Poison Frog Mystery Read Online Free PDF

them,” Lindsey quickly pointed out, “but I’m sure the birds aren’t too happy. If the thief did that with the condors, I’ll bet he or she had to fight with them. Condors are mean, tough birds. The thief probably got a fair share of bites and scratches.”
    They walked back over to the empty enclosure. “What about these little dents on the floor?” Jessie asked, pointing. There were maybe a dozen of them, all small and close together, a few feet from the cage door. “Same as last time?”
    Lindsey nodded. “Exactly the same. And still just as puzzling.”
    Jessie knelt down and gently ran her hand over them.
    “Just like in the mammal house,” she said softly.
    “Right,” Lindsey said, “and they weren’t here before the theft. I asked the head birdkeeper, just to be sure.”
    Henry said, “I wonder if they were caused by the thief’s shoes. Maybe the thief was wearing cleats, or those shoes that mountain climbers use. They have spikes on the bottom.”
    “I doubt it,” Lindsey replied. “If that were the case, why wouldn’t the marks be all over the floor? Why only in one spot?”
    Henry nodded. “That’s true. I can’t really think of anything else, though.”
    “Me neither,” Lindsey said.
    Jordan Patterson walked in at that moment, hands deep in the pockets of his jeans.
    “Any good news, Jordan?”
    He shook his head. “No news at all. Same as last time. I have to admit, whoever the thief is, he or she is very good; left no clues, no trail, nothing.” He turned to the Aldens. “How are you kids coming along with your own investigation? Anything turn up?”
    Henry told Jordan about his thoughts on the open window.
    “That makes a lot of sense,” Jordan said. “I’ll mention that if and when the police get involved. Good point.”
    “Thanks,” Henry said. “Does Mr. Colby know yet?”
    Jordan frowned. “Yeah, I just finished talking to him.”
    “I assume he didn’t take it too well?” Lindsey asked.
    Jordan smiled at her, but there was no happiness in it. “No, he didn’t. In fact, he was downright furious. He said he was going to hire a night guard. He has a friend whose son has guard experience. He’s pretty good, from what I’ve heard.”
    “Well, that should help,” Jessie said.
    “I guess,” Jordan replied. “It’s a shame we have to go this far. Having a guard ...” He shook his head. “This is a zoo, not a prison.”
    “But these thefts won’t make us look very good to the public,” Lindsey told the Aldens. “They’ll make us look irresponsible and careless.”
    “Darren must think the same thing,” Jordan said to Lindsey, “because he said something else, too.”
    “Oh?”
    “He said he was going to shut down the breeding program if one more animal was taken.” Jordan put up a finger. “Just one.”
    Lindsey’s face paled. “You’re kidding.”
    “No, I’m not. And I’m not surprised, either. He’s been very worried about the possible response from the newspapers.”
    “But what about the endangered animals?” Violet asked.
    Jordan shook his head. “I guess another zoo will have to take them.”
    “Oh, no!”
    Jordan shrugged. “What else can we do? We can’t risk losing any more of them.”
    He turned back toward the door. “Okay, I have to go back and talk to him again. Keep up the good work, kids.”
    “Thanks,” Henry said.
    “I hope they catch the thief soon,” Lindsey said sadly after Jordan had gone. “Or we do, or someone does. Shutting down the program is going to be a huge blow to this zoo.”
    “Well, let’s keep looking around for more clues,” Henry said. “Who knows? The key piece to the whole puzzle might be right in this room.”
    “Maybe,” Lindsey said, but she didn’t sound as enthusiastic as Henry.
    Henry went back to the window, Benny investigated the supply shelves, and Violet searched around inside the condors’ empty cage.
    Jessie, on the other hand, knelt down beside the dents in the floor again.