"Martin, Ann M - Baby-sitters Club Mystery 020 - Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery" - читать интересную книгу автора (Martin Ann M)

"Oh, Stacey saw me, all right," Dawn was saying. "She started to wave but then she looked away really fast."
Kristy looked cross. "I guess we should probably think about a permanent replacement."
"Oh, not yet," Claudia pleaded. "LetТs give it a little more time. I mean, we're okay, aren't we?"
Everyone looked at me, probably because I'm the one who does the scheduling. "We're fine," I said. "Especially since Shannon has made herself available to help out more. She doesn't get to every meeting, but she gets to most of them."
Shannon gave us a reassuring smile. "I'm here whenever you need me."
There was a collective sigh of relief. None of us even wanted to think about replacing Stacey. It was too uncomfortable.
"Okay!" Kristy dapped her hands together. "Back to Babar. Why don't we talk to our charges about the Babar campaign this week? Find out if they're interested."
"Why don't we do a survey?" I suggested.
"I could divide up the client list in no time."
Kristy gave me a thumbs-up sign. I pulled
some paper out of the back of the record book,
and started writing furiously.
"I've got a ton of schoolwork tonight," Claudia said with a moan, gesturing to the stack of books on her desk. "My calls may have to wait till tomorrow."
"Speaking of school," Dawn said, "have you guys noticed anything about the science teachers?"
I nodded. "Every time I see Mrs. Gonzalez, she's talking in some corner with Ms. Gris-wold, looking all excited."
"They've been hinting for weeks about some biology project thatТs in the works," Kristy said. "And this morning I heard Mrs. Gonzalez say Wednesday's the day."
"Do you think they're going to make some kind of announcement?" I asked.
"Yup," Kristy said, tugging on the visor of
her favorite cap. (It has a picture of a collie on
it.) "There's supposed to be a presentation for
the eighth-graders."
Claudia hit her head with the palm of her
hand. 'That explains why Ms. Griswold was in the art room picking up posterboard and paints. She said she had some large photos that needed mounting. She also mentioned something about a slide show."
"Maybe they're planning a trip," Dawn said excitedly, "to someplace cool, like Woods Hole, where they study the whales."
"Or maybe they've decided that dissecting frogs isn't enough," Kristy said mysteriously. "Maybe they're going to have us operate on muskrats or groundhogs."
"Ew! Gross!" everyone squealed at once.
Mallory and Jessi exchanged worried looks. "I'm not looking forward to biology one bit," Mal whispered.
"Kristy's just kidding," I said, patting Mallory on the arm. "Don't worry. We don't have to dissect anything if we don't want to."
Shannon folded her arms grumpily. "Gee, at my school, all we do is stare at swamp water through a microscope. We're studying the life cycle of a parametium. I'd give anything for some exciting new project, like operating on groundhogs."
That prompted another round of ews! Luckily a client called, putting an end to discussing gross operations.
The phone seemed to ring nonstop for the next fifteen minutes. I was so busy writing in
the record book that I barely had time to make out the contact sheets for the Free Babar campaign. But I finished them just as the digital dock on Claud's desk turned from five-fifty-rune to six o'clock.
Kristy, efficient leader that she is, checked the clock and announced, "This meeting of the Baby-sitters Club is officially over."
Chapter 3.
Wednesday was the day the biology project was to be revealed. Even kids who couldn't stand science were excited.
"Have you seen whatТs in the front office?" Kristy called to Dawn and me as we arrived for school that morning. "ItТs a huge box with signs all over it that say Top Secret."
A lot of kids had gathered outside the doors to the office and were peering in, speculating on what might be inside the box.
"It's a car," declared Alan Gray (who is our class goof-off).
Claudia, who was standing next to him, rolled her eyes and said, "ItТs for biology class, remember?"
"Okay, so itТs not a car. ItТs a Jeep. For exploring the jungle."
Howie Johnson punched him on the shoulder. "Yeah, like there are sooooo many jungles in Connecticut."
"Can it," Kristy ordered in her best coach voice. "Or you're going to miss the next event."
"Event?" Alan squinted one eye shut and stared at Kristy as if she were crazy.
Kristy simply pointed at the parking lot, where a dark car was pulling in. Three people dressed in trench coats, felt slouch hats, and dark glasses got out of the car just as loud music began blasting from the school's speakers. The tape was old, and it crackled as the singer wailed, "Secret agent man, secret agent
man."
"That's Ms. Griswold," Dawn declared. "With Ms. Harris and Mrs. Gonzalez."
The entire science department had come to school in costume. We followed them into the building and watched as they pushed the huge brown box toward the SMS auditorium. The box was on wheels so it moved easily. Just before it disappeared through the auditorium's double doors, I swear I saw the box jump.
"Did you see that?" I whispered to Dawn.
She nodded excitedly. "I think whatever's in that box is Ч " She turned and raised her hands above her head, making a monster face. "Alive!"
"Frankenstein," Alan Gray's voice bellowed over the crowd. "They've created a monster and we're going to have to take care of it."