was a man from Stone’s Throw Quarry who set the whole thing up.”
Kate sighed. “Well, that could be anyone.” “I know. But we’re getting close, Kate. I can feel it!” “All I feel”—Kate let out a long yawn—”is tired! But thanks for calling, Sydney. This is our last day, so we have to figure this out right away!”
They ended the call and Kate took a shower. Then she and McKenzie searched for Joel. They found him in the dining hall, eating breakfast alone. Most of the others weren’t awake yet.
Plopping down at the table, Kate said, “I need to talk to you.” She eyed one of his doughnuts, which he gave to her. She popped it into her mouth, enjoying the gooey sweetness. “Yum.”
“What do you need to talk about?” Joel looked curious and pressed another doughnut into his mouth.
“We have some news for you.” McKenzie sat on the other side of him.
Kate told him all about Sydney’s call—every last detail. The more she talked, the more upset Joel got.
“Wait.” He stood and began to pace the room. “You’re saying that not only is my stingray missing, someone has forged it and sent the forgery to a museum in Canada?”
“That’s right.” Kate nodded, feeling a lump rise up in her throat. “But stay calm, Joel.”
“How can I stay calm? I’m never going to get the internship now. Maybe Mr. Jenkins will think I faked the fossil myself. Maybe he’ll think I’m behind this.”
“No one will suspect you,” McKenzie said.
Kate paused. “Well that’s not completely true. I actually suspected him.”
“W—what?” Joel said.
She told him about Mrs. Smith’s forged fossil and he stared at her, his eyes narrowing.
“You thought I had something to do with that, Kate? You think I would forge fossils and sell them?”
“Well, I …” She shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know, Joel. I was confused. You have access to the room where this is taking place. And you have motive.”
“I—I do?” He looked confused.
“Well sure,” Kate said. “You’re trying to get that internship. I thought maybe you would do
anything
to get it.”
He raked his fingers through his hair and then stared at them once again. “I’d do almost anything to win the internship, but not that. I wouldn’t stoop to illegal activity. Besides, I love the Jenkins family. I would never put the quarry at risk. Never.” His voice shook with emotion, and Kate suddenly felt awful for accusing him in the first place.
“Let’s just forget I said anything about it, okay?” Kate said. “Will you forgive me for suspecting you?”
“Well sure,” he said. “But if
you
suspect me, maybe others do, too.”
Megan walked into the room just then. “What are you kids talking about? You look pretty intense.”
“Megan, we’re getting more clues about the fake fossils,” Kate explained. “And I’m more curious than ever about who is doing this. We found out that Joel’s stingray fossil, which turned up at a museum in Vancouver, was also forged, just like the ones at the museum in Philly.”
“Oh no.” Megan sat down. “I wonder if my dad knows.” She shook her head. “If we don’t get this straightened out, our quarry will have a bad reputation. We can’t risk that. People all over the country love us, and we want them to know they can trust us.”
“There’s really only one way,” Joel said. “We have to figure this out … and fast!”
“Yes, camp ends this afternoon,” Kate reminded them. “So we have to work super fast.”
“I’ll tell you what …” Megan shook her head. “I probably shouldn’t do this, but I’ll help you kids figure this out. I’ll do it to help my dad … and you.”
“That’s awesome, Megan,” Kate said. “But how?”
“Easy. We’ll walk straight into the clean and prep room and see for ourselves. I’ll take you there, but we’ll have to wait until late this afternoon while the others are at the excavation site.”
“We … all four of
Kate sighed. “Well, that could be anyone.” “I know. But we’re getting close, Kate. I can feel it!” “All I feel”—Kate let out a long yawn—”is tired! But thanks for calling, Sydney. This is our last day, so we have to figure this out right away!”
They ended the call and Kate took a shower. Then she and McKenzie searched for Joel. They found him in the dining hall, eating breakfast alone. Most of the others weren’t awake yet.
Plopping down at the table, Kate said, “I need to talk to you.” She eyed one of his doughnuts, which he gave to her. She popped it into her mouth, enjoying the gooey sweetness. “Yum.”
“What do you need to talk about?” Joel looked curious and pressed another doughnut into his mouth.
“We have some news for you.” McKenzie sat on the other side of him.
Kate told him all about Sydney’s call—every last detail. The more she talked, the more upset Joel got.
“Wait.” He stood and began to pace the room. “You’re saying that not only is my stingray missing, someone has forged it and sent the forgery to a museum in Canada?”
“That’s right.” Kate nodded, feeling a lump rise up in her throat. “But stay calm, Joel.”
“How can I stay calm? I’m never going to get the internship now. Maybe Mr. Jenkins will think I faked the fossil myself. Maybe he’ll think I’m behind this.”
“No one will suspect you,” McKenzie said.
Kate paused. “Well that’s not completely true. I actually suspected him.”
“W—what?” Joel said.
She told him about Mrs. Smith’s forged fossil and he stared at her, his eyes narrowing.
“You thought I had something to do with that, Kate? You think I would forge fossils and sell them?”
“Well, I …” She shook her head. “Oh, I don’t know, Joel. I was confused. You have access to the room where this is taking place. And you have motive.”
“I—I do?” He looked confused.
“Well sure,” Kate said. “You’re trying to get that internship. I thought maybe you would do
anything
to get it.”
He raked his fingers through his hair and then stared at them once again. “I’d do almost anything to win the internship, but not that. I wouldn’t stoop to illegal activity. Besides, I love the Jenkins family. I would never put the quarry at risk. Never.” His voice shook with emotion, and Kate suddenly felt awful for accusing him in the first place.
“Let’s just forget I said anything about it, okay?” Kate said. “Will you forgive me for suspecting you?”
“Well sure,” he said. “But if
you
suspect me, maybe others do, too.”
Megan walked into the room just then. “What are you kids talking about? You look pretty intense.”
“Megan, we’re getting more clues about the fake fossils,” Kate explained. “And I’m more curious than ever about who is doing this. We found out that Joel’s stingray fossil, which turned up at a museum in Vancouver, was also forged, just like the ones at the museum in Philly.”
“Oh no.” Megan sat down. “I wonder if my dad knows.” She shook her head. “If we don’t get this straightened out, our quarry will have a bad reputation. We can’t risk that. People all over the country love us, and we want them to know they can trust us.”
“There’s really only one way,” Joel said. “We have to figure this out … and fast!”
“Yes, camp ends this afternoon,” Kate reminded them. “So we have to work super fast.”
“I’ll tell you what …” Megan shook her head. “I probably shouldn’t do this, but I’ll help you kids figure this out. I’ll do it to help my dad … and you.”
“That’s awesome, Megan,” Kate said. “But how?”
“Easy. We’ll walk straight into the clean and prep room and see for ourselves. I’ll take you there, but we’ll have to wait until late this afternoon while the others are at the excavation site.”
“We … all four of
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