Cam Jansen and the Mystery Writer Mystery Read Free

parents all followed Jim E. Winter out of the gym. They followed him to room 17 for their coats, hats, and umbrellas.
    “Button your coat. Put on your rain hat,” Mrs. Jansen told Cam. “I don’t want you to get sick.”
    Jim E. Winter put on a large dark-blue raincoat and an old felt hat. He bent down the front brim of his hat and walked outside.
    Cam and all the others followed him.
    “Look, Mom,” Cam whispered. “There’s our car.”
    “Oh, good,” Mrs. Jansen told Cam.
    Danny’s father pointed to parking spot thirty-six and said, “My car was right there, and now it’s gone.”
    “Well,” Mr. Winter told him, “that part of your story checks out. There’s no car in thirty-six. But I think you got your numbers mixed.” He smiled. “I don’t need to know where you think your car was. This clicker will find it.”
    Mr. Winter held the clicker out and pressed it as he walked through the side parking lot. No lights blinked. No horn honked.
    Cam and the others followed him.
    Mr. Winter walked to the lot behind the building. He kept pressing the clicker, but still, no lights blinked. No horn honked.
    A gust of wind blew Mr. Winter’s hat off. He ran and grabbed it. He shook the water off the hat and put it on.

    “This is a terrible night to be outside,” he complained. “It’s so windy. It’s so cold and wet.”
    The parking lot was dark. The only people outside were those looking for Danny’s father’s car.
    “Here,” Jim E. Winter said, and gave Danny’s father his keys. “I have books to sign. I’m going inside.”
    Cam watched Mr. Pace take the keys. As he put them in the pocket of his raincoat, Cam looked at him, blinked her eyes, and said, “Click!”

    “But what about my car?” Danny’s father asked. “You said you would find it.”
    Danny’s father ran after Mr. Winter. Danny, his mother, Cam, and some of the others followed the two men into the school.
    “What about my car?” Danny’s father asked again.
    “I solved that mystery,” Jim E. Winter said as he walked into room 17. “I know what happened to your car. Now I have to sign more books.”
    Jim E. Winter took a hanger from the coatrack. He took off his raincoat and hat and hung them up. Then he turned and faced Danny’s father.
    “Your car was stolen,” Jim E. Winter said. “That’s what happened to it. Now you must call the police. And I have to sign more books.”
    Jim E. Winter quickly left the room.
    “Hey,” Mr. Pace said. “He didn’t solve this mystery. If he did, I would have my car.”
    Danny turned to Cam. “Now it’s up to you,” he said. “It’s up to you to find my dad’s car.”

Chapter Five
    Danny’s father took out a cell phone. He pressed some of the buttons, waited, and then said, “My car has been stolen.”
    Mr. Pace described his car and gave the address of the school.
    He listened.
    “Thank you,” he said. “I’ll wait for you in the front lobby.”
    He returned the cell phone to his pocket. Danny and his parents left room 17. Cam was about to follow them.
    “Hang up your coat and hat,” Mrs. Jansen told Cam. “I don’t want you wearing your wet things.”
    Cam hung up her coat and hat. Then she followed Danny and his parents to the lobby.
    “My car was stolen from the school parking lot,” Danny’s father told Dr. Prell. “The police are coming.”
    “That’s terrible,” Dr. Prell said. “I’ll wait here with you. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”
    “I’ll help, too,” Cam said.
    “Please,” the principal told Cam, “go back to the gym. The police will handle this.”
    “I agree with Dr. Prell,” Mrs. Jansen told Cam. “When it’s all over, Danny will tell us what happened.”
    Mrs. Jansen walked with Cam into the gym. Beth and her dad went, too. Cam and Beth took their books from the table near the entrance to the gym.
    “Let’s get back on line and have our books signed,” Beth said.
    “You go ahead,” Cam said. “I’ll wait here. I want