The museum curator looks once again at the fake ruby

in the light.

"Come here Poirot. Now take a look at this fake jewel under more

careful scrutiny! I am wondering why you did not catch this flaw sooner!

If you know anything about fake jewels, you should have know this. Now,

let me show you!"

Hercule Poirot looks once again at the jewel with the special

lenses. 

"Now see all the scratches on the surface of the jewel here

and how it has this almost transparent dullness to it?  A real ruby and

one  as rare as the Ruby of the Spanish Princess would have a brilliant

shine!
 

There would be no scratches on the real ruby and trust me I have seen

it first hand. This is not the Ruby of the Spanish Princess!", the museum

curator states as Hercule examines the ruby.

"Ah, I see now! How foolish I am. That I, Hercule Poirot, would

not recognize a fake ruby! I hang my head in shame, but I do

promise you, that as long as I am on this case, I will do

everything in my power to return the ruby and save this little

museum you love so much!"

"Thank you Poirot. Just your being here will help! We need to be

as clever as the thieves, though. We need to beat them at their

own game. First of all, we need to think like them. Now where

would you go if you had a precious jewel? ", the museum curator asks.

Janet stands up and shouts.

"I know, probably a pawn shop!"

Poirot looks at Janet, shocked.

"Now, now, young Janet! How would you know of such places! You

are reading too many mystery novels!!"

Janet waves her hand dismissing his remark, then says

calmly,  "Well if you want quick cash, that is where they will go."

Poirot listens  as he paces back and forth by the door

to the curator's office.

"Please calm yourself, Monsieur Poirot. Won't you sit down?"

"Mais non! I must think! I must use my "little grey cells" and

find out where the Ruby of the Spanish Princess is!! I have

no time to sit, Janet!"

Janet holds back a giggle as she watches him, but says nothing.

A few minutes pass, then suddenly, Poirot stops pacing.

He walks over to Janet, stands directly in front of her and declares

in a bellowing voice, "The Ruby of the Spanish Princess is not

in a pawn shop!  If the thieves even  try to pawn it off there,

any person worth their "salt" for their knowledge

about jewels, or even the value of famous jewels  would

guess in a minute that the Ruby was probably stolen. It doesn't

take a rocket scientist to figure that out !  It is my guess that

the thieves are local. They did not go far.  I am guessing the

Ruby of the Spanish Princess is hidden in plain sight , in a place

close by, just to mock the police and dare them to find it once again!!"

"That is what my "little grey cells" tell me!", Hercule Poirot

says proudly, standing tall with his hands behind his back and a

grin like a cheshire cat.

"I guess you told us, Monsieur Poirot!!  Now all we have to do is

prove you right! Now you are thinking like a thief!!", the museum

curator laughs.

Janet starts to giggle at the silliness of Poirot. He reminds her

of a penguin in his shiny black shoes and funny suit and tie.

"Okay, okay!!  The pawn shop was just a guess!  But

how about having the police do an all points bulletin just in case.

 Isn't  that something we should be doing?

 There is a chance they did leave town they ditched the black van and got

on a plane to who knows where. We have to nab the thieves  before they

get to the airports!"

Hercule Poirot raises his eyebrowns and smiles...

"Bravo!! Young Janet!! We seem to have a Junior detective in the

making!! So, you are suggesting that we have all the airports,

bus stations, interstates across the country

informed of this robbery?"

Janet gives Poirot a puzzled look.

"Of course! Absolutely. You know for a famous detective. You sure

are clueless about this robbery! I seem to be coming up with

more solutions than you! Maybe I should get the reward? Just

kidding, Monsieur Poirot!"

One of the police officers entered the office with a few questions

about the robbery.

Poirot paces back and forth as the officer asks his first question to

the museum curator.

"Now, tell me, when did you first notice that the ruby was missing?",

the police officer asks.

"That's an easy one! I was in the office doing some paperwork

when I heard some scuffling and whispering. I went out to see

what was going on and even in the dim lighting, I could

see the shadows of four young men rushing out the front entrance

. Unfortunately, we never had a robbery here and I just took it for granted

that we would not have one this time as I thought everyone was

at the Science Fair to see the famous Hercule Poirot. I guess

I was wrong. That is when I beieve the thieves took advantage

of the museum being empty to steal the real Ruby of the Spanish

Princess!  "

The police officer turns to Janet and asks...

"Why are you here?"

"I am the one who actually ran from the who I believe are the robbers

that stole the Ruby of the Spanish Princess. They came after me while

I was walking home from the science fair and tried to force me

into the black van. I noticed that the license plate was covered with mud.

I thought that was really odd!

It is going to be almost impossible to find that van! "

The police officer sat down at the desk typing all the information

into his laptop computer. He types quickly and then the museum

curator speaks once again.

" We must call the museum in Spain and talk

to the curator there to find out a little more about the Ruby.

This is one phone call I really am not looking forward to ....

 Janet reaches for the telephone and puts her hand over

the receiver.

"Just a minute.  Maybe I should be the one to talk to him, not you.

After all, I was the only one who knows who may have the actual

Ruby of the Spanish Princess!"

He waves his hand.

"No, I feel responsible here. Nice gesture, Janet, but I have to

be the one who speaks to the curator of the Spanish Museum.  It

will only confuse him to speak to you, even though he does

speak English, his sole concern is that he entrusted me to

keep the Ruby safe during its time here at this little museum

as he told me , "in the middle of America" . Now let me dial the

number before I lose my courage."

His hands shake as he dials the number for the museum

in Spain. A few rings later, the curator is on the phone.

"Hello, is this the curator? "

"Yes, what can I do for you?"

"As you know, you entrusted my little museum here in America with

your precious Ruby of the Spanish Princess. or one of many visits to

museums across America. I am afraid I have some bad news for you.

The Ruby has been stolen and I am at this time talking to the famous

detective Hercule Poirot from London  along with the police to

help return the Ruby safely."

There is silence on the other end of the telephone for what seems

like minutes.

"What??? What do you mean stolen?? How could this happen when

you promise me that you would have the Ruby guarded most

carefully? How many guards did you have around the Ruby at all times?

This is an outrage! Let me speak to Poirot immediately!"

The museum curator hangs his head down and  tries to reason

with the Spanish museum curator calmly.

"I have as much to lose here as you do, maybe more. I want to know

if you can tell me how much the Ruby is insured for?"

"At this moment, I can't think straight. Just let me talk to Poirot

immediately and get out there and find my Ruby of the Spanish

Princess. It's worth milions you know and is very old!!  Find it or

I will shut down your little museum! "

The museum curator's face turns white and he takes a seat

with a thud.

Janet hurries to get a glass of water for him as Poirot takes

the call.

"Hercule Poirot here, at your service! ", he says into the telephone.

"Ah, Poirot, this is not funny!! I am glad you are on the case! Now tell

me what happened that there is no security at this museum?", the

Spanish museum curator shouts on the other end of the telephone.

Poirot takes a deep breath.

"I am afraid that I, Hercule Poirot am partly to blame. You see, I came

all the way to middle America because this young girl, won first

prize in an essay contest to have me attend her science fair...."

The curator interrupts...

"Now, what does this have to do with the robbery of the Ruby of

the Spanish Princess?

Poirot continues...

"I am getting to that most quickly. Now, most of this small town

was attending the science fair because as you well know, I am

famous!! And unfortunately, since the whole town was at the science

fair to see me, then the museum was not guarded as it should be!!

I promise that I will do everything I can to retrieve the famous

Ruby of the Spanish Princess! Poirot is on the case!!  We have

a few leads and an all points bulletin out for the thieves.  Do not

worry, we will find the Ruby, toute de suite!"

"But how??? It could be anywhere!!!", the curator pleads. "Get that

Ruby back or else!!"

"Or else what, Poirot wants to know. I have a few leads that

I will follow up on with my assistant Young Janet. You have

no choice but to trust us now...

The line went dead and Poirot hung up the phone.

"We better get moving if we have a chance to find the ruby...He is

right about one thing. It could be anywhere! But , I have a feeling

Jimmy and his Dad the science teacher are mixed up in this

robbery!! "

Janet stands up and gets her coat. Let's go back to the high

school and see if they are still around. I know where they live

if they are not there. I thought it was odd how he acted at the science

fair.!!"

"Yes, Poirot says, "A little too odd!!"

to be continued...