Cam Jansen and the Secret Service Mystery (2 page)

The program was posted on a large sign in the front hall. Cam had seen it when she came to school. Now, with her eyes closed,
she was looking at a mental picture she had of the sign.

Cam Jansen has what people call a photographic memory. It’s as if she has pictures in her head of whatever she sees. When she wants to remember something, she closes her eyes and says,
“Click!”
She says it’s the sound her mental camera makes.

Cam’s real name is Jennifer, but when people found out about her amazing memory, they called her “The Camera.” Soon “The Camera” became just “Cam.”

“Please,” Ms. Benson said, “return to your seats.”

When the children were seated, Ms. Benson told them, “It’s a great honor for us to meet the governor.” Then she looked at Danny and said, “I expect everyone to be on his best behavior.”

“Hey! What did I do?” Danny asked.

“I’m serious,” Ms. Benson told him.

Beth raised her hand and asked, “Why did the Secret Service people come here?”

“They’ve traveled with Governor Zellner ever since he said he was running for president.”

“Of the United States?” Danny asked.

“Yes,” Ms. Benson answered.

“Wow!” Eric said. “I might meet the next president. I’m taking my notebook along. Maybe he’ll give me his autograph.”

Ms. Benson looked at the clock in the back of the room.

“It’s almost ten. Let’s get in line,” she told the class.

The children stood by twos in the hall.

Ms. Benson looked at Danny and said, “Let’s walk quietly to the new library, and when we’re there, please, make me proud of our class.”

“I will,” Danny said.

Beth was next to Danny in line.

“And don’t tell any of your riddles,” Beth said.

“Not even this one? Why don’t ducks tell jokes when they’re flying in the air?”

“No!”

The library was at the far end of the front hall, just beyond the gym. The children quietly followed Ms. Benson.

Danny whispered to Beth, “Don’t you want to know about the ducks?”

“No!”

The four police officers whom the children
had seen arrive on motorcycles were now standing in the hall near the entrance to the library. Their hands were on their hips, and they watched as Ms. Benson’s class walked past.

“They would quack up,” Danny whispered. “That’s why flying ducks don’t tell jokes.”

“And it’s not funny,” Beth told him.

The children entered the library. Several rows of chairs were set up in the center of the room. In the back were several reporters and photographers. In front was a large desk and a microphone. Behind the desk was the librarian’s office.

Ms. Benson and her class sat in the first few rows of seats. Ms. Benson sat on an end seat. Next were Danny, Beth, Cam, and Eric.

Eric turned and looked all around. Then he bent his head back and looked up.

“Wow!” he whispered to Cam. “There are windows in the ceiling.”

“Those are called skylights,” Cam said.

Two Secret Service agents stood by the
front desk. They watched the teachers and children enter the library.

“They give me the jitters,” Danny said to Ms. Benson.

“Shh.”

When everyone was seated, Dr. Prell, the principal, stepped up to the microphone.

“This is a great day for our school,” she said. “We have a beautiful new library. We have Governor Zellner here. The Pearls are also here. This library is their generous gift to our school.”

The library office door opened. Two Secret Service agents came out, followed by Governor Zellner and the Pearls. The governor wore a large red, white, and blue “Zellner for President” button on his jacket. Mrs. Pearl had long, curly white hair and wore a red dress and a large dangling pearl necklace. Mr. Pearl was dressed in a white suit, white shirt and tie, and white shoes.

When they walked out, lightbulbs flashed as news photographers took their pictures.

“It’s my great honor,” Dr. Prell announced, “to introduce our beloved governor, Elliot Zellner.”

Governor Zellner stood by the microphone. He raised his hands and waved. “Thank you. Thank you,” he said.

Bang!

Governor Zellner dropped to the floor.

The children and teachers in the room were scared. They dropped to the floor. Many of the adults standing by the sides of the room did, too. The four police officers hurried in.

Two Secret Service agents and the police officers walked slowly through the room. Cam looked behind her. All she saw were people on the floor. She turned and looked up at the large front desk.

Two Secret Service agents were crouched on the floor beside Governor Zellner. Another had pushed the Pearls behind the desk.

Cam turned and watched the two agents
and the police officers go to the back of the library. She looked at the large windows in the new library. She looked up at the skylights. She took a deep breath and then whispered to Eric, “I don’t see or smell smoke. If a gun was shot in here, there would be smoke.”

“Maybe someone shot from outside.”

“No,” Cam whispered. “The windows are closed, and not one is broken.”

“Then why are we on the floor?” Eric asked. “Why do the Secret Service people look so worried?”

“They want to know what made that noise.”

“I do, too,” Eric said.

People in the room began to whisper.

One of the agents in the back of the room waved. Then one by the desk said, “There’s no need to be afraid. Please, return to your seats.”

Cam, Eric, and the others in their class looked at Ms. Benson. She looked to the back and saw the two agents who had searched the room. They were smiling. Ms. Benson returned to her seat. Then Cam, Eric, and the others did, too.

“I wonder what made that noise,” Ms. Benson said.

“It wasn’t me,” Danny told her. “I’ve been good.”

The two agents who had searched the room were now by the front desk. They spoke for a moment with the other two agents and Dr. Prell.

Dr. Prell laughed. She said something to Governor Zellner. He laughed, too. Dr. Prell
took a large yellow book from a shelf on the side of the room. Then she tapped on the microphone to get everyone’s attention.

She smiled and said, “That was frightening, but no one was hurt. This is a library. There are lots of books here, and one of them fell. We don’t have carpeting yet, so when the book hit the concrete floor it made that scary sound.”

Dr. Prell dropped the yellow book onto the desk.

Bang!

The book fell flat.

A few children dropped to the floor again. Others laughed.

Dr. Prell tapped on the microphone. When everyone was quiet, she introduced Governor Zellner again.

“We are delighted and proud to have him here,” she said. “We hope this will be his first of many visits to our school.”

The governor waved and smiled. Lights flashed as photographers took his picture.

“I am very pleased to be here,” the governor said. “This is a great day for your school and our state. I am happy to share it with you and with my good friends Sam and Emma Pearl. But what’s more important, the Pearls are great friends of libraries and schools.”

“Please,” Cam whispered to Eric, “let me have your notebook.”

Eric gave Cam the notebook. She put it on her lap and pushed it off. It dropped to the floor. First the edge of the notebook hit the floor. Then it landed on its side. It made just a small sound when it hit the floor. She
picked it up, put it on her lap, and pushed it off a second and a third time. Each time, it landed on its side.

“This beautiful new library,” the governor said, “made possible by the generosity of the Pearls, should be a model for libraries in schools throughout the state and nation. To be truly great, a nation needs great schools, libraries, and readers!”

He waved and smiled again. Lights flashed as photographers took his picture.

“Books don’t just fall,” Cam whispered, “and they don’t fall flat.”

Mrs. Pearl went to the microphone. She was a small woman. Dr. Prell lowered the microphone for her.

“Sam and I are happy to be here with you today,” Emma Pearl said. “This is where we met. We were in the same second-grade class. We’re so very glad we are able to give this great school a new library.”