by Nancy Krulik
“What does this starer look like?” I asked.
“She has long, dark feathers on her head, and she’s too thin to be in the cold,” Stanley said. “She’s a penguin wannabe. But who wouldn’t want to be like us?”
“MOMMMMMMMYYYYYY!”
Suddenly, I heard a loud shout from the other side of the glass.
This interview was over.
Chapter 8
“I wanna play with the penguins! It’s my birthday! I should be the one who gets to play with the penguins, not Jack and Elizabeth!” Mia whined.
“No one is playing with any penguins,” my mother told Mia.
I didn’t look at my parents, Mia, or Alyssa. I knew they were all plenty mad. The temperature was a lot warmer in the outer room. But everyone was being really cold to us.
“What were you two doing in there, anyway?” my dad demanded.
“We … um …” I had no idea what to tell him.
Luckily, Elizabeth was really good at thinking on the spot. “The door to the penguin exhibit was open,” she explained. She batted her eyelashes. “We figured we were allowed to go in there just like we could go in any room in the aquarium.”
“But that door shouldn’t have been open,” Alyssa insisted. “It’s always locked. We can’t just let people wander in there.”
“Why not?” Mia asked. “I want to play with the pretty penguins.”
Alyssa shook her head. “Emperor penguins don’t always like visitors,” she told my sister. “And some of those penguins are guarding eggs. They could really cause trouble if they feel those are in danger. That’s why only people who know how to act around penguins are allowed in there.”
I shrugged. “Well, the door was open,” I insisted. “So it’s not our fault.”
“Not this time,” Frank the guard said. “But you’re not fooling me, kid. I’m definitely watching you.”
No kidding, I thought to myself. But I didn’t say that. I was too afraid to say anything.
A few minutes later, the kindergartners had gone off with Alyssa and my parents to the arts-and-crafts room, and Frank had been called up to check on something on the third floor. That left my partner and me alone.
“Okay, so what did the penguins tell you?” Elizabeth asked me as she opened her notebook.
“I only talked to one,” I said. “He said their dinner had been served late, and some woman who usually stares at them at night had been there earlier.”
Elizabeth wrote all that down. Then she stared at the clues. “Did he describe the server or the starer?” she asked.
“He said the person who observes them was really thin, and that she had long, dark feathers on her head. That probably was hair,” I added. By now I was used to the way animals described people.
Elizabeth thought about that. “The aquarium is closed to visitors at night,” she said. “So whoever this skinny person with long, dark hair is, she must work here.”
“There are a lot of people working here,” I said.
“But not people who are skinny and have long, dark hair,” Elizabeth said. “So far, Alyssa is the only person I’ve seen who fits that description. The penguin said whoever was staring at them had changed her regular schedule and come to see them earlier in the day instead of at night. The penguin environment is on the same floor as that shark tooth. Maybe she was down here early figuring out how to steal the shark tooth!”
“Alyssa knew a lot about penguins,” I told Elizabeth. “Like she knew there were eggs in the environment. I didn’t spot any eggs. They must have been hidden. A person would have to be observing the penguins up close for a long time to know about those.”
“Exactly,” Elizabeth said. “Now you’re thinking like a detective!”
That was a big compliment coming from Elizabeth. It really did seem like we had a good suspect this time. Except…
“Why would Alyssa steal the tooth when everyone was around if she could take it at night when no one was looking?” I asked Elizabeth.
Elizabeth didn’t say anything at first. Wow! Was it possible I had just outsmarted the Brainiac?
Nope.
“She was probably trying not to be a suspect,” Elizabeth said. “If she stole the shark tooth at night, she’d practically be giving herself away because she’s one of the few people here at night. This way she can make it look like there are other people who could be suspects.”
“Like me,” I said sadly.
“Exactly,” Elizabeth agreed. “A schedule change is usually something a criminal does right before she commits a crime. And that’s just what Alyssa did. She may be smart enough to work at an aquarium, but I think we may have just outsmarted her!”
Chapter 9
“We can’t just ask Alyssa if she stole the tooth. We’re going to have to trick her into telling us,” Elizabeth explained a few minutes later.
I didn’t know how two third graders were going to trick a really smart grown-up into telling us anything, but Elizabeth seemed pretty sure of herself. So I followed her into the arts-and-crafts room, where Mia and her friends were making clay fish.
“Hi, Alyssa,” Elizabeth said. “Can I ask you some questions? I’m thinking of being a marine biologist when I grow up.”
I gave Elizabeth a funny look. I didn’t know that about her.
Elizabeth shot me a sneaky sideways glance.
Oh. She was faking. This was part of her scheme to trick Alyssa into admitting to being the tooth thief.
“Then I’m the right person to ask,” Alyssa said. “I’m studying to get my degree in marine biology at the university.”
“Awesome,” Elizabeth said. “I’m particularly interested in the life cycle of the penguin —”
Just then, Mia got out of her chair and walked over to a fishbowl. “Jack, what are these?” she asked me.
I knew I should be listening to what Alyssa and Elizabeth were saying, but I figured keeping Mia busy was important, too. “They’re sea monkeys,” I told her. I had once gotten a package of sea monkeys from an ad in a comic book. I knew what they looked like.
“Did he just call us sea monkeys?” I heard one of the sea monkeys say. “We’re not monkeys.”
“We’re brine shrimp,” another added. “And proud of it. You don’t see us clowning around for bananas, do you?”
“They’re also called brine shrimp,” I told Mia.
“How do you know?” she asked me.
“Um … I just do,” I told her. “Now, go sit down.”
For once Mia did what she was told. “I’m making a monkey,” she said as she skipped back to her seat.
Good. Now I could focus on what Elizabeth was asking our suspect.
“Do you get any special privileges because you work here?” Elizabeth wondered.
“You mean like a discount in the gift shop?” Alyssa asked.
“No. More like a chance to hang around the aquarium when no one is around,” Elizabeth said.
“Sure,” Alyssa said. “Sometimes I stay late to do penguin research.”
Wow! I was practically jumping out of my shoes with excitement. Alyssa had admitted to being around the aquarium when no one else was there. We didn’t even have to pry it out of her.
“Do you only do research at night?” Elizabeth asked her.
“Usually,” Alyssa answered. “But today I came to work before the aquarium even opened to observe the penguins. I had Mia’s party and a few other things I wanted to get done ahead of time.”
I’ll bet, I thought. Things like figure out how to steal a shark tooth and make it look like some innocent kid did it.
“Um … do you know how this penguin environment is different from how they live in the wild?” Elizabeth asked her. “Like, does it snow?”
Alyssa shook her head. “It doesn’t snow in Antarctica,” she explained. “It’s actually the driest continent. But …”
Just then, a guy in a blue Friend of the Fishes shirt walked over to where we were standing. “Alys
sa, you can take your fifteen-minute break now,” he said. “I’ll stay here with the kids.”
“Great!” Alyssa exclaimed. She smiled at Elizabeth. “I have some great pictures of marine life in my locker. Do you want to see them?”
“Sure!” Elizabeth exclaimed.
As we walked out of the room, Elizabeth gave me a knowing smile. I smiled back. A locker would be the perfect place for a crook to stash a stolen tooth.
Amazing! Elizabeth had tricked Alyssa into giving herself away. In a few minutes we would have the tooth in hand.
This was just too easy.
“Here we go!” Alyssa exclaimed a minute later as she opened her locker.
Elizabeth and I nearly bashed into each other trying to look inside. Unfortunately, all we saw were books and photos. No shark tooth.
“Wild emperor penguins,” Alyssa said, pointing to a photo. “Someday I’d like to visit them in Antarctica.”
Just then Alyssa’s phone buzzed. She looked at the text message. “The kids are ready for their puppet show. I have to go. This has been fun. It’s the first break I’ve had since the kids arrived.”
I tried to stop her, but Elizabeth shook her head. “It’s okay,” she whispered.
As Alyssa walked off, I glared at Elizabeth. “What do you mean, ‘it’s okay’? We didn’t find the tooth.”
“Alyssa can’t be the thief,” Elizabeth told me. “Didn’t you hear her? She’s been with the party kids all morning without any breaks,” Elizabeth explained. “The tooth disappeared after the party started. She didn’t have time to steal it.”
“So we’re back to square one?” I asked.
Elizabeth nodded sadly. “But maybe the sharks will have some clues.”
Talk to the sharks, huh? Well, that sounded like a good idea.
Except for one very big problem.
Chapter 10
“How am I supposed to talk to the sharks?” I asked Elizabeth. “If I try to open my mouth underwater, I’ll drown.”
“I never thought of that,” Elizabeth admitted.
Of course she hadn’t. She didn’t have to. But those are the kinds of things a guy has to think about when he can talk to animals.
“How about you interview a shark before you get in? You can stand by the side of the giant pool and talk to the sharks that swim by,” Elizabeth suggested.
“But I want to swim with the sharks,” I said. “I should get to do something fun today.”
“Solving a mystery is fun,” Elizabeth said.
I shook my head. “Mysteries are a lot more fun to solve when you’re not the one being accused of the crime,” I told her.
“I know,” Elizabeth agreed. “Look, just find some shark, talk to him quickly, and then you can get in and swim.”
“I guess that works,” I said.
Teddy was already in his black diving suit when Elizabeth and I reached the pool area a few minutes later. “What took you two so long?” Teddy asked us.
“We were interrogating a suspect,” Elizabeth told him.
“The wrong suspect,” I added. “This is one tough case.”
Teddy put his face mask over his eyes and grabbed a snorkel. “Forget about the case,” he said. “Let’s go swim with some sharks.” And with that, he got into the water and began swimming around.
“He looks like a professional,” I said.
“That’s because he gets to do this all the time,” Elizabeth pointed out. “I’m going to swim with him for a few minutes, just so he’s distracted. Then you’ll be free to talk to a shark.”
It sounded like a plan. A plan that meant I did all the work while Elizabeth had all the fun. But what could I do? It’s not like she could talk to the sharks.
As Elizabeth got in to swim, I went over and sat on the edge of the large tank. I let my feet dangle in the water, and then waited for a shark to notice me.
“Are you getting in?” a lifeguard asked me.
“In a minute,” I told him. “I’m … um … I’m just getting used to the water.”
“Okay,” the lifeguard said. “Take your time.”
I hope it didn’t take a lot of time. Elizabeth and Teddy sure seemed to be having a blast. I really wanted to get in and swim with them.
Just then, a baby shark swam by.
“Excuse me,” I called out to him, trying not to be so loud that the lifeguard could hear. “I need to ask you something.”
The little shark stopped swimming. He cocked his head and looked at me curiously. “Did you just talk to me?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yep.”
“Wow. None of the frog people have ever done that before,” he said.
Frog people? I looked down at the big black fins I was wearing on my feet. They were kind of froglike, actually.
“You’re not here to steal my loose tooth, are you?” the shark asked me. “Because I’m not giving it up without a fight.”
He didn’t have to worry. I wasn’t about to fight a shark.
“You have a loose tooth?” I asked him.
He nodded, and the big dorsal fin on his back went up and down. Then he opened his mouth wide so I could see. I jumped back a little. There were a whole lot of sharp teeth in there.
“It’s my first loose tooth,” the little shark told me. “As soon as it falls out, I’m going to hide it under a rock so the sea tooth fairy can find it.”
“The sea tooth fairy?” I asked him.
“She collects shark teeth that have fallen out and leaves yummy fish in their place,” he explained. “Only I won’t get the fish if the mean frog man steals my tooth instead.”
“What mean frog man?” I asked.
“The one who was here before, taking teeth from the bottom of the tank,” the baby shark told me. “He steals them.”
The little shark was right. That frog man did sound really mean. Mean enough to have stolen the shark tooth fossil, and leave me to take the blame.
I’d obviously gotten all I could out of that shark. So as he swam off, I put on my goggles and dove into the tank. It was time for me to swim with the sharks.
Splash! The minute I hit the water, two sharks swam right for me. I waved.
“There goes another frog man clowning around,” one of them said as he swam past me.
“You know why the shark spit out the clown?” his friend asked him. “Because he tasted funny!”
The two sharks laughed as they swam off. I laughed, too — and got a big mouthful of salt water. Blech!
Just then, Elizabeth swam over to me. She used her finger to draw a question mark in the water. I knew she was asking me if I had gotten any information from the questions I’d asked the shark.
I nodded. I definitely had some clues. And they were just the kind a girl like Elizabeth could really sink her teeth into!
Chapter 11
“It sure took you long enough to get into the water,” Teddy said later as he hung up his snorkel gear in the changing room.
“Yeah,” I admitted. “But it was worth it.” I was talking about the fact that I’d gotten a good clue from that baby shark. But Teddy didn’t know that. He thought I was talking about swimming, which was also pretty cool. I’d never been that close to so many fish in my whole life.
“I know,” Teddy said. “Those sharks are incredible. You ever see so many teeth in one mouth before?”
I shook my head. “Weird how they have so many rows of them.”
Teddy nodded. “Yup. One falls out and another just slides into place.” He put some hair gel on his head and made his Mohawk stand up. “Well, it was good swimming with you. I’ll probably see you around before your sister’s party is over.”
“Yeah,” I said. “See you later.”
I left the boys’ changing room a few minutes after Teddy. Elizabeth was already in the hall waiting for me. Her red, wormy curls were still sopping wet.
“So?” she asked me excitedly. “What did you find out?”
“There’s a shark tooth t
hief around here, that’s for sure,” I told her.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “No kidding,” she said.
“No, I mean new shark teeth,” I explained. “Not the fossil kind. There’s a diver who’s swiping shark teeth from the bottom of the shark tank.”
Elizabeth wrote that down in her notebook. “Someone who is that interested in new shark teeth would probably be quadruple interested in a giant fossilized shark tooth.”
I didn’t know exactly what quadruple interested meant, but I figured it had something to do with being really, really interested. So I nodded. “That’s exactly what I thought,” I said.
“This is just a start,” Elizabeth continued. “There are a whole lot of people diving in and out of that tank. People who work here and visitors. It doesn’t really narrow it down as much as I would like.”
Elizabeth was right, of course. When wasn’t she? My grin faded.
“But we’re closer than we were before,” Elizabeth assured me. “A few more clues and we’ll have this thing wrapped up.”
That was easy for her to say. She wasn’t the one who was going to have to interview the animals to find those clues. That job was all mine.
“Go talk to them.” Elizabeth pushed me toward the outdoor sea lion tank a few minutes later. “I don’t know how much longer it will be before their next show. And once that happens, there will be a lot of people around here.” She turned around and pointed to the bleachers that surrounded the sea lion tank.
Elizabeth had a point. Once the show started, all those seats would be full. And I didn’t want my talking to animals to be part of the show. So I walked over to the big tank and stood on the cement stage near the water.
The sea lions were nearby, tossing a ball around with their noses.
“Hey! Heads up!” one of them called out suddenly.
A huge beach ball sailed right for me. I reached out my arms and caught it.
“Nice catch,” a dark brown sea lion said.
“Thanks,” I said. “I play a lot of baseball.”