“I don’t think that’s going to be so easy,” Egg said.
The four of us were standing about ten yards from the entrance to the art studio. The rest of the History Club was standing around chatting. But up at the studio’s entrance, four security guards were blocking the door.
“We’ll have to go around back,” Sam said. “There must be another way in.”
We started toward the back of the building. To avoid being seen, we walked in a very wide circle, so it took much longer than it would have if the guards hadn’t been there. Of course, if the guards hadn’t been there, we could have just walked right in through the front door.
“We don’t even know if there is a door back there,” Gum pointed out. “Maybe we should turn back.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Sam said. “How will we solve this mystery if we don’t investigate?”
“I don’t see any door,” Egg said.
He was right. I just saw that big window —the one Egg had been taking photos through. But Sam spotted something else.
“Shh,” she said. She crouched down behind a pine tree.
The rest of us followed her lead. “I saw someone,” Sam said. “Someone prowling around behind the building.”
We all stayed quiet. “There,” Gum whispered. “Behind those bushes.” There was a figure there, skulking around in the plants behind the studio.
“I can’t tell who it is,” Sam said.
“Give me a second,” Egg said. He pushed a button on his camera. “I see him now.”
He snapped about ten photos. Then he turned around the camera and held up the display for us to see: it was the caretaker.
Egg clicked through the pictures he’d taken. On the last one, the caretaker was looking right at the camera.
“Uh-oh,” Egg said. “He saw us!”
We all turned and looked at the building. The caretaker was walking right toward us.
Sam jumped to her feet and shouted, “Run!”
We sprinted and dodged between trees, galloping down the hill toward the rest of the History Club.
As he gasped for breath, Egg said, “I don’t think he can catch us.”
“Keep running,” Sam said. She led us behind a tall, thick bush. I guess she wanted to hide. Instead, someone jumped out at us, and we screamed.
“Anton!” I shouted. Then I slapped him on the arm.
It didn’t hurt him. I just couldn’t help myself.
Anton couldn’t stop laughing. He looked like was practically in pain, the way he was bent over and holding his stomach.
“You should have seen your faces,” Anton said. He wiped some tears of laughter from his eyes.
“Whatever, Anton,” Gum said. “So you startled us a little. Big deal.”
“Anyway,” Anton said, still smiling, “Ms. Jupiter —”
“It’s Juniper,” I said.
Anton ignored me. “She sent me up here to get you dorks,” he said. “We’re supposed to get our gear and hike to the campsite now.” Then he ran off down the hill again. He laughed the whole way.
“He can’t ruin my mood,” Egg said. He held up his camera and pointed at the display screen. “This was the easiest mystery we’ve ever had. The caretaker did it, and I have the proof right here.”