Professor's Discovery

Michele Jakubowski

Description

A history professor passing through Somerville stops to see the town's museum, a little place that few people notice and even fewer visit. The professor discovers a valuable medal amid the dust, and the townspeople decide to sell the artifact and begin debating what to do with all the money. Somerville's young sleuths search for the story behind the medal, and what they discover proves it to be priceless.

Informations

• Publié par: Capstone Global Library
• Date de parution: 08 septembre 2016
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781782025139
• Langue: English

Extrait

Table of Contents Cover Title Page Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen About the Author Glossary Examine the Evidence Further Deductions Copyright Back Cover

Landmarks Cover Table of Contents Start of Content
List of Pages cover 3 4 5 6 7 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 57 58 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105 106 107 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 2 back cover


CHAPTER ONE
Rowan and Astrid Vega stood in front of the Somerville Cinema with their best friends, Quinn and Jace, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the bright sunshine.
“I’m going to have nightmares for weeks!” Astrid said.
“Are you joking? That was awesome! Don’t be such a baby,” replied her brother, Rowan.
At twelve, Rowan was only fourteen months older than his sister, but he took every opportunity to act superior.
Towards the end of a summer that had already had more than its fair share of excitement, a matinee film was just what the foursome needed.
“I thought Mutant Zombies from Outer Space Six was better, but this one was pretty good, too,” Jace said.
“I liked it, but I still don’t understand how the zombies came back after their planet was blown up in the last film,” Quinn added.
“I can’t explain that,” Astrid said with a smile. “But I do know that I am hungry!”
“Are you serious? After you finished off that huge carton of popcorn?” Rowan asked.
Astrid rolled her eyes at her brother. “Whatever. Let’s head back to the restaurant.”
Mick’s Diner was the best place to eat in Somerville, and it also happened to be owned by Astrid and Rowan’s parents, Amelia and Jason Vega.
As the kids headed down the High Street, they saw a man, a woman and two teenagers walking towards them. The man walked in front of the others and appeared to be thoroughly lost. He alternated between looking up at the street signs and down at a piece of paper in his hand.
With its location right off a major road and its small-town charm, Somerville got its fair share of tourists passing through. Most enjoyed a delicious meal at Mick’s Diner and a walk down the High Street before filling up on cheap petrol at Earl’s Petrol Station and getting back on the road.
As the four got closer, they knew right away that these people were, indeed, a typical family of tourists. The man was tall and thin with dishevelled , curly red hair and round wire glasses. The woman was small and stood with a stiff back as she clutched an oversized designer handbag with both hands. Large sunglasses and a puckered look decorated her face. The teenage boy and girl behind them wore bored expressions and well-made, expensive clothes. They had shoes that cost more than some people in Somerville might have paid for their rent each month. Their phones were the latest models and brand-new.
“Hi there,” Rowan said in his friendliest voice. His parents had always reminded him to be nice to tourists, since they were so important to the success of Somerville’s businesses. “Can we help you find something?”
Without looking up from the phone he was tapping away on, the teenage boy said, “How about a way out of this ridiculous little town?”
“Jefferson!” snapped the man. “There is no need to be rude.”
“Whatever,” the boy muttered without looking up as he shook his hair out of his face.
The man shot the teenage boy a look before turning towards Rowan. “We’re actually looking for the Somerville Museum,” he said. “Is it nearby?”
“It certainly is,” Astrid responded politely. “You’re actually very close. It’s just a few doors down past the cinema and the Sugar Shack, on the right.”
“It looks more like an old house than a big museum,” Quinn said. “You have to keep an eye out for it. It’s pretty easy to miss.”
The Somerville Museum was located in one of the original houses built along the High Street. Its curator, Mrs Ruth Partridge, displayed pieces of the town’s history throughout the ground floor and lived in a first-floor apartment with her beloved dog, Rex.
The tourist girl snapped her chewing gum as she whined, “Daddy, you promised we could get some food if we went to the stupid museum. Find out where we can get some food. I’m hungry!”
“I will, Tabitha, and the museum is not stupid!” The man’s face reddened as he spoke to the girl.
“You did promise them food, Harry,” the woman said. “We’ve been in the car for hours. If we had just gone to Hawaii like I wanted to, everyone would have been much happier.”
The man’s face grew a frightening shade of red. Jace tried to help out, saying, “Mick’s Diner has the best food in town! The museum is very close to here, and when you’re done, the restaurant is back the other way, just before the main road.”
The man took a few deep breaths, and his face slowly returned to its natural pale hue. He smiled at Jace, Rowan, Astrid and Quinn and said, “You have been very helpful.” The kids watched the man, his family trailing behind, walk down the street towards the museum.
Later at the restaurant, Mr Vega listened intently as the kids told him all about the Mutant Zombies from Outer Space Seven as they sat at the counter eating their toasted-cheese sandwiches.
“At one point Jake the Zombie Slayer attacked the head zombie and cut his head off!” Rowan said.
“Loads of blood squirted out everywhere!” Jace continued, waving his arms for dramatic effect. “But then, two heads popped out where the one had been!”
“Awesome!” said Mr Vega.
“That’s disgusting,” said Mrs Vega, frowning. “What was this film rated? Are you sure it’s appropriate for you guys?”
“It’s fine, Mum!” Astrid said with a wave of her hand. She leaned forward and in a quieter voice added, “But I might want to sleep with you guys tonight.”
They continued to tell Mr Vega about the goriest parts of the film. Soon the family that had been looking for the museum entered the restaurant.
The woman and the teenage kids still wore the same bored expressions, but the man was beaming as he made his way over to the counter.
“Thank you so much for your help!” he said as he clapped Rowan and Jace on the back.
“Welcome to Mick’s Diner,” Mr Vega said warmly. “I’m glad the kids could be of some help. Uh what did they do?”
The man shook his head. “Oh! I’m sorry! How rude of me! I’m Professor Harry Higgins,” he said as he extended his hand to Mr Vega. “These kids were most kind in helping me find your town’s amazing museum.”
“Amazing?” Mr Vega asked as he shook Professor Higgins’s hand. Obviously confused, he added, “The Somerville Museum?”
“Indeed!” the professor replied, beaming. He looked around the restaurant to make sure no one was listening before he leaned in and whispered, “I probably shouldn’t be saying anything yet, but I may have just made a major historical discovery in your museum.”