The treasure troop : Mr. Summerling's secret code / by Dori Hillestad Butler ; illustrated by Tim Budgen.
"Join Marly, Isla, and Sai, three code-cracking kids on the hunt for an old neighbor's hidden treasure!"--Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 9780593094839
- ISBN: 9780593094822
- Physical Description: 125 pages : illustrations ; 21 cm.
- Publisher: New York : Penguin Workshop, [2021]
Content descriptions
General Note: | Sequel: The hidden room. |
Target Audience Note: | 07-10. 580L Lexile. |
Study Program Information Note: | Accelerated Reader AR; LG; 3.7; 2.0; 510241. |
Search for related items by subject
Genre: | Juvenile fiction. |
Search for related items by series
Available copies
- 20 of 20 copies available at Evergreen Indiana.
Holds
- 0 current holds with 20 total copies.
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Show Only Available Copies
Location | Call Number / Copy Notes | Barcode | Shelving Location | Status | Due Date |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brookston Prairie Twp PL - Brookston | J FIC BUT (Text) | 38209000976491 | Juvenile Fiction | Available | - |
Butler PL - Butler | (BLUE) J RC BUTLER Troop 1 (Text) | 73174005043158 | Childrens: Color Dot Reading Levels | Available | - |
Carnegie PL of Steuben Co - Angola | J FIC BUT (Text) | 33118000196439 | Children: Fiction | Available | - |
Clinton PL - Clinton | J BUT (TREASURE #1) (Text) | 36806010350773 | JUNIORS | Available | - |
Colfax-Perry Twp PL | P FIC BUT (Text) | 74121000099389 | Children's Primary Fiction - Lower Level | Available | - |
Fayette Co PL - Connersville | J BUTLER (Text) | 39230032134536 | Children Books | Available | - |
Fulton Co PL - Rochester Main Library | CHP BUT (Text) | 33187004792145 | Chapter Books | Available | - |
Ligonier PL - Ligonier | j mys. FIC B 1-2 (Text) | 73571200204222 | Children's Mystery Fiction | Available | - |
Mooresville PL - Mooresville | J FIC BUT (Text) | 37323005538551 | CHILD_FIC | Available | - |
Newburgh Chandler PL - Bell Road Library | J BUTLER (Treasure Troop) 1 (Text) | 39206021681497 | J Fiction | Available | - |
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Chapter 1
A Strange Letter
Marly heard the doorbell ring, but she didnât budge from the couch. Her best friend, Aubrey, had moved to Chicago at the beginning of the summer, so Marly was pretty sure that whoever was at the door wasnât here to see her. And she didnât want to pause the book she was listening to. Not when she was so close to finding out the truth about Sam Westing.
âCan you get that, honey?â Mom called from the kitchen island.
Marlyâs mom was baking bread for the food pantry. She always did that on the third Saturday of the month. Sometimes Marly helped, but she didnât feel like helping today.
She didnât feel like answering the door, either. She turned up the volume on her audiobook and pretended she couldnât hear her mom.
The doorbell rang again.
âPlease, Marly. My hands are covered in dough.â Mom held up her hands.
Marly sighed. Dad was out grocery shopping. Nick and Noah were at the pool. So she paused her book and dragged herself to the door.
âItâs probably Ellen.â Mom walked behind Marly, kneading a ball of dough between her hands. âShe said she was going to drop off some work for me today.â Marlyâs mom was an accountant and Ellen was her boss.
Marly peered out the narrow window beside the door and saw a curly--haired man standing on the porch. He wore a blue shirt and khaki pants, and he held a white envelope in his hands.
âItâs not Ellen,â Marly told her mom.
âNo? Then who is it?â Mom went to the window.
Marly shrugged and opened the door. The man on the porch did a double--take when he saw her, then quickly turned his attention to Mom. âMarly Deaver?â he asked.Â
âNo, this is Marly.â Mom tilted her head.
âOh.â The man blinked in surprise. âWell, this envelope is for her,â he said, as though Marly wasnât standing right there. Marly was used to that. Grown--ups didnât like to make eye contact with kids who wore eye patches.
Mom didnât have a free hand to take the envelope, so the man thrust it toward Marly. She grabbed it, and the man hurried away.
âWhat is this?â Marly asked, turning the envelope over. There was no return address or stamp. Just her name typed in all capital letters: MARLENA MARIE DEAVER.Â
âExcuse me?â Mom called to the man. âWhatâs this about?â
He didnât answer. Without even looking back, the man got into the red car heâd left running in the street and drove away.
Marly tore open the envelope and pulled out a single, typed sheet of paper. It looked like the sort of letter youâd send to a grown--up, not an almost nine--year--old. Marly read the letter out loud while her mom looked over her shoulder:
Dear Ms. Deaver,
Your presence is requested at the office of Ms. Stella Lovelace, 120 Downtown Plaza, 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 24, for the reading of Mr. Harry Summerlingâs will. Please let me know if you cannot attend.
Sincerely,
Stella Lovelace
Attorney-Âat-ÂLaw
âHuh,â Mom said. âI didnât know Mr. Summerling passed away.â
âWhat?â Marly said, shocked. âPassed awayâ was what grown--ups said when they meant âdied.â âHow do you know he . . . passed away?â Mr. Summerling was their next--door neighbor. He was old, but not that old.
Everyone in Sandford knew Mr. Summerling because he walked around town with a metal detector. He was always on the hunt for buried treasure. He was also the janitor at the library, but last year he quit his job so he could spend even more time treasure hunting. No one knew whether he ever found any. If you asked him about it, he would gaze thoughtfully into the distance and say something like âNot all treasure is silver and gold.â
âIf an attorney is reading his will, he mustâve passed away,â Mom said. âThatâs too bad. He was a nice man. Quirky, but nice.â
âYeah,â Marly said. She didnât know what else to say. No one she knew had ever died before.
She glanced over at the house next door. She couldnât see much of it because of the tall hedge that seperated the two yards. A faded yellow tower stood out above the greenery. The tower looked quiet without Mr. Summerling. Maybe even a little sad.Â
âIf this Ms. Lovelace wants you to be there when she reads Mr. Summerlingâs will, he mustâve left you something,â Mom said.
âMe?â Marly perked up. âWhat would he leave me?â
âThatâs a good question,â Mom said.
âI donât get it,â Nick said at dinner. âWhy would Mr. Summerling leave something in his will for Marly, but not the rest of us?â
âYeah,â Noah said, passing the pasta to Dad. âThatâs hardly fair.â
Nick and Noah were twins, but you couldnât tell by looking at them. Nick had brown hair like Mom and Noah had blonde hair like Marly and Dad. The twins were four years older than Marly and going into eighth grade.
âHe mustâve liked me better than he liked you,â Marly said with a shrug. It wasnât often she got something that her brothers didnât.
But inside, she couldnât stop wondering what Mr. Summerling had left her. Was it money? Was it buried treasure? And why in the world would he leave her anything at all?
Sure, he was nice. He bought candy and wrapping paper from her when she sold it for school. Sometimes he paid her to sweep his front walk. Once he even gave her one of his old metal detectors when he cleaned out his garage. But he was next--door--neighbor nice, not give--you--something--when--I--die nice.
âWhereâs your patch?â Mom interrupted Marlyâs thoughts.
âIt was hot, so I took it off.â
âGo put it back on, please,â Dad said.
âYou need to wear it, honey,â Mom added. âAt least until you see the eye doctor next month.â
Marly groaned. There was no point in arguing, so she got up and dragged herself to her room. She was so tired of patching. So tired! Most kids who patched only had to do it for a few months in kindergarten and then they were done. Marly had been patching off and on since she was three years old. And unlike other kids, she had to wear her patch all day. It wouldnât be so bad if the patch covered her bad eye. But the whole point of wearing it was to train her bad eye to work like her good eye, which meant covering her good eye.
There were two patches on her dresser. She had worn the smiley--face one earlier in the day, so Marly grabbed the pink flower one instead. Carefully, she threaded it onto the temple of her glasses until it covered her right lens. Then she put her glasses on and everything across the room went blurry.Â
âDoes Marly have to share whatever Mr. Summerling left her with the whole family?â Noah asked their parents when Marly returned to the table.
Mom smiled. âWhatever it is, I canât imagine itâs all that valuable.â
âIt could be,â Marly spoke up.
âMr. Summerling was always searching for treasure.â Nick stood up and helped himself to another slice of garlic bread. âWhat if he found some?â
âYeah, maybe heâs got a secret vault at the bank where he stores it all,â Noah added.
âDoes he?â Nick asked their dad.
Dad would know. He was a banker.
âThe Sandford Savings and Loan doesnât have any secret vaults,â Dad said, wiping his chin with his napkin. âOnly safe--deposit boxes. And if Mr. Summerling had a safe--deposit box or a lot of money, I wouldnât be allowed to tell you. But . . .â He winked at Marly. âI wouldnât get too excited if I were you. Whatever he left you is probably more likely to be âinterestingâ than valuable.â
Marly knew her parents were probably right. But what if they were wrong?
After dinner, she emailed Aubrey:
From: Marly Deaver
To: Aubrey Etoh
Subject: News!
Hi Aubrey,
Remember my neighbor, Mr. Summerling? The guy with the metal detector who searches for buried treasure? Well, you wonât believe this, but he died and actually left me something in his will. I donât know what it is yet. Iâll find out on Monday. Maybe itâs money I could use to buy a plane ticket to come visit you! Wouldnât that be great? Write back soon!
Best Friends Forever,
Marly
Chapter 2
Ms. Lovelaceâs Office
Ms. Lovelaceâs office was located in a small brick building across the street from the bank where Marlyâs dad worked.
Marly and her mom walked in and spotted a lady at a desk behind the counter. âCome in, come in,â she said. The lady was older than Marlyâs mom, but not as old as Mr. Summerling. âYou must be the Deavers.â Like everyone else, she glanced at Marlyâs eye patch, then quickly looked away.
âYes,â Mom said, checking her watch. They were a few minutes late.
âEveryone else is already here. Iâll take you back to the conference room.â The lady led Marly and her mom down the hall.
There were windows looking in to the conference room. Marly was surprised to see two kids she knew from school sitting at a long table in there. Isla Thomson and Sai Gupta. She didnât know either of them very well. But she recognized the back of Islaâs head. Isla had long dark hair and she always wore headbands with cat ears. Todayâs was pink. And everyone knew Sai because he always brought popsicles for the school on field day.
It looked like Isla was here with her mom, who held a sleeping baby in her arms. Sai was here with his dad.
There was another man sitting by himself across from Sai and his dad. He was all dressed up in a dark suit and tie. His thumbs tapped busily on the phone in his hands.
âWelcome!â The lady at the head of the table came to greet Marly and her mom, and everyone turned toward them. Isla and Sai seemed as surprised to see Marly as she was to see them.Â
âYou must be Mrs. Deaver and Marly,â the lady went on. âIâm Stella Lovelace, Harry Summerlingâs attorney.â She shook Momâs hand first, then Marlyâs.
âPlease have a seat over there.â Ms. Lovelace gestured toward two empty chairs beside the man in the suit. He didnât even glance up from his phone when Marly sat down beside him.
Ms. Lovelace closed the door, then took her seat at the head of the table. âNow that weâre all hereâ-â she began.
âExcuse me.â Islaâs mom gently rocked her baby. âWhen did Harry Summerling pass away? I never saw an obituary in the newspaper.â
âAnd how did he die?â Sai asked. His dad nudged him and shook his head. Embarrassed, Sai slid down in his chair.
Too bad, because Marly was wondering the same thing. She also wondered how Isla and Sai knew Mr. Summerling. Had he left them something in his will, too?
âItâs okay,â Ms. Lovelace said kindly. âThe report from the coast guard says he drowned. He was in a small boat somewhere off the coast of Washington State when a storm came up. The boat was found, but he wasnât in it.â
Marlyâs mom put her hand to her mouth. âThatâs terrible.â
âWhat was he doing out there?â Islaâs mom asked.
The man beside Marly finally put down his phone. âWhat do you think he was doing?â he said rudely. âHe was searching for buried treasure. Itâs all he ever did.â
âDoes everyone know Jay Summerling, Harryâs son?â Ms. Lovelace asked.
Marly had lived next door to Mr. Summerling her whole life, but she never knew he had a son. Mr. Summerlingâs son was about Marlyâs momâs age.
âWe are so sorry for your loss,â Saiâs dad said, offering a hand to shake.
Jay didnât take it. âCan we get on with this, please?â he said. âI have someplace to be at noon.âÂ
Ms. Lovelace winced. âOf course,â she said. She opened the folder in front of her and took out a large brown envelope. There were several white envelopes in the folder behind it. She sliced into the brown envelope with a fancy gold letter opener and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
âThis is Harryâs will,â she said, unfolding it. âItâs a letter. Iâll read it out loud.â She cleared her throat. â?âIf youâre hearing this letter, then I am missing, dead, or perhaps Iâve been abducted by aliens.â?â Jay snorted at that. â?âAnd itâs time to give away some of my earthly possessionsâ-â?â
âSome of his possessions?â Jay asked.
âThatâs what it says,â Ms. Lovelace said. âIâm reading this for the first time myself, sir. Shall I continue?â
Jay motioned for her to keep going.
â?âTo my son, Jay,â â Ms. Lovelace read. âOh, dear.â She paused. âIt says, âI leave . . . nothing.â?â
âHere we go,â Jay muttered.
â âYou have been a terrible disappointment to me, son,â â Ms. Lovelace read as the parents shifted uncomfortably in their seats. â âYou donât call. You donât visit. And you donât take my treasure hunting seriously. So why should you reap the reward? You donât deserve a share of my treasureâ-â?â
âWhat treasure?â Jay scoffed. âHe never found any treasure.â
Ms. Lovelace seemed to be holding back a smile as she continued reading. â?âOh yes, son. There is treasure. And I, Harry P. Summerling, being of sound mind and body, will that treasure to Ms. Marly Deaver, Mr. Sai Gupta, and Ms. Isla Thomsonâ-â?â
âWait, what?â Sai said, sitting up a little straighter.
Marlyâs mouth fell open. âFor real?âÂ
â?âIf they can find it,â?â Ms. Lovelace continued. â?âI have created a series of puzzles for the three of them to solve. They must work together on each one. When they reach the end of the treasure hunt, anything they find is to be split evenly between them. Stella, please give them the envelope marked #2. Good luck! Sincerely yours, Harry P. Summerling.â?â
Marly, Isla, and Sai gaped at each other.
Jay scowled. âThatâs it? Thatâs all it says?â he asked.
âThatâs all it says.â Ms. Lovelace set the letter on the table.
âI donât understand,â Saiâs dad said.
Marlyâs mom was equally confused. âSo, thereâs some sort of treasure,â she said. âWe donât know what it is, but for some reason, Harry Summerling has hidden it. And if our kids can find it, it belongs to them?â
âYes. That is correct,â Ms. Lovelace said.
âBut . . . why?â Islaâs mom asked. âWhy would Mr. Summerling leave treasure to three children heâs not even related to?â
âHe had his reasons,â Ms. Lovelace said mysteriously.
âThis is ridiculous,â Jay said with a short laugh. âThereâs no treasure. Now, what about the house? I assume Dad left that to me?â
âI donât know,â Ms. Lovelace said, turning the paper over. âThis letter doesnât say anything about the house.â
âWell, read the other letters.â Jay gestured toward the folder in front of Ms. Lovelace.
âIâm sorry. I canât.â Ms. Lovelace closed the folder. âNot today. Harry left specific instructions for when each one is to be opened. And by whom. This was the only letter I was supposed to read today.â
Jay shoved his chair back from the table. âWell, weâll see what my attorney has to say about this,â he grumbled. âThere is no treasure! I hope you all know that.â With that, he stormed out of the room, banging the blinds against the window on his way out.
The baby startled awake. He looked around and started to whimper. Islaâs mom put him to her shoulder and rubbed his back.
âSo, is there a treasure?â Sai asked Ms. Lovelace in a small voice.
âAnd if there is, is it really ours?â Marly asked.
âHonestly, I donât know what youâll find at the end of this little treasure hunt,â Ms. Lovelace said. âBut whatever it is, yes, itâs yours. Harry was very clear about that.â
Marly trembled with nerves and excitement. She would have to go on a treasure hunt with two kids she hardly knew. And share the treasure with them. But when it was all over, hopefully her portion would be enough to buy a plane ticket to Chicago.
A Strange Letter
Marly heard the doorbell ring, but she didnât budge from the couch. Her best friend, Aubrey, had moved to Chicago at the beginning of the summer, so Marly was pretty sure that whoever was at the door wasnât here to see her. And she didnât want to pause the book she was listening to. Not when she was so close to finding out the truth about Sam Westing.
âCan you get that, honey?â Mom called from the kitchen island.
Marlyâs mom was baking bread for the food pantry. She always did that on the third Saturday of the month. Sometimes Marly helped, but she didnât feel like helping today.
She didnât feel like answering the door, either. She turned up the volume on her audiobook and pretended she couldnât hear her mom.
The doorbell rang again.
âPlease, Marly. My hands are covered in dough.â Mom held up her hands.
Marly sighed. Dad was out grocery shopping. Nick and Noah were at the pool. So she paused her book and dragged herself to the door.
âItâs probably Ellen.â Mom walked behind Marly, kneading a ball of dough between her hands. âShe said she was going to drop off some work for me today.â Marlyâs mom was an accountant and Ellen was her boss.
Marly peered out the narrow window beside the door and saw a curly--haired man standing on the porch. He wore a blue shirt and khaki pants, and he held a white envelope in his hands.
âItâs not Ellen,â Marly told her mom.
âNo? Then who is it?â Mom went to the window.
Marly shrugged and opened the door. The man on the porch did a double--take when he saw her, then quickly turned his attention to Mom. âMarly Deaver?â he asked.Â
âNo, this is Marly.â Mom tilted her head.
âOh.â The man blinked in surprise. âWell, this envelope is for her,â he said, as though Marly wasnât standing right there. Marly was used to that. Grown--ups didnât like to make eye contact with kids who wore eye patches.
Mom didnât have a free hand to take the envelope, so the man thrust it toward Marly. She grabbed it, and the man hurried away.
âWhat is this?â Marly asked, turning the envelope over. There was no return address or stamp. Just her name typed in all capital letters: MARLENA MARIE DEAVER.Â
âExcuse me?â Mom called to the man. âWhatâs this about?â
He didnât answer. Without even looking back, the man got into the red car heâd left running in the street and drove away.
Marly tore open the envelope and pulled out a single, typed sheet of paper. It looked like the sort of letter youâd send to a grown--up, not an almost nine--year--old. Marly read the letter out loud while her mom looked over her shoulder:
Dear Ms. Deaver,
Your presence is requested at the office of Ms. Stella Lovelace, 120 Downtown Plaza, 10:00 a.m. on Monday, July 24, for the reading of Mr. Harry Summerlingâs will. Please let me know if you cannot attend.
Sincerely,
Stella Lovelace
Attorney-Âat-ÂLaw
âHuh,â Mom said. âI didnât know Mr. Summerling passed away.â
âWhat?â Marly said, shocked. âPassed awayâ was what grown--ups said when they meant âdied.â âHow do you know he . . . passed away?â Mr. Summerling was their next--door neighbor. He was old, but not that old.
Everyone in Sandford knew Mr. Summerling because he walked around town with a metal detector. He was always on the hunt for buried treasure. He was also the janitor at the library, but last year he quit his job so he could spend even more time treasure hunting. No one knew whether he ever found any. If you asked him about it, he would gaze thoughtfully into the distance and say something like âNot all treasure is silver and gold.â
âIf an attorney is reading his will, he mustâve passed away,â Mom said. âThatâs too bad. He was a nice man. Quirky, but nice.â
âYeah,â Marly said. She didnât know what else to say. No one she knew had ever died before.
She glanced over at the house next door. She couldnât see much of it because of the tall hedge that seperated the two yards. A faded yellow tower stood out above the greenery. The tower looked quiet without Mr. Summerling. Maybe even a little sad.Â
âIf this Ms. Lovelace wants you to be there when she reads Mr. Summerlingâs will, he mustâve left you something,â Mom said.
âMe?â Marly perked up. âWhat would he leave me?â
âThatâs a good question,â Mom said.
âI donât get it,â Nick said at dinner. âWhy would Mr. Summerling leave something in his will for Marly, but not the rest of us?â
âYeah,â Noah said, passing the pasta to Dad. âThatâs hardly fair.â
Nick and Noah were twins, but you couldnât tell by looking at them. Nick had brown hair like Mom and Noah had blonde hair like Marly and Dad. The twins were four years older than Marly and going into eighth grade.
âHe mustâve liked me better than he liked you,â Marly said with a shrug. It wasnât often she got something that her brothers didnât.
But inside, she couldnât stop wondering what Mr. Summerling had left her. Was it money? Was it buried treasure? And why in the world would he leave her anything at all?
Sure, he was nice. He bought candy and wrapping paper from her when she sold it for school. Sometimes he paid her to sweep his front walk. Once he even gave her one of his old metal detectors when he cleaned out his garage. But he was next--door--neighbor nice, not give--you--something--when--I--die nice.
âWhereâs your patch?â Mom interrupted Marlyâs thoughts.
âIt was hot, so I took it off.â
âGo put it back on, please,â Dad said.
âYou need to wear it, honey,â Mom added. âAt least until you see the eye doctor next month.â
Marly groaned. There was no point in arguing, so she got up and dragged herself to her room. She was so tired of patching. So tired! Most kids who patched only had to do it for a few months in kindergarten and then they were done. Marly had been patching off and on since she was three years old. And unlike other kids, she had to wear her patch all day. It wouldnât be so bad if the patch covered her bad eye. But the whole point of wearing it was to train her bad eye to work like her good eye, which meant covering her good eye.
There were two patches on her dresser. She had worn the smiley--face one earlier in the day, so Marly grabbed the pink flower one instead. Carefully, she threaded it onto the temple of her glasses until it covered her right lens. Then she put her glasses on and everything across the room went blurry.Â
âDoes Marly have to share whatever Mr. Summerling left her with the whole family?â Noah asked their parents when Marly returned to the table.
Mom smiled. âWhatever it is, I canât imagine itâs all that valuable.â
âIt could be,â Marly spoke up.
âMr. Summerling was always searching for treasure.â Nick stood up and helped himself to another slice of garlic bread. âWhat if he found some?â
âYeah, maybe heâs got a secret vault at the bank where he stores it all,â Noah added.
âDoes he?â Nick asked their dad.
Dad would know. He was a banker.
âThe Sandford Savings and Loan doesnât have any secret vaults,â Dad said, wiping his chin with his napkin. âOnly safe--deposit boxes. And if Mr. Summerling had a safe--deposit box or a lot of money, I wouldnât be allowed to tell you. But . . .â He winked at Marly. âI wouldnât get too excited if I were you. Whatever he left you is probably more likely to be âinterestingâ than valuable.â
Marly knew her parents were probably right. But what if they were wrong?
After dinner, she emailed Aubrey:
From: Marly Deaver
To: Aubrey Etoh
Subject: News!
Hi Aubrey,
Remember my neighbor, Mr. Summerling? The guy with the metal detector who searches for buried treasure? Well, you wonât believe this, but he died and actually left me something in his will. I donât know what it is yet. Iâll find out on Monday. Maybe itâs money I could use to buy a plane ticket to come visit you! Wouldnât that be great? Write back soon!
Best Friends Forever,
Marly
Chapter 2
Ms. Lovelaceâs Office
Ms. Lovelaceâs office was located in a small brick building across the street from the bank where Marlyâs dad worked.
Marly and her mom walked in and spotted a lady at a desk behind the counter. âCome in, come in,â she said. The lady was older than Marlyâs mom, but not as old as Mr. Summerling. âYou must be the Deavers.â Like everyone else, she glanced at Marlyâs eye patch, then quickly looked away.
âYes,â Mom said, checking her watch. They were a few minutes late.
âEveryone else is already here. Iâll take you back to the conference room.â The lady led Marly and her mom down the hall.
There were windows looking in to the conference room. Marly was surprised to see two kids she knew from school sitting at a long table in there. Isla Thomson and Sai Gupta. She didnât know either of them very well. But she recognized the back of Islaâs head. Isla had long dark hair and she always wore headbands with cat ears. Todayâs was pink. And everyone knew Sai because he always brought popsicles for the school on field day.
It looked like Isla was here with her mom, who held a sleeping baby in her arms. Sai was here with his dad.
There was another man sitting by himself across from Sai and his dad. He was all dressed up in a dark suit and tie. His thumbs tapped busily on the phone in his hands.
âWelcome!â The lady at the head of the table came to greet Marly and her mom, and everyone turned toward them. Isla and Sai seemed as surprised to see Marly as she was to see them.Â
âYou must be Mrs. Deaver and Marly,â the lady went on. âIâm Stella Lovelace, Harry Summerlingâs attorney.â She shook Momâs hand first, then Marlyâs.
âPlease have a seat over there.â Ms. Lovelace gestured toward two empty chairs beside the man in the suit. He didnât even glance up from his phone when Marly sat down beside him.
Ms. Lovelace closed the door, then took her seat at the head of the table. âNow that weâre all hereâ-â she began.
âExcuse me.â Islaâs mom gently rocked her baby. âWhen did Harry Summerling pass away? I never saw an obituary in the newspaper.â
âAnd how did he die?â Sai asked. His dad nudged him and shook his head. Embarrassed, Sai slid down in his chair.
Too bad, because Marly was wondering the same thing. She also wondered how Isla and Sai knew Mr. Summerling. Had he left them something in his will, too?
âItâs okay,â Ms. Lovelace said kindly. âThe report from the coast guard says he drowned. He was in a small boat somewhere off the coast of Washington State when a storm came up. The boat was found, but he wasnât in it.â
Marlyâs mom put her hand to her mouth. âThatâs terrible.â
âWhat was he doing out there?â Islaâs mom asked.
The man beside Marly finally put down his phone. âWhat do you think he was doing?â he said rudely. âHe was searching for buried treasure. Itâs all he ever did.â
âDoes everyone know Jay Summerling, Harryâs son?â Ms. Lovelace asked.
Marly had lived next door to Mr. Summerling her whole life, but she never knew he had a son. Mr. Summerlingâs son was about Marlyâs momâs age.
âWe are so sorry for your loss,â Saiâs dad said, offering a hand to shake.
Jay didnât take it. âCan we get on with this, please?â he said. âI have someplace to be at noon.âÂ
Ms. Lovelace winced. âOf course,â she said. She opened the folder in front of her and took out a large brown envelope. There were several white envelopes in the folder behind it. She sliced into the brown envelope with a fancy gold letter opener and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
âThis is Harryâs will,â she said, unfolding it. âItâs a letter. Iâll read it out loud.â She cleared her throat. â?âIf youâre hearing this letter, then I am missing, dead, or perhaps Iâve been abducted by aliens.â?â Jay snorted at that. â?âAnd itâs time to give away some of my earthly possessionsâ-â?â
âSome of his possessions?â Jay asked.
âThatâs what it says,â Ms. Lovelace said. âIâm reading this for the first time myself, sir. Shall I continue?â
Jay motioned for her to keep going.
â?âTo my son, Jay,â â Ms. Lovelace read. âOh, dear.â She paused. âIt says, âI leave . . . nothing.â?â
âHere we go,â Jay muttered.
â âYou have been a terrible disappointment to me, son,â â Ms. Lovelace read as the parents shifted uncomfortably in their seats. â âYou donât call. You donât visit. And you donât take my treasure hunting seriously. So why should you reap the reward? You donât deserve a share of my treasureâ-â?â
âWhat treasure?â Jay scoffed. âHe never found any treasure.â
Ms. Lovelace seemed to be holding back a smile as she continued reading. â?âOh yes, son. There is treasure. And I, Harry P. Summerling, being of sound mind and body, will that treasure to Ms. Marly Deaver, Mr. Sai Gupta, and Ms. Isla Thomsonâ-â?â
âWait, what?â Sai said, sitting up a little straighter.
Marlyâs mouth fell open. âFor real?âÂ
â?âIf they can find it,â?â Ms. Lovelace continued. â?âI have created a series of puzzles for the three of them to solve. They must work together on each one. When they reach the end of the treasure hunt, anything they find is to be split evenly between them. Stella, please give them the envelope marked #2. Good luck! Sincerely yours, Harry P. Summerling.â?â
Marly, Isla, and Sai gaped at each other.
Jay scowled. âThatâs it? Thatâs all it says?â he asked.
âThatâs all it says.â Ms. Lovelace set the letter on the table.
âI donât understand,â Saiâs dad said.
Marlyâs mom was equally confused. âSo, thereâs some sort of treasure,â she said. âWe donât know what it is, but for some reason, Harry Summerling has hidden it. And if our kids can find it, it belongs to them?â
âYes. That is correct,â Ms. Lovelace said.
âBut . . . why?â Islaâs mom asked. âWhy would Mr. Summerling leave treasure to three children heâs not even related to?â
âHe had his reasons,â Ms. Lovelace said mysteriously.
âThis is ridiculous,â Jay said with a short laugh. âThereâs no treasure. Now, what about the house? I assume Dad left that to me?â
âI donât know,â Ms. Lovelace said, turning the paper over. âThis letter doesnât say anything about the house.â
âWell, read the other letters.â Jay gestured toward the folder in front of Ms. Lovelace.
âIâm sorry. I canât.â Ms. Lovelace closed the folder. âNot today. Harry left specific instructions for when each one is to be opened. And by whom. This was the only letter I was supposed to read today.â
Jay shoved his chair back from the table. âWell, weâll see what my attorney has to say about this,â he grumbled. âThere is no treasure! I hope you all know that.â With that, he stormed out of the room, banging the blinds against the window on his way out.
The baby startled awake. He looked around and started to whimper. Islaâs mom put him to her shoulder and rubbed his back.
âSo, is there a treasure?â Sai asked Ms. Lovelace in a small voice.
âAnd if there is, is it really ours?â Marly asked.
âHonestly, I donât know what youâll find at the end of this little treasure hunt,â Ms. Lovelace said. âBut whatever it is, yes, itâs yours. Harry was very clear about that.â
Marly trembled with nerves and excitement. She would have to go on a treasure hunt with two kids she hardly knew. And share the treasure with them. But when it was all over, hopefully her portion would be enough to buy a plane ticket to Chicago.