40 pages 1 hour read

Aaron Johnson

Mystery in Rocky Mountain National Park

Fiction | Novel | Middle Grade | Published in 2022

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Chapters 8-14Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 8 Summary: “Wes”

Jake’s parents suggest that he should share the scavenger hunt with his cousin Wes and friend Amber, but Jake insists on keeping it to himself. Wes and his parents arrive, and Jake can only think about the scrapbook and what other clues might be hidden within it. Wes has striking red hair and brown skin and comes from a mixed-race family. After setting up a tent together, Jake scurries back to the family camper to hide the mysterious box where no one can find it inside a storage bench. He pulls out the scrapbook to put the photo of the cabin back inside and notices some Morse code on the page, which he then copies down.

Wes comes in, and Jake attempts to hide what he’s doing, but Wes sees the Morse code and quickly deciphers it as “EMERALD ROOTS.” Jake plays it off like he’s the one who wrote it, and Wes wonders if Jake wants to go to Emerald Lake, which is nearby. Jake pulls out his topographical map so they can study it together, and then Amber and her parents arrive.