The Case of the Slippery Salamander by Donald J. Sobol Page B

arranged it just so in the bowl,” Pablo explained. “Monsieur insisted that there must be exactly the right balance of three apples, two pears, and two bananas.”
    Encyclopedia waited for Pablo to go on.
    “Monsieur taught the first two morning sessions on his own,” Pablo said. “After I arrived to help with Session Three, he took a break. When he came back a few minutes later, he noticed that a banana was missing from the bowl.”
    “So that’s when the banana split,” cracked Encyclopedia.
    “It’s no laughing matter!” Pablo cried. “Monsieur LeBlanc thinks I stole it!”
    “What makes him think that?” the detective asked.
    Pablo was scowling. “Bugs Meany! When Monsieur asked where the banana was, Bugs told him I took it,” Pablo continued. “Bugs told Monsieur I thought the students’ paintings would look better with just one banana.”
    “With food in the picture, I should have guessed that Bugs Meany was involved,” Encyclopedia muttered.
    “Please help me prove that I didn’t steal the banana, Encyclopedia,” Pablo went on desperately. “If you don’t, Monsieur LeBlanc won’t give me my job back!”
    Encyclopedia agreed to take the case. The two boys headed for South Park.
    Because of the heat, the Art in the Park students had been painting inside the Community Center, which was air-conditioned. The center was a large building near the tennis courts in the park. When Encyclopedia walked into the building behind Pablo, he bumped smack into a big boy in a painter’s apron.
    Encyclopedia did a double take. The boy in the apron was Bugs Meany.
    “Well, well, well,” Bugs sneered. “If it isn’t the sloth who calls himself a sleuth. What are you doing here, snoop-face?”
    Encyclopedia ignored the bully’s nasty remarks. “I was surprised to hear that you signed up for Art in the Park, Bugs. I didn’t think you were the artistic type.”
    “Us Tigers have a sensitive side, you know. In fact, Monsieur LeBlanc thinks I’ve got talent,”Bugs said proudly. “He said I might even be the next Vincent van Goat.”

    “It’s van
Gogh
!” Pablo snapped. “You’re an artist, all right, Bugs. A con artist!”
    “You two lamebrains are sapping my creative energy,” Bugs declared. He tried to push his way past them. “If you’ll stop blocking the door, I’d like to go home for lunch. All I’ve eaten today is a lousy banana.”
    Encyclopedia stepped aside to let Bugs pass.
    “See?” Pablo said. “Bugs practically confessed just now! He stole the banana because he was hungry, and then he blamed the whole thing on me!”
    “I’m sure you’re right, Pablo,” Encyclopedia said. “But what we have to do is find some proof.”
    The art students were painting inside a large, sunny room in the Community Center. The room was filled with jars of paint, brushes, paper, and other art supplies.
    Six or seven students stood before easels, brushes in hand. They were painting a bowl of fruit that sat on a table in the front of the room.
    Monsieur LeBlanc glared when he saw Pablo. “I thought I told you that you were fired!”
    Encyclopedia spoke up quickly. “We’re here to investigate the banana theft, Monsieur LeBlanc. Ifyou don’t mind, sir,” he added politely, “we’d like to look around for a few minutes.”
    Encyclopedia thought the angry artist was going to say no. But before Monsieur could reply, a student raised his hand and asked for help.
    “You may look around!” Monsieur LeBlanc snapped as he went over to help the student. “But only for a moment. And do not disturb any of my students!”
    Encyclopedia tiptoed to the front of the room to examine the bowl of fruit. Next he headed for a clothesline strung across the back of the room. Several dozen still-life paintings were clipped to the line. When Encyclopedia looked at them more closely, he noticed that the paint was still wet.
    “These paintings are from the earlier classes today, right?” he whispered to Pablo, who