nodded. “Interesting, very interesting. Maybe I’ll say something to her.”
“And what about the man in the bright shirt?” Benny said. “The one Violet and I saw taking notes. Could he be the thief?”
Henry filled Lindsey in about the new suspect and they all agreed to watch out for him at the zoo.
Darren Colby came into the room at that moment, dressed in his usual dark suit and tie.
“I just heard about the stolen frogs and toads,” he said to Jordan, ignoring everyone else. “I’m sorry, Jordan, but that’s three strikes. I’m afraid the breeding program has to be stopped.”
“Oh, no!” Violet said.
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Colby went on, “but the zoo is losing too much money, and if the public finds out it will make us look bad. Nobody wants to come to a zoo that’s losing all its animals.”
“What if we find them again?” Jessie asked. “What if we catch the thief?”
“If you kids can do that,” Mr. Colby said, “then we’re back in business. You have my word.”
Benny smiled. “We’ll do it. You’ll see!”
“I hope so,” Mr. Colby replied.
CHAPTER 7
Mrs. Donovan Remembers
Lindsey came to the Aldens’ house for dinner that night. But in spite of the delicious roast chicken, no one was very hungry.
“This is such a nightmare,” Lindsey was saying, chin in hand. “I can’t believe the thief got all those frogs and toads. Whoever the person is, they’re very clever.” She sighed. “I wonder if we’ll ever catch the thief.”
“I was thinking about something ...” Violet said, picking at her cake with her fork. “Something about those poison-arrow frogs.”
“What about them?” Lindsey asked.
“If the thief took them, wouldn’t he or she get a rash?”
“Probably,” Lindsey replied. “But all he’d have to do to avoid that is wear rubber gloves. Like the ones used in the kitchen.”
“But,” Violet continued, “if the thief was meaning to steal only the Wyoming toads, why would he or she bring gloves?”
“Hey, that’s right,” Jessie added. “The thief obviously meant to take the Wyoming toads because they were the animals featured in the breeding program. The thief probably saw the poison-arrow frogs and thought, Hey, they’re pretty. Maybe I’ll take those, too. Because the thief wasn’t expecting to take the poison-arrow frogs, he or she wouldn’t have brought gloves along. He would have picked up the poison frogs with bare hands. I think the thief has made the mistake we’ve been hoping for.”
Lindsey started nodding. “You know something? I think you’re right.”
“If that’s what happened,” Violet said, “when would the rash appear?”
Lindsey looked at her watch. “It would be in full bloom by now. It’s been twelve hours at least, and it takes only about eight for the rash to surface.”
“Is it possible the thief could have developed the rash and gone to the local hospital?” Jessie wondered. “Would it be worth it to call over there and ask if anyone came in with such a rash?”
Henry shook his head and cut in with, “If I were the thief and I had a weird rash caused by some animals I’d stolen, I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to know about it. A doctor would want to know how the rash was caused. Right, Grandfather?”
Grandfather Alden nodded. “Of course. The doctor would have to know the cause, or else the rash couldn’t be treated properly.”
“And the thief wouldn’t dare tell the truth,” Jessie continued. “Painful or not, the thief would have to keep quiet.”
“I had a skin rash once,” Benny added. “It sure hurt!”
“How’d that happen?” Lindsey asked.
“Poison ivy,” Benny told her. “It was all over me, and it itched like crazy. I think I got it from playing with Watch in the woods.” Benny looked over at his beloved dog. “He didn’t get it? though.”
Everyone laughed. “Dogs don’t get rashes from poison ivy,” Jessie said. “Right, Lindsey?”
“Nope.
“And what about the man in the bright shirt?” Benny said. “The one Violet and I saw taking notes. Could he be the thief?”
Henry filled Lindsey in about the new suspect and they all agreed to watch out for him at the zoo.
Darren Colby came into the room at that moment, dressed in his usual dark suit and tie.
“I just heard about the stolen frogs and toads,” he said to Jordan, ignoring everyone else. “I’m sorry, Jordan, but that’s three strikes. I’m afraid the breeding program has to be stopped.”
“Oh, no!” Violet said.
“I’m sorry,” Mr. Colby went on, “but the zoo is losing too much money, and if the public finds out it will make us look bad. Nobody wants to come to a zoo that’s losing all its animals.”
“What if we find them again?” Jessie asked. “What if we catch the thief?”
“If you kids can do that,” Mr. Colby said, “then we’re back in business. You have my word.”
Benny smiled. “We’ll do it. You’ll see!”
“I hope so,” Mr. Colby replied.
CHAPTER 7
Mrs. Donovan Remembers
Lindsey came to the Aldens’ house for dinner that night. But in spite of the delicious roast chicken, no one was very hungry.
“This is such a nightmare,” Lindsey was saying, chin in hand. “I can’t believe the thief got all those frogs and toads. Whoever the person is, they’re very clever.” She sighed. “I wonder if we’ll ever catch the thief.”
“I was thinking about something ...” Violet said, picking at her cake with her fork. “Something about those poison-arrow frogs.”
“What about them?” Lindsey asked.
“If the thief took them, wouldn’t he or she get a rash?”
“Probably,” Lindsey replied. “But all he’d have to do to avoid that is wear rubber gloves. Like the ones used in the kitchen.”
“But,” Violet continued, “if the thief was meaning to steal only the Wyoming toads, why would he or she bring gloves?”
“Hey, that’s right,” Jessie added. “The thief obviously meant to take the Wyoming toads because they were the animals featured in the breeding program. The thief probably saw the poison-arrow frogs and thought, Hey, they’re pretty. Maybe I’ll take those, too. Because the thief wasn’t expecting to take the poison-arrow frogs, he or she wouldn’t have brought gloves along. He would have picked up the poison frogs with bare hands. I think the thief has made the mistake we’ve been hoping for.”
Lindsey started nodding. “You know something? I think you’re right.”
“If that’s what happened,” Violet said, “when would the rash appear?”
Lindsey looked at her watch. “It would be in full bloom by now. It’s been twelve hours at least, and it takes only about eight for the rash to surface.”
“Is it possible the thief could have developed the rash and gone to the local hospital?” Jessie wondered. “Would it be worth it to call over there and ask if anyone came in with such a rash?”
Henry shook his head and cut in with, “If I were the thief and I had a weird rash caused by some animals I’d stolen, I certainly wouldn’t want anyone to know about it. A doctor would want to know how the rash was caused. Right, Grandfather?”
Grandfather Alden nodded. “Of course. The doctor would have to know the cause, or else the rash couldn’t be treated properly.”
“And the thief wouldn’t dare tell the truth,” Jessie continued. “Painful or not, the thief would have to keep quiet.”
“I had a skin rash once,” Benny added. “It sure hurt!”
“How’d that happen?” Lindsey asked.
“Poison ivy,” Benny told her. “It was all over me, and it itched like crazy. I think I got it from playing with Watch in the woods.” Benny looked over at his beloved dog. “He didn’t get it? though.”
Everyone laughed. “Dogs don’t get rashes from poison ivy,” Jessie said. “Right, Lindsey?”
“Nope.
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