Read Online Treasure Hunt by Sally Rippin - Free Book Online Page A

him. ‘Especially when they’re working undercover. It’s not exactly lying. It’s just not telling the whole truth.’
    Jack looks relieved. ‘Should we take it to school tomorrow? There won’t be anyone there on a Saturday.’
    ‘Good idea!’ says Billie. ‘I’ll call Alex and Mika after dinner and tell them to meet us there. Eet-may ou-yay at-ay ool-skay at-ay en-tay.’
    Jack scrunches up his brow. ‘What?’
    ‘Meet you at school at ten!’ Billie giggles. ‘It’s Pig Latin. Dad taught it to me. He used to use it when he was a kid. I’ll teach you guys tomorrow. It’s perfect for detectives.’
    ‘Billie!’ calls her dad from inside. ‘Your dinner’s getting cold.’
    ‘Coming!’ Billie calls back. ‘See you tomorrow, Jack!’
    She does an excited little skip to the back door. This is the best mystery ever! she thinks happily.

The next day, the four members of the Secret Mystery Club meet at the school gate at ten.
    Jack has brought the metal detector with him and he shows it to Mika and Alex proudly.
    ‘It’s so cool!’ Alex says. ‘I’ve always wanted one of these.’
    Jack smiles. ‘Usually my uncle only lets me use it when he’s watching. But I guess he thinks I’m old enough to look after it now.’
    They swing open the gate and walk into the school grounds. It feels strangely quiet and the playground looks bigger now that it’s not filled with kids.
    The only people around are a grade one kid and his dad, bouncing a tennis ball, and a mum sitting next to a toddler in the sandpit.
    Anyone is allowed to use the school grounds on weekends but not many people do because there is a big park nearby.
    ‘Where should we start?’ Billie asks, looking around.
    ‘I say we start on the oval and work our way across the whole playground,’ Alex says. ‘It could be buried anywhere!’
    The others agree.
    Jack switches on the metal detector and swings it in front of him as the four of them walk slowly across the grassy oval.
    The detector makes a fuzzy crackling sound as it beep, beep, beeps.
    Every now and then the beeping gets louder and faster and the four of them crouch down excitedly to see what the metal detector has found.
    After an hour they have found five bottle caps, three paperclips, an earring and four coins. But no time capsule. The metal detector was lots of fun at first, but now they are getting tired from walking so slowly. And they have barely done half the oval!
    ‘Let’s take a break,’ Billie suggests.
    ‘Good idea,’ says Jack. ‘My arms are getting tired.’
    ‘I can hold it for a bit if you want?’ Alex says.

    Jack shakes his head. ‘I told my uncle I wouldn’t let anyone else touch it.’
    ‘Let’s sit under the peppercorn tree,’ Mika says. ‘Mum put some snacks in my bag.’
    ‘Yay!’ says Billie. She loves Mika’s mum’s snacks. ‘I’m going to get a drink at the fountain. I’ll meet you at the tree.’
    She jogs to the fountain and leans over to take a big drink of water.
    When she looks up again, someone is standing right beside her. She jumps in surprise.
    Billie recognises the girl from another class but doesn’t know her name.
    ‘What are you doing with the metal detector?’ the girl asks. She twirls her messy blonde ponytail between her fingers.
    Billie gulps her water down. Her mind spins. ‘Um, my friend lost her necklace,’ she says, remembering their cover story just in time.
    The girl nods. ‘What does it look like?’
    Billie shifts uncomfortably from one foot to another.
    She glances over to the peppercorn tree and sees the others sitting in the shade, eating snacks.
    ‘It’s just…um, a bird on a silver chain,’ she says, remembering the necklace Mika was wearing the day before.
    ‘Are you sure it’s a necklace you’re looking for?’ the girl says.
    ‘Of course I am!’ Billie says, feeling flustered. The way this girl is staring at her is making her uncomfortable.
    The girl nods slowly, not taking her eyes off