The Poison Frog Mystery Read online

  “Well, I was thinking ... maybe the zoo should just get animals that don’t cost a lot of money. That way Mr. Colby won’t get so mad.”

  Lindsey looked confused. “Mad? What do you mean, Benny?”

  Benny reluctantly told them about the argument between Mr. Colby and Jordan Patterson that he’d overheard.

  “I didn’t mean to hear them,” he pointed out. “I was just standing over by the door, looking at that banged-up lock.”

  Jessie said, “Of course you didn’t mean it. No one thinks you’d do something like that on purpose.”

  “Okay, look,” Lindsey said, “I know Mr. Colby doesn’t sound like the sweetest man in the world. He certainly didn’t go out of his way to make a great impression on you guys, either. But ...” She studied one of the giant potted plants for a moment. “He’s necessary. He’s not an animal person, he’s a money person. Do you understand what that means?”

  The children shook their heads.

  “It was hard for me to understand when I first came here, but after a while it made more sense. This zoo is a business, whether we like it or not. And in order for a business to survive, it has to make more money than it spends. Jordan is an animal expert. He isn’t really much of a businessperson, so he needs Mr. Colby to keep an eye on the money side of things. It’s Mr. Colby’s job to think more about the money than about the animals.”

  Benny said, “After hearing him talk, I think I know what you mean by that.”

  “If the zoo didn’t make money, we couldn’t afford to feed all the animals, keep them in clean cages, and keep them warm in the winter. Doing all that costs money. Also”—Lindsey smiled and pointed to herself— “I wouldn’t have a job. They wouldn’t be able to pay me.”

  “That wouldn’t be good!” Benny exclaimed.

  “No, it wouldn’t. And believe me, we certainly wouldn’t be able to have a breeding program without money. That whole thing was very expensive to set up.”

  The Aldens nodded as they began to understand.

  “Jordan and Mr. Colby get along,” she continued. “They’re not the best of friends, but they make a good team. They need each other to make the zoo work.”

  “I guess that’s good,” Jessie said.

  Lindsey took a sip of her soda and put on a new smile. “So do you feel better now, Benny?”

  The youngest Alden nodded. “Yes, much better.”

  “Are you sure?”

  Benny looked at her curiously. “Mmm-hmmm. Why?”

  “Because your burger still hasn’t been touched.”

  Benny grabbed it and took a huge bite. The others laughed.

  “So, would you all like to know about our next secret breeding project?” Lindsey asked.

  “Can you really tell us?” Violet replied.

  “I think I can trust you guys. Our next endangered species will be ... the California condors.”

  “You’re kidding!” Jessie said.

  “Nope. We’ll be one of only four zoos in the world to have them.”

  “I saw a magazine article about them a few months ago,” Jessie told her. “They’re really rare.”

  Lindsey nodded. “There are only about a hundred left in the whole world, and all of them live in zoos. The long-term plan, though, is to put some back into the wild. We hope there will be thousands of them in the wild again someday.”

  “When are you getting them?” Henry asked.

  “We’ve got them already. We’re going to put them on display in about a week. For now, however, we’re trying to get them used to their new surroundings. We’ve got them in the Bird Barn, in room number seven.”

  Lindsey told them about the California condors. As she spoke, Benny noticed a short, muscular young man sitting nearby, wearing a brightly colored checkered shirt and sunglasses. He was writing on a little notepad and seemed to be listening to their conversation. When Lindsey was done, the man got up and hurried away. Benny was going to say something, but then he realized he hadn’t finished his french fries.

  CHAPTER 4

  The Jammed Window

  Jessie and Henry were at home fixing breakfast for everyone when the phone rang. Henry was trying to balance four plates of bacon and eggs at the same time, so Jessie answered it after wiping her hands on her apron.

  “Hello?”

  “Jessie?” It was Lindsey, and she sounded frantic.

  “Lindsey? What’s wrong?”

  “The California condors are missing!”

  “Missing? You mean they’ve—”

  “Yes, I’d appreciate it if you could all come down as soon as you can!” Lindsey said.

  Then the line went dead.

  The Alden children gobbled up their breakfast and rushed down to the zoo on their bicycles.

  They found Lindsey in one of the back rooms of the Bird Barn. It looked similar to the back room in the mammal house, except for a huge enclosure at one end that had been made by closing off part of the room with long strips of wood and lots of chicken wire.

  “That was where they were,” Lindsey said. “Up until last night.”

  The floor of the cage was bedded with sand, wood chips, and huge rocks. In the center was a small tree. There were no leaves on it, just bare branches. It sort of looked like a giant hand reaching for the ceiling.

  “The same person did it?” Jessie asked.

  Lindsey nodded. She looked as though she were trying to fight back tears.

  “I’m sure,” she said. “We found the lock on the floor, all broken up. It’s on that table over there if you want to look at it. The door to the cage was wide open when the birdkeeper came in. And that window back there ...” she said, pointing toward the other end of the room, “that’s where the thief came and went. The latch is broken. And another bag of food is missing. The right kind this time. I checked.”

  Benny picked up the broken lock and began examining it. It looked pretty much the same as the last one—mangled and beaten. There was some chalky dust on the corners, which he wiped away. This dust made him think of the special dust detectives use to find fingerprints. He wished he had some of that right now.

  Henry went over to the window and pushed it open. The latch, just like Lindsey said, had been broken. Whoever broke it must have been very strong or used a very forceful tool, he thought, because it was made of steel.

  He noticed that the window could be opened, but not by much. Only about eight or nine inches, in fact. Then it sort of got stuck.

  “Lindsey, the thief really came and left through this window? Are you sure?”

  “Positive,” she said. “The lock wasn’t broken yesterday. In fact, Jordan and Mr. Colby issued a strict order after the black-footed ferrets were stolen for everyone to make sure the windows were locked tight before they went home. The head birdkeeper swears he locked that window. If it hadn’t been locked, why would the thief break the latch?”

  Henry frowned. “That’s not what puzzles me. It’s the size of the opening.”

  “What do you mean?”

  Henry pushed the window up as far as it would go. Then he put his hand through the opening.

  “Look at how little room there is here. This window seems to be jammed.” Henry tried opening it all the way, but it wouldn’t budge. “Wouldn’t the person who slipped through it have to be incredibly thin?”

  “Yes, of course. That’s a good point!” Lindsey said. “Some of these windows tend to jam up like that.”

  Benny, still playing with the broken lock, said, “I’m only six years old, and I don’t think I could fit through there!”

  “But someone must have,” Violet added. “Unless ... the thief broke in somewhere else.”

  Lindsey shook her head. “No, we’ve looked. No other signs of forced entry anywhere.”

  Violet also thought maybe the thief had a key, but that couldn’t be possible, could it? Would someone who worked here actually do something like that? Wouldn’t it be too obvious? She tucked the idea in the back of her m
ind for the time being.

  “What does ‘forced entry’ mean?” Benny asked.

  “This,” Henry answered, pointing to the broken latch, “is forced entry. And so is that,” he continued, pointing to the broken lock in Benny’s hand. “When you have to force your way in, that’s forced entry.”

  “Oh,” Benny nodded. “I get it.”

  “And,” Henry said, turning back to the window and putting his hands on his hips, “how could anyone fit two California condors through an opening that size? Aren’t they big birds?”

  “Yes, they are, but it can be done. Birds are, unfortunately, very ‘squeezable.’ That’s why magicians use doves in their magic tricks—they can be squished into tiny places.”

  “That doesn’t sound very nice,” Violet said.

  “If it’s done gently it doesn’t really hurt them,” Lindsey quickly pointed out, “but I’m sure the birds aren’t too happy. If the thief did that with the condors, I’ll bet he or she had to fight with them. Condors are mean, tough birds. The thief probably got a fair share of bites and scratches.”

  They walked back over to the empty enclosure. “What about these little dents on the floor?” Jessie asked, pointing. There were maybe a dozen of them, all small and close together, a few feet from the cage door. “Same as last time?”

  Lindsey nodded. “Exactly the same. And still just as puzzling.”

  Jessie knelt down and gently ran her hand over them.

  “Just like in the mammal house,” she said softly.

  “Right,” Lindsey said, “and they weren’t here before the theft. I asked the head birdkeeper, just to be sure.”

  Henry said, “I wonder if they were caused by the thief’s shoes. Maybe the thief was wearing cleats, or those shoes that mountain climbers use. They have spikes on the bottom.”

  “I doubt it,” Lindsey replied. “If that were the case, why wouldn’t the marks be all over the floor? Why only in one spot?”

  Henry nodded. “That’s true. I can’t really think of anything else, though.”

  “Me neither,” Lindsey said.

  Jordan Patterson walked in at that moment, hands deep in the pockets of his jeans.

  “Any good news, Jordan?”

  He shook his head. “No news at all. Same as last time. I have to admit, whoever the thief is, he or she is very good; left no clues, no trail, nothing.” He turned to the Aldens. “How are you kids coming along with your own investigation? Anything turn up?”

  Henry told Jordan about his thoughts on the open window.

  “That makes a lot of sense,” Jordan said. “I’ll mention that if and when the police get involved. Good point.”

  “Thanks,” Henry said. “Does Mr. Colby know yet?”

  Jordan frowned. “Yeah, I just finished talking to him.”

  “I assume he didn’t take it too well?” Lindsey asked.

  Jordan smiled at her, but there was no happiness in it. “No, he didn’t. In fact, he was downright furious. He said he was going to hire a night guard. He has a friend whose son has guard experience. He’s pretty good, from what I’ve heard.”

  “Well, that should help,” Jessie said.

  “I guess,” Jordan replied. “It’s a shame we have to go this far. Having a guard ...” He shook his head. “This is a zoo, not a prison.”

  “But these thefts won’t make us look very good to the public,” Lindsey told the Aldens. “They’ll make us look irresponsible and careless.”

  “Darren must think the same thing,” Jordan said to Lindsey, “because he said something else, too.”

  “Oh?”

  “He said he was going to shut down the breeding program if one more animal was taken.” Jordan put up a finger. “Just one.”

  Lindsey’s face paled. “You’re kidding.”

  “No, I’m not. And I’m not surprised, either. He’s been very worried about the possible response from the newspapers.”

  “But what about the endangered animals?” Violet asked.

  Jordan shook his head. “I guess another zoo will have to take them.”

  “Oh, no!”

  Jordan shrugged. “What else can we do? We can’t risk losing any more of them.”

  He turned back toward the door. “Okay, I have to go back and talk to him again. Keep up the good work, kids.”

  “Thanks,” Henry said.

  “I hope they catch the thief soon,” Lindsey said sadly after Jordan had gone. “Or we do, or someone does. Shutting down the program is going to be a huge blow to this zoo.”

  “Well, let’s keep looking around for more clues,” Henry said. “Who knows? The key piece to the whole puzzle might be right in this room.”

  “Maybe,” Lindsey said, but she didn’t sound as enthusiastic as Henry.

  Henry went back to the window, Benny investigated the supply shelves, and Violet searched around inside the condors’ empty cage.

  Jessie, on the other hand, knelt down beside the dents in the floor again. There was something about them that seemed important to her—something way in the back of her mind. She could feel that they fit into the picture, but she couldn’t quite figure out how.

  She would, though, very soon.

  It was early afternoon, and Violet and Benny were standing in Amphibian Hall. After the Aldens finished examining the room where the condors had been stolen, they had lunch, then decided to see the rest of the zoo before returning home. Benny insisted that Violet see the frog display.

  Inside a huge glass-fronted enclosure were some of the most beautiful tropical plants Violet had ever seen, with huge green leaves attached to thick vines and branches. A little pipe that ran across the ceiling sprayed a fine mist of water. There were rocks and bubbling water pools, and even a tiny waterfall. It was perfect, Violet thought, even without the animals.

  But the animals were what Benny had insisted she must see—and Violet was happy he had. They were frogs, but not like any other she’d ever seen. Most of them were so small they looked more like large bugs. One was blue and black, another was red and blue. A third was black and orange. One was a very bright yellow, and a few were a pure royal blue. These were the ones that took Violet’s breath away.

  “Benny, they’re unbelievable!”

  Her little brother smiled proudly. “I thought you’d like them.”

  “I certainly do.”

  She read the information plaque on the wall. It said that these amphibians were called poison-arrow frogs, named because natives of South America used to coat the tips of their arrows with the poison that covered the frogs’ skin. In spite of the frogs’ small size, the poison was strong enough to cause severe rashes and other painful skin irritations in humans.

  “Wow,” Violet whispered. She was amazed at how animals so beautiful could be so dangerous at the same time.

  Benny and Violet decided to get a snack after seeing the rest of Amphibian Hall. They walked to the outdoor food court and chose a table in a patch of shade to sit and share an order of french fries. Benny was happily munching away when someone familiar caught his eye. A strongly built young man wearing sunglasses and a brightly colored flowered shirt had made his way off the paved walkway that wound between the exhibit houses. He was standing on tiptoe behind some bushes, peering into back rooms of the Bird Barn.

  “Violet,” said Benny, “look at that guy over there peeking into the Bird Barn. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen him at the zoo before ... Wouldn’t it be much easier for him to see the birds if he just went inside to the exhibit?”

  “You’re right, Benny, but I don’t think he is an ordinary zoo visitor. Look, he’s taking notes.”

  The young man had flipped open a notebook and was writing in it. Then he seemed to be startled by a noise coming from the other side of the Bird Barn window. He looked around quickly, flipped his notebook closed, and hurried away.

  Benny looked thoughtfully down at his french fries. “Now I remember,” he said excitedly. “I did see him here before. When we a
te lunch with Lindsey and she explained to us all about the California condors. He seemed to be listening to Lindsey and he was taking notes then, too!”

  Violet and Benny looked at each other.

  “Do you think we found another suspect?” asked Benny.

  “I think so,” answered Violet, “but who is he?”

  CHAPTER 5

  “Unlocking” the Mystery

  The children returned home late that afternoon. After dinner they went into the living room with their grandfather to talk about everything that had been happening.

  “I’ll bet Lindsey’s very upset,” Grandfather said.

  “She is, I can tell,” Jessie replied. She and Violet were sitting together on one of the couches. Violet was drawing something in her sketch pad.

  “And what about that Jordan Patterson fellow you’ve been telling me about?” Grandfather added. “How’s he doing?”

  “I think he’s upset, too,” Henry answered. “The investigation is keeping him from spending more time with the animals, and I’m sure he doesn’t like that very much.”

  “It’s so unfair,” Jessie added. “Whoever the thief is, I’m sure there’s no good reason for what he or she has done. And to do it to people like Jordan and Lindsey is just terrible.”

  “Any new pieces to add to the puzzle?” Grandfather asked.

  “Violet and I discovered a new piece to the puzzle,” Benny piped up, “but we don’t know how it fits in.”

  “And what’s that?” Grandfather asked.

  Benny and Violet went on to tell the others all about the suspicious young man they’d seen taking notes at the Bird Barn window.

  “Hmmm,” said Henry. “Taking notes. ...You’re right, Benny. We’ve definitely got another piece to the puzzle. Let’s all keep a lookout for him at the zoo. Maybe it’s more innocent than it appears. Or maybe he’s the thief and he’s planning another theft.”

  “If I were a thief,” Violet said quietly, “I wouldn’t wear such colorful shirts. They’re not good for sneaking around.”

  “Have Lindsey and Jordan come up with any more information?” Grandfather asked.