what Mrs. Donovan said, but now I’m positive,” Benny said. “I’ve seen him before!”
“You have?” Jessie asked.
“Yeah, in the Reptile Range. He was there a few days ago! I’m sure it was him! He was wearing a Red Sox hat!”
“That’s his favorite team,” Lindsey said. “I remember he talked about them a lot. The Red Sox and animals, his two great loves.”
“What do you think he was doing in the Reptile Range?” Violet asked.
“Probably getting some ideas as to which animals he would take next,” Lindsey guessed.
“And he used to work here?” Jessie asked.
Lindsey nodded. “Yes, but only for a few months. He cared a great deal about the animals, but he wasn’t a very good keeper. That’s why we had to let him go. He kept forgetting to feed certain animals or clean their cages. Some of the other keepers had to do a lot of his work for him. He was very absentminded.”
Henry said, “Wow, just like with the rings on the cages. He forgot about those, too.”
“Exactly,” Lindsey agreed. “We gave him the normal ninety-day trial period, but after that we had to replace him. He was very sad, I remember, but not mad or anything like that.”
She looked back down at the file, read a few lines, then smiled. “Says here he lives on Pittman Avenue.”
Violet’s eyes widened. “That’s near Donovan’s Drugstore!”
Lindsey nodded. “You got it. Kids, I think we’ve caught our thief!”
“Yes!” Benny said triumphantly.
Lindsey looked at his picture again, then shook her head. “He wasn’t a great animal keeper, but he was a nice person. I never would’ve figured him for a criminal.” Then she added, “Well, at least we know now that it wasn’t Beth.”
“I’ll bet she was conducting a little investigation of her own when I saw her sneaking around the Bird Barn,” Henry said.
Lindsey nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“So what do we do now?” Jessie wondered.
“I think it’s time to call the police,” Lindsey said. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“We’ve certainly got enough evidence to make him a prime suspect,” Henry said.
“Yes, we certainly do,” Lindsey replied. She reached over and picked up the phone. “Okay, here goes.”
She began tapping in the numbers, but before she finished, a new voice said, “There’s no need for you to do that, Ms. Taylor.”
Everyone turned, then froze in complete surprise.
Standing in the doorway, holding a big plastic bag containing the missing poison-arrow frogs in one hand and a bucket containing the Wyoming toad tadpoles in another, was Brian Grady. There were white gauze bandages wrapped around his hands, and he looked miserably unhappy.
His voice was shaky. “I can’t do this anymore,” he said. “I feel just awful about what I’ve done.” He crossed the room and handed the bag to Lindsey. The frogs and toad tadpoles appeared to be in good health and color. “Here, put these back where they belong, please.”
“How’s the rash?” Lindsey asked first.
“It’s getting better, slowly. But it doesn’t hurt half as much as thinking about what I’ve done.”
“Yeah, well, you’re lucky, Brian. These are the Aldens, and they’re just about the best young detectives in the world. Another few hours and they would’ve caught you anyway, with the help of the local police. Now, what do you know about the condors and the ferrets?”
“I ... I don’t ... they’re not with me anymore,” he replied, almost choking on the words.
“What do you mean?” Lindsey asked. She sounded angry. “It would be best if you told us what’s been going on. You’re not in a very good spot right now.”
Brian was nodding. “Yes, yes, I know. Of course I’ll tell you everything.” He sat down and buried his face in his bandaged hands.
“Okay” he began after a long breath, “here’s the whole thing from the start. A few weeks ago I received a call from some guy. He didn’t say his name, and his voice
“You have?” Jessie asked.
“Yeah, in the Reptile Range. He was there a few days ago! I’m sure it was him! He was wearing a Red Sox hat!”
“That’s his favorite team,” Lindsey said. “I remember he talked about them a lot. The Red Sox and animals, his two great loves.”
“What do you think he was doing in the Reptile Range?” Violet asked.
“Probably getting some ideas as to which animals he would take next,” Lindsey guessed.
“And he used to work here?” Jessie asked.
Lindsey nodded. “Yes, but only for a few months. He cared a great deal about the animals, but he wasn’t a very good keeper. That’s why we had to let him go. He kept forgetting to feed certain animals or clean their cages. Some of the other keepers had to do a lot of his work for him. He was very absentminded.”
Henry said, “Wow, just like with the rings on the cages. He forgot about those, too.”
“Exactly,” Lindsey agreed. “We gave him the normal ninety-day trial period, but after that we had to replace him. He was very sad, I remember, but not mad or anything like that.”
She looked back down at the file, read a few lines, then smiled. “Says here he lives on Pittman Avenue.”
Violet’s eyes widened. “That’s near Donovan’s Drugstore!”
Lindsey nodded. “You got it. Kids, I think we’ve caught our thief!”
“Yes!” Benny said triumphantly.
Lindsey looked at his picture again, then shook her head. “He wasn’t a great animal keeper, but he was a nice person. I never would’ve figured him for a criminal.” Then she added, “Well, at least we know now that it wasn’t Beth.”
“I’ll bet she was conducting a little investigation of her own when I saw her sneaking around the Bird Barn,” Henry said.
Lindsey nodded. “You’re probably right.”
“So what do we do now?” Jessie wondered.
“I think it’s time to call the police,” Lindsey said. “Wouldn’t you agree?”
“We’ve certainly got enough evidence to make him a prime suspect,” Henry said.
“Yes, we certainly do,” Lindsey replied. She reached over and picked up the phone. “Okay, here goes.”
She began tapping in the numbers, but before she finished, a new voice said, “There’s no need for you to do that, Ms. Taylor.”
Everyone turned, then froze in complete surprise.
Standing in the doorway, holding a big plastic bag containing the missing poison-arrow frogs in one hand and a bucket containing the Wyoming toad tadpoles in another, was Brian Grady. There were white gauze bandages wrapped around his hands, and he looked miserably unhappy.
His voice was shaky. “I can’t do this anymore,” he said. “I feel just awful about what I’ve done.” He crossed the room and handed the bag to Lindsey. The frogs and toad tadpoles appeared to be in good health and color. “Here, put these back where they belong, please.”
“How’s the rash?” Lindsey asked first.
“It’s getting better, slowly. But it doesn’t hurt half as much as thinking about what I’ve done.”
“Yeah, well, you’re lucky, Brian. These are the Aldens, and they’re just about the best young detectives in the world. Another few hours and they would’ve caught you anyway, with the help of the local police. Now, what do you know about the condors and the ferrets?”
“I ... I don’t ... they’re not with me anymore,” he replied, almost choking on the words.
“What do you mean?” Lindsey asked. She sounded angry. “It would be best if you told us what’s been going on. You’re not in a very good spot right now.”
Brian was nodding. “Yes, yes, I know. Of course I’ll tell you everything.” He sat down and buried his face in his bandaged hands.
“Okay” he began after a long breath, “here’s the whole thing from the start. A few weeks ago I received a call from some guy. He didn’t say his name, and his voice
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