by Charles Tang
For the next hour they wandered around the zoo. They watched the seals as they dived and played in their pool.
“Remember the bad shape the seals were in when their pool was drained?” Violet said.
“Yes, they look much healthier today,” Jessie said, pleased at their antics.
They moved on. The panther, sleek and black, sat and stared at them; the birds gave them a noisy greeting; and the elephants swished their tails and raised their trunks. The children laughed as they watched the animals, enjoying their playfulness.
“Could we go to the Monkey House now?” Benny coaxed.
“Yes, we’ve saved the best for last,” Violet said, walking toward the chattering monkeys.
A monkey swung by one arm from a branch, another carefully peeled a banana and ate it. They jumped from the trapeze to the trees, and it was hard to tell one from another.
Benny, his eyes following each one, tugged on his ear, puzzled. “Where’s Amos? I know exactly what he looks like.”
“He’s probably hiding behind those rocks,” Henry answered, chuckling. “Don’t worry, he’ll come out when he wants to.”
Benny watched more closely. Amos’s tin cup lay on the ground. “No,” he said in a choked voice. “He isn’t in there.”
Jessie, Violet, and Henry joined Benny in trying to spot Amos. They knew how much Benny cared about him.
“Where could he be?” Benny asked.
“Maybe Pat took him out for an examination,” Jessie said reassuringly.
Sadly, Benny shook his head. “No. Maybe someone has kidnapped him.”
“We’ll find out right now,” Henry said.
They hurried out of the Monkey House. Henry spotted Edward by the Lion House.
“Edward,” he called, running to meet him. “Is Amos being examined?”
Edward appeared startled. “Why, no. Isn’t he in with the others?”
“We can’t find him,” Henry said. “Could he be hiding?”
Edward hurried over to the Monkey House and scanned each monkey. “He’s not there,” he said calmly. “We’ll start a search, but there’s no way he could have gotten free.”
Benny’s lowered lip trembled. “I knew it. Someone stole Amos. He’d never leave his tin cup behind unless he was snatched up before he could grab it.” He reached in and grasped the cup and hugged it to his chest. Then he put it in his back pocket.
Jessie stared at the monkeys. If anything happened to Amos she knew how sad Benny would feel. Where could the poor little monkey be?
CHAPTER 10
Mac and the Monkey
On the way home from the zoo Henry tried to coax a smile out of Benny, but no matter what he did to cheer him, his little brother remained sad and silent.
“I’m sure Amos will turn up,” Violet assured him. “He probably found a way to get out of the Monkey House, and he’s hiding somewhere near.”
Benny gazed at her with big brown eyes. “I-I hope so,” he said in a shaky voice.
When they arrived home, Grandfather immediately noticed Benny’s unhappy face. “What’s wrong?” he questioned, leaning over and lifting Benny’s chin.
“E-Everything!” Benny stammered, fighting back tears. “Amos is gone!”
Grandfather looked inquiringly at Henry.
“Yes,” Henry answered. “The monkey has vanished. But,” he hastened to add, “I’m certain he’ll turn up.”
“Me, too,” Jessie said. “I remember a story Pat told me about a zoo in California. There was this tiger who had lived in his enclosure for several years. Then one day a dynamite blast startled him, and before the unbelieving keepers’ eyes, the tiger leapt over the moat as easily as if it didn’t exist.” She glanced at Benny to see if he was listening. “So you see, animals can escape from their homes if they want to.”
Benny stared at Jessie. “What happened to the tiger?”
Smiling, Jessie said, “The zookeepers were able to capture him and put him back in his area. And he’s living there to this very day.”
“The tiger just got out by himself?” Benny asked, a glint of hope in his eyes.
“That’s right,” Jessie said, placing a comforting hand on Benny’s shoulder.
“Maybe,” he said in a hesitating voice, “Amos is waiting for Edward to put him back with his friends right now!”
“That’s possible,” Violet said, then turning to Grandfather, she asked, “Could you please drive us to Bridgeport?”
Grandfather raised his bushy brows. “Yes, but why?”
“Edward’s storeroom was broken into, and valuable food and vitamins were stolen,” Jessie explained. “Edward needs these things.” She showed Grandfather the list of supplies.
“Of course I’ll drive you,” Grandfather said.
“First, we’ll eat a little lunch, then we’ll go,” Violet said, going into the kitchen.
“I’m not hungry,” Benny complained, but he followed her.
“Not hungry?” Henry exclaimed. “That’s the first time I ever heard you say that, Benny.”
“Could you eat just a little?” Violet urged, pouring milk.
Benny shook his head.
“Well,” Grandfather said, pulling up a chair to the table, “after we buy pet food, we’ll take it to Edward. And,” he added, with a twinkle in his eye, “I’ll bet Amos will be flying through the air on the trapeze.”
Benny attempted a smile. “And I’ll be holding out his tin cup to him.” Grandfather chuckled. “That’s right.”
“Now, can you eat a cup of chicken soup and a ham sandwich?” Jessie asked.
“I’ll try,” Benny said.
So after a good lunch, they cleaned up, and jumped into the station wagon.
Driving to Bridgeport, Benny was unusually quiet, but he wasn’t as sad as before. When they arrived in town, Grandfather pulled into a space in front of the Bridgeport pet shop, and they all went in.
On a perch a green, yellow, and red parrot squawked, “Welcome! Come in!”
A clerk, waiting on a tall thin man, smiled at them and said, “I’ll be with you in a moment.”
Violet nudged Henry. “Isn’t that Mac Thatcher who the clerk is helping?”
Glancing at the man, Henry nodded. “I wonder what he’s doing here,” he said.
Mac turned his head. When he saw the Aldens, a frown darkened his face. “You’re everywhere, aren’t you?” he snarled.
The salesman, ignoring Mac’s remark, ordered, “Please put the cage up on the counter, sir, so I can get a better look at the monkey.”
“Monkey!” Benny burst out, whirling around to have a look. Much to Mac’s displeasure, Benny peered inside the cage. The monkey began to chatter and hop about. “It’s him!” Benny shouted.
“What are you babbling about?” Mac asked harshly, lifting the cage onto the counter. He glared at Benny. “Go away!”
“That’s Amos from the zoo!” Benny gasped.
“Mind your own business!” Mac snapped. “Besides,” he added, “how can you tell one monkey from another?”
The clerk studied the monkey from every angle. “I’ll pay five hundred dollars for this little fellow,” he announced, opening the cash register.
“He’s worth four times that!” Mac snarled.
“I know,” the clerk said smugly, then lowered his voice, “but monkeys are on the endangered list. I shouldn’t buy it at all, but I happen to have a buyer.”
Benny pulled on Grandfather’s sleeve. “Please! Stop Mac from selling Amos.”
“We have no proof that that’s Edward’s monkey,” Grandfather said kindly.
“Amos shouldn’t be in such a little cage,” Benny begged, looking from one person to another. “I know it’s Amos.” He thought for a minute. “Wait, I’ll show you.” He reached in his back pocket and pulled out the small tin cup, holding it out to Amos.
The monkey chattered wildly, taking the cup. Lovingly, Amos rubbed his head against the cup, then held it close, like he always did.<
br />
“See? It’s Amos!” Benny exclaimed.
“I’ll tell you what we’ll do,” Grandfather said to Benny. “We’ll come back and bring Edward. He’ll be able to claim his monkey.” He faced the clerk. “If I were you, I wouldn’t buy that monkey just yet.”
“Why are you interfering?” Mac asked nervously, his hands bunching into fists, then opening again. “This is my monkey and I intend to sell it!”
The clerk looked from Grandfather to the children and back to Mac Thatcher. “I see no reason not to buy this monkey.” He counted out the cash and placed it in Mac’s hand.
In horror Violet watched as the clerk took the cage and disappeared into the back room.
“That’s all the good it did you to try to stop this sale!” Mac growled, casting a nasty look at Benny and stuffing the money into his back pocket. With a snicker, he stomped out.
The clerk returned, quickly filling Jessie’s order.
As they went out, Benny glanced back, whispering, “We’ll save you, Amos.”
CHAPTER 11
The Guilty One
When Grandfather drove to the zoo, the children piled out, intending to find Edward. Grandfather trailed after them.
“Did Amos come back?” Benny shouted at Edward, who stood before the Monkey House.
Sadly, Edward shook his head. “I’m afraid not. Pat and I have searched the entire grounds, and he’s no place to be found.”
“I know where he is!” Benny said.
Edward gave him a sharp look. “You do? Where is he?”
“Mac Thatcher sold him to the pet shop man,” Benny answered, his eyes fastened on Edward.
“Can you believe Mac Thatcher could have stolen Amos?” Henry asked.
“Yes, I can,” Edward said in a discouraged tone.
“You don’t seem surprised,” Violet said.
“I’m not,” Edward said dully.
The children and Grandfather waited patiently for Edward’s explanation.
“I’ll tell you about Mac Thatcher later,” Edward said. “First let’s go see if the pet shop monkey is mine.”
“Yes, yes,” Benny said so excited that he ran from Edward to Grandfather. “Amos was stuffed in a real little cage and we’ve got to get him out!”
“And we will,” Edward said grimly.
Pat, who came out of the Bird House, joined them, and Edward quickly told her about Mac Thatcher and the monkey.
“Oh, no,” she groaned. “I thought we’d seen the last of him.”
Edward started walking toward the exit. “I’m going to Bridgeport. Hopefully Amos is still at the pet shop.”
Jessie handed Pat the box of vitamins and special food. “Here’s what you asked for.”
“Thanks, Jessie,” Pat said, rewarding her with a warm smile. “I’ll see to it that the black panther gets his vitamins.”
“And you know which other animals need their food,” Edward called over his shoulder.
“Yes,” Pat answered, a worried frown crossing her forehead. “You run along.” She gave Benny a quick pat on the back. “I’m sure Amos will be there.”
“I know it!” Benny responded promptly, hurrying to catch up with Edward.
So back to Bridgeport they drove, this time with Edward in the front seat.
Once inside the pet shop, the clerk took one look at the children and hurried to the rear to get the monkey.
Returning, he set the cage on the counter where Edward could examine the monkey.
In a few minutes Edward announced, in a triumphant burst, “It’s Amos!”
“I knew it!” Benny said gleefully.
“I paid five hundred dollars for that monkey,” the clerk sniffed, “and I don’t intend to give him up.”
“Well, I’m buying him back at the same price,” Edward said sternly. “This monkey was kidnapped from my zoo. I recognize him from that brown marking on his head.”
“Oh, my,” the clerk said. “If you’ll pay me the money, I’ll be grateful. I don’t want any trouble by dealing with a stolen monkey!”
Edward wrote out the check, mumbling, “I’ll take this out of Mac Thatcher’s hide!”
Benny talked to Amos, and the bright-eyed monkey responded by chattering and sticking out a paw.
Violet leaned down to the cage and said softly, “You’re going home now, Amos.”
“Not quite to the zoo yet,” Edward said grimly. He turned to the white-faced clerk. “May I use your telephone?”
“Help yourself.”
Dialing the Rosedale police, he told them a few things that had happened at the zoo and asked them to meet him at Mac Thatcher’s house, giving them the address.
Henry wondered how he knew Mac’s address.
“Let’s go to Mac Thatcher’s, James,” Edward said, his face a thundercloud. “Now Mac will pay for what he’s done.”
The children scrambled into the station wagon. Benny sat in the very back with Amos. Jessie tried to piece together what had happened, but decided she’d better be patient and ask Edward later.
Grandfather, not losing a minute, drove out of the parking space and headed back to Rosedale. If he’d had a siren, it would have been going full blast.
“How do you know where Mac Thatcher lives?” Jessie ventured to ask.
“Oh, I know a lot about Mac,” Edward said. “You see, he used to work for me. He was a lazy worker, often forgetting to feed the animals. Or he’d be late for work, neglecting his tasks.”
Henry nodded. “That sounds like Mac. We were in his bookstore, and he hadn’t fed Scamper, either.”
“Scamper?” Edward questioned.
“Scamper’s a cute little dog,” Benny explained. “If we didn’t have Watch, I’d like to take him home.”
“He is a sweet dog,” Jessie added. “You could tell by the way Mac treated him that he didn’t get any attention or love.”
Edward continued, “I just couldn’t have an employee who was irresponsible with my animals.” His eyes flashed, remembering. “He didn’t even like animals. A zoo is no place for a person who dislikes animals.”
“That’s terrible!” Violet whispered, her face stricken.
Entering Rosedale, Edward directed, “Turn left at the light, James. Anyway, I fired Mac,” he continued, “and hired Pat.”
“I can see why,” Henry said.
“You can’t have someone unreliable working with animals,” Edward said. “He not only forgot to feed some of them, but he didn’t clean out their homes, either.” He shook his head. “If you work with animals, you must be very responsible.”
“I wonder if Mac emptied the seals’ pool and changed temperatures, and did all those other mean things?” Violet asked.
“Well, he was angry with me for firing him, but we have no proof that he did those other things,” Edward replied. “One thing for sure, though, is that he’s going to answer for stealing Amos! He took him because he just wanted to get back at me any way he could.” He pointed. “Third house on the left, James.”
Suddenly, Mac dashed out carrying a suitcase. He opened the trunk of his car.
Turning, he saw the Aldens and Edward. He pressed his lips together and waited for them to get out of the car.
“What do you want now?” he sneered, folding his arms across his chest. “You follow me to the pet shop and now you follow me to my house!”
“I think you know why we’re here,” Edward said calmly, his eyes never leaving Mac’s frowning face.
“You stole Amos and sold him to the pet shop!” Benny said in an accusing tone. “We saw you!”
“No, I didn’t,” Mac retorted, an edge to his voice. “That monkey was nothing but trouble. Why would I want to steal him?”
“For the money,” Edward said shortly. “We went to the pet shop and rescued Amos. The monkey is in the station wagon. I’ve positively identified him! And,” he added, “the clerk can positively identify you!”
Mac glanced at the car and saw Amos in the cage. “Ok
ay, so I tried to sell your monkey,” he admitted. “I didn’t get much money for him.” He shot Edward a hateful look. “After all, I lost my job and my salary!”
Edward calmly replied, “You deserved to be let go, Mac Thatcher, and I think you know it. I wouldn’t put it past you to have drained the seals’ pool, changed the temperatures, and stolen my files!”
Mac gritted his teeth in annoyance. “Well, I didn’t do it! All I did was take a measly monkey.”
Doubtfully, Jessie stared at Mac. She didn’t like his mean little eyes and narrow dark face. But she realized that didn’t make him guilty.
“Did you change all the names of the animals?” Benny asked.
Mac looked surprised. “What do you mean?”
“The giraffes’ sign was put in front of the bears, and the monkeys’ sign was in front of the elephants,” Violet explained.
Mac snorted. “I never heard of such a thing!” Abruptly, he yanked the keys out of the trunk, and they dropped in the street.
“Wait a minute!” Edward shouted, scooping up the keys, and dangling them before Mac’s eyes. “Why do you have my zoo office key and the key to the gates?”
“I forgot to turn in the fool things,” Mac said stiffly, but he bit his lip in confusion.
“I don’t think so,” Edward said icily. “You did turn in your keys, but first you had a second set made. This explains how you got into the zoo. You knew all about the zoo’s wires, how to change the temperature, and where the files were kept, didn’t you?”
Sullen, Mac stared at the ground.
“We saw you several times at the zoo, too,” Henry said. “Now we know why.”
“Yes,” Benny said, nodding his head vigorously, “and you asked us a lot of questions about the zoo!” He stuck out his chin, daring Mac to contradict him.
Mac’s eyes shifted from one to the other, then back to the telltale keys.
“All right!” Mac growled. “I guess you’ve got me. Sure I did all the things you mentioned! Why shouldn’t I?” Mac paused, his eyes narrowing. “You had it coming! No one fires Mac Thatcher and gets away with it. I’d be happy if your zoo closed.”
