Chapter 7

Chapter 7 "I don't get it," Josh said as Dink handed Ruth Rose the cookie. Ruth Rose took a bite. "Thanks, Dink. Josh, I think my message will persuade Penelope Gwinn to see us," she explained. "But what's the information we have?" Josh asked.

“我不明白，”当丁克把饼干递给露丝·罗斯时，乔希说。 露丝·罗斯咬了一口。“谢谢,丁克。 乔希，我想我的信息会说服佩内洛普·格温来见我们，”她解释道。 “但是我们有什么信息呢?”杰克问。

"We'll think of something," Ruth Rose said. "Let's go!" She turned around and yelled into the house, "BYE, MOM. I'M TAKING OFF WITH THE GUYS!" The kids walked to Main Street and took a bus to Hartford. They shared a seat toward the rear. "Well, one thing we can do is describe that hairy hot-dog guy" Josh said. "If he was the thief, she might remember him." "And I can describe that woman sitting in front of me," Dink said. "They both had autograph books and they were both in a big hurry." The bus let them off not far from Bushnell Park. "The hotel is on the other side," Ruth Rose said. They cut through the park, passing by the carousel. The circus music was playing, and a few kids were sitting on the mounts. "Want to go for a ride, Dink?" Josh teased. "No, but you can," Dink said. "Or are you afraid to do it alone?" "I'm not afraid of anything!" Josh said. "Guys, there's the hotel," Ruth Rose said and pointed across the street.

“我们会想办法的，”露丝·罗斯说。 “我们走吧!”她转过身对着屋子里的人喊道:“再见，妈妈。 我要和大家一起走了!”孩子们走到主街，然后乘公共汽车去哈特福德。 他们共用一个靠后的座位。 “嗯，我们能做的一件事就是描述那个毛茸茸的热狗男。”乔希说。 “如果他就是那个贼，她也许会记得他。” “我可以描述一下坐在我面前的那个女人，”丁克说。 “他们都有签名簿，而且都很着急。” 公共汽车让他们在离布什内尔公园不远的地方下了车。 “酒店在另一边，”露丝·罗斯说。 他们穿过公园，经过旋转木马。 马戏团的音乐正在播放，几个孩子坐在坐骑上。 “想去兜风吗，丁克?”Josh嘲笑。 “不，但你可以，”丁克说。 “还是你害怕一个人去做?”“我什么都不怕!”杰克说。 “伙计们，旅馆就在那儿，”露丝·罗斯指着街对面说。

They were standing near the stage. The chairs were gone, but the steps up to the stage were still in place. "Let's check it out," Dink said. They walked to the stage, passing the first-aid tent. Dink peeked inside. It was empty except for the two chairs and the sign about sunstroke. Josh climbed up on the stage and gazed out at an imaginary audience. "Maybe I'll become a rock star," he said. "Thousands of people will want my autograph." Ruth Rose was studying the ground around the stage steps. "Penelope would have come down these steps to sign autographs," she said. "The thief was probably standing right here, waiting for his turn!" "Or her turn," Dink reminded Ruth Rose. "Or her," Ruth Rose agreed. She bent over and picked up a small plastic container. "I think this held film for a camera," she said. "I wonder if it's a clue." Dink picked up a pair of smashed sunglasses. "Come help us search," Dink yelled up at Josh. "For what?" Josh asked, sitting on the edge of the stage.

他们站在舞台附近。 椅子不见了，但通往舞台的台阶还在。 “让我们检查一下，”丁克说。 他们走向舞台，经过急救帐篷。 丁克偷看了里面。除了那两把椅子和关于中暑的告示牌外，里面空无一人。 乔希爬上舞台，凝视着想象中的观众。 “也许我会成为一名摇滚明星，”他说。 “成千上万的人想要我的签名。” 露丝·罗斯正在研究舞台台阶周围的地面。 她说:“佩内洛普可能会走下这些台阶来签名。” “小偷可能就站在这里，等着轮到他!”“或者轮到她了，”丁克提醒露丝·罗斯。 “或者她，”露丝·罗斯同意道。 她弯下腰，拿起一个小塑料容器。 她说:“我想这是用来拍摄的胶卷。” “我想知道这是不是一条线索。” 丁克捡起一副摔碎的太阳镜。 “来帮我们找找。”丁克朝乔希喊道。 “为了什么?”乔希坐在舞台边缘问道。

"Clues," Ruth Rose said. She held up a dollar bill. "Look what I just found!" Josh was on the ground in a flash. After searching for five minutes, they had a small pile: the broken sunglasses, the empty film container, a pencil, one dollar, one penny, ten ticket stubs, seven flattened penguin masks, and about a hundred candy wrappers. They threw the masks, stubs, and wrappers into a trash bin. Ruth Rose put the other stuff in her pocket as they walked toward the hotel. The trailer was gone. "What if Penelope isn't even here?" Dink asked. "If she canceled her concerts, maybe she went home. Wherever that is." "I never thought of that," Ruth Rose said. "We'll know in a minute." The kids walked into the hotel lobby and up to a long reception counter. Two clerks were standing behind the counter. One was talking on the telephone, so Ruth Rose approached the other one. "Excuse me, is Penelope Gwinn still staying here?" she asked. The woman looked at Ruth Rose. "And you are …?"

“线索，”露丝·罗斯说。她举起一张一美元的钞票。 “看我发现了什么!”乔希瞬间倒在地上。 找了五分钟后，他们找到了一小堆东西:破碎的太阳镜、空胶卷盒、一支铅笔、一美元、一便士、十张票根、七个压扁的企鹅面具和大约一百张糖纸。 他们把口罩、存根和包装纸扔进垃圾桶。 露丝·罗斯一边朝旅馆走去，一边把其他东西放进口袋。 拖车不见了。“如果佩内洛普根本不在这里呢?”丁克问道。 “如果她取消了演唱会，也许她会回家。 不管它在哪里。”“我从没想过这个，”露丝·罗斯说。 “我们马上就知道了。”孩子们走进酒店大厅，走到一个长长的接待柜台前。 两个职员站在柜台后面。 其中一个正在打电话，于是露丝·罗斯走近另一个。 “对不起，佩内洛普·格温还住在这里吗?”她问。 女人看着露丝·罗斯。 “你是……?”

"I'm Ruth Rose Hathaway," she said. "Penelope Gwinn sent me this signed picture." Then she turned it over so the woman could read the back. "We were there when it happened," Ruth Rose said. "I think Miss Gwinn would like to hear what we have to say." The clerk picked up a telephone and dialed a number. "Hello. There are some children in the lobby asking to see Miss Gwinn. They say they have information about the theft of her diamond. Yes, thank you." The clerk hung up the telephone. "Room 1200, on the twelfth floor," she said. "Elevators are to your right." The kids found the elevators and got on one. Josh pushed the button for twelve, and they were whisked upward. When the elevator doors opened, a man was waiting for them. It was the same man Dink had seen escort Miss Gwinn to the stage. He did not look happy to see them. "I'm Miss Gwinn's manager," the man said. He glared down at the kids with fierce eagle eyes. "What do you have?" His arms were crossed over his broad chest.

“我是露丝·罗斯·海瑟薇，”她说。 "佩内洛普·格温寄给我这张签名照片" 然后她把它翻过来，让那个女人能读到背面。 “事情发生的时候我们在场，”露丝·罗斯说。 “我想格温小姐想听听我们要说的话。” 职员拿起电话拨了一个号码。 “你好。大厅里有一些孩子要求见格温小姐。 他们说有她钻石被盗的消息。 是的，谢谢你。”店员挂断了电话。 “12楼1200房间，”她说。 “电梯在你的右边。” 孩子们找到电梯，上了电梯。 乔希按下了十二下按钮，他们就被飞快地拉了上去。 当电梯门打开时，一个男人正等着他们。 这就是丁克看见护送格温小姐上台的那个人。 看到他们，他显得很不高兴。 “我是格温小姐的经纪人，”那人说。 他用锐利的鹰眼俯视着孩子们。 “你有什么?”他的双臂交叉在宽阔的胸膛上。

"We, um—" Ruth Rose started to say. "We saw two people who acted weird," Dink said. "We think one of them might be the thief." Penelope Gwinn walked up behind the man. "Thanks, Hans," she said. Up close, Penelope Gwinn didn't look like a famous rock singer. She was wearing sweats and her hair was in a ponytail. "Come inside," Penelope said. She walked into the suite and the kids followed, with Hans right behind them. They were in a large room with a view of Bushnell Park. "Have a seat, please," Penelope said. The kids sat together on a white sofa. Hans disappeared through a door. "Now, tell me more about these two 'weird' people," Penelope said. She sat in a white chair opposite the kids. Dink described Frank, the man who sold them hot dogs. "He had an autograph book," Dink said. "He told us he had to get you to sign it for his daughter." "I don't remember him," Penelope said.

“我们，嗯——”露丝·罗斯开口说。 丁克说:“我们看到两个人表现得很奇怪。 “我们认为他们中的一个可能是小偷。” 佩内洛普·格温走到男人身后。 “谢谢你，汉斯，”她说。近距离看，佩内洛普·格温并不像一位著名的摇滚歌手。 她穿着运动衫，扎着马尾辫。 “进来吧，”佩内洛普说。 她走进套间，孩子们跟在后面，汉斯跟在后面。 他们在一个可以看到布什内尔公园的大房间里。 “请坐，”佩内洛普说。 孩子们一起坐在白色沙发上。 汉斯从一扇门里消失了。 “现在，告诉我更多关于这两个‘奇怪’的人的事情，”佩内洛普说。 她坐在孩子们对面的一张白色椅子上。 丁克描述了卖给他们热狗的弗兰克。 “他有一本签名簿，”丁克说。 “他告诉我们，他必须让你帮他女儿签个名。” “我不记得他了，”佩内洛普说。