As if on cue, Thad Swotter chose that exact moment to push his way into the room, followed by his cameraman. His ball cap was nowhere to be seen. Instead his bright hair was plastered in place, and his tie was as crazy as ever, though Alexis thought it looked a little loose. Mrs. Smith ignored the interruption. She cleared her throat and continued.
“Our park,” she said, “consists of hundreds of acres of native Californian wildlife. There are many species of plants and trees that are common, like the mule ear or Jeffrey Pine, but we take pride in our wide selection of endangered plants as well. In some cases, Aspen Heights is the only place for hundreds of miles these plants can be found.
“This, along with how close the park is to Sacramento, makes it the perfect destination for field trips. It takes less than thirty minutes to get there from any school in the county, and the park appeals to many subjects. Biology and botany are two obvious choices, but the park has a great history as well. There are large stones with grooves where Native Americans used to grind their grains, as well as a stream that was panned for gold during the California Gold Rush in the 1800s.
“I propose a direct connection between our schools and Aspen Heights. We will give regular guided tours and educational walks for students of all ages.”
Mrs. Smith finished and looked expectantly at the board.
“And how much would this ‘partnership’ cost us, Mrs. Smith?” asked Mimsy Button, the oldest woman on the board of education, and quite possibly the oldest woman in the Golden State altogether.
“One of my associates, Alexis Howell, has prepared to talk about that,” said Mrs. Smith. “Alexis, would you like to step in?”
Alexis had been prepared to give part of Mrs. Smith’s speech. Mrs. Smith told her the board would love hearing from a student, so even though she was nervous, she stood up and faced the board. She repeated a verse, Deuteronomy 31:6, to herself that Elizabeth had texted to her earlier, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”
“It won’t cost the schools a dime, Mrs. Button,” Alexis said with a shaky smile. “Just gas for the buses, of course.”
“Well,” said Mrs. Button, “that sounds too good to be true.” She turned to Mrs. Smith. “If you don’t mind my asking—what’s in it for you?”
Mrs. Smith smiled and nodded. She wanted Alexis to keep going. Every eye in the room was pinned on her.
“First of all,” she said, “Miss Maria built this park to teach our community. People come and go, but she wants to find a more permanent way to share her knowledge. This program would do that. Also, it would help the park get donations, so we could keep it looking good and keep giving free tours.”
“Well,” said Mr. Burgess, the board director, “this sounds wonderful. I would love to see this program take off.”
The room was filled with the cheers of students. Mrs. Smith smiled and hugged Alexis hard.
“One more question,” said Mrs. Button, who had all but shouted into her microphone. She silenced the cheering crowd with one raised, wrinkled hand. “I have heard that there might be controversial elements to your park.”
“Controversial elements?” asked Mrs. Smith. Alexis didn’t know what Mrs. Button meant, but it didn’t sound good.
“Yes,” said Mrs. Button. “Christian elements?”
Mrs. Smith threw a scathing look at Thad Swotter, whose face had drained of all color except for a blotchy red area on his neck. He reached blindly behind him and covered the lens of the news camera.
“What do you mean?” asked Mrs. Smith, turning her attention back to the board at the front of the room.
“Miss Maria has scattered her Christian beliefs among the scientific facts of the park, has she not?” said Mrs. Button. “The place is littered with Bible verses.”
“Is this true, Miss Ellena?” asked Mr. Burgess.
“No, there aren’t any verses. We do have some plants from the biblical regions, and we post some of their history.”
“Why haven’t you mentioned it before now?”
“To be honest, sir, I didn’t think it mattered,” Mrs. Smith said firmly. Alexis could see that she was trying to hide her anger.
“Sadly, it does matter. We can’t be seen to promote one religion over the other. Surely you understand.”
Now Alexis was getting upset.
“But sir,” she said, “a historical fact about a plant doesn’t promote—”
“I’m sorry, ladies. Please notify us if Miss Maria decides to remove these, um, Christian elements.”
“Sir, she never will,” said Mrs. Smith sadly. Alexis felt horrible. All of Mrs. Smith’s hard work was slipping away.
“Then that is a loss for the community and our students,” said the director. He banged his wooden hammer on the desk, and the board filed out of the room. Mrs. Smith and Alexis were standing in the middle of the horde of students, mouths hanging open.
Thad Swotter waded his way over to them, pulling at his collar as if it were suddenly too hot.
“Mrs. Smith,” he said. “I never meant to—”
“Leave me alone, Thad,” Mrs. Smith said, yanking her arm out of his grasp. “I can’t believe you would tell her those things!” Mrs. Smith stormed from the building.
Alexis thought Thad looked stunned and a little sad. Maybe he hadn’t done this on purpose, but did it matter? His big mouth had shut down the last chance they had to save the park! Thad turned to go, and Alexis saw him loosen his tie and undo the collar of his shirt. She stopped dead in her tracks.
An angry red rash stood out on the white skin of his neck like spilled tomato sauce on a ski slope. Thad Swotter had poison oak.
Alexis, Kate, Jerry, and Megan filed into the car. All of the other students were speeding off with their parents. No one said a word. They hung their heads, defeated.
Alexis was having a hard time holding back her tears. She kept blotting her stinging eyes on her skirt.
The park was back to square one. The poison oak told her that Thad Swotter probably was the one planting prints, but she didn’t even care at the moment. In a few weeks, Miss Maria would have to return the dinosaurs, and then it wouldn’t matter who was moving them around.
Twenty minutes later they pulled into Alexis’s driveway. There weren’t any words that would make everyone feel better, so she and Kate just waved goodbye. They mumbled a glum “hello” to Mr. Howell, who was watching a baseball game, and tromped up the stairs.
Alexis couldn’t believe how things were turning out. How could stuff get so messed up when you were trying your hardest to make it right?
She had been working all week to solve the dinosaur mystery. She had walked miles around the park, spent her entire allowance, and lost a ton of sleep. And besides all of that, she had been praying all week. Praying that God would help her solve the mystery. Praying that God would provide for Miss Maria.
She was on her bed, eyes open, as if she could gaze through the ceiling and past the universe, right into God’s office.
“Why won’t You just fix things already?” she whispered.
Bling! Alexis looked over at her laptop. She had a new email from Elizabeth, the oldest of the Camp Club Girls. After the meeting, she and Kate posted what had happened on the Camp Club Girls web page. All of the girls had sent back prayers and encouragement, but this was the message Alexis had been waiting for. Elizabeth always encouraged her, but for some reason she calmed Alexis more than anyone else. Maybe it was the Bible verses she always added to her advice.
Alex,
Don’t worry, but be strong and courageous because God is always with you (Joshua 1:9). Don’t give up now—because we have God, we will always have hope (Jeremiah 29:11). And God works all things to the good of those who love him (Romans 8:28). The deal with the school might not have worked out, but I believe that He has something bigger and better in mind for Miss Maria. Keep investigating. When I
am at my lowest is when the case usually breaks wide open! Love you! Tell Kate hi!
Elizabeth
Kate came into the bedroom. She had just taken a shower and was combing the tangles out of her sopping bob.
“Didn’t you use a towel?” teased Alexis. “You’re drenching my carpet!”
“You’re in a better mood,” said Kate. She smiled and tossed Alexis a Coke she had brought upstairs.
“Yeah,” said Alexis, stretching out on the bed. “Elizabeth just wrote.”
DING!
A clear, high-pitched note rang through the house.
“Was that the doorbell?” asked Kate.
“Yeah,” said Alexis. She looked at the clock by her bed. It was nine o’clock. “Who would come to our house at this time of night?”
The Visitor
Alexis and Kate were supposed to be getting ready for bed, but their curiosity got the better of them. The girls slipped out of the bedroom and tiptoed down the stairs. At the bottom, they stood behind a stack of paper and listened. The person outside gave up on the doorbell and began pounding instead. Whoever it was, they were in a hurry.
“Coming,” called Mr. Howell. He was out of his chair, but he wasn’t moving toward the door. His eyes were still glued to the ninth inning playing out on the television.
“Come on, Dad!” whispered Alexis. She didn’t know why, but she felt sure that this late-night visitor was the answer to her prayers.
Mr. Howell opened the door, but it was in the way. Alexis couldn’t see who was standing on the other side.
“Mr. Howell?” said a man’s voice. Alexis couldn’t place it, but it sounded familiar.
“Um, yes,” said Mr. Howell. Alexis saw her dad stand up on his tiptoes and peer past the visitor into the night.
“I’m alone, sir,” said the man on the porch.
“Okay. If you’re alone, then why are you here?”
Mr. Howell relaxed a little but crossed his arms. Alexis realized that this was a defensive stance, but her father wasn’t scared. Without using words, her dad was saying, “Just try to get by me and see what happens.”
Who was on the porch?
“Sir, your daughter has been investigating some strange things at Aspen Heights.”
“Yes,” said Mr. Howell. “I know. What does that have to do with you?”
“Well, I have some new information. After tonight, I am willing to do whatever it takes to help her.”
“All right,” said Mr. Howell. “I have to admit that this is more than a little strange. Come on in. I’ll call Alexis down.”
Mr. Howell moved back to let the visitor come inside, and Alexis gasped.
The porch light shone bright in the night, illuminating the yellow hair and crazy tie of Thad Swotter.
“I know you think I’m the bad guy, but just hear me out.”
Thad Swotter was sitting on the edge of a squishy armchair. Alexis and Kate stared at him from the couch, and Alexis wished she hadn’t left her notebook upstairs. Mr. Howell sat in his favorite chair, but he wasn’t watching the TV anymore, even though the game had gone into extra innings. His eyes were locked on the nervous reporter.
“You know I’ve been sneaking into the park at night,” said Swotter. “I told you that the other day. Like I said then, I’ve been taking pictures of the dinosaurs before anyone else could.”
Alexis tapped the tips of her fingers on her knee. Biscuit trotted into the room and began to chew on the leg of her polka dot pajama pants.
“And?” she said. She had already heard all of this. Did he really have any new information to give her? And what if he wasn’t telling the truth? Would he lie to make them think he was innocent?
Swotter smiled.
“Didn’t you ever wonder how I knew the dinosaurs had been moved?” he asked.
“Well, yeah,” said Alexis. “We thought you just checked the park every night.”
“Or, of course, that you moved them yourself,” said Kate. Her eyebrows arched above the bright green rims of her glasses. “And took your pictures afterward.”
Alexis smiled. Like Kate had said the other day, you didn’t just believe people were innocent because they said so. The Camp Club Girls had to follow the facts to get to the truth, and most of the facts still pointed to Thad Swotter.
“Is that poison oak, Mr. Swotter?” asked Mr. Howell. “It looks uncomfortable. Would you like something to put on it?”
“This?” said Thad, pointing to his neck. “It’s not that bad.” But he undid his tie, letting it hang loose around his neck.
“Oh! I forgot,” squealed Alexis. “Whoever has been moving the dinosaurs covered up our camera the other night with a pile of leaves!”
Kate almost fell off the couch.
“That’s right!” she said, straightening her glasses. “And the leaves we found today by the camera were poison oak!”
Thad opened his mouth, but Mr. Howell interrupted him.
“Can you explain all of this, Thad? There’s a lot of evidence against you right now. I’ve seen my girl’s notebook. Your shoes are the same as the criminal’s. You’ve been sneaking around the park at night, and now this? Sounds like too many coincidences…”
“But they aren’t coincidences!” said Swotter, smiling. “Don’t you see? I’ve been tromping around the woods in the dark. I was bound to get poison oak sooner or later! I think I got this the night you two followed me—had to pull some plants out of the way of my shot. Anyway, I’ll stop talking. I have something else I want you to hear.”
The reporter plunged his arm into his bag and pulled out—
“Your cell phone?” said Alexis. “How’s that going to help?”
“You aren’t going to believe me until you hear it,” said Swotter. He punched in a number and turned on the speaker phone. The mechanical voice of a woman echoed through the living room.
“Please enter your password,” she said. Thad Swotter punched in four digits. “You have…two…saved messages. First…message.”
The tinny voice of the woman was replaced by the scratchy sound of silence. After a few seconds, another voice spoke.
“Hello, Thad Swotter.”
It sounded low and muffled, as if someone were speaking through a blanket or something.
“They’re disguising their voice?” said Mr. Howell.
“Shh!” said Alexis, swatting a hand toward her father. The message continued.
“If you want the story of a lifetime, be at Aspen Heights at midnight. I’ll leave directions for you on the entrance sign.” The line went dead, and the mechanical phone voice was back.
“Next saved message—” but Swotter turned it off.
“You see?” he said. “I’m not moving the dinosaurs. I’ve gotten a message every night this week. They tell me where to go to take my pictures. This was the first one.”
Alexis and Kate were stunned. Mr. Howell leaned forward, curious.
“What kind of directions did they leave you, Mr. Swotter?” asked Alexis.
“Oh, I saved them. They’re right here.” He pulled a wrinkled note out of his bag. Alexis grabbed it. Her heart was pounding. The typing on the paper looked eerily familiar.
Mr. Swotter: The story you seek is on the move. Check out the park…see anything different?
“That was the first night, after Miss Maria got hurt,” said Swotter. “After that, I didn’t get any more notes—just the phone calls. I answered the phone a few times and tried to get more information, but the person always hangs up after they tell me where the dinosaurs are.”
Alexis couldn’t believe this. Her number-one suspect had walked into her living room with amazing evidence! Somehow she knew that Thad Swotter was telling the truth. He usually looked like he was hiding something, but tonight there was something different about his eyes. They weren’t smiling, mocking Alexis and her investigation. They really looked concerned. Thad Swotter wanted to help.
“Okay,” said Alexis slowly. “So it isn’t y
ou, but how will this tell us who it is?” Swotter opened his mouth, but Kate was faster.
“The phone numbers!” she said. “Cell phones keep track of who has called! It lists their phone numbers until you decide to delete them.” She looked at the reporter, her eyes huge behind her glasses. “Please tell me you didn’t delete them!”
“Of course not!” he said. “That’s the best part.” He pushed a few buttons, scrolling down a list of phone numbers. Alexis couldn’t believe her luck. If they got the phone number of whoever was doing this, they might be able to figure out who it was. They could call the number and see who answered, and if that didn’t work they could get online. She saw her mom find the name of a prank caller one time by putting in the phone number—like a backward phone book.
“Here it is,” said Swotter. “This is the number that came up all week.” He turned the phone around so everyone could see. Mr. Howell had been sucked in and was now squished next to the girls on the couch.
“Unavailable?” he said. “How does that help?”
“It doesn’t,” said Kate. But the reporter informer was scrolling through more numbers.
“I said that was the number that came up all week,” he said. “All week, that is, except last night. Last night, the caller got messy and used a landline—a regular phone—instead of a blocked cell phone. Look.” He spun the phone around again, and ten digits lit up the screen.
“Do you know whose number that is?” asked Kate in a whisper.
“Nope,” said Swotter. “I thought I’d save that for you guys.” He handed the phone to Alexis, who looked at her dad. He nodded, and she pressed SEND.
Somewhere, miles away, a phone was ringing. The echo of it came through the tiny speaker of Thad Swotter’s cell phone. After the fourth ring, an answering machine picked up.
“Hello, you have reached Aspen Heights Conservation Park. We are not available to—”
The phone slid out of Alexis’s hand and hit the floor.
Thad Swotter picked up his phone and glanced at the time flashing on the front of it.
Alexis Page 9
