Mystery at Skeleton Point by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B

waited behind the pine trees for a very long minute.
    “Let’s follow Greeny now instead of bringing back our things,” Jessie suggested. “He’s getting something to put in all those crates I see in the boat. I don’t know if it’s parts of statues or skeletons or what, but now’s our chance to follow him.”
    The children wondered if Greeny would turn off on the secret path. But he didn’t stop at all until he reached the gardening shed. “Sorry, Max, but I can’t have you barking and running around. You have to stay in here for now. I’ll be back for you later.”
    “Poor thing,” Violet whispered when Max began to whine after Greeny shut the door. “He sounds just like Watch when we won’t let him play outside with us.”
    With Max out of the way, the Aldens felt safer in following Greeny into the house. He unlocked the door to Dr. Tibbs’s study. Shutting the door, he locked it from inside the room.
    “I know what we can do,” Henry whispered. “Let’s go upstairs. If we’re lucky, there may be a heating vent up there. Maybe we can see into the room.”
    By now the Aldens knew where many of the creaky floorboards were and avoided them. They found the room above the study. A thick carpet covered most of it.
    “Good, Greeny won’t be able to hear us walking around,” Jessie whispered. She found a corner where the carpet had been cut to let in the heat through a vent. She signaled the others to come over as quietly as possible and huddle around the vent.
    When they looked through the grille of the vent, the children saw the top of Greeny’s head directly below. They could see him placing skulls, skeletons, and other kinds of bones into his crates.
    The Aldens didn’t need to discuss what to do next. In an instant, they ran from the room and down the stairs so fast, Greeny never had a chance to get away.
    When Greeny opened the door, the Aldens stood there blocking him.
    Greeny couldn’t move. In his arms was a milk crate piled with skeleton bones. “I’m not even going to lie about what I’m doing,” he told the Aldens.
    “Good,” Jessie said. “Then maybe you’d better explain what you’re doing and why. We already saw one skull in your boat. Where are you going with the rest of them?”
    Greeny stared at the children for a long time. “Okay, I might as well tell you the truth. You and your relatives can decide what to do about it. I noticed that after Charlotte hired Mason and that woman — ”
    Henry had something to say. “Wait a minute. Charlotte didn’t hire Mr. Mason; he volunteered.”
    “Hmmm,” Greeny said. “Well, maybe Charlotte should have wondered why an architect would volunteer to do something for free — not that I have any idea. All I care about is Dr. Tibbs’s collection. Some of it has disappeared, and I’d bet anything that those two are to blame.”

    Henry stepped closer to Greeny. “How do you know that? Right now you’re the thief, not Mr. Mason and Hilda. Even Mister Bones was taken. He wasn’t yours to take, or anybody’s.”
    Now it was Greeny’s turn to look upset. “I know, that’s why I’m here. After Mister Bones disappeared along with a wild horse skull from out West, I just knew I had to move the whole collection to a safe place — my cabin. I came in here this morning and installed a lock on the door so nothing else would disappear. There are rare skeletons that Dr. Tibbs collected on his travels around the world. Now I’m taking them for safekeeping. You can tell Charlotte that, too.”
    “No,” Violet said. “If you took these things, you’ll need to tell Charlotte yourself — tomorrow when she gets back. We’re going to find Mister Bones.”
    Greeny’s mouth opened. “Where?”
    “We’ll let you know tomorrow,” Jessie answered. “Now please put those crates back and give us the keys. Both of them. We’re spending the night here.”
    Though Greeny Owen was many years older than the Aldens, he obeyed them without any