Cam Jansen and the Basketball Mystery Read Online Free Page B

basketball, it would fit in that bag.”
    “Is that what you did?” Governor Zellner asked Brian.
    He didn’t answer.
    “May I have that?” the governor said.
    Brian gave him the bag. Governor Zellner took out a small wrinkled basketball. There were signatures on the ball and a line and circle drawing.
    “Yeah! Cam did it again!” Eric said. “She solved another mystery.”
    Mr. Shelton said, “I bet Brian heard on the news that you were giving Coach a basketball signed by Matt Taylor.”
    Governor Zellner looked at the many people who had gathered around him, Coach Jenkins, Cam, Eric, and Brian. Jordan Gold and the other Hamilton players were there, too. They had showered. Now they were dressed in regular clothes.
    “I’m calling the police,” the governor said. “They’ll handle this.”
    One of the guards took out a cell phone. He called the police.
    Governor Zellner gave Coach Jenkins the wrinkled basketball.
    The coach laughed. “It’s like me,” he said. “I’ve got wrinkles, too.”
    Cam thought, It’s also like Mr. Shelton. His face has lots of wrinkles.
    “That’s easy to fix,” Jordan Gold said. “I’ll pump it up.”
    Coach Jenkins gave Jordan Gold the wrinkled basketball.
    Governor Zellner turned to Cam and Eric. “People who do good deeds should be rewarded. Now how should I reward you for finding Coach’s basketball?”
    Coach Jenkins whispered something to the governor.

    “That’s a good idea,” Governor Zellner said.
    Coach Jenkins then whispered to Jordan Gold. He gave him some keys.
    “Don’t forget me,” Danny said. “I also helped find the basketball. My buster joke helped Cam solve the mystery.”
    “Yes,” Coach Jenkins said. “Bring three.”
    Two police cars drove up to school. Four police officers got out of the cars. They walked into the cafeteria. Governor Zellner told them what Brian had done.

    “Come with us,” one of the police officers said.
    Brian left the cafeteria with the officers. He got into the back of one of the police cars. The two cars drove off.
    Jordan Gold came back with the basketball and three orange Hamilton High School sweatshirts. The basketball was filled with air. It didn’t have wrinkles.
    Jordan Gold gave the governor the three sweatshirts. A guard gave the governor a black marker. Governor Zellner signed each of the shirts.
    The guard gave a shirt to Cam, Eric, and Danny.
    Danny put on his shirt. He puffed out his stomach and said, “Hey, look. I’m an orange pumpkin.”
    No one laughed.
    “Oh well,” Danny said. “My jokes helped Cam solve the mystery. It pays to tell good jokes.”
    Diane shook her head and said, “You mean it pays to tell bad jokes. It pays to tell real bad jokes.”
    Cam and Eric laughed. Governor Zellner, Coach Jenkins, and lots of other people looked at Danny with his puffed-out stomach and laughed. Then Danny, the orange pumpkin, laughed, too.

A Cam Jansen Memory Game

    T ake another look at the picture opposite page 1. Study it. Blink your eyes and say, “Click!” Then turn back here and answer the questions at the bottom of the page. Please, first study the picture, then look at the questions.
    1. Is Mr. Shelton wearing a hat? Eyeglasses?
    2. How many people are in the Sheltons’ SUV?
    3. Who is sitting directly behind Mr. Shelton?
    4. What is the baby holding?
    5. Are Eric’s twin sisters wearing shirts with stripes?
    6. Who is holding Mr. Shelton’s yearbook, Cam or Eric?