Chapter 5

Chapter 5 The thieves worked fast. Through the door crack, Dink watched the two dark forms fill their

satchels with the gold. "Jeez, this stuff is heavy," one of them grunted. The crooks dragged the heavy satchels across the floor. Dink tried to memorize the black clothing, the thieves' ski masks, and the satchels. As the crooks passed the closet, he noticed that one of them seemed to have a white stripe between his waist and knees. Then both were gone, and the treasure chamber was quiet. Dink waited several seconds, then pushed the closet door all the way open. The gold was gone. Two large hunks of stone lay on top of broken glass. Dust covered everything. As Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose stepped out of the closet, the alarm bell stopped as suddenly as it had started. "Where did they go?" Josh whispered in the now silent room. Before Dink could answer, they heard the tomb door slide open. A second later, Officers Peters and Washington stormed into the treasure chamber.

"Freeze!" Officer Peters shouted. Then he took a second look. "What…it's the kids!" Dr. Tweed appeared behind the two officers. "Please explain why you're in here," he said. One of Dr. Tweed's eyes was twitching. "We were trying to find the woman who took the mummy," Ruth Rose said. "Then the door closed all by itself." "We fell asleep in the closet," Josh said. "A few minutes ago, we heard a loud bang. Then two guys came in and stole the gold!" Dr. Tweed stepped over broken glass and examined the shattered cases. "Nothing is left," he said. "A priceless treasure has been stolen." "Let's check out the wall," Officer Peters said. Everyone followed him into the tomb. A large, jagged hole had been blown through one of the walls. Through it, Dink could see the tall, thick shrubbery behind the museum. The floor around the hole was littered with chunks of stone, but the two standing mummies didn't look damaged. On the table, the child mummy's coffin was closed. The mask on its lid stared peacefully up at the ceiling.

"Well, thank goodness!" someone shouted. Dink turned around. His parents ran into the tomb. Ruth Rose's parents came in next, quickly followed by Josh's folks. "What happened to you kids?" Dink's mom asked, giving him a hug. "We've been calling practically the whole city of Hartford for hours!" "We got locked in," Josh said. "We were trying to find the mummy snatcher!" "What mummy?" Ruth Rose's mom asked. "Let's save the story till we get home," Dink's dad suggested. "You kids must be starving." "I am!" Josh said.

At ten the next morning, Officers Peters and Washington stopped by Dink's house. Dink called Josh and Ruth Rose, and they all sat in the backyard. "I hope you got a good night's sleep," Officer Peters said, smiling. "We just talked to your parents, and they said it would be okay if we asked you some questions." "If that's okay with you," Officer Washington said. The kids nodded. Officer Peters glanced at his notes. "We think the woman who stole the mummy wanted to get everyone to leave the tomb," he explained. "In all the confusion, someone hid a small bomb near the wall." "We've had a chat with Dr. Tweed," Officer Washington added. "Now we'd like to hear your part of the story." The kids explained everything that had happened up until they had been awakened by the bomb blast. "Sometimes," Officer Washington said, "in the excitement of the moment, we forget small things. I'd like you to think back to the point when you

saw the two thieves enter the treasure chamber. Tell me everything you remember, even the smallest detail." Dink went first. "Well, they were both wearing dark clothes. I think they had ski masks over their faces." "One of them talked," Ruth Rose said. "He said-" "It was a man's voice?" interrupted Officer Peters. Ruth Rose closed her eyes for a minute. "I think so. It was a low voice," she said. "He said, 'Let's grab as much as we can and get out of here.'" "Did the other one say anything?" asked Officer Washington. Ruth Rose thought for a minute. "I think one of them said whatever they were carrying was heavy," she added. Officer Peters nodded and made a note. "I remember smelling something," Josh said. Both officers looked at him. "I don't know what it was, but…" Josh stopped, looking embarrassed. "We're listening," said Officer Washington. "You smelled …"