The Mystery at Monkey House

  “We have a great flavor of ice cream here,” Mr. Cooper said. “It’s one of my favorites. Lemon.”

  “Give each of these children a lemon and chocolate cone,” Mr. Cooper told the woman.

  “No, thank you,” Cam and Eric said.

  “Well,” Mr. Cooper said, “I’m sure you’ll want to taste my other favorite flavor of ice cream.”

  “No, thank you,” Cam and Eric said again.

  “But you don’t even know what flavor it is.”

  “Oh, yes, we do,” Cam and Eric said, and laughed. “Rum raisin.”

  Cam, Eric, Billy, and Mr. Cooper walked back to the monkey house. As they walked, Cam and Eric watched Billy and Mr. Cooper eat their lemon and chocolate ice-cream cones.

  Billy smiled whenever Mr. Cooper looked at him. But when Mr. Cooper wasn’t looking, Billy made a funny face, like he was eating poison.

  When they came to the monkey house, Mr. Cooper looked into the first cage. “They look happy to be back home,” he said.

  Eric and Billy also looked into the monkey cage.

  “Let me take a picture of you,” Cam said.

  Eric, Billy, and Mr. Cooper turned to face Cam. They smiled. Cam closed her eyes and said, “Click.”

  Eric turned and saw the smallest monkey look straight at Cam. The monkey blinked his eyes, and Eric said “Click.” Cam opened her eyes.

  “Hey,” Billy said. “That monkey said, ‘Click.’ I’ll bet he has a great memory, too.”

  Eric laughed. He put his arm around Cam’s shoulder and said, “Well, no monkey has as good a memory as my friend Cam!”