The Case of the Ruby Slippers Read Online Free Page B

Elena’s and Alexander’s moms came over to me to ask questions about
Snow White
. When they left, I looked at Courtney’s poster again. One of the photos was the ruby slippers in their case at the museum. I had seen these same slippers yesterday, but now I noticed something strange. The two slippers didn’t exactly match each other. The tops were different, with the bow on the right shoe a lot closer to the toe.
    â€œCourtney—look at this.” I pointed it out.
    Courtney squinted. “Those slippers come from a long time ago. Maybe they just weren’t that good at shoemaking back then.”
    By now, Elena’s dad was talking to Kyle, and Mr. Lozana was listening to us. “It wasn’t that long ago,” he said. “And you’re right, Cameron. The two slippers don’t match. Many people think they come from two different pairs, and the mates are missing.”
    It turned out Mr. Lozana knew a lot about the ruby slippers. Like, lots of pairs were made for the movie,and they’re even different sizes. No one who remembers is around anymore, but it could be that some were made for close-ups and still photographs, some for the dancing scenes and some to be worn by the stand-in for Judy Garland, the star.
    â€œIf there’re so many pairs, where’re the rest?” I asked.
    â€œThat’s a good question,” said Mr. Lozana. “In 1970, the movie company MGM cleaned out an old warehouse. It was full of costumes and props, including four pairs of ruby slippers. Today the the National Museum of American History has the pair that seems to be mismatched, and collectors have two others. The fourth pair was stolen a few years ago and has never been recovered.”
    While I had been talking to Mr. Lozana, Granny arrived. Now, she and Nate were looking at Courtney’s poster. “Who would want some old pair of shoes?” Nate asked.
    Mr. Lozana laughed. “Movie memorabilia is like art—valuable to collectors. The last time a pair of ruby slippers sold, they brought more than half a million dollars. You’d know that, Courtney, if you ever read my blog.”
    â€œI didn’t know you ever wrote about movie stuff on your blog,” Courtney said. “I thought you only wrote about politics, and that’s boring.”
    â€œIn this case, movie stuff and politics intersect,” said Mr. Lozana. “Apparently there are elements in this administration who mistake our democracy for a monarchy.”
    Nate is good at translating grown-up talk. “He means your mom is acting like she thinks she’s a queen,” he explained.
    I had no idea what Mr. Lozana meant, but the way he said it sounded like an insult. “You take that back!” I said.
    Granny put her hand on my shoulder. “Perhaps Mr. Lozana could explain.”
    Mr. Lozana said he’d be glad to. “The ruby slippers are under the care of the museum, but they belong to the people of the United States. Is it appropriate for President Parks to use them for a private family event?”
    â€œMy mom can do whatever she wants!” I snapped, but as soon as the words were out, I knew I’d made a mistake.
    â€œPrecisely my point, Cameron,” said Mr. Lozana. “No, your mom can’t. She works for the American people, and they don’t want their valuable property risked for no good reason. In fact, look what happened—the property disappeared. There’s a photo of the empty box on my website.”
    Granny shifted her feet. “Since you know the slippers disappeared, you must also know they were found and are now secure.”
    Mr. Lozana nodded. “And my recommendation is that the slippers be returned to their rightful location at the museum immediately.”
    â€œThanks a lot, Dad!” Courtney said. “Now I’ll
never
get invited to the birthday party.”
    Granny smiled. “Do want an invitation, dear? I think