aftershave — it’s the same as last night.”
Glen looked around nervously.
“You think Glen is the one who kidnapped Ginger?” asked Mrs. Davis.
“Why would I —” Glen said.
Just then, the door was pushed open and someone else came into the room. It was Ginger! Trailing from her collar was a broken piece of rope. Ginger ran around the room excitedly, her tail wagging wildly. Then she raced over to Anna.
In all the commotion, Glen forgot that the others were there. “Ginger! How did you get free?” he said, not realizing the others were listening.
“So it was you,” said Mrs. Davis.
Glen realized it was over. He hung his head sadly and said, “Yes, I admit it, Mrs. Davis. I kidnapped Ginger and tied her up in my sister’s backyard. It’s just down the street from here.”
“But why?” asked Violet. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“It was because of the bracelet, wasn’t it?” said Henry.
“Yes,” Glen said. He began speaking slowly. “I thought if I stole that bracelet I’d have all the money I’d ever need. I used to take Ginger for walks every day. So one day, when we were leaving, I sneaked into Mrs. Davis’s room and took the bracelet.”
“How did it end up in Ginger’s collar?” Jessie asked.
“After I’d taken it, I saw Mrs. Davis coming. I panicked. I didn’t want her to catch me with the bracelet! So I made a slit in Ginger’s collar and hid it there.” He sighed. “But I didn’t know that the next day Ginger was being returned to the school for training.”
“So all this time you’ve been following us and sneaking around, trying to get the bracelet back,” said Jessie.
“Yes,” Glen said.
“And you stole Jason’s key and broke into the kennel,” said Henry.
Glen nodded. “I wrote Jason a note and signed Mrs. Davis’s name. I knew that he’d go meet with her and that would give me time to break into his room and find the key.”
“So that’s why you never showed up that night,” Jason said to Mrs. Davis. “I knew you were upset about having to return Ginger. Oh, Charlotte. I thought you were going to ask for her back. I was going to tell you I couldn’t do that.”
“You kept telling me not to come back and see her again, but I missed her,” Mrs. Davis said.
“She needed to become attached to Anna, and she couldn’t do that if you kept coming back,” Jason explained. “I was afraid that you were the one who’d been following us.”
“And the one who kidnapped her?” Mrs. Davis smiled. “I would never have gone that far.”
While they were talking, Mrs. Carter had gone to the phone and quietly made a call. In a few minutes, the police appeared in the doorway.
“Jason, why don’t you take Anna and the Aldens outside,” Mrs. Carter suggested. “We’ll handle this from here.”
As they left Mrs. Carter’s office, Jessie turned to the others. “At last the mystery is solved!”
“It’s great that we can go for a walk now and not worry someone’s following us,” Violet added.
“I don’t know about you guys, but solving a mystery always makes me hungry,” said Benny.
“Oh, Benny,” said Henry. “Everything makes you hungry.”
“Well, I’m hungry, too,” said Anna.
“How about a special celebration at the pancake house downtown,” Jason suggested.
“Good idea!” Violet said.
A short while later, Jason, Anna, and the Aldens were all sitting around a big table enjoying stacks of delicious blueberry pancakes. Ginger sat happily under Anna’s chair.
“There is still one thing I’m wondering about,” Benny said. “What’s in that bag you’ve been carrying around since this morning, Jason?”
Jason’s face flushed. “Well, I might as well get this over with.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a single red rose. “This is for you, Anna. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but . . . oh, what the heck. I’m hoping that maybe when we’re done with your training . . . um . . . you and
Glen looked around nervously.
“You think Glen is the one who kidnapped Ginger?” asked Mrs. Davis.
“Why would I —” Glen said.
Just then, the door was pushed open and someone else came into the room. It was Ginger! Trailing from her collar was a broken piece of rope. Ginger ran around the room excitedly, her tail wagging wildly. Then she raced over to Anna.
In all the commotion, Glen forgot that the others were there. “Ginger! How did you get free?” he said, not realizing the others were listening.
“So it was you,” said Mrs. Davis.
Glen realized it was over. He hung his head sadly and said, “Yes, I admit it, Mrs. Davis. I kidnapped Ginger and tied her up in my sister’s backyard. It’s just down the street from here.”
“But why?” asked Violet. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“It was because of the bracelet, wasn’t it?” said Henry.
“Yes,” Glen said. He began speaking slowly. “I thought if I stole that bracelet I’d have all the money I’d ever need. I used to take Ginger for walks every day. So one day, when we were leaving, I sneaked into Mrs. Davis’s room and took the bracelet.”
“How did it end up in Ginger’s collar?” Jessie asked.
“After I’d taken it, I saw Mrs. Davis coming. I panicked. I didn’t want her to catch me with the bracelet! So I made a slit in Ginger’s collar and hid it there.” He sighed. “But I didn’t know that the next day Ginger was being returned to the school for training.”
“So all this time you’ve been following us and sneaking around, trying to get the bracelet back,” said Jessie.
“Yes,” Glen said.
“And you stole Jason’s key and broke into the kennel,” said Henry.
Glen nodded. “I wrote Jason a note and signed Mrs. Davis’s name. I knew that he’d go meet with her and that would give me time to break into his room and find the key.”
“So that’s why you never showed up that night,” Jason said to Mrs. Davis. “I knew you were upset about having to return Ginger. Oh, Charlotte. I thought you were going to ask for her back. I was going to tell you I couldn’t do that.”
“You kept telling me not to come back and see her again, but I missed her,” Mrs. Davis said.
“She needed to become attached to Anna, and she couldn’t do that if you kept coming back,” Jason explained. “I was afraid that you were the one who’d been following us.”
“And the one who kidnapped her?” Mrs. Davis smiled. “I would never have gone that far.”
While they were talking, Mrs. Carter had gone to the phone and quietly made a call. In a few minutes, the police appeared in the doorway.
“Jason, why don’t you take Anna and the Aldens outside,” Mrs. Carter suggested. “We’ll handle this from here.”
As they left Mrs. Carter’s office, Jessie turned to the others. “At last the mystery is solved!”
“It’s great that we can go for a walk now and not worry someone’s following us,” Violet added.
“I don’t know about you guys, but solving a mystery always makes me hungry,” said Benny.
“Oh, Benny,” said Henry. “Everything makes you hungry.”
“Well, I’m hungry, too,” said Anna.
“How about a special celebration at the pancake house downtown,” Jason suggested.
“Good idea!” Violet said.
A short while later, Jason, Anna, and the Aldens were all sitting around a big table enjoying stacks of delicious blueberry pancakes. Ginger sat happily under Anna’s chair.
“There is still one thing I’m wondering about,” Benny said. “What’s in that bag you’ve been carrying around since this morning, Jason?”
Jason’s face flushed. “Well, I might as well get this over with.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a single red rose. “This is for you, Anna. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but . . . oh, what the heck. I’m hoping that maybe when we’re done with your training . . . um . . . you and
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