“Thanks,” Jessie said, tucking the paper in her pocket.
Emily and the Aldens walked back to their cabins. “Tomorrow morning I can take you guys over to see the manatees, if you’d like,” Emily suggested.
“Sounds fun,” said Violet.
“What are manatees?” Benny asked.
Emily smiled. “They’re a kind of sea animal. You’ll see tomorrow.”
When they reached the gate, Jessie used their card key to open it. As Emily headed into her cabin, she said, “Have a good dinner. Oh, and, um, don’t mention to anyone that I lost my key, okay?”
“Sure,” Jessie said. But she wondered why it was a secret.
A few minutes later, the Aldens had left the park and were headed toward town. “What street are we looking for?” Henry asked.
“I’ll check,” Jessie said, pulling the paper from her pocket and glancing at it. “Oh, that was nice—Emily gave us directions.”
“I thought she just wrote down the address,” Violet said.
“Me, too, but I guess she changed her mind,” Jessie said. “Look how small and neat her handwriting is. It says, ‘Turn right on Buffalo Street.’ “
“Are you sure we don’t turn left?” Henry asked. “Emily said Chariot Pizza was off Stewart Avenue, and that’s the other direction.”
“Her note says to go right,” Jessie said.
“Okay,” said Henry, as they turned the corner onto Buffalo Street.
“Why do you think Emily was so interested in the burglary at Wilson’s?” Violet asked.
“Maybe she’s just curious, like we are,” Benny said.
“It seemed liked more than just curiosity to me,” Jessie said.
“And I wonder why she doesn’t want anyone to know she lost her card key,” Henry put in.
“Maybe she wasn’t telling us the truth,” Jessie said. “Maybe this card is hers, but she doesn’t want anyone to know she was near Wilson’s.”
“I can’t believe Emily could be involved in the burglary,” said Violet.
They had reached the corner of Buffalo and Main.
“Now it says, ‘Turn right on Main Street,’” said Jessie.
“Hey, this is the way we came to the grocery store,” Benny pointed out as they passed the post office and the toy store.
“You’re right,” Jessie agreed. “The directions say, ‘Walk one block, and there you are.’”
The Aldens walked one block and stopped. They looked around, puzzled. There was no Chariot Pizza. There was no pizza restaurant at all. On one side of the street was an empty lot. On the other side was Wilson’s Jewelers.
“This isn’t where we’re supposed to end up,” said Henry.
“No, it’s not,” said Jessie. She looked at the note again and frowned. “This makes no sense at all. Listen to what it says next: ‘Here’s where we’ll put our secret plan into action. See you there, Emily.’ And then it’s signed with the letter J.”
“What?” asked Henry.
“Emily didn’t write this,” Jessie said, baffled. “This is a note to her from someone whose name starts with J.”
“There’s something on the other side of the note,” said Benny.
Jessie turned the note over. “You’re right,” she said. “The back of the note says, ‘Chariot Pizzeria, 110 State Street.’ That’s what Emily wrote. Her handwriting is totally different.”
“Then what are those directions on the other side?” asked Violet.
“Someone must have written that note to Emily and it was lying on her desk,” Henry said slowly figuring it out as he talked. “She used the back of the paper to write the address we need.”
“That makes sense,” Jessie said.
“But then … what does it mean by a secret plan?” asked Benny.
“And,” Violet added, “why do the directions lead straight to Wilson’s Jewelers?”
CHAPTER 6
The Scene of the Crime
“This doesn’t sound good,” said Jessie.
“No, it doesn’t,” Henry agreed.
“I don’t know about you guys, but I can’t think straight on an empty stomach,” Benny complained.
“All right, let’s turn around and head back the way we came,” said Henry. “I knew the pizza place was the other direction.”
The Aldens retraced their steps. They found Stewart Avenue and spotted Chariot Pizza right away. Fifteen minutes later they were sitting in a booth, munching on bread-sticks while they waited for their pizza.
“Let’s write down everything we know about this mystery,” Jessie suggested, getting a small pad out of the backpack she always carried. “First of all, Wilson’s was burglarized.”
“Someone wrote a note to Emily saying something about a ‘secret plan’ and directing her to Wilson’s,” Henry said.
“Emily has lost her card key,” added Benny. “And she doesn’t want anyone to know.”
“And we found a card key right outside Wilson’s,” said Jessie.
“Also, Emily seemed really interested in the burglary when we told her about it,” said Henry. “Especially the diamonds.”
The children stopped talking as a waiter brought over their pizza. For a few minutes everyone was silent as they each bit into a hot, cheesy slice.
“But why would she have robbed the jewelry store?” asked Violet after a moment.
“As they always say on TV detective shows, what’s her motive?”
Everyone thought about that as they ate.
“Maybe it was for the money She’s said a couple of times that her salary is low, remember,” Jessie said.
“I think we need to figure out who ‘J’ is,” said Henry.
The door of the pizzeria opened, and the children were surprised to see who stood in the doorway. It was Emily, and she didn’t look happy. She spotted the children immediately and walked over quickly.
“You found the restaurant,” she said.
“Yes,” said Jessie. “And the pizza’s great, just like you said.”
“Want to join us?” Violet asked, assuming that must be why Emily had come.
“No, I already ate,” Emily said.
“Then, what … ?” Jessie began.
Emily looked around and then said, “Do you still have the piece of paper I gave you—with Chariot’s address?”
“Yes,” said Jessie, pulling it out of her pocket.
“I need it back,” Emily said.
“Really? Why?” Benny wanted to know.
“It has something … important … on the back,” Emily said. She shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably.
“We noticed there was something written there,” Jessie said, handing her the scrap of paper.
“Yes, well, I need it back,” Emily said. “Enjoy your pizza.” She flashed a quick smile and was gone.
“Now, that was strange,” Henry said. “Why did she need the paper back, unless it was something bad she didn’t want us to see?”
“And why was she so nervous?” Violet added.
“I think we need to go back to the scene of the crime and see if we can find any more clues,” said Jessie.
“Won’t Wilson’s be closed?” Violet asked.
“I noticed the sign on the door said it was open late tonight,” Jessie said.
When they’d finished their pizza, the Aldens walked back to Wilson’s. As they walked, they talked about who else at Ocean Adventure Park might want to steal diamonds from the jewelry store.
“What about Ms. Carver?” Benny asked. “I don’t like her at all. She isn’t nice, and she wants to kill the shark.”
“I don’t like her much, either,” said Jessie. “But that doesn’t mean she’s a thief.”
“She is very concerned about money,” Henry pointed out. “Emily said she’s been cutting the budget to try to save money at the park. And it’s obvious the park needs money—maybe stealing diamonds was how she planned to get it.”
Suddenly, Violet spoke up. “Remember
when she was talking to Mac? She said she had a plan to get some money! She wouldn’t say what it was because it was risky. And that night Wilson’s was robbed!”
“That’s right,” Jessie said. “And the card key we found could have been hers—that’s why no one’s come to claim it!”
“I hope she’s the thief and not Emily,” Benny said.
The children were just coming down the block toward Wilson’s when suddenly Violet cried, “Look! Look who’s coming out of the store!”
There were two men, deep in conversation. One was Mr. Wilson. With him was the man in the blue baseball cap.
“What’s he doing here?” asked Jessie.
As the children approached the two men, they could hear bits of what they were saying. While they couldn’t hear everything, they definitely heard the word “diamonds” several times.
Then the man in the baseball cap started to walk away. “Thanks, Pete,” he said, waving to Mr. Wilson. “See you tomorrow.”
Mr. Wilson waved and then walked back into the store. The man in the baseball cap got into a car that was parked by the curb and drove away.
“They seem pretty friendly,” said Violet.
“They sure do,” Jessie agreed. “Makes me think about what the police said, about this being an inside job. That means they think it was someone who either works here or was friendly with someone who does.”
“Someone like that man?” asked Benny.
“Could be,” said Jessie.
“Let’s go inside,” suggested Violet.
The Aldens entered the jewelry store.
Mr. Wilson was behind a counter when they came in. He smiled at the children. “How can I help you?”
“We’re just, um … looking at bracelets,” said Jessie, naming the first thing she saw in the display case.
“Silver?” Mr. Wilson asked.
Jessie nodded. Mr. Wilson came over and unlocked the back of the case. He pulled out a tray of silver bracelets. “Anything here you like?”
Just then the phone rang. “Excuse me a moment,” Mr. Wilson said. “My assistant just left, so I’m all alone here.” He went to get the phone, leaving the Aldens standing in front of the bracelet tray.
“Maybe that man was his assistant!” said Benny.
“Look over there.” Henry pointed to a small alcove by the door. All of the display cases in the alcove held diamonds—rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces. One shelf was completely bare. “That must be where the stolen jewelry was.”
“It’s right by the door,” Jessie pointed out. “Easy to sneak out with.”
Just then Mr. Wilson returned. “So what do you think?”
“Um, they’re very pretty,” Jessie said. “I need to think about it. I’ll come back in a few days.”
“All right,” said Mr. Wilson, smiling and putting the tray back in the glass case.
As the Aldens were heading to the door, Henry stopped walking. He had his head down and looked as if he were thinking about something.
“What is it?” Jessie asked.
Without answering, Henry turned back to Mr. Wilson. “Um, excuse me, did we see you at Ocean Adventure Park today?”
“It’s possible,” Mr. Wilson said. “I was there today.”
“I think we saw you in the office, speaking with Ms. Carver,” Henry said, hoping Mr. Wilson might explain what he and Ms. Carver had been discussing.
“I did have a meeting with her. We’ve been discussing some … plans,” Mr. Wilson said. “How did you like the park?”
“It’s great,” Henry said. “Actually we’re staying there and helping out this week.”
“How exciting,” said Mr. Wilson. “I love that place. If I hadn’t opened this shop, I would have loved to work with animals at a place like that. I visit there all the time.”
“It is lots of fun,” Jessie said.
“Well, thanks for your help,” Henry said. “Good-bye.”
As the Aldens walked back to town, Henry said, “I was hoping he’d tell us more about what he and Ms. Carver were discussing.”
“Me, too,” Jessie agreed. “He sounds like much too nice a man to want to kill a shark. He even said he wanted to work with animals.”
The children walked in silence for a few moments. Then Henry said, “I was surprised he left that tray of jewelry out when he went to answer the phone.”
“We wouldn’t steal anything,” Violet said.
“I guess he figured we were just children and we looked honest,” said Henry. “Maybe that’s what happened with the diamonds. Maybe he left some out, and something happened—like the phone rang—and he walked away. Remember, he told the police his assistant wasn’t there that day, either.”
“So someone stole the diamond jewelry while he wasn’t looking?” Benny asked.
“Maybe,” said Jessie.
“Sounds risky,” said Violet. “That person must have had a good reason.”
“Risky” Jessie repeated. “Just like Ms. Carver said.”
CHAPTER 7
Save the Manatees!
The next morning, the Aldens went with Emily to the Manatee Haven.
“Have you spoken to Mac this morning?” Jessie asked. “Did he talk to Ms. Carver about the shark?”
“I haven’t seen Mac yet,” Emily said. “I’ll stop by there later.”
The Aldens decided not to mention the mix-up with the note from the night before, and Emily didn’t bring it up, either.
“What’s that baby bottle for?” Benny asked when he saw what Emily was carrying.
“You’ll see,” Emily said, smiling mysteriously
In the center of the large building was a giant tank. Swimming in the tank were two large animals and a slightly smaller one. They had fat, round bodies and looked a bit like walruses without tusks. They moved very slowly. Floating in the water were viny clumps of leaves, which they pulled into their mouths with their large front flippers.
“Are those manatees?” Benny asked.
“Yes, they are,” said Emily.
“They’re funny-looking!” he said.
“Not quite as sleek as the dolphins, are they?” Emily agreed.
“I think they’re cute!” said Violet. “Like big roly-poly teddy bears.”
“Manatees are gentle animals that graze on sea plants and grasses,” Emily said. “Some people call them sea cows. The legends of mermaids may have started when sailors caught glimpses of manatees through the fog.”
“Is that a baby one?” Jessie asked, pointing to the smallest of the three manatees.
“Yes,” said Emily. “We brought him in because we found him alone, and he’s too young to survive without his mother.” Emily led the children to a platform beside the tank, from which she could reach the animals. “Come on, it’s time for his breakfast.”
The Aldens stepped up onto the platform and watched as Emily squatted by the edge and pulled the littlest manatee toward her.
Cradling the manatee’s head, she fed it from the bottle.
“So that’s what the bottle was for,” said Benny.
“How sweet,” said Violet.
Emily pointed to another one of the manatees. “See the scar on that one’s back?”
“Is that from a shark attack?” Benny asked.
“No,” Emily said. “Manatees are so large they don’t really have any natural enemies, besides humans.”
“People hunt manatees?” Violet asked.
“In some places people do, for meat and blubber oil,” Emily said. “Manatees are endangered because people have destroyed the manatees’ natural habitats. The scar on that manatee is from a speedboat. When people race around in speedboats where manatees live, the animals can get hurt.”
“That’s terrible!” Jessie said.
“Yes, it is,” Emily agreed. “That’s why some areas have passed laws protecting manatees and other wildlife.”
“I wish there was something we could do,” Jessie said.
When the
manatee was done drinking from the bottle, it swam off in the water. Emily and the Aldens were watching the manatees when suddenly Emily said, “Oh, excuse me a minute.” She darted up the path away from the Manatee Haven.
“Where did Emily go?” Benny asked.
“I don’t know,” said Henry. “Looked as if she saw someone she knew.”
The Aldens looked where Emily had just gone and saw her deep in conversation with someone.
It was the man in the blue baseball cap.
“Him again!” said Violet.
“Does Emily know him?” Jessie asked, noticing that the man’s hand was on Emily’s arm.
“The other day she said she didn’t,” said Violet.
“Let’s go see,” said Jessie, starting up the path. But before the children could reach them, the man was walking away, and Emily was waving and calling out a friendly goodbye.
“It sure looks like she knows him,” said Henry quietly.
A moment later, the Aldens came to where Emily was standing.
“Hello!” Emily said, smiling broadly.
“Hi,” the Aldens replied.
“Who was your friend?” Jessie asked.
“My friend?” Emily said, her cheeks turning pink.
“That man we just saw—we keep seeing him around the park,” Henry explained.
“Oh, he’s … he’s just a visitor here. He had a question,” Emily said quickly. Then she changed the subject. “Did you guys like the manatees?”
“Yeah, they were really neat!” said Benny
“How about checking out the penguins next,” Emily suggested. “It’s about time for them to be fed.”
“Sure!” the children cried.
“Then let’s go.” Emily took off at a quick pace.
The Aldens looked at one another. They were excited to see the penguins, but they couldn’t help feeling that Emily had changed the subject awfully quickly. Why? Was that man really just a normal visitor? It had looked as if he and Emily knew each other quite well. If she was telling the truth, then why was Emily’s face so pink? And why had she said earlier that she didn’t know him?
As the Aldens headed off after Emily, Henry whispered, “We’ve got to find out who that man is. I can’t help feeling he has something to do with the burglary.”