Kyle came looking for Shelley. “What’s taking you so long?” he asked.
Shelley was searching under the bed. “My fossil rock is gone,” she groaned.
Kyle’s eyes widened. “Gone?”
“It was in my tote bag.” Shelley scrambled to her feet. She grabbed the tote bag and turned it upside down. “It’s empty,” she declared. “My fossil rock is gone.”
“You must have put it somewhere else,” said Kyle. “I’ll help you look.”
Kyle and Shelley searched her room. They looked everywhere, but they did not find the fossil rock.
“Think, Shelley,” said Kyle. “You must have put it somewhere else.”
Shelley thought. A picture flashed across her mind. Marcus! That afternoon he had been standing right here in her doorway. He must have been in her room.
“I know where my fossil rock is,” said Shelley. She raced out of the room. “I’m going to get it back!”
She found Marcus in the den. He was playing a video game.
Shelley stuck out her hand. “Give me back my fossil rock,” she demanded.
“What are you talking about?” Marcus snapped. “I don’t have your fossil rock.”
Kyle came into the den. He sat on the couch. “Did you find it?” he asked.
Shelley clamped her hands on her hips. “No,” she said. “I did not find it because Marcus took it.”
Marcus jumped to his feet. “I did not take your fossil rock,” he declared.
“You were in my room,” said Shelley. “Now my fossil rock is gone.”
Marcus’s face turned as red as a ripe tomato. “I just went into your room to look at it again,” he said. “I put it right back in your bag.”
“It isn’t there now,” said Shelley.
Kyle turned to Shelley. “Marcus wouldn’t take your rock,” he said.
Shelley didn’t answer. She glared at Marcus. He looked guilty. Very guilty.
“Don’t worry,” said Kyle. “We’ll find your fossil rock. We’ll get everyone to help look for it.”
They told Uncle Ray what had happened. “Something mysterious is going on around here,” said Uncle Ray. “First Topper loses her ball. Now you lose your fossil rock.”
Shelley wanted to say, “I didn’t lose my fossil rock. Marcus took it.” But she saw Marcus’s face. He looked like he was going to cry.
Shelley was sure Marcus had taken her fossil rock. Almost sure. But almost wasn’t good enough. She didn’t say anything.
Although everyone joined in the search, they did not find Shelley’s fossil rock.