by Charles Tang
“Could be,” said Henry.
“I’m not going to let that happen,” Anna said fiercely. “I’d feel safer if Ginger slept in my room tonight.”
“That’s usually not allowed at this point —” Jason began.
“I think it’s a great idea,” said Jessie, and the others nodded and looked at Jason expectantly.
“All right, but only because this is a special situation,” Jason said.
After they were done eating, the children gathered up the garbage and threw it in a nearby trash can. Anna and Jason folded the tablecloth. Then they spent the rest of the sunny afternoon playing in the grass with Ginger. They were having so much fun that none of them noticed the tall person in the raincoat slinking away through the bushes.
After dinner, Anna brought Ginger back to her room instead of to the kennel. Each of the Aldens gave Ginger a pat on the head as they said good night.
“Her new collar is very nice,” Violet said.
“I hope Ginger likes it, too!” Anna said with a smile. “Good night!”
The nights before had been very exciting. For a change, the Aldens were hoping they could get a good night’s sleep.
But once again, something woke them. This time it was someone banging on the door.
“Jessie! Violet!” a voice called. “Wake up!”
Violet jumped out of bed and ran to the door when she recognized Anna’s voice. “Anna, what is it?” Violet asked.
“It’s Ginger! She’s been kidnapped!” Anna cried.
“What do you mean?” demanded Jessie.
“Someone broke into my room and took her!” Anna said.
Henry and Benny had just stumbled sleepily out of their room to find out what was going on. As soon as they heard what Anna was saying, Henry took off down the hall. “I’m going to get Jason,” he called over his shoulder.
When Henry returned with Jason, Anna was sitting on her bed, wiping tears from her eyes. Jessie had gotten her a glass of water and Violet was sitting beside her, patting her hand. Benny was pacing restlessly back and forth.
“Tell us exactly what happened,” Jason said.
“I was in bed,” Anna began. “Ginger was sleeping on the floor next to the chair. I heard a scraping noise at my door — now I realize it must have been someone picking the lock. I heard the door open, and someone called Ginger’s name. I thought I was dreaming. But when I heard the door click shut, I knew it wasn’t a dream. Ginger was gone!”
“Then what did you do?” asked Jason.
“I ran out into the hallway and banged on Jessie and Violet’s door,” Anna said.
“When you opened the door, did you see anyone in the hallway?” Jason asked the girls.
“No. There was no one but Anna,” Violet said.
“I know who the person was,” Anna said.
“You do?” Jessie said.
“Oh, I don’t know the person’s name, but I know it was the same person who was following us today,” Anna said.
“How can you be sure?” Henry asked. He noticed Ginger’s old collar lying on Anna’s desk and picked it up.
“I heard the way he ran. It was the same limp I’d heard earlier today, behind me,” Anna said. “I also noticed that he smelled flowery — like aftershave or perfume.”
“The person must have overheard us saying that Ginger was going to spend the night in your room,” Violet said.
“I can’t believe Ginger would just go off with a stranger,” Jessie pointed out.
“Maybe it wasn’t a stranger,” said Benny. “Maybe it was Mrs. Davis.”
Everyone looked at Benny. He could be right. The children all remembered the way Ginger had run eagerly to her former owner only a few days before.
As they were talking, Henry had been idly playing with Ginger’s old collar. It seemed awfully lumpy. He noticed a small slit in the leather and slipped his finger in. All of a sudden, Henry called out, “Oh, my gosh! Look at this! There’s something inside Ginger’s collar!”
Everyone stopped talking and looked over. “What is it, Henry?” Jason asked.
Henry was pulling something out from inside the two layers of leather. It looked sparkly. At last he got the object out and held it up in the light where it glittered.
“It’s a diamond bracelet!” Jessie cried. Everyone crowded around Henry to examine the valuable piece of jewelry.
“What was this doing inside Ginger’s collar?” asked Anna, as she fingered the narrow bracelet.
“Why would someone tuck a diamond bracelet inside a dog’s collar?” asked Violet.
“Oh, my goodness!” Jessie cried out. “Maybe the person who kidnapped Ginger wasn’t after Ginger at all. Maybe the person knew the bracelet was in Ginger’s collar, and that’s what he was after!”
“You may be right,” said Jason. “I think I’d better make a few phone calls.” He picked up the phone, dialed, and began speaking quietly.
While Jason talked, the Aldens comforted Anna, who was quite upset.
“Don’t worry, we’ll solve this mystery and get Ginger back,” Violet assured her.
“You don’t know us very well yet, but we’re good at solving mysteries,” Benny added.
When Jason had hung up the phone, Henry asked if he’d spoken with the police. “No,” Jason said. “I called Mrs. Carter. She wants to wait until tomorrow before we call the police. She’s hoping we can figure out what happened to Ginger and where this bracelet came from. If we call in the police, it will be terrible publicity for the school, and we don’t want that.” The others all nodded.
“I called Charlotte, too,” Jason went on. “She seemed very upset when I told her what happened to Ginger.”
“Do you believe her?” Henry asked.
Jason looked thoughtful. “I guess so. She’s going to come by tomorrow morning, and we can talk to her some more and show her the bracelet.”
“Until then, I guess there’s nothing more we can do,” Jessie said.
CHAPTER 10
Lots of Surprises
The following morning, the Aldens woke and dressed quietly. They were all wondering what had happened to Ginger and feeling very sorry for Anna.
“I have an idea,” said Violet. “Let’s get some flowers for Anna. They won’t take Ginger’s place, but they might make her feel a little better.”
“The flower shop downtown is open early,” said Jessie. “We could go right now.”
In no time the Aldens were walking down Main Street toward the flower shop. Suddenly, up ahead, they saw a tall person walking a golden retriever!
It was Mr. Dominick!
“Hey, you!” Benny cried out, breaking into a run. “Stop!”
The others chased after Benny, expecting Mr. Dominick to run away. But surprisingly, he came toward them.
“Well, hello,” he called out, a broad grin on his face.
“You kidnapped Ginger!” Benny shouted angrily.
But as he got closer, Benny stopped in his tracks. The others stopped right behind him. The dog wasn’t Ginger! It was a different golden retriever!
“Meet Lola,” Mr. Dominick said. “When I realized I couldn’t get Ginger, I searched all over and found a breeder who sold me this beautiful dog. I told you I wouldn’t give up.”
“But we thought you meant —” Jessie began.
“You thought I meant what?” asked Mr. Dominick.
“Oh, nothing,” Jessie said, patting Lola on the head. “She is a beautiful dog.”
“Her first show is in two months. Come see her win,” Mr. Dominick said. “Bye-bye!”
The Aldens watched as Mr. Dominick and Lola walked off down the street. “Well, I guess Mr. Dominick wasn’t the one trying to take Ginger,” said Violet.
“Who could it be?” wondered Jessie.
Then they turned slowly and went into the flower shop. There they selected a pretty bunch of nice-smelling flowers that they thought Anna would like, and headed back to the school.
As the A
ldens were walking up the school’s driveway, they saw Jason walking just ahead of them. “Hey, wait for us!” Henry called out.
When Jason turned, the children noticed he had a strange look on his face. He was carrying something in a bag, which he quickly tucked behind his back.
“So you had some things to do this morning, too,” said Jessie.
“Uh, yes,” Jason said. He sounded uncomfortable.
“What’s in the bag?” asked Benny.
“Nothing. . . .” Jason said. He seemed relieved when a car pulled into the driveway, interrupting their conversation. It was Charlotte Davis.
A few moments later they were all gathered in Mrs. Carter’s office, along with Anna and Mrs. Carter. Jason showed the diamond bracelet to Mrs. Davis. “This was tucked inside Ginger’s collar. Do you recognize it?”
“I think so,” she said, taking the delicate piece of jewelry from him. “It looks like the heirloom bracelet that I haven’t been able to find for a few months. I’ll put on my glasses and then I’ll know for sure.” Mrs. Davis began patting her pockets, feeling for her glasses. “Now where did I put them?” she mumbled to herself. “Oh, I must have left them in the car.”
“Can I run down and get them?” Henry offered.
“Thanks, but I’ll just call down to my driver to bring them up.” Mrs. Davis went to the window and called down to her car, which was parked just below. “Glen! Would you please bring my glasses? I think they’re in the backseat.”
A few minutes later, a tall man entered the room carrying an eyeglass case. As he crossed the floor to where Mrs. Davis was sitting, Benny gasped.
“What is it, Benny?” Jessie asked.
“It’s him!” Benny said. “He’s the one who was following us! I can tell by the way he walks.”
Glen was walking with a limp. He stopped in the middle of the room and looked at Benny.
“Are you sure?” Jason asked.
“I’m sure,” said Anna. Everyone turned to look at Anna, who’d been sitting quietly in the corner. “I recognize the sound of his walk from the grocery store yesterday. And I can smell his aftershave — it’s the same as last night.”
Glen looked around nervously.
“You think Glen is the one who kidnapped Ginger?” asked Mrs. Davis.
“Why would I —” Glen said.
Just then, the door was pushed open and someone else came into the room. It was Ginger! Trailing from her collar was a broken piece of rope. Ginger ran around the room excitedly, her tail wagging wildly. Then she raced over to Anna.
In all the commotion, Glen forgot that the others were there. “Ginger! How did you get free?” he said, not realizing the others were listening.
“So it was you,” said Mrs. Davis.
Glen realized it was over. He hung his head sadly and said, “Yes, I admit it, Mrs. Davis. I kidnapped Ginger and tied her up in my sister’s backyard. It’s just down the street from here.”
“But why?” asked Violet. “Why would you do such a thing?”
“It was because of the bracelet, wasn’t it?” said Henry.
“Yes,” Glen said. He began speaking slowly. “I thought if I stole that bracelet I’d have all the money I’d ever need. I used to take Ginger for walks every day. So one day, when we were leaving, I sneaked into Mrs. Davis’s room and took the bracelet.”
“How did it end up in Ginger’s collar?” Jessie asked.
“After I’d taken it, I saw Mrs. Davis coming. I panicked. I didn’t want her to catch me with the bracelet! So I made a slit in Ginger’s collar and hid it there.” He sighed. “But I didn’t know that the next day Ginger was being returned to the school for training.”
“So all this time you’ve been following us and sneaking around, trying to get the bracelet back,” said Jessie.
“Yes,” Glen said.
“And you stole Jason’s key and broke into the kennel,” said Henry.
Glen nodded. “I wrote Jason a note and signed Mrs. Davis’s name. I knew that he’d go meet with her and that would give me time to break into his room and find the key.”
“So that’s why you never showed up that night,” Jason said to Mrs. Davis. “I knew you were upset about having to return Ginger. Oh, Charlotte. I thought you were going to ask for her back. I was going to tell you I couldn’t do that.”
“You kept telling me not to come back and see her again, but I missed her,” Mrs. Davis said.
“She needed to become attached to Anna, and she couldn’t do that if you kept coming back,” Jason explained. “I was afraid that you were the one who’d been following us.”
“And the one who kidnapped her?” Mrs. Davis smiled. “I would never have gone that far.”
While they were talking, Mrs. Carter had gone to the phone and quietly made a call. In a few minutes, the police appeared in the doorway.
“Jason, why don’t you take Anna and the Aldens outside,” Mrs. Carter suggested. “We’ll handle this from here.”
As they left Mrs. Carter’s office, Jessie turned to the others. “At last the mystery is solved!”
“It’s great that we can go for a walk now and not worry someone’s following us,” Violet added.
“I don’t know about you guys, but solving a mystery always makes me hungry,” said Benny.
“Oh, Benny,” said Henry. “Everything makes you hungry.”
“Well, I’m hungry, too,” said Anna.
“How about a special celebration at the pancake house downtown,” Jason suggested.
“Good idea!” Violet said.
A short while later, Jason, Anna, and the Aldens were all sitting around a big table enjoying stacks of delicious blueberry pancakes. Ginger sat happily under Anna’s chair.
“There is still one thing I’m wondering about,” Benny said. “What’s in that bag you’ve been carrying around since this morning, Jason?”
Jason’s face flushed. “Well, I might as well get this over with.” He reached into the bag and pulled out a single red rose. “This is for you, Anna. I wasn’t sure if this was a good idea, but . . . oh, what the heck. I’m hoping that maybe when we’re done with your training . . . um . . . you and I could go out, you know, on a date.”
Anna broke into a smile. “I’d like that very much.”
Violet grinned. “So that’s what was making you so nervous!”
“And that’s what we overheard that day on the phone,” Henry said.
“I was afraid you might have heard me when I came out of my room that day and saw you on my doorstep! That’s why I took off so quickly. I was embarrassed,” Jason said. “I’d been talking to my brother about Anna. I was afraid to ask her out, but he said I should.”
“I’m glad you did,” Anna said, taking his hand.
At last all the mysteries had been solved.
A few weeks later, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny were in the pet shop in Greenfield when they saw a tall woman standing at the counter. Beside her was a golden retriever.
“Mrs. Davis?” said Jessie.
“Hello!” Mrs. Davis said. “This is Max. I had such a wonderful experience with Ginger that I decided to train another puppy for the school.”
Just then Max began yipping excitedly. The Aldens turned to see that Anna had just entered the shop with Ginger. They moved smoothly together, like a team.
“Anna!” cried Benny.
“Hello, Benny,” said Anna, walking over with a big smile on her face.
“Are you done with your training?” asked Henry.
“Yes. Ginger and I go everywhere together now. It’s wonderful! My whole life has changed,” said Anna. “She’s even coming with Jason and me to a concert tonight.”
Anna knelt down and Ginger turned and licked her face eagerly. Anna laughed out loud.
“It’s good to know that everyone’s happy,” Violet said, stroking Ginger’s back.
“Especially Ginger,” said Benny. “She’s a very special dog.”
About the A
uthor
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY