Cooper ran across the campus with the rest of the Trackers trailing behind him. They had reached the Student Center, by the time Pascal caught up to them. Panting, he said, “Are you sure this is where we should be? After all, this is where Dr. Newton disappeared.”
Cooper was already holding the door open wide and waving the Trackers inside. “Cooper is always sure,” Jamal said.
Mr. C gathered everyone into a huddle. “It is very crowded here, and we are guests on this campus. No running or any other activity that will make us unwelcome.”
“Follow me, everyone,” Cooper said. “I know exactly where the Purple Cow is. I have been dying to try their new apple pie shake.“
Pascal’s eyebrows shot up. “Dr. Newton does love apples.”
Cooper led the Trackers to the Purple Cow. The sign above it had plenty of purple numbers on it, but they were all in paint – not chalk. Pascal paced back and forth. “Oh dear,” he said. “I don’t see any sign of Dr. Newton or a message. Oh, dear. Oh, dear.”
Simon pointed at the purple rimmed tables. “Maybe he left a message on one of the Purple Cow tables.”
The Trackers spread out and checked each of the tabletops. Simon crawled around on the floor to get a look at the underside of the tables. Gabby stood still. Something in her gut was telling her coming to the Student Center was a mistake. She closed her eyes, covered her ears, and pictured the message Dr. Newton had left for them back at Marvin Apartments. Then she stuck two fingers in her mouth and blew as hard as she could. Within seconds, the Trackers circled around her.
“How did you learn to whistle like that?” Jamal asked.
“My grandpa taught me,” Gabby said. “We need to return to the apartments and start again,” she said. “This isn’t where we were meant to go.”
Cooper took a long slurp of his milkshake and said, “Maybe we just need to look more carefully.”
Gabby shook her head. “No, I know we missed something important the first time. We better hurry back. Time is running out.”
Cooper rubbed his forehead. “I don’t like to be wrong, but I did jump to that conclusion pretty quickly, and my decision making may have been swayed by my desire to try the Purple Cow. I think we should do as Gabby says, and that’s not just my brain freeze talking.”
