CpM8.Mystery at the Washington Monument by Ron Roy

Author:Ron Roy
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9780307496966
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: 2007-08-15T06:00:00+00:00

6

Uncovering a Secret

KC and Marshall ran to the closest Metro station and got aboard a train.

“Um, do you know where we’re going?” Marshall asked.

“Sure,” KC said. “The Library of Congress is near the Capitol building. We get off at the stop that says CAPITOL.”

Soon they were standing in front of the massive building. A large fountain sat near the marble steps. Water poured down over a bronze man with a long beard.

“Who’s that guy?” Marshall asked.

KC read a sign in front of the statue. “He’s Neptune, the Roman god of the sea,” she said. “Marsh, Dr. Tutu gave me an idea when he said that spider monkeys steal things. What if someone stole something valuable, then hid it in that drilled hole?”

“Then a second person—the one who trained Washington—took it out of the hole?” Marshall said.

KC nodded. “Maybe it was Dimm.”

The kids ran up the steps. They found themselves in the Great Hall. It had a high, domed ceiling made of stained glass. KC peeked into her backpack. Washington was still asleep.

Light shone through the dome onto sculptures, paintings, and wall murals. A few people walked about. Their footsteps echoed in the cavernous room.

“This place is awesome!” Marshall whispered. His voice sounded as if he were speaking in a cave.

“It’s the worlds largest library,” KC said. “Come on, I see an information desk.”

The woman behind the desk was tall with very short white hair, like a crew cut. She wore a black suit with a red rose in her lapel. A name plate on her desk said MS. MANN.

“Can I help you?” she asked KC and Marshall.

“We’re studying the memorial stones in the Washington Monument,” KC said. “Is there a book that tells when each stone was placed in the Monument’s walls?”

“That should be easy,” Ms. Mann said. “Give me a moment.” She turned to a computer and typed in a few commands.

While they waited, KC read a small sign on a post near the desk. It gave the history of the building, which was built in 1897 and housed more than 17 million books.

“If you’ll have a seat, Mr. Babcock will bring you a book,” Ms. Mann said. She pointed to a row of desks and chairs.

“Where could we get information about unsolved crimes in Washington?” Marshall asked Ms. Mann.

“What sort of crimes?” the woman asked. “Murders? Kidnappings?”

“No, something that got stolen,” said Marshall. “Like documents or money or jewels.”

Ms. Mann tapped a pencil against her front teeth. “There is a Web site,” she said after a moment. “Use one of our computers and type in www.stillmissing.com. The list will be long.”

The kids hurried to a computer, and Marshall typed in the Web site’s address. Ms. Mann was right—the list had hundreds of dates and thefts. They were all in articles taken from the Washington Post over the years.

KC and Marshall skipped around, reading whatever appeared on the screen. Someone stole a goat in 1901. Sheets and towels were stolen off clotheslines in 1982. One hundred bicycles were stolen in 1957.

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