Sir E. Robert Smythe and the Lost Detective
Christina Weigand
Sir E. Robert Smythe and the Lost Detective
During summer vacation, while Anna and her brother Ben, along
with Bridget and her brother, Sam, are participating in the Summer Reading
Adventure at the local library, the town council announces they are building
low-income housing for the homeless. While the housing is being constructed a
tent community has been established on an old soccer field on the other side of
a haunted swamp. Sam is upset by this turn of events, but his anger is only
beginning.
In the meantime, unbeknownst to them, the girls befriend Zoe,
one of the homeless people living in the tents. The girls spend time together
tracking down clues supplied by the books they are borrowing from the library
that will eventually lead to a prize at the end of the Summer Reading
Adventure.
When Bridget and Sam’s grandfather dies in a tragic car
accident Sam’s anger increases when it is discovered that Zoe’s father was the
drunk driver in the truck that crashed into his grandfather’s car. The family
lawyer reveals in the will that the farm and house have been left to the
community to build low income housing for the homeless.
Sam’s anger reaches a boiling point and he directs it at Zoe,
hatching a plan to get back at the people he thinks are taking away everything
he holds dear.
Title Sir E. Robert
Smythe and the Lost Detective
Author Christina
Weigand Created by Ricci Moore
Genre Middle-Grade
Fantasy
Release November 2017
Designer Charlotte
Volnek
Length 95 pages
ISBN ebook
978-1-77127-961-1 Paperback coming soon
Excerpt
Eleven-year-old Zoe Jones unzipped the 8’ X 10’ tent door that
she, her mother and her Labrador puppy lived in, really just slept in. There
wasn’t enough room to do anything more than that. She wished they hadn’t had to
leave their house at all, but with Daddy gone, there had been no choice. At
least they hadn’t moved until school was finished so there was a place to do
her schoolwork.
After finishing her breakfast in the large dining tent set up
by the town for the homeless people to get a hot meal Zoe walked back to their
tent. It was time for her and mom to walk to the bakery where Zoe would spend
the day while her mother went to work in the city. The sky was blue, with
fluffy light clouds, so that meant no rain today while they walked to town.
After entering the tent she kneeled and crawled to her cot to brush her hair
and pet the dog in his kennel one more time before they left.
“Momma, how much longer do we have to stay here? It isn’t fun
anymore, not like the camping trip we took with Daddy last year. I want to go
home,” Zoe said.
The brown and white puppy whined. “Buster doesn’t like being
in his kennel so much, and he misses his training sessions,” Zoe said.
“Zoe, you know we aren’t going back home. We can’t let Buster
run around while we live here. Now hurry up and finish getting ready. We have
to get to the park. I need to catch my bus,” Zoe’s mom said.
Zoe finished brushing her short, red hair. “Do I have to go
today? Can’t I just stay here? Buster will watch out for me.”
“No, you can’t stay here by yourself. Mrs. Reilley, the lady
at the bakery, will keep an eye on you while I go to work.”
Zoe picked up a bag with library books and gave Buster a dog
biscuit. “Maybe I’ll meet someone at the park today.”
“That’s the spirit. Isn’t the Reading Club Kick-off carnival
today?” Zoe’s mom asked as they exited their mid-size tent.
Zoe glanced around the homeless camp. It was terrible living
here. There were only a couple of children in the fifty tent encampment and
they weren’t her age. There was no one to play with. She wrinkled her nose,
because in spite of the fact that they were able to use the restrooms and the
limited kitchen facilities of the soccer field, the camp still smelled of
unwashed bodies and human waste. A garbage dump was set up outside the camp,
and the trash was picked up once a week, but that didn’t completely eliminate
the smell from fifty families’ trash. Her mother had explained that there were
very strict rules for keeping the camp clean, but Zoe didn’t think they were
much help. “Yeah, I think so,” Zoe said, answering her mother’s question.
As they walked past Gullies Swamp, Zoe rummaged through her
bag. “Oh no, I forgot one of my books. Can we run back and get it?”
“No. If we go back I’ll miss my bus. Can’t you just bring it
tomorrow?”
“It’s due today. They’ll fine us. I’ll just run back and get
it.”
“Okay, just be careful and don’t talk to anybody. I’ll see you
after work. Meet me at the bus stop at 6:00 and we can walk home together. Now
you behave yourself with Mrs. Reilley and enjoy the carnival. Don’t eat too
many of the baked goods.”
“All right. Love you, mom.” Zoe kissed her mom on the cheek
and ran back to the camp.
The book was on her cot in the tent. Picking it up quickly,
she headed back to the park. Passing the swamp, she noticed Morton the Morph,
the yellow toad-like creature and his small blue pear-shaped panngoes playing
on the edge of the swamp. One of the panngoes bounced into the swamp.
“Hey, you guys shouldn’t go in there,” Zoe yelled.
“Oh, don’t worry about them. They’ll be fine. Just a bunch of
panngoes,” Morton answered as more of the creatures bounced into the swamp.
Zoe heard some dogs barking and one of the panngoes squealing.
“One of them might be hurt. Shouldn’t you go in there and check on them?” She
heard another sound, children talking and laughing. “Oh no, someone’s coming. I
have to hide. Mamma doesn’t want me to talk to any strangers.” She glanced around
trying to find a spot to hide then looked at the panngoes. She immediately ran
to them and straight into the swamp.
One of the bigger ones had fallen in a hole and was calling
out for the others to help him. Zoe followed the sound of the crying.
