Read Online 08 The Magician's Secret by Carolyn Keene - Free Book Online

started. “What if . . .” Her eyes lit up in the darkened room. “What if, after Smallwood left the shop, there was someone else already there? Maybe someone who knew Smallwood, like a partner, or maybe someone else. At this point it doesn’t matter.”
    She shook her head as if to clear it. “Let’s just say, once the shop was officially closed, if a person broke into the security room, they’d have had access to the entire system. The security tapes could have been tampered with, and whoever stole the jewels could have simply played footage from any other night.” She held up the tape box. “The tapes would have shown that all was quiet even though the thief was inside. Then there is just the matter of disabling the alarm and opening the gem case.”
    â€œSounds possible,” I said. “I like that idea better than to think the gems magically disappeared.”
    â€œMe too,” George said adamantly. “There’s always an explanation for everything.” She handed me the tape. “The police missed this one. There’s a backup unit for the security equipment in a cabinet. That machine had been tampered with; it was set to play, not record.”
    Candy let us use the machine, and we quickly discovered that George was right. The tape showed looped footage of a quiet night. She’d found our most important clue so far. Someone had been in the security room when Candy left for her date.
    â€œI’m not sure how they got in,” George was saying as we walked from the room. “I mean, this door was locked, the front door was locked, the back—”
    â€œEwww!” Bess hopped from foot to foot, making gagging sounds. “I stepped in gum! Gross.”
    â€œGum?” Candy asked. “There’s no food allowed in this shop. That’s why I go to the coffee shop at ten, noon, and three for all my scheduled breaks. No food. No drinks. And certainly no gum.” She handed Bess a tissue. “Someone will be fired!”
    â€œIt’s a huge wad!” Bess said, peeling it off her shoe. “Blech.”
    â€œIt’s not just gum.” George took the tissue and peered inside. “I mean, it is, but I think it’s also part of the crime.” She paused, staring at the gum. “Maybe the thief planted it here on purpose. Though I don’t think this gum was used in the heist. I checked the doors and there was no sign of anything gummy in the locks.”
    Candy looked crushed. “After all these years, someone slipped by me.” She put her hands on her hips. “I’ll call the police. They should check the locks again and reinterview my employees.”
    â€œThis is a highly professional job,” I told her. “The gum, the videotape, the gems—your employees probably aren’t suspects.”
    As we left, Candy was on the phone arranging for a new security company to come install an upgraded system.
    â€œGood sleuthing!” I congratulated my friends. “We are definitely getting somewhere!”
    â€œRight,” Bess said with a sigh. “All we have left todo is to figure out is who did it, why, and where they put the jewels.”
    â€œNo problem,” I said with a laugh. “I’m hoping we’ll find out more at our next stop.”

    It was a little after ten p.m. when I pulled into the Riverview parking lot. At night the place looked even more shabby and run-down than it had in the daylight. I hoped the twins were awake. We needed to talk to them.
    â€œYou’d think if the girls stole the gems they’d have at least kept some of the money for a hotel upgrade,” Bess said, wrinkling her nose.
    â€œI don’t think the gems have been sold yet,” George said. “Whoever took them needs to get far away from here first.”
    â€œBut even if the twins do have the gems, they might be stuck in this motel anyway. Hugo told me that