SHAKESPEARE’ SECRET Read Online Free PDF Page A

sense for him to take it with him, or give it to someone. Or at least to hide it someplace else.”
    â€œTrue,” Mrs. Roth agreed. “But the investigation was very thorough. The Murphys didn’t have many close friends, other than myself. And Arthur did finally receive the insurance settlement, which was nearly a million dollars. So if he’d turned up with the diamond, it would have been a serious matter legally.”
    Hero hugged her legs against her chest. What if the diamond were still in the house somewhere? Or buried in the yard? It could be tucked under a floorboard in the hallway, or pushed deep into the soft dirt beneath the azaleas.
    â€œBut Mr. Murphy moved out awhile ago, right?” Hero said suddenly. “And you said the whole town knows about the diamond. Someone might have already found it.” She felt a stab of disappointment.
    Mrs. Roth tilted her head, smiling at Hero. “Arthur did move out a few months ago. But the house has been locked up, empty. And the police searched it quite thoroughly. Wherever the diamond is, it isn’t easy to find.”
    She rested her hand on Hero’s shoulder. “You know, I think Arthur chose your family quite deliberately. He told me all about your father and his job at the Maxwell.”
    Hero looked at her curiously. She couldn’t imagine what her father’s job had to do with this. “Have you talked to Mr. Murphy? Since he left, I mean?”
    Mrs. Roth shook her head. “I last spoke to him in June, when he decided to sell the house to your parents. He hasn’t been in touch since. I think he’s in Boston, but I’m not sure.”
    Hero glanced at her watch. “Oh!” she cried. “It’s almost five o’clock. I have to go.” She reached for her backpack reluctantly. “So you think the diamond’s still there?”
    Mrs. Roth stood slowly, using the porch column forsupport. “Indeed I do. I have good reason to think so. Arthur—” she stopped. “You should go. I’ll show you tomorrow.”
    â€œWhat?” Hero asked, unable to leave the porch. “What is it?”
    Mrs. Roth smiled. “Tomorrow.”

CHAPTER
5
    Hero burst through the back door into the kitchen, where the rich, garlicky smell of tomato sauce filled the air. Her mother stood at the stove, a dripping spoon in one hand.
    â€œHero, where have you been? I was worried.” “Sorry.” Hero unzipped her backpack and began sorting through it, dropping homework sheets on top of a stack of her mother’s work papers in the middle of the kitchen table.
    â€œHoney those are invitations for an event at the Maxwell. Please don’t make a mess. Why are you so late?”
    â€œI stopped at Mrs. Roth’s on the way home.”
    Her mother looked at her more closely. “Mrs. Roth’s? Really? What were you doing over there?”
    â€œOh, nothing.” Hero paused. “She was working on a crossword puzzle, and I helped her.”
    Hero’s mother returned to her stirring, but her lips pursed skeptically. “How did school go today?” she asked.
    Again, Hero hesitated. She wouldn’t have minded her mother’s sympathy, but often these things seemed to upset her parents more than they upset her. And then, in addition to worrying about her own problems, Hero had to worry about the two of them worrying about her problems, which was more exhausting than coping with the problems all by herself.
    â€œSchool was okay” she said.
    â€œReally?” her mother asked eagerly, searching Hero’s face. “Everything went okay today?”
    â€œYeah, fine.”
    â€œOh, honey, I’m so glad. The first day is always the hardest.”
    â€œYeah, it is,” Hero agreed.
    She sank into a chair and crossed her arms over her homework, resting her head in the crook of her elbow. She could see the smooth ivory invitations her mother had been