The Mystery of the Fallen Treasure

  The children praised Watch and approached the bright yellow backpack carefully. Henry picked up a stick and poked at it then peered inside. Violet was right behind him. Her brown eyes opened wide when she saw the contents.

  “It’s filled with jewelry!” she cried. “Beautiful jewelry!”

  Chapter 2

  A Find!

  Violet loved art objects, especially things that were purple or blue. Jessie and Benny joined Violet and Henry to inspect the glinting gold and gemstone jewelry.

  Violet carefully tipped the backpack so that they could see more of the contents. Inside were boxes of different sizes. Many of the boxes had come open. A tangle of gold necklaces, bracelets, and earrings lay in a jumbled mess.

  “It looks like someone dropped this backpack and kept going,” said Henry.

  “Oh my! Maybe it was stolen,” said Jessie. “Violet, maybe you could take photos. Then we’ll have a record to show the owner.”

  “Good idea,” said Henry. “We can show what the backpack looked like when we found it.”

  “And it’s so pretty!” Violet said. She snapped a few photos with her digital camera. Henry and Jessie looked inside the backpack for clues to its owner.

  “Here’s a piece of paper,” said Jessie.

  “What does it say?” asked Henry.

  “Twila’s Handcrafted Jewelry Creations in Sunriver Village is in fancy writing across the top,” said Jessie. Benny stretched to look at the paper while Jessie continued to read. “Dear Mr. Anderson, thank you for your payment of five thousand dollars. Here is the jewelry that you chose for your store in Portland. Each piece is one of a kind. I hope that your customers are pleased with your choices.”

  “Wow, that’s a lot of money!” Henry exclaimed. He zipped the backpack closed and strapped it to his back. “We should take this to Twila’s Handcrafted Jewelry Creations right away!”

  Just then Watch barked and ran toward the woods that surrounded the clearing. He stopped at the trees and wagged his tail.

  “Look, someone’s there,” said Jessie. A figure appeared between the trees and then disappeared deeper into the woods.

  “Maybe it was Jason or Marianella looking for us,” Henry said. “We need to tell them about Watch’s find.”

  * * *

  “Here you are!” said Marianella when the children returned to the campsite.

  “We thought we were going to have to search for you guys!” said Jason.

  He noticed the yellow backpack that Henry had strapped to his back. “Where did that come from?”

  Henry removed the backpack and showed Marianella and Jason what was inside. “Watch found this in the woods. It looks like it was dropped.”

  Jason and Marianella admired the tangle of jewelry.

  “I wonder how this backpack wound up in the woods,” said Jason.

  “Maybe it fell from the sky!” Benny said.

  “Oh, Benny, jewelry doesn’t fall from the sky,” said Violet. “Jessie and Henry think that somebody stole it then dropped it for some reason.”

  “We found a letter inside the backpack,” said Jessie. “It’s from Twila’s Handcrafted Jewelry Creations in Sunriver Village.”

  “I know the store and Twila very well,” said Jason. “She’s a jewelry maker. Twila and I studied silver jewelry making at the same school.”

  Jason leaned over Benny and looked closely at the jewelry in the backpack.

  Violet observed the jewelry that Jason was wearing—a watch with a gold, coral, and turquoise band, and multiple gold rings. She noticed he had a pierced ear but was not wearing an earring.

  “Do you sell handmade jewelry too?” Violet asked Jason.

  “Oh, some,” said Jason. “But I could never afford to have my own jewelry store like Twila.” He frowned.

  “We also saw someone running in the woods,” said Henry. “We thought it might be one of you.”

  “I was here with Goyo, working on our training schedule,” said Marianella.

  “I had Bounce down by the river,” said Jason. “I wonder who it might have been.”

  “Maybe it was the thief!” said Jessie. “We need to take the backpack to Twila.”

  “Yes,” said Marianella. “If it was stolen, I’m sure that she will want to contact the police.”

  “All right,” said Jason. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Marianella.”

  “See you later, Jason,” said Marianella. “Come on, Aldens, let’s head back to Sunriver. We need to return this backpack to Twila right away.”

  Chapter 3

  Twila’s Handcrafted Jewelry Creations

  Goyo and Watch collapsed in the back of the jeep and slept during the drive back to Sunriver. Jessie reached back and petted both dogs.

  “They must be tired from all that searching,” she said.

  “You bet,” said Marianella, “and hungry too. I’ll give them food and water when we get to Twila’s store.”

  Marianella guided the jeep through the little community and pulled up to Twila’s store. Henry grabbed the yellow backpack and got out of the jeep with Jessie, Violet, and Benny.

  The store was across the street from a large park. Henry noticed that it had a nice view of the foothills from the front window. The Aldens entered the store, and a bell on the door jingled. Jessie noticed a pair of binoculars sitting on a table by the big front window.

  Inside, a woman wearing a visor on a head of frizzy blond hair was bent over a worktable behind a long display counter. The children waited quietly while the woman worked. She opened the dome lid of a small, boxy machine and pulled out a bowl. They watched her carefully pour a mixture from the bowl into a little metal container. She put the container into the machine, shut the lid, and flipped a switch. Then she noticed the four children watching her.

  “Oh my! You startled me,” she said, standing and wiping her hands on her apron. “May I help you?”

  “Oh, we’re so sorry,” Jessie said. “We didn’t mean to scare you. We didn’t want to disturb your work.” Jessie introduced her brothers and sister.

  “Are you Twila, the jewelry maker?” asked Violet.

  “Yes, that’s me,” said Twila. “Is there something you want to buy from my store?” She looked at the four young children.

  “Actually, we have something that we think belongs to you,” Henry said. He held up the backpack so that Twila could see it.

  “Oh my!” said Twila again. “Yes, that is my backpack. Where did you find it?”

  “Our dog, Watch, found it in the foothills nearby,” said Benny. “He is a search-and-rescue dog!”

  “Give it to me,” Twila said sharply. She came around the counter and reached for the backpack as Jessie handed it to her.

  “Look at this muddy mess,” Twila muttered, holding up the backpack. “This is why I like brown suitcases. They don’t show dirt.”

  “I like bright yellow,” said Violet. “It makes me feel sunny even when it’s raining outside.”

  “I never thought anything could get this dirty! Yellow is very hard to get clean,” griped Twila. “I never buy anything yellow. This backpack is ruined.”

  “We wondered how the backpack ended up in the woods,” Jessie said. “Did someone steal it from you?”

  “I don’t know,” said Twila. “I hired a pilot named Adelita from the Sunriver Airport. She was supposed to deliver the backpack to my customer in Portland. But my customer called a little while ago and said that Adelita has still not shown up. I called and left Adelita a message, but she hasn’t called back. I was just about to call her again.”

  “Oh no,” said Jessie. “Adelita is Marianella’s sister! What if Adelita’s plane crashed? We should go to the airport right away and find out!”

  “I’ll be right behind you,” said Twila. “I would like to know how my jewelry wound up in t
he woods. Adelita has some explaining to do.”

  The children hurried to tell Marianella what they had learned.

  “I hope Adelita is okay,” said Marianella as the Aldens piled into the jeep. “She seems to get in all kinds of trouble, but this is scary.” Marianella drove quickly toward the airport.

  “Did you notice the binoculars on the counter?” Jessie asked her brothers and sister.

  “Yes, I did. That was strange,” said Henry. “Jewelers use magnifying glasses to see close-up, not binoculars that see things far away.”

  * * *

  A small plane lifted from the runway and looped back over Sunriver Village just as Marianella steered the jeep into the airport parking lot.

  “That must be the way the planes head out,” said Henry.

  “Adelita’s plane should be parked by the hangars,” said Marianella. “I’m not sure where, and it looks like nobody is around.”

  “What’s a hangar?” Benny asked as they walked quickly past a row of metal buildings.

  “These metal buildings are hangars,” said Henry. “Airplanes can be parked inside them.”

  “That’s Adelita’s plane at the end!” Marianella cried. She and Goyo raced down the row of airplanes.

  Watch tugged on his leash as the children rushed to follow Marianella.

  “What’s up with you, Watch?” Jessie asked.

  “He’s acting like he found something,” Benny said. “Maybe we should let him go.”

  “Good idea, Benny,” said Henry. “Watch is a search dog, after all!”

  Jessie detached the leash and Watch took off down the row of planes. He stopped in front of a small plane parked in front of a hangar. The children caught up as he sniffed at a door on the side of the airplane, wagging his tail. Marianella was peeking inside the windows.

  “I’m so relieved!” said Marianella. “But where is Adelita? What kind of trouble is she in now?” She shook her head sadly.

  “I think Watch may have a clue,” said Jessie. “What do you smell, Watch?”

  “That’s funny—the door he’s sniffing is open,” said Violet.

  Benny reached up and felt the bottom edge of the door. It felt sticky! He started to say something but was interrupted.

  “What are you doing here?” A tall man wearing a tan shirt and blue jeans stood at the hangar door. “Get away from that plane!” he yelled.

  Chapter 4

  High in the Sky

  “Hello, Rick,” said Marianella calmly. “We’re looking for my sister Adelita. Have you seen her today?”

  Rick looked at the group that surrounded Adelita’s airplane. “Adelita isn’t here. Why are you looking for her, Marianella?” he asked. “And who are these children?”

  Henry introduced himself and his brother and sisters. “We found a backpack full of jewelry that Adelita was hired to fly to Portland today,” he said. “We found the backpack in the foothills. We wanted to ask Adelita what happened.”

  “Do you think Adelita stole the jewelry?” asked Rick. “If that’s what you think, you are wrong. Adelita is a good friend of mine. I know she is not a thief.”

  Jessie noticed that Rick was fidgeting. “Do you know where she is?” she asked him.

  “Adelita left for Portland this morning,” said Rick. “She got back while I was away. I have no idea where she went after she parked her plane. I’ve left her several messages but she hasn’t returned my calls.” Rick sighed. Jessie realized that he must have been very worried.

  “Do you mind if we look around the hangar?” Henry asked. “There might be a clue in there.”

  “Sure,” said Rick. “Anything to help find Adelita and prove that she is not a thief.”

  Rick watched as Marianella and the children looked around the space where Adelita kept her things.

  “Adelita loves to camp, as you can see by the photos on the wall,” said Marianella.

  “She also loves butterscotch candy,” said Rick. He pointed to a big bowl of yellow candy on a wooden trunk by the wall. Henry spied a pair of leather gloves lying next to the bowl of candy.

  The children looked at the photos. One showed Adelita standing by a tent. She had long blond hair in a ponytail and a big smile. In another photo she stood by an airplane with a grin and both thumbs up.

  “That photo was taken after she got her license to fly last year,” Rick said. “Adelita worked very hard for it. I just know she wouldn’t risk it all over some jewelry.”

  “Then where is she?” Henry asked.

  “That’s what I would like to know!” Twila marched through the open doorway of the hangar. “I just discovered that a very special necklace is missing from this backpack!” Twila held up the yellow backpack, which she’d brought with her. “The necklace is one of a kind.”

  “Did you look all through the backpack?” asked Violet. “Things looked pretty jumbled up inside.”

  “Yes, I stood outside and went through everything while you were chatting,” said Twila, obviously upset. “I packed the backpack myself and the necklace was right on top in a special box. It was my favorite creation. I didn’t want to sell it, but I needed the money and the customer from Portland wanted to buy it.”

  “We’re very sorry,” said Henry. “You have everything that we found. But we could go back to the woods and look some more…”

  Twila glared at the children. “You do whatever you like. I need to call the police now. It looks like Adelita stole the piece and tried to hide the rest in the woods.”

  Twila seemed to notice Rick for the first time. “You’re her friend, aren’t you? I’ve seen you and Adelita in my store, though you never bought anything.”

  “I tried to buy something, but you told me that it wasn’t for sale,” said Rick. “Heck of a way to do business.”

  “I have plenty of items for sale!” snapped Twila. “Maybe you were just checking out the goods that you and Adelita planned to steal.”

  “Adelita is no thief,” said Rick. “And neither am I.” He frowned at Twila.

  Twila turned and stormed outside the hangar. Henry heard Twila’s cell phone ring and overhead her say, “Thanks for calling. Yes, it was insured. I would like to file a claim.”

  “Whew,” said Rick. “Twila is really mad. I hope I find Adelita before she does!”

  “Where do you think Adelita might be?” asked Jessie.

  “I don’t know, but I think she must be okay since her airplane is here,” said Rick. “I want to help find her, but right now I have to fly to Redmond.” He noticed Henry’s eyes open wide. “Say, how would you kids like to come along? It will take only about an hour,” Rick said.

  “In one of these little planes?” Benny asked. “Will we all fit?”

  “No problem,” said Rick. “We can even take Watch. I have a travel harness for dogs.”

  “Watch had to ride inside a kennel in the baggage compartment on the way to Oregon,” said Jessie. “He’ll like having a window seat this time!”

  “You guys have fun,” said Marianella. “I’m going to check Adelita’s apartment. I’ll see you at the house later.” The children waved good-bye as Marianella and Goyo left to look for Adelita.

  “Okay, let’s go,” said Rick. He led the children to the plane parked next to Adelita’s. Benny looked at the baggage door on Adelita’s plane again but didn’t say anything. Rick opened the double doors to his plane, and the children and Watch climbed in. Rick helped the children buckle up. He and Jessie put a travel harness on Watch and attached it to the seat belt. Watch kept licking their hands.

  “Watch is very excited,” said Violet. “He is ready for action!”

  Rick got into the pilot’s seat and called ahead to the Redmond airport. Henry sat next to Rick and looked at the controls in front of him.

  “You can be my copilot, okay, partner?” aske
d Rick.

  Henry nodded.

  “I think he’s speechless,” Jessie whispered to Violet and Benny. They giggled and held tight to one another’s hands as the plane headed down the runway and took to the air. The little plane jumped and bucked in the sky.

  “This is fun!” yelled Benny. “It’s like a carnival ride.”

  “I’m glad you’re having fun, Benny,” said Violet unhappily. “This is like riding a bucking horse!”

  “That is turbulence,” said Jessie. “You’ll get used to it. Just hang on and take deep breaths.” Jessie patted her little sister’s hand.

  “We’ll be flying pretty low so you’ll see a lot of interesting things,” said Rick. “Look at that herd of mountain goats down there.”

  Benny stuck his nose up against the window. “They look like furry white toys!” he said.

  The children leaned close to the windows as the little plane passed over Sunriver, banked, and headed across the foothills. Watch seemed to be interested in looking out the window too. The jumpy, bumpy ride didn’t seem to bother him at all.

  “Hey, look at that,” said Violet. She felt a little calmer now that they were higher up. “There’s a big clearing down there. Is that where Watch found the yellow backpack?”

  “Maybe so,” said Henry, who finally found his voice. “I think I saw the little gravel parking lot where we parked.”

  “Hey, I see someone down there!” said Benny.

  “So do I,” said Violet. “Wearing a bright red jacket and waving up at us!”

  “I wonder who it is,” Jessie said. “Why would that person wave at us?”

  “It’s probably just a hiker being friendly,” said Rick. “Hey, look up there, on the left, that’s Mount Bachelor. Isn’t it beautiful?”

  Jessie, Violet, and Benny admired the snowy mountain in the distance. Henry noticed that Rick was trying to distract them from the person in the clearing.