like a Statue of Liberty here?”
    Henri laughed. “Actually, we have three.”

18

    â€œThere are three Statues of Liberty in Paris?” I asked. Wow, the one in New York