“I can’t tell you that right now,” replied the museum director.
Barbara Palmer turned abruptly and walked up the steps toward the museum entrance.
The reporters followed her, and as the crowd crushed in front of the doorway, Jerry and Maya managed to sneak inside.
“What are you doing in here?” hissed the museum director once she spotted Maya and Jerry. “We are closed today, for obvious reasons. Go away!”
“We can help you find the painting,” said Maya firmly.
“Two children? Nonsense! Give me one reason why I should waste my valuable time on you!” snorted Barbara Palmer.
She was pacing to and fro in the museum foyer and cracking her knuckles.
“It’s clear the police have nothing to go on, since the museum has already offered a reward of two thousand dollars to anyone who can help find the painting,” said Jerry. “You must be desperate.”
Barbara Palmer continued nervously walking from one side of the foyer to the other. Maya and Jerry could see that they needed to come up with something to catch the director’s attention.
“Have you found the night watchman’s cell phone yet?” asked Jerry.
Barbara Palmer stopped and turned. She looked quizzically at the two young detectives.
“How did you know that Mr. Long’s phone had disappeared?” she asked.
Jerry smiled. It seemed his lucky guess had brought them one step closer to gaining Barbara Palmer’s trust.
“The night watchman had to rush up to your office and call from there. He would have used his cell phone if he had had one.”
The museum director was silent for a moment and then said, “Well, all right! I can see that you are keen observers, and the police don’t seem to be getting anywhere, anyway. Maybe you can find something they’ve missed. Follow me!”
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