skeleton,” Mr. Dillon went on, “please raise your hand.”
No one raised a hand.
“Well, it seems we have a genuine mystery on our hands,” Mr. Dillon said. He smiled at the hundred kids who sat watching him. “And I need your help solving it. So I’ve decided to offer a reward. The classroom that finds Mr. Bones will get free tickets to the new aquarium in Hartford.”
“Ooh!” a lot of kids cried.
Ruth Rose turned to Dink and Josh. “I’ve been asking my parents to take me,” she said.
“Me too,” Dink said. “They’ve got a baby beluga whale!”
“Now you’re excused,” Mr. Dillon said. “Have a nice day, and best of luck solving the case of the missing skeleton!”
The kids stood up, gathered around their teachers, and left the gym. All around him Dink heard kids talking about the missing school skeleton. He heard one little boy whisper, “Maybe it came alive and walked away!”
“Maybe if we figured out why anyone would want a skeleton,” Dink said, “we could figure out who took it.”
Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose thought about this as they followed Mrs. Eagle back to their classroom.
They passed Mr. Neater, cleaning a window. He smiled and waved.
“Maybe
he
took it,” Josh whispered. “That key ring probably has keys to all the rooms in the school.”
“Josh, why would Mr. Neater want a skeleton?” Ruth Rose asked.
“She’s right,” Dink said. “You might as well accuse Miss Aria, the music teacher, or Mr. Love, the art teacher.”
“Well, someone took it,” Josh said.
Ruth Rose was shaking her head. “But why does it have to be an adult?” she asked. “Maybe the fifth graders stole Mr. Bones. Remember when they took that papier-mâché whale from the first-grade room and hung it from the flagpole?”
“Yeah, that was
so
cool,” Josh said.
Back in their room, Mrs. Eagle told the kids to take out their writing journals. “Since we have only a little time left before lunch, why don’t we spend it writing a story?” she said.
“What about?” Bobby asked.
Mrs. Eagle smiled slyly. “About a vanishing school skeleton!” she said.
CHAPTER 3
“What did you call your story?” Josh asked Dink at their lockers. It was three o’clock, and everyone was going home.
Dink grinned as he put on his jacket. “It’s called ‘Josh Stole the School Skeleton and Should Go to Jail Forever,’” Dink said.
“Ha-ha,” Josh said.
“Mine’s called ‘The Skeleton’s Curse,’” Ruth Rose said. “Mr. Bones puts a curse on all boys with red hair.”
“You guys are a riot,” Josh said as thekids walked toward the exit. Miss Shotsky poked her head out of her office and called to Dink, “How’s that finger?”
“Fine, thanks,” Dink said, wiggling it at her.
“Well, come on in and let me give you a couple of Band-Aids to take home.”
“What a baby,” Josh whispered as the three kids piled into Miss Shotsky’s office.
“He’s just jealous of your Batman Band-Aid,” Ruth Rose said.
“Yeah, right,” Josh said. “Batman is out. Spider-Man rules the school!”
The kids followed Miss Shotsky into the back room. While Dink got more Band-Aids, Josh and Ruth Rose examined the corner where Mr. Bones usually hung.
“Look, there’s a footprint in the dust!” Ruth Rose said.
Miss Shotsky and Dink walked over to look.
“It looks like a sneaker,” Dink said. “See the zigzag tread?”
“It’s the left foot,” Josh pointed out.
“An adult’s size,” Ruth Rose said.
“Maybe the thief made this footprint when he lifted Mr. Bones off the hook,” Dink said.
“Could be—it sure isn’t
my
footprint,” Miss Shotsky said, holding her left foot up. Her white nurse’s shoe was shorter, and the tread on the bottom was different.
“Were any teachers in here this morning?” Ruth Rose asked Miss Shotsky.
“Not that I know of,” the nurse answered. “After I got here, I went to the teachers’ lounge to make coffee. I came back at eight
No one raised a hand.
“Well, it seems we have a genuine mystery on our hands,” Mr. Dillon said. He smiled at the hundred kids who sat watching him. “And I need your help solving it. So I’ve decided to offer a reward. The classroom that finds Mr. Bones will get free tickets to the new aquarium in Hartford.”
“Ooh!” a lot of kids cried.
Ruth Rose turned to Dink and Josh. “I’ve been asking my parents to take me,” she said.
“Me too,” Dink said. “They’ve got a baby beluga whale!”
“Now you’re excused,” Mr. Dillon said. “Have a nice day, and best of luck solving the case of the missing skeleton!”
The kids stood up, gathered around their teachers, and left the gym. All around him Dink heard kids talking about the missing school skeleton. He heard one little boy whisper, “Maybe it came alive and walked away!”
“Maybe if we figured out why anyone would want a skeleton,” Dink said, “we could figure out who took it.”
Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose thought about this as they followed Mrs. Eagle back to their classroom.
They passed Mr. Neater, cleaning a window. He smiled and waved.
“Maybe
he
took it,” Josh whispered. “That key ring probably has keys to all the rooms in the school.”
“Josh, why would Mr. Neater want a skeleton?” Ruth Rose asked.
“She’s right,” Dink said. “You might as well accuse Miss Aria, the music teacher, or Mr. Love, the art teacher.”
“Well, someone took it,” Josh said.
Ruth Rose was shaking her head. “But why does it have to be an adult?” she asked. “Maybe the fifth graders stole Mr. Bones. Remember when they took that papier-mâché whale from the first-grade room and hung it from the flagpole?”
“Yeah, that was
so
cool,” Josh said.
Back in their room, Mrs. Eagle told the kids to take out their writing journals. “Since we have only a little time left before lunch, why don’t we spend it writing a story?” she said.
“What about?” Bobby asked.
Mrs. Eagle smiled slyly. “About a vanishing school skeleton!” she said.
CHAPTER 3
“What did you call your story?” Josh asked Dink at their lockers. It was three o’clock, and everyone was going home.
Dink grinned as he put on his jacket. “It’s called ‘Josh Stole the School Skeleton and Should Go to Jail Forever,’” Dink said.
“Ha-ha,” Josh said.
“Mine’s called ‘The Skeleton’s Curse,’” Ruth Rose said. “Mr. Bones puts a curse on all boys with red hair.”
“You guys are a riot,” Josh said as thekids walked toward the exit. Miss Shotsky poked her head out of her office and called to Dink, “How’s that finger?”
“Fine, thanks,” Dink said, wiggling it at her.
“Well, come on in and let me give you a couple of Band-Aids to take home.”
“What a baby,” Josh whispered as the three kids piled into Miss Shotsky’s office.
“He’s just jealous of your Batman Band-Aid,” Ruth Rose said.
“Yeah, right,” Josh said. “Batman is out. Spider-Man rules the school!”
The kids followed Miss Shotsky into the back room. While Dink got more Band-Aids, Josh and Ruth Rose examined the corner where Mr. Bones usually hung.
“Look, there’s a footprint in the dust!” Ruth Rose said.
Miss Shotsky and Dink walked over to look.
“It looks like a sneaker,” Dink said. “See the zigzag tread?”
“It’s the left foot,” Josh pointed out.
“An adult’s size,” Ruth Rose said.
“Maybe the thief made this footprint when he lifted Mr. Bones off the hook,” Dink said.
“Could be—it sure isn’t
my
footprint,” Miss Shotsky said, holding her left foot up. Her white nurse’s shoe was shorter, and the tread on the bottom was different.
“Were any teachers in here this morning?” Ruth Rose asked Miss Shotsky.
“Not that I know of,” the nurse answered. “After I got here, I went to the teachers’ lounge to make coffee. I came back at eight
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