Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8 "I think he's trying to tell us that this key unlocks wherever Mr. Bones is hidden," Ruth Rose continued. "But where?" Josh asked. "The key could go to a lock in California."

"The skeleton is probably still in the school," Dink said. "How could anyone carry it out of the building in broad daylight?" "But how could anyone hide it inside the school in broad daylight, either?" Ruth Rose asked. "Somebody would have been bound to notice." "Unless Miss Shotsky did it," Josh said. "She carries Mr. Bones to classes all the time." Dink shook his head. "Trust me, she was surprised when she saw the skeleton was missing." "And that wasn't her footprint," Ruth Rose said. The kids stared at the drawing and the key. "Why give us the key?" asked Josh. He had a chocolate mustache. "Does this guy want to get caught?" "It's almost like he wants us to find Mr. Bones," Ruth Rose said. "Well, at least no other kid has found the skeleton yet," Dink said. "We can still win aquarium tickets for our class." Ruth Rose picked up the key and held it close to her eyes. "That's strange. This key looks brandnew," she said.

"How can you tell?" Dink asked. "There are no scratches on it," Ruth Rose said. "And it's very shiny." She dug her house key out of her pocket. "See, my key has a lot of tiny marks from where it rubs against the inside of the door lock. But Josh's key looks like it was just made."

"So how do we find out what it opens?" Josh asked, slurping the last of his hot chocolate. "We could ask Mr. Neater," Dink suggested. "He has keys to everything in the building." "Wait, could he have put the key in Josh's locker?" Ruth Rose asked. "That would mean he took the skeleton," Dink said. "But his shoes are way too big, remember?" "Unless he faked the footprints," Josh said, "like those kids who made the bear tracks." Dink wrapped the key in the skeleton drawing and handed it to Josh. "Let's show him this tomorrow," he said. "And don't lose it. The key is our best clue!" A few snowflakes fell as Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose hurried into the school building the next morning. "Whoever heard of snow on the first of April," Josh muttered. He was wearing a green hat pulled

down over his ears. Mr. Neater had a small office in the school basement. The kids found him there, sitting on a stool in front of a workbench. He was trying to unjam a stapler. "Good morning, Mr. Neater," Dink said. The white-haired man turned and smiled. "Hey, kids. What brings you down here? Playing hooky?" Josh pulled the wrapped key from his pocket. He removed the drawing and showed the key to Mr. Neater. "Have you ever seen a key like this?" he asked. Mr. Neater held the key under the light over his workbench. He examined both sides before he shook his head. "Nope, don't think so. But I can tell you it's a copy. This key was made from another, probably in some hardware store."

"You were right!" Josh marveled. "How come you're so smart, Ruth Rose?" Ruth Rose just smiled. Mr. Neater unclipped the key ring from his belt and plunked it down on the workbench. He fanned the keys and compared a few with the one Josh had given him. "See, an original key has the name of the company that makes it. Like this one is a Yale key." He tapped Josh's key. "But yours has no name —it was copied from another key. Where'd you get it?" he asked, handing the key back to Josh. "It was in my locker with …" Just then a fifth grader came clomping down the basement stairs. He was taller than Dink and had