by Bill Doyle
“I was running out, right after you and I split up, when Conrad stopped me.” Jackie gestured for Conrad to finish.
“I didn’t want her to get hurt,” he said. “So I told her what I was up to. I hid her in a closet until the police and judge Pinkerton got here.”
Teddy suddenly squirmed in my arms.
“I can take him,” Bev Prokos said. I hadn’t noticed she’d been standing nearby. She was reaching for Teddy, but I held him closer.
“It’s all right, Mal,” Judge said. “She wasn’t working for Mr. Newkirk. We asked her to be here tonight to care for the animals we might find.”
Still holding onto Teddy, I said, “But she’s so…”
“Mean?” Bev said about herself with a tight smile. “I guess I was a little nasty in class. I was nervous. I’m like a cat. When I fell cornered, my claws come out. I don’t think I was meant to be a teacher, but I’m good at taking care of animals.”
Not convinced, I asked, “What about the Condor Sanctuary? Conrad, why did she tell you things were okay if they weren’t?”
“It’s like we thought,” Conrad said. “She went to a different part of the Sanctuary where the birds were fine. She never saw the broken eggshells.”
Still, I had questions for Bev Prokos. “How did Teddy end up here? You were the last person to have him.”
“We released him back in the wild only yesterday,” Bev said. “He must have been captured by one of Mr. Newkirk’s workers. We’ll get him back into the Wilderness first thing tomorrow.”
“There are more animals in the factory,” I told her. “And five raccoons who are Loose.”
“I’ll take care of it,” she said. Her smile grew as she reached out to pet Teddy’s ears. Teddy closed his eyes and purred at her touch. That was good enough for me. Jackie and I gave Teddy a final squeeze, and Bev Prokos took him over to the WMS van.
A large policeman emerged from the factory and rushed over to us. “Judge Pinkerton,” he said, slightly out of breath. “I’ve got bad news.”
“What is it?” she asked. The policeman shook his head. “We’ll keep looking, but we can’t find any evidence that DDT was being used by this factory.”
Before Judge could respond, I told them, “You won’t find it. They took the barrels away in a truck earlier.”
Judge Looked deflated. “That means we didn’t get here in time to catch them with the pesticide,” she said to Conrad. “I’m sorry. But we did catch the company red-handed with the stolen animals.”
His expression grew concerned. “That scandal alone should be enough to shut this place down, shouldn’t it?”
“Hopefully,” Judge said. But she didn’t sound so sure. After catching my eye, Jackie handed me the roll of film. Yes! I thought, and took a step toward Judge.
“Would this help?” I asked and gave her the roll. “Jackie and I took pictures that show the barrels of DDT INSIDE the factory—before they were trucked away.”
Stunned, Judge gazed down at the film as if someone had just handed her the key to a treasure chest. Then she beamed at Jackie and me. “You two are amazing! This is just what we need to close Country Girl Kitchen for good. Excellent work, both of you.”
A little embarrassed by the praise, Jackie and I shared a quick grin. While Judge instructed the policeman to have the film developed immediately, I turned back to Conrad.
After a moment, I said quietly, “Looks like you’ll get your teaching job back.”
Conrad just nodded, watching me as if he were waiting for something. I still felt unsteady form all that had happened. I said, “You cut your hair.”
He rubbed his stubbly crew cut. “It will grow back.” Conrad looked me in the eyes. “I’m more worried about the trust thing between you and me.”
I thought about that for a second. Judge had stopped talking to the cop and watched me, waiting to hear how I’d respond. Jackie gave me a Little nudge with her elbow, but I didn’t need it.
Putting my hand out, I told Conrad, “I think the trust will grow back, too.”
“Bully for you, Mal!” Judge said.
Conrad shook my hand, and his face burst into a smile.
WARNING: This letter reveals the story’s ending!
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
If you’ve read other books in the Crime Through Time series, you probably know this is where I remind you that I tried to be true to actual investigative techniques of the time. But I invented a few things—like Country Girl Kitchen, Judge, and Walsington Academy—to make the story more entertaining.
One fact I didn’t make up is DDT—the chemical that Mal discovers is killing birds. DDT is a real pesticide that was causing widespread damage in the 1960s. It was working its way through the entire food chain—from worms to humans.
A few years ago, my friend Riccardo gave me a book called Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson. While she probably wouldn’t describe herself as a detective, Carson was one of the most important investigators of the 1960s. She made the connection between DDT and the deaths of countless birds.
Thanks to Carson’s tireless efforts in spreading her message until her death from cancer in 1964, the pesticide was finally banned in 1972. Carson was a true hero!
Yours in time,
Bill Doyle
P.S. Remember not to use this book to study for a school test. The bad rash Kyle got from the stinging nettles might seem teacher’s reaction!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Bill Doyle was born in Lansing, Michigan, and wrote his first mystery when he was eight. He loved seeing the shock on people’s faces when they discovered the identity of the story’s villain—and knew then that he was hooked on writing. Bill has written for Sesame Workshop, Leap Frog, Scholastic, ROLLING STONE, TIME For KIDS, and the Museum of Natural History. He lives in New York City with a mysterious dachshund named Esme.
Check out these other gripping Crime Through TimeTM books!
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And watch out for ICED! And TRAPPED!, coming in Fall 2006!
1969 Edition
THE INSPECTOR
15c We Have an “EYE” for News
PROTEST!
Arcata. Cal.: Nearly a thousand students gathered here at Humboldt State College on October 16 to protest United States involvement in the Vietnam War. The group of young people chose to march rather than hold a sit-in—where protestors sit in an appropriate place and refuse to get up and leave until their demands are met The protest remained nonviolent. Unlike rallies at larger schools, such as the University of California. Berkeley. Where more than 10,000 protestors spoke out against the war. Both of these marches were much smaller than other protests that took place in this decade, such as the civil rights march of 1963 in Washington. D.C., when 250,000 protestors were led by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who was assassinated last year.
In London, John Lennon, shown below with his new wife, Yoko Ono, protested actions in the Vietnam War by giving back a medal awarded to him by the British government.
NEWS
WOODSTOCK ROCK!
Bethel, N.Y.: Numbers vary, but officials now think that about 400,000 young people gathered to attend the Woodstock Music and Art Fair that took place on a dairy farm between August 15 and 17. The crowd was at least twice as big as the event organizers had estimated. Roads were jammed for 20 miles as people from all over the country came to watch, dance, and sing along with more than 30 musical acts, including Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, Santana, the Grateful Dead. And The Who. Despite the rainy weather, the lack of enough shelter and restroom, and food and water shortages, the massive crowd behaved peacefully for the entire “3 Days of Peace & Music.”
Hikers Spot Bigfoot
Willow Creek. Cal.: Yet another sighting of Bigfoot has been reported in the western United States. Three hikers claim to have seen a 10-foot-tall creature, that was covered in fur and gave off a repulsive
odor. Officials have been slow to react, pointing to the rise in “Bigfoot sightings” that starred with last year’s surprise box-office hit, Planet of the Apes. The hikers failed to capture the creature on-camera, but there is a 1967 film shot by Roger Patterson that supposedly shows a female Bigfoot more than 7 feet tall walking along Bluff Creek in the Six Rivers National Forest.
SCIECNE
The Eagle Has Landed!
On July 20, U.S. astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon. As Neil Armstrong stepped down from the ladder of the Lunar Module, Eagle, he uttered the words heard around the world: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” He then snapped this photo of Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon.
BUSINESS
Bank with No Bankers
New York, N.Y.: This city’s Chemical bank has installed the first ATM, or automated teller machine, which will allow people to make cash withdrawals from their accounts—at any time—without the help of an actual Person! Don Wetzel got the idea for the ATM while standing in line at a Texas bank.
Jumbo Takes off
Everett. Wash.: Early this year, The Boeing Company’s 747 wide bodied “jumbo jet” flew for the first time. Experts agree that this enormous four-engine airplane (which has a small upper passenger deck that gives it a distinctive bulge) will completely change the travel industry.
Good-bye to Spies?
Until recently fans of TV shows about spies had plenty to choose from. But now The Avengers is going of the air after eight seasons, joining The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and I Spy in the television garbage heap. Not to fear: You can still tune in to Mission Impossible and Get Smart.
ENTERTAINMENT
DUKE, MEET OSCAR
John Wayne (who is also known as “Duke”) can ride off into the sunset a happy man. This cowboy-plying movie star a happy man. This cowboy-playing movie star just won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in True Grit.
How to Marry a Genie
The fondest wish of many television viewers will finally come true this fall. Producers of the wildly popular show I Dream of Jeannie have recently announced that Major Nelson and Jeannie will be getting married on an upcoming episode.
FASHION
What should the truly mod man be wearing besides his groovy long hair? Brightly colored suits and ties are now in. Clothes from all around the world- like Nehru jackets—are a plus for any wardrobe.
Women should get out their rulers to help them decide what skirt to don. They now have three style choices: the “maxi” skirt that reaches the ankle. The “midi” skirt that goes below the knee. And the “miniskirt” that stops well above the knee! For the feet platform shoes or go-go boots are a good choice.
For casual dress. tiedyed T-shirts and cool hip-hugger bellbottom jeans are a must. Oh. and don’t forget, both men and women should wear flowers in their hair. Try keeping them in place with a Native American-style headband.
SPORTS
LUCKY 7 SAYS SO LONG
Baseball’s legendary Mickey Mantle wasn’t alone in retiring from the game this year. His team. The Yankees. Also retired his number 7. There are only three other numbers that have been retired: 3, 4 and 5—for Babe Ruth. Lou Gehrig, and Joe DiMaggio.
Green Bay Goes for Three
Football season is here again. and all eyes are on the NFT s Green Bay Packers. They managed to pass, tackle, and run their way to victory in the first two Super Bowl games of 1967 and 1968. The big question is: Can the Packers do it again in 1969 now that Coach Vince Lombarci has left the team for the Washington Red, kins?
OBITUARIES
Good Night, Dwight!
Our country’s 34th president, Dwight David
Eisenhower, has just died at the Walter
Reed Army Medical Center in Washington.
D.C. Eisenhower was the Supreme
Commander of Allied forces in World War II.
As President, he enforced desegregation
in schools and in the army.
He wrote, “There must be no second class
citizens in this country.”
ASK DR. NOITALL
Dear Dr. Noitall.
What’s dowsing?
Sincerely,
Parched in the Desert
Dear Parched,
Dowsing is a great way to find a hidden substance, like water or even minerals. In the fifteenth century, German miners used dowsing to track down iron ore. And people still use it today. In Vietnam. Some soldiers use it to search for booby traps. In tine United States, People use it to find missing pets, lost keys, and even shipwrecks. Here’s how you can give it a try:
Find a twig that’s shaped like a Y
With your palms up. Grab the two ends that make up the top of the Y Place your thumbs on the ends of the twig.
Pull the ends apart. This will put the twig in tension
Be sure the twig is horizontal when you begin your search
Practice using your rod on something you can see For example, walk to a pool of water to determine if the twig will respond The twig might dip, rise, or twitch.
Keep practicing until your dowsing twig responds to water. Now start searching for anything!
Unravel the mystery with real historical crime-solving methods!
Welcome to the crime-solving world of the famous Fitzmorgan and Moorie detective families! Each of the books in the Crime Through Time series is hosted by a young sleuth who must work against all odds to unravel a compelling mystery. Every few pages, you can take a break from the suspense and learn about real-life investigative techniques so that you, too, can become a detective!
In Silenced!,something—or someone—is poisoning the endangered animals of California’s San Rafael Wilderness. But why? Working against shadowy powerful forces, eco-detective Malcolm Moorie and his boarding-school friends must risk everything to hunt down the culprit before it’s too late!
