asked. “That’s interesting.”
“Who hid them?” Zack and Zoe asked.
“Cal Edwards,” Violet replied.
Zack and Zoe’s eyes widened. “And he’s missing, too!” Zoe exclaimed.
“Actually, he’s not,” Henry said. “He got called out of town suddenly to take care of his mother.”
The Aldens told the other kids about their visit to Cal’s house and about their conversation with Mrs. Michaelson.
“Well, I’m sorry about Cal’s mother, but I’m glad he’s okay,” David said.
“So are we,” Zack and Zoe said.
The Aldens were happy to see the Zellers and the Greenes agreeing on something. Maybe they could all work together now and find the missing cache?
“One thing we can tell you about Cal—his caches are more fun to find than anyone’s,” Zoe said with a smile.
“That’s true,” David agreed, smiling back.
“Why?” Violet asked. “Why are his caches more fun than anyone else’s?”
“I think he puts more time into them than other people do,” Zack said. “He puts them in really interesting containers. For instance, there was one he made out of a piece of plumbing pipe.”
“And there was that other one that was part of a Halloween decoration,” Zoe put in.
“Oh, that’s a great one!” David laughed. “That’s the ‘Halloween Horror’ cache,” he told the Aldens. “You guys should try and find that one. You’ll love it!”
“He also hides the containers in really interesting places and he always has the best trade items,” Zack said.
“Yeah, once we found a Chinese kite in one of his new caches,” Zoe said. “We were the first to find that one.”
“We found a twenty-dollar bill in one of the ones that we were first to find,” David said.
“It’s strange that all the missing caches were Cal’s,” Zack said.
“Unless Cal took them himself,” Benny said.
Everyone stopped to stare at the youngest Alden.
“But why would he do that?” Zoe asked. “He knows everyone loves to hunt for his caches.”
“Well, maybe he didn’t mean to keep them so long,” Benny said. “Maybe he meant to put them back, but he didn’t have a chance to put them back before he left town.”
“But why would he take them in the first place, Benny?” Henry asked. “That’s the one thing we still don’t know.”
Benny sighed. “And it’s a big thing.”
Violet could hear Jessie tossing and turning in the other bed in their room, but the room was still dark. Watch was asleep on the floor between them. Violet could hear him snoring. She wished she were snoring.
“Jessie?” she whispered, “What are you doing?”
“I can’t sleep. I thought I’d get a glass of milk,” Jessie said.
“I can’t sleep, either. Maybe I’ll get a glass of milk, too.”
The two of them tiptoed out into the hallway. Watch padded behind them.
“Hey, there’s a light on downstairs,” Violet whispered.
The light was coming from the direction of the family room.
“I wonder who else is up?” Jessie whispered back.
The girls crept down the stairs. But rather than head for the kitchen, they turned toward the family room.
“Henry!” Jessie whispered. “What are you doing up?”
Henry was sitting at the computer. His notebook lay open in front of him.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about those missing caches. There has to be something we’re just not seeing.”
Just then Benny wandered sleepily into the room. “What’s everyone doing?” he asked out loud.
The others jumped in surprise.
“Benny!” Jessie said. “What are you doing out of bed at this hour?”
“I wanted to find out what you guys were doing out of bed at this hour,” he replied.
Violet smiled. “I guess none of us could sleep.”
“We’re all worried about the geocaching club,” Jessie said. She, Violet, and Benny sat down on the couch.
Henry nodded. “I would hate to see it disband.”
“Especially before Cal gets back,” Violet said.
“Too bad Cal
“Who hid them?” Zack and Zoe asked.
“Cal Edwards,” Violet replied.
Zack and Zoe’s eyes widened. “And he’s missing, too!” Zoe exclaimed.
“Actually, he’s not,” Henry said. “He got called out of town suddenly to take care of his mother.”
The Aldens told the other kids about their visit to Cal’s house and about their conversation with Mrs. Michaelson.
“Well, I’m sorry about Cal’s mother, but I’m glad he’s okay,” David said.
“So are we,” Zack and Zoe said.
The Aldens were happy to see the Zellers and the Greenes agreeing on something. Maybe they could all work together now and find the missing cache?
“One thing we can tell you about Cal—his caches are more fun to find than anyone’s,” Zoe said with a smile.
“That’s true,” David agreed, smiling back.
“Why?” Violet asked. “Why are his caches more fun than anyone else’s?”
“I think he puts more time into them than other people do,” Zack said. “He puts them in really interesting containers. For instance, there was one he made out of a piece of plumbing pipe.”
“And there was that other one that was part of a Halloween decoration,” Zoe put in.
“Oh, that’s a great one!” David laughed. “That’s the ‘Halloween Horror’ cache,” he told the Aldens. “You guys should try and find that one. You’ll love it!”
“He also hides the containers in really interesting places and he always has the best trade items,” Zack said.
“Yeah, once we found a Chinese kite in one of his new caches,” Zoe said. “We were the first to find that one.”
“We found a twenty-dollar bill in one of the ones that we were first to find,” David said.
“It’s strange that all the missing caches were Cal’s,” Zack said.
“Unless Cal took them himself,” Benny said.
Everyone stopped to stare at the youngest Alden.
“But why would he do that?” Zoe asked. “He knows everyone loves to hunt for his caches.”
“Well, maybe he didn’t mean to keep them so long,” Benny said. “Maybe he meant to put them back, but he didn’t have a chance to put them back before he left town.”
“But why would he take them in the first place, Benny?” Henry asked. “That’s the one thing we still don’t know.”
Benny sighed. “And it’s a big thing.”
Violet could hear Jessie tossing and turning in the other bed in their room, but the room was still dark. Watch was asleep on the floor between them. Violet could hear him snoring. She wished she were snoring.
“Jessie?” she whispered, “What are you doing?”
“I can’t sleep. I thought I’d get a glass of milk,” Jessie said.
“I can’t sleep, either. Maybe I’ll get a glass of milk, too.”
The two of them tiptoed out into the hallway. Watch padded behind them.
“Hey, there’s a light on downstairs,” Violet whispered.
The light was coming from the direction of the family room.
“I wonder who else is up?” Jessie whispered back.
The girls crept down the stairs. But rather than head for the kitchen, they turned toward the family room.
“Henry!” Jessie whispered. “What are you doing up?”
Henry was sitting at the computer. His notebook lay open in front of him.
“I couldn’t sleep,” he said. “I can’t stop thinking about those missing caches. There has to be something we’re just not seeing.”
Just then Benny wandered sleepily into the room. “What’s everyone doing?” he asked out loud.
The others jumped in surprise.
“Benny!” Jessie said. “What are you doing out of bed at this hour?”
“I wanted to find out what you guys were doing out of bed at this hour,” he replied.
Violet smiled. “I guess none of us could sleep.”
“We’re all worried about the geocaching club,” Jessie said. She, Violet, and Benny sat down on the couch.
Henry nodded. “I would hate to see it disband.”
“Especially before Cal gets back,” Violet said.
“Too bad Cal
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