Pet Shop Mystery Read Online Free PDF

something heavy leap onto his shoulder.
    “This is George. It’s a woolly monkey,” a strange man said, stepping out from the shadows. “And I’m Jack Badham … uh … I’m from the, uh … Tropical Animal Society. My friend Walter here is going to watch this monkey for a couple of days until we can ship him out to a zoo.”
    Jessie reached up to pet the nervous, chattering monkey. “Good. He doesn’t belong in a pet shop. There, there, George. Don’t be afraid.”
    The monkey had huge eyes. He didn’t seem quite as frightened when he heard Jessie’s voice.
    “I won’t hurt you.” She looked at Mr. Badham. “Why don’t you bring this monkey to the Greenfield Animal Shelter for now? There’s more room than in this pet shop. Our friend Dr. Scott works there. She can take care of any kind of animal.”
    “That is none of your concern, little girl,” Mr. Fowler said. “This monkey and the parrot Mr. Badham just brought here will be going to a famous zoo in a few days. They’ll be treated better there than at any shelter. What do you want now anyway?”
    Henry spoke up. “We just want to take care of Mrs. Tweedy’s customers the way we promised her. We need a dog collar. And we have to find out who gets this diet cat food. Do you know?”
    Mr. Fowler unlocked the shop, but he didn’t allow Jessie or Henry inside. When he returned, he handed Henry a dog collar and a new order slip. “Here’s where the collar goes. Leave the cat food here. Now get a move on.”

    “What was all that chattering, Jessie?” Violet wanted to know. “It was too dark to see. We heard all kinds of strange sounds.”
    Jessie pulled the delivery wagon down Main Street. The sight of the monkey was upsetting, but she didn’t want to worry the younger children. “Mr. Fowler is watching two animals for now. They’re going to a zoo in a few days. At least that’s what Mr. Fowler told Henry and me.”
    Benny pulled on Jessie’s sleeve. “Was there a real live monkey like the man said?”
    “Yes,” Jessie answered. “A real live monkey, but a very nervous one, Benny. And a bird that we didn’t get to see. It was making an awful squawk and sounded miserable.”
    Benny looked up at his sister. “Do you think George and the noisy bird were the mysterious delivery Mr. Fowler wrote about on that receipt?”
    Jessie nodded. “Yes, I think so. But now there’s another mystery. Why are those animals at the Pretty Bird Pet Shop?”

CHAPTER 6
A Hand in the Window
    The Aldens had only a half day of school the following day. After dropping off their books and feeding Watch and Pipsqueak, they headed for the pet shop.
    “Goody, a half day of school,” Benny said when they got to Main Street. “That means a half day of playing with animals.”
    Henry wasn’t quite as sure about that. “Don’t count on it, Benny. Mr. Fowler might not need us for that long.”
    “Or want us for that long, either,” Jessie added quietly. “But at least Mrs. Tweedy will be in today before she goes off again. Maybe she’ll talk to Mr. … Hey, look in the window of the pet shop.”
    “Omigosh!” Henry cried. “Someone’s trying to grab Grayfellow. Can you tell who it is? All I can see is someone’s arm.”
    As soon as Henry spoke, the arm disappeared from the small door that led to the display window.
    “Let’s go,” Jessie said. “Maybe we can find out who that was.”
    Today the Pretty Bird Pet Shop was packed. The “mystery arm” could have belonged to anyone. Mr. Fowler was there. Mrs. Tweedy was in back of the store with several customers. Jessie’s classmate Arthur was on his way out the door.
    “That old woman is here, too,” Soo Lee whispered. “I hope she doesn’t yell at us again.”
    The shop was busier than the Aldens had ever seen it. Never before had there been a monkey in the Pretty Bird Pet Shop. Or a macaw parrot, either.
    “Looks like Mr. Fowler brought the animals in from the storage building,” Jessie said.