Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

Eric, Cam’s best friend, is portrayed as a friendly and responsible boy, as well as a loving older brother to baby Howie. As the eldest of four children, Eric is very experienced with taking care of babies, and his mother asks him to babysit Howie while she shops at the mall. Eric’s care for Howie shows that he is responsible and independent. He holds and feeds Howie on his own and brings him everywhere.

While Eric does not have as strong a memory as Cam does, he does demonstrate strong critical thinking skills that help him and Cam to solve the mystery together. For example, he notices the suspect that they call “the Runner” leaving the mall in a different direction. This detail makes Eric suspicious, and he tells Cam, “Before, when he was in such a rush, he went that way. […] If he was in such a hurry to get there before, you’d think he’d go back that way now” (29). This observation prompts the two friends to follow the man, and their bold actions help them to crack the case.

In the story “the Runner” is a secondary character and antagonist. He is a suspect in the robbery. When Cam and Eric watch the store while the robbery unfolds, they notice a man in a dark suit with a mustache and a green tie running out of the store and through the crowds. They nickname him “the Runner” because of his dramatic getaway.

The Runner is intimidating and grumpy. When he finds Cam and baby Howie outside, he makes them enter the house and tries to intimidate Cam. As he says, “Well. […] Look who we have here—the babysitter and her baby. Where’s your friend?” When Cam lies and claims that Eric “went home,” the man taunts her, declaring, “If you were smart you would have done the same thing. Let’s go” (41).

As a crafty thief, the runner almost tricks the police with his antics. His collaboration with the young couple shows his careful planning of the robbery. The police officer admits at the end that the trick nearly worked. As he says, “Those thieves had us baffled…we chased the one man who ran” (55). The runner’s dishonest behavior makes him a foil to Cam and Eric, who act with both innocence and heroism.

The young couple are secondary characters and antagonists. They are portrayed as suspicious because of their behavior after the robbery. Cam and Eric notice them leaving the store with a baby and a large rattle. The author writes, “The man was wearing a dark suit. He was tall, and so was the woman with him. She was holding what looked like a baby, wrapped in a pink blanket” (10). The children consider the couple “strange” as they notice that the pair had no baby supplies, only the rattle, and are in a rush to leave the store. Eric considers the idea that this man could be the suspect the police are looking for. He comments to Cam, “There was another man who left the store, the man with the baby” (27). The kids’ hunch is correct, as the couple are really thieves and their “baby” is actually a doll.

While they are both flat characters, they are portrayed as mean, greedy people who just want to escape with their stolen diamonds. The illustration shows them frowning angrily as they demand to know where Eric is. Cam overhears the rest of their angry conversation as they try to divide the loose diamonds, which they have hidden in the rattle. The man says to the Runner, “Great! Everything was perfect until you got yourself followed. Well, watch this kid. Don’t let her get away” (43). His harsh words prove that he is just as cruel as the Runner.