Diamonds Are a Thief's Best Friend by Hope McLean

Author:Hope McLean
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: 2013-11-22T16:00:00+00:00

While the Jewels were figuring out their latest clue in New York City, Eli Higashida, Lili’s brother, was at an Atkinson Prep Computer Club meeting solving a puzzle of his own.

“I think we should go with Linux clusters over Windows,” Eli said to his friend, Zane. “It’s way more efficient.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right,” Zane answered. “I still can’t believe we’re building a supercomputer. It’s so totally cool. And it’s awesome that Mr. Atkinson is donating old computers from the school that we can use!”

Eli nodded slowly. Even though it was generous of their headmaster to give the club the computers, Eli had information that Zane did not. At first, Eli had thought his little sister, Lili, was crazy when she told him that the Rivals had stolen the ruby from Martha Washington. When it all turned out to be true, Eli tried to help the girls get the ruby back. But the Rivals had foiled their plans. Eli knew the group of Atkinson sixth graders must have had help to pull off the jewel heist, and he suspected Arthur Atkinson had given it to them.

And is he helping them to steal even more jewels now? Eli wondered. Before she left for New York, Lili had told him the Jewels suspected the Rivals were going to strike again in New York City and steal a diamond. Eli sighed and ran his hand over his spiky black hair. All he wanted to worry about was joining a cluster of computers together to create one powerful supermachine — not his little sister getting mixed up with a gang of juvenile jewel thieves!

“Dude, I gotta go,” Zane said, interrupting Eli’s thoughts. “We’re the last ones here, and my mom is going to pick me up any minute now.”

“Sure, Zane,” Eli said. “We’re making progress. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

As Zane left, Eli rolled the cart that held the computer cages into the corner of the computer lab. He picked up his backpack and walked down the empty hallway toward his locker.

As he rounded a corner near Arthur Atkinson’s office, he overheard voices.

“Mr. Atkinson, I don’t understand,” a man said. “You’re being very generous, but this key is no good to you.”

Eli stood still so he could listen. The man’s voice was unfamiliar.

“I’m paying plenty for it, so you don’t have to worry about what it’s for,” the headmaster said in his loud, confident tone.

“But Mr. Atkinson, this key is for a very specific desk, one that was built in the seventeen hundreds,” the stranger said.

“So what is the problem, David? You are an antique furniture dealer. I want an antique key you have,” Atkinson said. “I’m willing to pay top dollar for it, too. It seems simple to me.”

“The desk I sold you last year was built in the eighteen hundreds,” David explained. “This key won’t work for it. It is for a specific desk that was built in the eighteenth century.”

“Are you going to sell me the key or not?” Atkinson questioned, his voice rising with impatience.

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