much. “McKenzie!”
“What?”
“Did you see Gus just now?”
“Sure.” McKenzie shrugged. “What about him?”
“Did you notice what he was wearing?”
McKenzie’s eyes grew wide. “Now that you mention it, yes. He was wearing the quarry uniform—brown pants and a tan shirt.”
“Not
blue jeans,” Kate said. “The person in the picture I took last night was definitely wearing jeans.”
“Yes, but that picture was taken in the middle of the night,” McKenzie said. “So he probably doesn’t wear his uniform when he goes to the quarry in the middle of the night to pack the forged fossils. In fact, it’s more likely he would wear regular clothes if he’s doing something sneaky.”
“I suppose.” Just one more thing for Kate to think about. But with so little time left, her thoughts were now tumbling around in her head faster than she could keep up with them. If she and McKenzie ever needed prayer … now was the time!
The Plot Thickens
Just after breakfast, when the others went to watch a video on the quarry’s history, Megan led the way to the prep room. “It’s quiet in here during this time of day. Gus does most of his work during the afternoon.”
“And in the middle of the night,” Kate added.
“The middle of the night?” Megan looked at her curiously. “Are you saying that because you think it was Gus in the pictures you took last night?”
Kate nodded. “Yes.”
“Well we don’t know that for sure,” Megan said. “And remember the story I told you about Gus. We need to assume he is innocent until proven guilty.”
“Okay.” Kate sighed. Still, she would prove once and for all that Gus did this. Maybe. “Megan, do you mind if I use my fingerprint kit?” Kate asked when they were inside the room.
Megan shrugged. “I don’t mind. But remember, Kate, lots of people come in and out of this room, not just Gus. So any prints you lift might belong to other people.”
Kate nodded. “I know. I just need to compare the prints to the ones on the fossil plate back in Philadelphia.”
She reached in her backpack, pulled out the fingerprint kit and went to work. “Oooh, this is the perfect spot!” She pressed the fingerprint tape down on the table and lifted a perfect print. Kate could hardly wait to compare it to the ones from the ruined fossil back in Philly.
“Here’s another one, Kate.” McKenzie pointed to a shipping label on a wooden crate. “Might as well get it, too!”
They spent the next five minutes lifting all sorts of fingerprints. Megan watched at the door, in case anyone decided to come in the room.
Just as Kate finished with the last print, she heard a familiar voice.
“What are you girls doing in here?”
Conner
. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset that Megan had let them in the room.
Megan flashed a smile. “Oh hey, Conner. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with the kids?”
“I had something to take care of first.” He looked at her curiously. “Aren’t these girls supposed to be watching the video, too?”
“I’ll send them in there when we’re done,” Megan said with a nod. “Something came up and I needed to …”
“Needed to what?” He drew near, a concerned look on his face.
“Well I offered to help the girls with something.”
Kate tucked the fingerprint kit into her backpack. No point in saying too much.
Just then, the door to the room opened and Grumpy Gus stepped inside. Kate’s breath caught in her throat.
Oh no! Caught!
“What’s going on in here, a party?” he asked. “You people filling my workspace for some reason?”
“Well actually, we were …” Megan stopped before finishing her sentence.
“She’s giving us a tour,” Kate said.
“You know how I feel about kids in my work space.” Gus looked grumpier than ever. “I don’t like them in here.”
“Yes, get these campers out of here, Megan,” Conner said. He gave her a warning look but Kate still had a couple of questions
“What?”
“Did you see Gus just now?”
“Sure.” McKenzie shrugged. “What about him?”
“Did you notice what he was wearing?”
McKenzie’s eyes grew wide. “Now that you mention it, yes. He was wearing the quarry uniform—brown pants and a tan shirt.”
“Not
blue jeans,” Kate said. “The person in the picture I took last night was definitely wearing jeans.”
“Yes, but that picture was taken in the middle of the night,” McKenzie said. “So he probably doesn’t wear his uniform when he goes to the quarry in the middle of the night to pack the forged fossils. In fact, it’s more likely he would wear regular clothes if he’s doing something sneaky.”
“I suppose.” Just one more thing for Kate to think about. But with so little time left, her thoughts were now tumbling around in her head faster than she could keep up with them. If she and McKenzie ever needed prayer … now was the time!
The Plot Thickens
Just after breakfast, when the others went to watch a video on the quarry’s history, Megan led the way to the prep room. “It’s quiet in here during this time of day. Gus does most of his work during the afternoon.”
“And in the middle of the night,” Kate added.
“The middle of the night?” Megan looked at her curiously. “Are you saying that because you think it was Gus in the pictures you took last night?”
Kate nodded. “Yes.”
“Well we don’t know that for sure,” Megan said. “And remember the story I told you about Gus. We need to assume he is innocent until proven guilty.”
“Okay.” Kate sighed. Still, she would prove once and for all that Gus did this. Maybe. “Megan, do you mind if I use my fingerprint kit?” Kate asked when they were inside the room.
Megan shrugged. “I don’t mind. But remember, Kate, lots of people come in and out of this room, not just Gus. So any prints you lift might belong to other people.”
Kate nodded. “I know. I just need to compare the prints to the ones on the fossil plate back in Philadelphia.”
She reached in her backpack, pulled out the fingerprint kit and went to work. “Oooh, this is the perfect spot!” She pressed the fingerprint tape down on the table and lifted a perfect print. Kate could hardly wait to compare it to the ones from the ruined fossil back in Philly.
“Here’s another one, Kate.” McKenzie pointed to a shipping label on a wooden crate. “Might as well get it, too!”
They spent the next five minutes lifting all sorts of fingerprints. Megan watched at the door, in case anyone decided to come in the room.
Just as Kate finished with the last print, she heard a familiar voice.
“What are you girls doing in here?”
Conner
. Hopefully he wouldn’t be too upset that Megan had let them in the room.
Megan flashed a smile. “Oh hey, Conner. What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be with the kids?”
“I had something to take care of first.” He looked at her curiously. “Aren’t these girls supposed to be watching the video, too?”
“I’ll send them in there when we’re done,” Megan said with a nod. “Something came up and I needed to …”
“Needed to what?” He drew near, a concerned look on his face.
“Well I offered to help the girls with something.”
Kate tucked the fingerprint kit into her backpack. No point in saying too much.
Just then, the door to the room opened and Grumpy Gus stepped inside. Kate’s breath caught in her throat.
Oh no! Caught!
“What’s going on in here, a party?” he asked. “You people filling my workspace for some reason?”
“Well actually, we were …” Megan stopped before finishing her sentence.
“She’s giving us a tour,” Kate said.
“You know how I feel about kids in my work space.” Gus looked grumpier than ever. “I don’t like them in here.”
“Yes, get these campers out of here, Megan,” Conner said. He gave her a warning look but Kate still had a couple of questions
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