away.”
Mr. Peterson looked confused. “Gee, Walt, it’s not every day you have five helpers who know what they’re doing. That gives us both plenty of time to go over next month’s orders. The Aldens know where everything goes.”
“No, they don’t,” Mr. Fowler said. “They don’t know where the monkey went after they left my shop wide open yesterday.”
Mr. Peterson was caught in the middle. “Tell you what. I’ll keep an eye out for George on my route. I guess I’d better be on my way.”
After Mr. Peterson left, Henry brought over a stack of packing slips from the shipments. “We’re all done, Mr. Fowler, except for one thing.” Henry reached into his jacket pocket. “Here are the store keys.”
Mr. Fowler’s eyes flashed with anger. “You took these keys and left the store unlocked?”
Henry looked Mr. Fowler straight in the eye. “No, we didn’t take these keys. We found them. We saw you driving away just a couple of minutes before we got here on Sunday. Somebody forgot to lock up and left these keys in the lock.”
The phone rang before Mr. Fowler had time to think of an excuse. “Out of here! All of you, out of here!” he shouted, picking up the phone.
The Aldens filed out of the store. They had just left when Jessie remembered something. “My backpack’s inside. Wait here. I’ll be right out.”
Mr. Fowler was yelling on the phone and didn’t see Jessie.
“Can I help it?” Mr. Fowler asked someone. “Look, you said they wanted the animals right away. Then what happens? They changed their minds when I got there. And what am I supposed to do with a monkey after all the trouble we went through to ship it up from South America? Anyway, I brought back the animals. Then, wouldn’t you know that monkey made a mess of things, dumping boxes and opening cages? I guess he went wild.”
Jessie couldn’t hear the person on the other end of the phone, but Mr. Fowler wasn’t finished. “The monkey will turn up. Just give me until Saturday,” Mr. Fowler said. “Only this time, make sure whoever you line up really wants the animals. See you Saturday night. Yeah, I’ll have both of them by then if I have to search day and night.”
Jessie bent down to grab her backpack. She tried not to make too much noise. Could she get out of the store without Mr. Fowler seeing her? What was he planning for Saturday night?
CHAPTER 11
Monkey See, Monkey Do
The Aldens searched Greenfield day and night for George. Now that Mr. Fowler didn’t want them in the shop they had a lot more free time. They put up notices around town. Even Grandfather Alden tried to help. Whenever his grandchildren got a call that the monkey had been sighted, he drove the children around to search for him. But when Saturday arrived, George was still on the loose.
“I guess we should go home now,” Henry said after a long car search on Saturday morning. “George seems to get away just before we arrive. It’s so frustrating.”
“He’s afraid of people,” Violet said. “That’s why he doesn’t stay in one place.”
Jessie stared at every bush and tree they passed. “I just want to make sure we find George before Mr. Fowler does. I know he’s got something planned for tonight.”
Violet gazed out the car window, too. George was somewhere out there. They just had to find him.
Grandfather Alden turned into the driveway of his house. “I doubt Mr. Fowler will have any more luck than we have with George. After all, he’s in the shop all day.”
When the Aldens got home, Mrs. McGregor was at the door. “Don’t take your jackets off. Just get over to Seventy-three Oak Street right away. A woman there found George in her garage. He was sound asleep in her car! Can you imagine? She saw your notice on the supermarket bulletin board and called here.”
“It’s okay, Grandfather,” Henry said when Mr. Alden put his hat back on. “You don’t have to drive us. Oak Street is only a couple of streets over. We’ll
Mr. Peterson looked confused. “Gee, Walt, it’s not every day you have five helpers who know what they’re doing. That gives us both plenty of time to go over next month’s orders. The Aldens know where everything goes.”
“No, they don’t,” Mr. Fowler said. “They don’t know where the monkey went after they left my shop wide open yesterday.”
Mr. Peterson was caught in the middle. “Tell you what. I’ll keep an eye out for George on my route. I guess I’d better be on my way.”
After Mr. Peterson left, Henry brought over a stack of packing slips from the shipments. “We’re all done, Mr. Fowler, except for one thing.” Henry reached into his jacket pocket. “Here are the store keys.”
Mr. Fowler’s eyes flashed with anger. “You took these keys and left the store unlocked?”
Henry looked Mr. Fowler straight in the eye. “No, we didn’t take these keys. We found them. We saw you driving away just a couple of minutes before we got here on Sunday. Somebody forgot to lock up and left these keys in the lock.”
The phone rang before Mr. Fowler had time to think of an excuse. “Out of here! All of you, out of here!” he shouted, picking up the phone.
The Aldens filed out of the store. They had just left when Jessie remembered something. “My backpack’s inside. Wait here. I’ll be right out.”
Mr. Fowler was yelling on the phone and didn’t see Jessie.
“Can I help it?” Mr. Fowler asked someone. “Look, you said they wanted the animals right away. Then what happens? They changed their minds when I got there. And what am I supposed to do with a monkey after all the trouble we went through to ship it up from South America? Anyway, I brought back the animals. Then, wouldn’t you know that monkey made a mess of things, dumping boxes and opening cages? I guess he went wild.”
Jessie couldn’t hear the person on the other end of the phone, but Mr. Fowler wasn’t finished. “The monkey will turn up. Just give me until Saturday,” Mr. Fowler said. “Only this time, make sure whoever you line up really wants the animals. See you Saturday night. Yeah, I’ll have both of them by then if I have to search day and night.”
Jessie bent down to grab her backpack. She tried not to make too much noise. Could she get out of the store without Mr. Fowler seeing her? What was he planning for Saturday night?
CHAPTER 11
Monkey See, Monkey Do
The Aldens searched Greenfield day and night for George. Now that Mr. Fowler didn’t want them in the shop they had a lot more free time. They put up notices around town. Even Grandfather Alden tried to help. Whenever his grandchildren got a call that the monkey had been sighted, he drove the children around to search for him. But when Saturday arrived, George was still on the loose.
“I guess we should go home now,” Henry said after a long car search on Saturday morning. “George seems to get away just before we arrive. It’s so frustrating.”
“He’s afraid of people,” Violet said. “That’s why he doesn’t stay in one place.”
Jessie stared at every bush and tree they passed. “I just want to make sure we find George before Mr. Fowler does. I know he’s got something planned for tonight.”
Violet gazed out the car window, too. George was somewhere out there. They just had to find him.
Grandfather Alden turned into the driveway of his house. “I doubt Mr. Fowler will have any more luck than we have with George. After all, he’s in the shop all day.”
When the Aldens got home, Mrs. McGregor was at the door. “Don’t take your jackets off. Just get over to Seventy-three Oak Street right away. A woman there found George in her garage. He was sound asleep in her car! Can you imagine? She saw your notice on the supermarket bulletin board and called here.”
“It’s okay, Grandfather,” Henry said when Mr. Alden put his hat back on. “You don’t have to drive us. Oak Street is only a couple of streets over. We’ll
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