“I’m sorry, but I have work to do now,” Jason said, walking past the children. He still seemed angry.
“Can we do anything — ” Jessie began.
“Go eat dinner or something,” Jason said. “I’m busy.” And with that he led Ginger into the kennel and shut the door.
“I wonder what that was all about,” Henry whispered to Jessie.
“I don’t know, but there’s definitely something going on,” Jessie replied.
CHAPTER 3
Someone Hiding in the Woods
Following Jason’s suggestion, the Aldens headed to the dining room. It was a bright, pretty room, and the smells coming from the kitchen were delicious. Each table was covered with a clean white cloth and decorated with a small vase of flowers. Tonight was Taco Night, and several students and instructors were enjoying the food and lively music. The children noticed that there were also several guide dogs, each one sitting quietly under its owner’s chair.
After dinner the children took a stroll around the beautiful wooded grounds and then went back to their rooms to get ready for bed.
“I hope all those dogs don’t bark and wake us up the way Watch sometimes does,” said Benny.
But the dogs didn’t make a sound.
The next morning the Aldens ran into Jason on their way to breakfast. He was cheerful and friendly, and he seemed to have forgotten whatever had upset him the night before. After a hearty breakfast of eggs and bacon, toast, and milk, the children went outside and watched as Jason worked with Zach and some other dogs.
Around noon, the children ran into Mrs. Carter, who was walking with a girl just four years older than Henry. She was very pretty and had shiny black hair that hung almost to her waist. The girl had one hand on Mrs. Carter’s arm, and in the other hand she held a suitcase.
“Hello!” Mrs. Carter greeted the Aldens. “This is Anna Chang, a student who’s come to start working with a guide dog. I was just telling her about you. This is Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny.”
Anna smiled and said hello as each Alden shook her hand.
“Would you please take Anna up to her room? It’s right next to yours. Then maybe you could all have some lunch,” Mrs. Carter suggested.
“Sure,” said Benny. “I’m really hungry!”
“I bet I’m even hungrier!” Anna said, and everyone laughed. The Aldens knew they had found a friend.
Anna placed her hand on Henry’s elbow so that he could guide her. Jessie took Anna’s suitcase. Once they were in Anna’s room, Anna asked how the room was laid out. Violet showed her where the bed, dresser, desk, and chair were. Anna paid close attention, placing a hand on each. She wanted to be sure she would be able to find everything later, on her own.
During lunch, Anna told the children how excited she was to be getting a guide dog. “I’ve been blind since I was born,” Anna told them, “and I’ve never really felt independent. Whenever I want to go somewhere — to school or a store or a friend’s house — I always have to ask someone to help me.”
“I can’t imagine not being able to just get on my bicycle and go wherever I want,” said Benny between bites of his grilled cheese sandwich.
“It must be really hard,” Violet agreed.
“I’ve seen blind people using canes,” said Henry, taking a sip of his milk. “Have you tried that?”
“Yes, but it’s hard to get around. A guide dog gives you complete freedom. I start college in the fall, and for the first time in my life I want to really be on my own.” Anna smiled broadly as she thought about her future.
“Your dog will be your best friend,” said Jessie.
“Yes,” Anna said. But the children noticed her smile had faded a little.
“What’s wrong?” asked Violet.
“Oh, it’s nothing,” Anna said. She picked up her ham sandwich and then put it back down on her plate. “It’s just that . . . I’ve never had a pet before. I hope I’ll know what to do.”
“Don’t worry,” Jessie said. “I’m sure they’ll teach you everything you need to know.”
After lunch, the Aldens took Anna out to the kennel, where she’d been told to meet Jason.
“This is Anna Chang,” Henry said when they spotted Jason.
“Nice to meet you,” Jason said. “I’ll be teaching you how to work with your dog.”
While Jason and Anna were talking, Benny thought he heard a rustling noise in the woods behind them. He walked over to see what it was. He wondered if one of the dogs had gotten out of the yard.
Benny saw someone peering through the trees. The person was very tall and dressed in a dark suit. That’s odd, Benny thought. Why would someone be walking around in the woods behind the kennels? He started to wave, but as he lifted his arm, the person ducked behind a tree, as if he or she didn’t want to be seen.
“Benny!” called Henry.
“Henry, there’s someone — ” Benny began.
“Come on!” Jessie cried. “Anna’s first lesson is starting.”
Not wanting to miss anything, Benny forgot about the person in the woods and hurried over to the others.
Jason was showing Anna the dog harness that he’d shown the children the day before. She felt the leather and held it the way Jason showed her. Then Jason held the bottom of the harness and they practiced for quite a while, with Anna giving the commands he had taught her, and Jason leading her back and forth on the grass.
“Make sure your voice is firm,” Jason reminded her. “The dog needs to know that you’re the boss. Well, are you ready to meet your dog?”
Anna nodded, a nervous look on her face. “I guess so.”
“I’ll be right back,” Jason said. He slipped into the exercise yard and came back out a moment later with a dog on a leash. It was Ginger!
“Here she is,” he told Anna. “Her name is Ginger. She’s a golden retriever with a reddish golden coat.”
Anna reached out her hand and Ginger sniffed it. Then Anna cautiously put her hand on Ginger’s soft back and slowly began stroking her. A warm smile spread across Anna’s face.
“I think you two should have a little time by yourselves, to get to know each other,” Jason said.
“We’ll go stop by Mrs. Carter’s office and see if she has any work for us,” Jessie said.
As they turned to say good-bye to Anna, they saw her sitting on the grass, speaking softly to Ginger. It looked as if she and the dog were going to get along just fine.
“Am I glad you’re here!” Mrs. Carter told the children when they entered her office. “My secretary is on vacation, and I have to run to a meeting.” She quickly explained what she needed them to do: file papers, move stacks of folders, answer the phone. “I’ll be back in about an hour,” she said as she left.
The children set to work sorting the papers on Mrs. Carter’s desk. When the phone rang, they took turns answering it and writing down the messages.
After a short while Benny noticed a shadow through the smoked glass of Mrs. Carter’s door. He wondered who it was and why the person didn’t just come in. Then he remembered the figure he’d seen in the woods. Could it be the same person?
At last, whoever it was knocked on the door.
“Come in,” Henry called.
The door opened slowly, and a man walked in and looked around. He was wearing a dark suit with a flower on the lapel. His hair was neatly groomed and he had a little mustache. He seemed confused.
“Can we help you?” Jessie asked.
“Yes . . . uh . . . I’m looking for the director,” he said at last.
“Mrs. Carter’s not here right now. Can we give her a message?” Henry replied.
“That dog out on the lawn. I want to buy her,” the man said.
“But — ” Jessie began.
“She’s a beautiful golden retriever. I simply must have her,” he went on.
“I don’t think she’s for sale,” Henry said, realizing the man must mean Ginger. “She’s a guide dog.”
“What do you mean she’s not for sale?” the man said. “That’s ridiculous. Just tell me the price.”
“I’m sorry, sir. You’ll have to ask Mrs. Carter,” Jessie said.
The man looked around the room at the children and drew in a deep breath. Then he turned on his heel and left, as abruptly as he’d come.
“That was strange!” Violet said when the door had shut behind the man.
“It certainly was!” Henry agreed.
“I wonder if he’s the same person I saw in the woods,” Benny said.
“What person in the woods?” Jessie asked.
Benny told the others what he’d seen earlier that day.
“There seem to be some strange things going on around here,” Jessie said.
“Yes. Remember that scene between Jason and that woman — Mrs. Davis — yesterday?” Violet reminded them.
“I’m not sure about this,” Henry said, “but I think we may have another mystery on our hands!”
CHAPTER 4
Barking Dogs
When Mrs. Carter returned, Henry told her about the strange man who’d wanted to buy Ginger.
“Well,” she said, “sometimes people do want to buy the dogs.”
As the Aldens got off the elevator on the second floor, they saw Anna on her way to the dining room. Benny ran to catch up with his new friend. Just before he reached her, she turned around and said, “Hello, Benny!”
Benny stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide. “How did you know it was me?” he asked.
Anna smiled. “I just knew.”
Benny didn’t know what to say.
Anna laughed. “Besides,” she said, “your shoes squeak when you run. I noticed that when I first met you.”
“That’s amazing!” Benny said as his sisters and brother joined him.
“Not really,” Anna said. “Since I can’t see, I have to be more aware of sounds and smells and other things,” she explained. “I know Violet must have just come over, because I can smell her shampoo.”
“Here I am,” Violet said with a grin.
During a dinner of burgers and fries, Anna told them all about her afternoon and introduced them to a few of the other students she’d met that day. Anna and Ginger had gotten along very well, and the next day Jason was going to start their training together. She couldn’t wait.
When they’d finished their strawberry shortcake, Anna and the Aldens went to the lounge to listen to music and talk.
At last, worn out from a busy day, the children went back to their rooms.
‘I’m going to sleep well tonight!” Benny said.
But he was wrong.
A few hours later, Benny sat up in bed. He looked over at Henry, who was sleeping soundly. Benny wondered what had awakened him. In a moment he realized what it was. Outside his window the dogs were barking. They sounded upset.
Benny was just about to look out the window when he heard a soft tapping at the door. “Who is it?” he whispered.
“It’s Jessie and me,” he heard Violet whisper back.
Benny opened the door and the two girls hurried in.
“What’s going on?” Henry asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting up.
“Something’s disturbing the dogs,” Jessie said.
“Or someone,” said Violet, who was standing by the window. “Come here, quick!”
The others hurried over and looked out.
“What is it?” Benny asked.
“I thought I saw someone looking in one of the kennel windows,” Violet said. “But then the person disappeared.”
The children all stood looking out the window as the dogs continued to bark. But all they could see was the dark kennel building.
“Maybe I imagined it,” Violet said after a few moments.
The children kept watching for several more minutes, and then the dogs began to quiet down.
“If someone was there, they must be gone now,” Jessie said.
“Who do you think it was?” Benny asked.
“I couldn’t tell,” Violet said. “Why would someone be lurking around in the middle of the night?”
“I don’t know,” Henry answered. “We’ll ask Jason tomorrow. For now, I’m going to sleep.”
When they asked Jason the following day, he didn’t seem to think that the barking dogs were anything to worry about. “I used to wake up every time they barked, but I don’t anymore. Sometimes it’s a rabbit or a skunk — it’s not usually anything to worry about.”
“What about the person Violet saw?” Jessie asked.
“It was probably just a shadow of a tree or something. I wouldn’t worry about it,” Jason advised.
Then Anna arrived for her first lesson with Ginger, and the Aldens forgot all about the barking dogs. Jason told them to watch from a bench in front of the school. They had to be quiet so they wouldn’t distract Anna or Ginger.
Jason put Ginger’s harness on her and placed Anna’s hand on the handle. While the Aldens watched, the threesome began moving down the walkway.
“Give her lots of praise, and pat her head when she does what you want her to do,” Jason told Anna.
Anna was nervous, and at first she almost tripped over Ginger as they walked. But soon she was moving slowly down the sidewalk. Jason stayed beside them, letting Anna and Ginger lead the way.
“Uh-oh,” Benny whispered when he saw Anna and Ginger heading toward a large rock on the path. But Ginger led Anna around it.
As they approached the tree-lined driveway, a large branch hung overhead. “Oh, no! Anna’s going to bump her head,” Violet whispered. Ginger could easily have walked under the branch, but she had been trained to notice things that might get in the way of the person she was leading. So she carefully led Anna around the branch.
“That’s amazing!” Jessie whispered.
At the curb, Ginger stopped and waited for Anna’s command. Jason explained, “Ginger will stop at the curb, while you listen for traffic. If it’s quiet, you can tell her to go forward. But she’ll only move forward if she thinks it’s safe.”
“You mean she’ll disobey me?” Anna asked.
“Yes,” Jason said. “Guide dogs are obedient, but they’re also intelligent. If a situation is dangerous — for instance, if you tell them to step out into a street with cars going by — they’ll disobey you. They’ve been trained to think of your safety first.”
Anna bent and gave Ginger a big hug. “I know I’ll be safe with Ginger,” she said.
The children watched the rest of Anna’s lesson with great interest. It was almost time for lunch when Benny whispered to the others, “Hey, look over there.” He pointed toward the road in front of the school. A big black limousine was slowly driving by.
“Mrs. Davis again!” Jessie said.
The back windows of the car were tinted, so the children couldn’t see inside. They could only see her driver, who was wearing dark sunglasses, in his uniform in the front seat.
“I wonder what she’s up to!” Henry said.
“I hope she’s not going to interrupt Anna’s lesson. Jason would be upset,” Violet said.
The children watched as the limousine started to turn in the driveway.
“Oh, no! Here she comes!” said Jessie.
But at the last minute, it seemed Mrs. Davis changed her mind. There was a skidding noise as the car came abruptly to a stop. The limousine swerved back into the street. Then the engine roared and the car pulled away quickly, sending up a cloud of dust and pebbles.
Jason looked up when he heard the noise. “What was that?”
“It looked like Mrs. Davis’s limousine,” Henry said.
A shadow seemed to pass over Jason’s face. “I think we’ve done enough today,” he said to Anna. “Why don’t you and Ginger take a break?” And with that, Jason walked quickly away.
Once again, the Aldens were left wondering what was bothering him.
CHAPTER 5
The Mysterious Visitor Returns
That after
noon, the Aldens were sitting with Ginger on the school’s front lawn when a car pulled into the driveway and stopped. A man got out, and the children saw it was the same mysterious man who’d tried to buy Ginger the day before.
“Ah, just who I was looking for,” he said as he walked toward the children. His voice was smooth and friendly, but the Aldens couldn’t help thinking he sounded a little too friendly. The man reached out to stroke Ginger’s back, and Henry stepped away, holding her leash firmly. “If you’re still interested in buying Ginger, you’ll have to speak to the director of the school, Mrs. Carter.”
“I should have introduced myself yesterday,” the man said. He smiled broadly, but his smile seemed false. “My name’s Gerard Dominick, and I just happen to be the owner of some of the greatest champion dogs in the country.” He paused, waiting for the children to make some response. When they said nothing, he continued. “This golden retriever would perfectly complete my collection of dogs. I can see that she’s a champion. I’ll make a generous offer — ”
“We told you, you have to ask Mrs. Carter,” Henry repeated.
“Come, come, now,” Mr. Dominick said, taking his wallet out of his pocket. “This dog is worth a fortune! Who’s going to know if you just hand her over to me? You can say she ran away.”
“That’s terrible!” Jessie said. “You’d better leave!”
“Hey, calm down,” Mr. Dominick said nervously. He put his wallet back in his pocket. “All right, all right, I’m going. But I’m not giving up!”
The Aldens watched as Mr. Dominick got back in his car and drove off.
“I don’t like that man at all,” Violet said.
“Neither do I,” Benny agreed.
“Do you think we should tell Mrs. Carter about him?” asked Jessie.
“She didn’t seem too interested yesterday,” said Henry.
“Maybe we should tell Jason,” Violet suggested.
The children went straight to Jason’s room on the fourth floor. They were about to knock on his door when they heard his voice inside.
“It sounds as if he’s on the phone,” Jessie said. “Maybe we should come back later.”