“Jason! Jason! Wake up!” the Aldens called as they pounded on his door.
In a moment the door was opened by a very sleepy-looking Jason. “What is it?” he wanted to know.
“Come quickly! Someone’s broken into the kennel!” Jessie said.
Jason looked confused. “What are you talking about?”
“Jason!” Henry said. “There’s no time to explain. Come on!”
Jason sighed heavily. “You kids and your imaginations.”
“It’s not our imagination,” Jessie said. “But if you don’t believe us, we’ll go by ourselves.” The children started down the hallway.
“All right, I’m coming,” Jason said, following them.
When they reached the kennel, they found the door was open, and the sound of barking dogs was deafening. As they peered into the dark building, they could see a flashlight shining down the hallway ahead of them.
Jason flicked on the overhead light, and the Aldens saw someone down the hall duck behind a large box. “Hello? Is there somebody there?” Jason called out. “Please come out at once!”
There was no response at first. Suddenly a figure darted out and began running down the hall away from them.
“He’s heading for the back exit,” said Jason. “I’ll go around that way and try to head him off!”
The others ran down the hall after the figure. But before they could catch him, he’d run out the back exit. The heavy door slammed shut behind him.
The Aldens pushed open the door and looked out. There was a rustling in the woods. Jason stood next to the door, out of breath.
“Whoever it was, he took off into the woods before I could get to him,” Jason said when he’d caught his breath.
“We’d better make sure the dogs are okay and that everything is in order,” Jessie said.
The Aldens helped Jason go through the building and check each dog. Zach, Ginger, and the other dogs were all in their individual pens, just as they were supposed to be.
“Let’s get back to bed,” Jason said.
“Wait a minute,” called Violet, who had gone back to take another peek at Ginger. “What are all these scratch marks on the gate to Ginger’s pen?”
Jason came over to take a closer look. “That’s odd,” he said. “It looks as if someone was trying to break into her pen. There’s a special latch on every pen so that the dogs can’t get out. I guess the person who was in here was after Ginger.” Jason twisted the latch and opened the gate. Ginger came out and began sniffing at Jason. “Are you okay, girl?” Jason said, rubbing her back. When he was satisfied that she was unharmed, he led her back into her pen.
“What are we going to do? The person that sneaked in here probably used your key,” Henry said. “He could come back.”
“I’ll camp out here tonight,” said Jason, “and I’ll talk to Mrs. Carter in the morning. We’ll have to have the locks changed.”
“Are you sure you’ll be okay?” Violet asked.
“We’ll bring you some blankets and a pillow,” Jessie suggested.
“We could stay with you,” Benny offered.
“No sense in all of us staying up,” Jason said.
After making sure that Jason was settled for the night, the Aldens returned to their rooms.
“It’s a good thing you were on watch, Benny,” Jessie told her brother.
“I can’t believe you were able to stay awake so late,” Violet said.
“Aw, it was easy,” Benny said, hiding a smile.
“I shouldn’t tell you this, but we all thought you’d fall asleep for sure,” Jessie said.
Benny gave her a look. “What? I can’t believe you’d think that.”
Violet noticed that Henry had been walking along quietly beside them. “Thinking about something, Henry?” she asked.
“What?” Henry had been deep in his own thoughts. “Oh, well . . . I was just wondering . . . did anyone else think that Jason acted strangely tonight?”
“Not really,” Jessie answered. “What do you mean?”
They had reached their rooms. Jessie opened the door to the girls’ room and they all went inside and sat down on the beds to talk for a moment.
“Remember when we first told him someone had broken into the kennel?” Henry asked. “He kept saying he didn’t believe us, before he finally came along. I wonder if he was stalling.”
“Why would he do that?” Violet asked.
“Maybe he knew someone was going to break into the kennel,” Henry said slowly. “Maybe he wanted to make sure we didn’t get there before they finished whatever it was they were up to.”
“Then why did he come with us after all?” Jessie asked.
“He knew we were going, so he had to come,” Henry said. “Then when we got there, remember he went around the outside to head off the person inside? He said he couldn’t catch the person — but maybe he wasn’t even trying.”
“But he seemed so out of breath,” Violet said.
“That’s just it,” Henry said. “I wonder if it was all an act.”
“Do you think that’s why he offered to keep guard?” Jessie asked.
“And he didn’t want us to stay with him. . . .” Benny said.
“I can’t believe Jason is up to anything bad,” Violet said.
Jessie sighed. “It’s possible. But we really haven’t got any proof.
“Tomorrow we’ll have to do more detective work.”
CHAPTER 8
“Someone’s Following Us!”
The next day was bright and sunny, and while eating a breakfast of fresh orange juice and waffles they saw Jason in the dining room, huddled over a cup of coffee.
“Did anything else happen last night?” Benny asked.
Jason assured them that the rest of the night had been quiet.
“It’s a beautiful day out,” Violet noted, looking out one of the large dining room windows.
“Perfect for Anna’s first trip downtown with Ginger,” Jason said. “Let’s meet in the lobby in fifteen minutes. After we walk around downtown, we’ll visit Greenfield College, where Anna will be going to school in the fall. Ginger needs to get used to being on the campus with all the students.”
“We’ve driven past the college with Grandfather,” said Violet. “It’s very pretty.”
“I have an idea,” said Henry. “Maybe we could picnic on that big green lawn.”
“That sounds great!” Jason said.
“We can pick up some food while we’re downtown,” Benny suggested.
“I’ll go to the kitchen and see if we can borrow the other things we’ll need,” Jessie said. She was back in a moment with a red and white checkered tablecloth, some napkins, and a knife for cutting bread and cheese and fruit.
A short while later, the group was heading downtown. The children walked a slight distance behind so they wouldn’t disturb Anna and Ginger’s lesson.
Jason had prepared Anna for the trip by showing her a special map of town. The streets were marked with raised lines so that she could feel where they were. He had also asked her which stores she usually visited, so that she and Ginger could practice going in those.
“We’re on Main Street now,” Jason told her. “Let’s walk to the pet shop on the corner of Spruce and Elm. That’s a place you and Ginger will be going to often.”
“That’s where we buy things for Watch!” said Benny.
They all began walking. When they reached the first corner, Ginger stopped right at the curb.
“Good girl,” Anna said.
“Listen for the traffic,” Jason told Anna.
A couple of cars went by.
“It sounds quiet now,” Anna said.
“Then tell Ginger to move ahead,” Jason said.
“Forward,” Anna said, and they all crossed the street.
At each corner Ginger would stop and wait for Anna to listen for the traffic and decide which way she wanted to go.
When they reached the pet shop, Jason sho
wed Anna how to enter the store with Ginger.
As the Aldens paused outside, Benny moved closer to his sisters and brother and whispered, “I think someone’s following us.”
“You do?” Jessie asked. She looked behind them. The only person she saw nearby was a tall figure in a long raincoat and hat. The person was standing at a pay phone making a call. Jessie couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman. “Do you mean that person on the phone?”
“That’s the one,” Benny said. “I noticed him as soon as we got into town, and he’s been with us this whole way.”
“Are you sure?” Henry asked.
“Yes,” said Benny.
“Now that you mention it, there is something odd about him,” Violet said. “Why is he wearing a raincoat and hat on this beautiful, sunny day?”
“Look at the way he’s standing,” Jessie pointed out. “Head down, hat pulled low, back toward us — as if he doesn’t want to be seen.”
“Or recognized,” Henry added.
“Who do you think it might be?” asked Violet.
“I don’t know,” said Benny. “Maybe Mr. Dominick. He’s tall and thin.”
“So is Mrs. Davis,” said Jessie. “It could be a woman, you know. You really can’t tell.”
“We’ll keep an eye on him — or her,” said Henry.
A few minutes later, Anna, Jason, and Ginger came out of the shop. Anna was carrying a small paper bag. “Look what I got,” she told the Aldens.
They crowded around as she pulled something out of the paper bag. It was a new collar for Ginger, made of soft brown leather.
“She’s been wearing the same collar since she was a puppy,” Jason said.
“The leather is all lumpy and cracked,” Anna added.
“I think she’ll really like the new one,” Violet said.
‘I’ll put it on her tonight when we get home,” Anna said, as she and the others began walking.
When they’d gone a few blocks, Jessie took a quick peek over her shoulder. The mysterious person was close behind them. Each time one of the Aldens looked back, the person would duck into a doorway or pause on a corner. But he — or she — never gave up.
The next stop was the grocery store. The Aldens followed Jason, Anna, and Ginger inside.
“Let’s get some things for our picnic,” Jessie said, picking up a basket.
First Ginger led Anna up the produce aisle. Just like outside, Ginger was a good guide. She carefully led Anna around a display of watermelons in the center of the aisle.
Henry picked out some ripe peaches and plums and put them in Jessie’s basket. Violet selected a juicy tomato. Benny got a plastic bag and filled it with dried pineapple, raisins, and nuts, which he scooped from a large bin.
Next they came to the dairy case, where Violet picked out a piece of sharp cheddar and some Swiss cheese.
When they reached the dog food aisle, Ginger began to sniff at some of the bags of dried food on the shelves. “Ginger!” Jason scolded. Ginger quickly returned to the center of the aisle. “Good girl,” Jason said.
Along the back wall was a bakery, where Jessie chose a long loaf of crusty bread. Benny picked out a carton of fruit punch.
“Now all we need are paper plates and cups,” said Violet as she took some off of a shelf and put them in Jessie’s basket. At last their picnic was complete.
As they were standing in line at the checkout counter, Henry noticed someone moving up the aisle behind Anna and Ginger. It was the same mysterious person who’d been following them. For the first time, Henry also noticed that the person walked with a limp. “Jessie!” Henry whispered. “There he — or she — is again! I’m going after him.”
Henry set off to try to get a closer look. The person was following Anna and Ginger up the soap aisle when Henry called out, “Hey, you! In the raincoat!” The person quickly darted down the canned vegetable aisle, with Henry in pursuit, but he was able to outrun Henry. As Henry raced to the end of the aisle, the person ran out the front door.
Breathless, Henry returned to his sisters and brother, who had paid for their groceries.
“Well?” Jessie asked. “Could you see who it was?”
“No,” Henry said, catching his breath. “He — or she — was too fast for me.”
In a few minutes, Jason, Anna, and Ginger joined them at the front of the store. “What was going on back there, Henry?” Jason asked. “Why did you run past us?”
Henry was about to answer when Anna interrupted. “Were you after that person who was following us?” she asked.
“Yes — you knew someone was following you?” Henry asked.
“I had heard footsteps behind me for several minutes. At first I thought it was just a coincidence, but it was always the same person,” Anna said.
“How do you know?” Violet asked.
“I recognized the way he walked — with a slight limp,” Anna explained. “He stopped and started whenever I did.”
“Did you see who it was?” Jason asked Henry.
“No, he ran away too fast.” Henry looked disappointed.
“So you don’t know if it was the same person who was in the kennel last night?” Jason asked.
“No,” said Henry. “Could you tell if it was him, Benny?”
“No,” said Benny. “I couldn’t see him.”
“Wait a minute. What are you talking about?” Anna wanted to know. No one had told her what had happened the night before. They didn’t want to upset her.
“Well?” Anna demanded.
“We’ll tell you about it over lunch,” Jessie said.
CHAPTER 9
Ginger’s Been Kidnapped!
Greenfield College was only a few blocks from downtown. Anna, Ginger, and Jason led the way, with the Aldens following. Jessie and Henry each carried a bag of groceries.
When they reached the college, they saw several big stone buildings, covered in ivy, around a large green lawn. Students carrying books and notebooks walked from one building to another. Some students sat on the grass eating lunch and chatting. On one side of the lawn, a couple of people were throwing a football.
Henry spotted a shady corner surrounded on two sides by tall bushes. “How about if we sit over there?” The others nodded and followed him across the lawn, being careful not to get in the way of the ball players.
Jessie got out the checkered tablecloth and spread it on the grass. Everyone sat down, and Ginger lay on the grass next to Anna. Violet placed a paper plate and cup in front of each person, and Benny handed everyone a napkin.
“What’s for lunch?” Jason asked as Henry began to reach into one of the bags.
“Bread and cheese and fruit,” Henry said. He placed all the food in the center of the tablecloth where everyone could reach. Jason tore off a hunk of bread and handed the loaf to Anna, who did the same.
Jessie cut the cheese into chunks and sliced the tomato with the knife she’d borrowed from the school’s kitchen. Violet filled all the cups with punch.
For a moment everyone was silent, eating sandwiches of the bread and cheese and tomato. They scooped up handfuls of the dried fruit and nuts. At last, as they sat back enjoying the juicy peaches and plums, Anna asked the question that had been on all their minds. “Now, who was in the kennel last night?”
“That’s just it — we don’t know,” Henry said. “Someone broke in — Benny spotted the person from our window. We went and woke up Jason, and then we all ran down to the kennel.”
Jason picked up the story. “But when we got there, whoever was inside ran into the woods.”
“What time did all this happen?” Anna asked.
“Around midnight,” said Violet.
“What were you doing looking out the window at midnight, Benny?” Anna wanted to know.
“I was keeping watch. It was my shift,” Benny explained.
“What do you mean, you were ‘keeping watch’?” asked Jason.
The Aldens looked at one another. They hadn’t really
planned on telling anyone about all the strange things that had been happening at the school — at least not until they had some answers. They weren’t even sure they could trust Jason. He might be involved somehow.
“Why were you keeping watch?” Anna said.
Benny looked to Jessie for help.
“Well,” Jessie began slowly, “ever since we came to the school, we’ve noticed some strange things have been happening. The very first day Benny saw someone lurking in the bushes behind the kennel.”
“Then there was this man, Mr. Dominick, who kept coming by trying to buy Ginger,” Violet continued.
“My Ginger?” Anna put her arms around Ginger possessively. Jessie smiled, thinking how close Anna and the dog had become.
“The school doesn’t sell dogs,” said Jason.
“We told him we didn’t think the school sold their guide dogs, but he wouldn’t give up,” Violet said.
“I still don’t understand why you were keeping watch,” Anna said.
“Does it have to do with that night you thought you saw someone lurking around the kennel?” Jason asked.
“Yes,” said Benny. “And the night before last we saw some weird lights.”
“Weird lights?” Jason repeated. “Where?”
“They were, um ...” Benny paused, not sure what to say.
“Actually, Jason, they were in your room,” Henry finished for his little brother. “We think someone was in there with a flashlight. And the next day, your key to the kennel was gone.”
Jason sat back on the blanket, trying to take in what the Aldens had just told him. “This gets stranger all the time,” he said at last. “Why would someone want to break into the kennel? Do they want one of the dogs?”
“Well,” Anna said, “they’re worth more than gold to people like me.” She stroked Ginger’s back.
“That reminds me,” said Henry. “The latch on Ginger’s pen was all scratched up last night. Remember?”
“And Mr. Dominick said something about Ginger being worth a lot of money — that she looked like a champion dog,” added Jessie.
Anna sat up straight. “Do you think someone — Mr. Dominick — is trying to steal Ginger?”