Nicholson Mike - Museum Mystery Squad and the Case of the Roman Riddle

Ummm, Nabster, what exactly is this? Kennedy Kerr had been busy doodling in her diary. Looking up, shed discovered that the Museum Mystery Squad headquarters was being taken over by a new construction. Balanced above it on a ladder was the Squads technical and fix-it expert, Mohammed McNab (known to most people as Nabster). Staring at the arches and bridges, Kennedy went on, Are you building an entire city in here?

Its just some Lego with the chutes from my marble run, Nabster answered her, distracted by measuring the slope. And Ive also used that pile of books there. Oh, and that old tennis racquet. I was running out of Lego, you see, so I had to improvise.

Right Kennedy clearly felt there was more to explain here. Is it a very wide skyscraper? she asked, checking they could still actually get to the HQ door.

Noooo, think back about 2,200 years before the skyscraper was invented.

Pyramid? No temple? Roman Colosseum?

Decent guess! Yes, its Roman, but not a Colosseum.

When I heard that it will take a week for the museum janitor to fix the leaky pipe dripping through our ceiling, I decided we might as well use the water. And the Romans gave me an idea.

Kennedys eyes lit up. An aqueduct! Is that what it is?

Yep! Ive just got to create a perfectly even slope along the top of it so the water keeps flowing. Im testing it with marbles. Nabster put down his spirit level and ran two more marbles down the chute.

Once its finished, where will the water actually go?

Nabster pointed to the cage in one corner of the room. Inside it Colin the hamster snuffled about in his straw, not realising the latest invention in the room was for him.

I thought our leak could top up Colins water feeder. Gets rid of one daily chore Nabster was pleased with his plan.

As long as you keep any drips away from me, said a voice from the sofa. Theres nothing worse than a soggy sleeping bag. When there werent mysteries to solve, Laurie Lennox believed in catching up on a bit of sleep. Yet somehow he tuned in to any vital discussions in the HQ.

I promise no drips, Laurie, said Nabster. Aqueducts were one of the Romans finest inventions!

Did they make them out of marble runs and sports equipment too? asked Laurie.

Aqueducts are a very clever idea, remarked Kennedy. Its like having a river flow over a bridge instead of under it. You can use them to send water wherever you want.

Exactly, said Nabster. The Romans moved water miles from the mountains, through hills, across valleys, to the city keeping the same gentle slope on the aqueduct all the way. Im going to take these drips from the ceiling to Colins cage, but Im testing it first with marbles. Once I put the bottom piece of chute in, Colin can have running water.

This was classic Nabster. If he didnt have a gadget to play with, he would just create his own inventions out of whatever was lying around.

Kennedy watched as he connected a piece of chute at the top, right under the constant drip in the ceiling.

Lauries head stretched out of his sleeping bag, like a meerkat peering out of a hole in the ground. He began rummaging through his wardrobe rail beside the sofa. Remind me what the Romans wore?

If Nabster could combine the strangest objects to make a gadget, Laurie could combine the oddest clothes to make an outfit. He could mix and match stripy wellies, a tuxedo and a tiger-print shirt and somehow make it look good.

Nabster looked down from his ladder. If you want to dress Roman style you could always just wrap yourself in a sheet and call it a toga.

Thatd be perfect for you, Laurie! remarked Kennedy. You could walk around in bedclothes all day.

Ha ha. Laurie picked out some leather sandals. These might be good if we get any puddles in here. He pointed to the table, where a small pool of water was starting to form beside Nabsters laptop.

NO! Nabster dived to save his things from the mini waterfall.

Water dripping on a laptop? Kennedy laughed. Thats one problem the Romans never had to deal with!

As Nabster gently wiped his computer dry and carried it to a safer place, it made a familiar noise:

Theres a coincidence, he said, checking the new message in the Squads inbox. It was an email from Magda Gaskar, the Museum Director, asking the Museum Mystery Squad to take on a new investigation, and this one was in the Roman Zone.

Dear Kennedy, Laurence and Mohammed,

Something strange is going on. Id like you to look into it.

Three different visitors to the Roman Zone have told staff that they got a fright when the gladiator figure in our display spoke to them. Very odd! And yesterday a tour group were so spooked that the whole busload left the museum screaming about a ghost. Apparently they saw strange green smoke coming from the same figure.

Frankly, the idea that there is anything ghostly in the Roman Zone is ridiculous, but unless we can find out whats really going on, I will get rid of the gladiator. Its only a trial display, and I want crowds in the museum for the right reasons not because were making headlines for being haunted!

Can you investigate please? If this gladiator says or does anything, I want to know about it. Many thanks.

Kind regards,

Magda Gaskar

Museum Director

Haunted? scoffed Nabster. What rubbish! I dont believe in ghosts. There has to be another explanation.

He rapidly finished off the aqueduct, moving the last piece of chute into place above Colins water feeder, then he got out his equipment bag. He looked at the items he usually packed for an investigation: electronic measuring tape, string, bits of wire, pliers Would any of these help prove that this gladiator ghost wasnt a ghost? He decided to pack:

the ScanRay (no matter what Magda was asking, Nabsters favourite gadget went everywhere)

his notebook

a pencil

the camera

some popcorn (because solving mysteries makes you hungry)