Free The Mystery of the Gold Coins by David A. Adler Page A

must be in some rush,” she said. “He didn’t even say he was sorry.”

Chapter Two
    Cam put her camera back in the bag. Eric picked up his sundial, and they walked together toward school.
    As they walked past a large wooded area, Cam heard the sounds of twigs breaking. Eric stopped walking so he could rest. Cam stopped, too. So did the sounds. Cam turned around, but no one was there.
    “Did you hear anything?” Cam asked Eric.
    “No.”
    Eric said he was ready. He picked up the sundial, and he and Cam began to walk. Cam heard the sounds of twigs breaking again.
    “Did you hear that?” Cam whispered.

    “Yes. It sounds like something moving in the woods. Maybe it’s an animal.”
    “Stop for a minute.”
    Eric put down the sundial, and the sounds of footsteps stopped.
    “It’s not an animal,” Cam whispered. “An animal wouldn’t stop whenever we do. Someone is following us.”
    “Why would anyone follow us?” Eric asked.
    “I don’t know. But let’s not stay here and find out! Can you run with that thing?”
    “I’ll try.”
    Eric picked up the sundial. He tried to run, but his knees kept hitting the sundial. He and Cam stopped at the corner. Cam turned, but she didn’t see anyone behind them. Then Cam and Eric crossed the street and ran the one block to school. They went in through the side entrance. When they got inside, Eric dropped the sundial and collapsed on the floor.
    “Were we followed here?” he asked. He was out of breath.
    “I don’t know. I don’t see anyone out there,” Cam said.
    Cam waited while Eric rested. Then they went together to the auditorium. Near the door a teacher was sitting behind a desk.
    “I’m Jennifer Jansen and this is Eric Shelton. Where should we put our science projects?”
    The teacher looked at Cam for a moment. Then she said, “Are you the girl Ms. Benson told me about, the one with the amazing memory?”
    “Yes, she is,” Eric said. “We call her Cam, and she remembers everything. Just watch.”
    Eric told Cam to look at the teacher and say, “Click.”
    Cam looked at the teacher. She said, “Click,” and closed her eyes.
    “Now ask Cam anything,” Eric said. “Ask her what color your hair is or what it says on that button you’re wearing.”
    “All right. What does the button say?” the teacher asked.
    Cam’s eyes were still closed. She said, “You’re wearing a lot of buttons. The campaign button you have on your collar says, ‘Vote Smart. Ed Smart for Senator.’ The buttons on your dress say GGC for Gully, Gully Clothes. And the second button from the top is chipped.”

    The teacher looked at her second button. “It is chipped,” she said. “Amazing. Well, it’s a real pleasure to meet you, Jennifer.”
    The teacher looked at a list she had on her desk and said, “Jennifer, you can set up your project on table 54. Eric, you can set your project up next to table 48.”
    Cam and Eric walked into the school auditorium.
    “Look over there,” Eric said. “Linda Baker is talking to Ms. Benson. I’ll bet she’s telling Ms. Benson how great her project is. She’d do anything to win.”
    Cam said, “Let’s set up our projects. Then we can look at what Linda and everyone else made.”
    Cam went to table 54. She took her camera, two folders, and some tape from the bag she was holding. Cam opened the folders and taped them to the table. The first folder explained how Cam had made the camera. The second folder had some photographs Cam had taken with the camera. Cam put her camera between the two folders and went to find Eric.
    Eric was looking at Linda Baker’s project. It was called “Light Helps Plants Grow.” There were a few pots with different-size plants growing in them and with signs saying how many hours of light each plant got each day. One pot was empty. The sign in the empty pot said, “Zero.”
    “How do you like my project?” Linda asked. “Ms. Benson said it was very well done.”

    “It’s very nice,” Cam