Soon Rick landed at the airport in Redmond. He asked the Aldens to sit tight for a few minutes. He opened a door in the nose of the plane and took out a large box. An airport worker loaded the box into a baggage carrier and drove toward the terminal. Rick slammed the door shut, latched it, and got back into the plane. He called to get the okay to enter the runway.
“Are you a flying mailman?” Benny asked.
Rick laughed. “Not exactly. I do all kinds of errands for people and businesses. That was a package of supplies for a local hospital.”
“Was the box in a baggage compartment?” asked Violet. She remembered the open door on Adelita’s plane.
“It’s one of them,” said Rick. “There is another baggage compartment in the back of the plane. But the one up front holds quite a bit.”
Rick was next to take off, so the children held hands again as the little plane raced along the runway and lifted into the air. They circled back toward Sunriver and landed a short time later. They didn’t pass over the clearing this time.
Rick taxied the little plane to its spot next to Adelita’s plane. He and Henry helped unbuckle Jessie, Violet, Benny, and Watch.
“That was fun!” said Benny. “More fun than a carnival ride!”
“Yes, it was very fun,” said Violet. “Thank you for taking us for a ride in your plane.”
“Thanks for letting Watch go too,” said Jessie. “He has had a lot of adventures today.”
“You’re welcome,” said Rick. “I transport SAR teams all the time. I don’t mind the dog hair on the seats!” He laughed then became serious. “I’ll let you know if I talk to Adelita. We need to solve this mystery.”
“Don’t worry, we will,” said Benny. “We love to solve mysteries!”
The children walked Watch back to Victor’s house. “Did you notice how Rick changed the subject from the person in the red jacket who waved at us?” Jessie asked.
“Yes, and then he took a different route to come back to Sunriver,” Henry noted. “I think he knew who it was.”
“I think we do too,” said Jessie. “It was Adelita.”
Chapter 5
The Missing Pilot
Early the next morning Marianella had a phone message from Adelita.
“She said she’s okay, just out backpacking in the mountains,” Marianella told the children. “It’s what she loves to do, but when I asked her about the backpack, she said she would tell me later.”
Victor and Marianella were relieved but still worried. They didn’t like that Twila was accusing Adelita of being a thief. But Adelita hadn’t told them what had happened to the backpack.
“We should take Watch back to the foothills to see if we can find more clues,” said Henry. “Maybe we can find Adelita and talk to her.”
“That’s a great idea,” said Marianella. “Jason and I were going to do some more practice sessions today. I can give you a ride up there.”
“How about breakfast first?” asked Jessie.
“Sounds good to me!” said Benny.
Jessie loved to cook. She found the ingredients in the big country kitchen to create walnut pancakes. Violet made freshly squeezed orange juice. Benny poured glasses of milk for everyone with a little help from Henry.
“My grandchildren love to help whenever they can,” said Grandfather as he joined them all at the big table.
“It’s my pleasure to have someone else cook for a change!” said Victor.
Marianella laughed. “I am terrible at cooking, so Father does it all. But I do have other talents!”
Victor took her hand and smiled. “I know, and I’m very proud of the search-and-rescue work that you do. Both you and Adelita are very adventurous women.”
“And I’m proud of these children and Watch,” said Marianella. “They have a real knack for searching!”
Henry and Benny picked up the breakfast dishes and everyone pitched in to clean up.
The Aldens packed bottled water and leftover pancakes into their daypacks. Jessie made sure they had a first aid kit. Henry had charged his cell phone overnight and checked that it was working. They gathered their jackets and were ready to go. Watch tugged at his leash as Jessie loaded him into Marianella’s jeep.
Marianella drove the children to the foothills. “We’ll meet you at the base camp in a couple of hours,” she said. “I hope you can find clues that Adelita is innocent.”
The children said good-bye and put on their daypacks. They hiked to the woods where Watch had found the yellow backpack the day before. If Adelita had been there earlier, they might find a trail to follow. Henry pulled out a glove from his pocket and showed it to his brother and sisters.
“That glove was on top of Adelita’s trunk in the hangar!” said Violet.
“Yes, it was,” said Henry. “I’ll return it, but I wanted something for Watch to sniff.”
“That way he’ll know the smell of the person we want him to find,” said Benny.
“That’s a good idea,” said Jessie. “You always have a good plan, Henry!”
Henry let Watch sniff the glove then said, “Find her, Watch!”
“You can do it, Watch!” added Benny.
Jessie let Watch off his leash. He weaved back and forth around the clearing. Then suddenly he bolted into the woods. The children followed. Once in a while, Watch stopped and sniffed. Then he took off running again.
“Watch sure is acting like he smells something!” Violet said. “I can hardly keep up!”
“He’s stopped up ahead,” said Jessie. “He’s looking back at us.”
“Look,” said Benny. “It’s a campsite.”
The children made their way through the brush and trees and found themselves standing in another small clearing. Watch sniffed around the remains of a campfire. He looked at Jessie and wagged his tail.
“I think Adelita was here,” said Jessie. “I don’t think Watch would care if it was someone else.”
“We’ll need to look around for more clues,” said Henry. “Watch is a great search dog, but he is new at it!”
The children searched all around the campsite. They noticed an indentation in the grass.
“I think someone slept here,” said Jessie. “It’s close to the campfire and the right size to be a person.
Henry carefully touched the bottom of the campfire pit. “The campfire pit is cold and wet,” he said. “Someone recently doused it with water.”
Violet peered into a trash bin nearby. “I found something!” she cried. She handed a wad of cellophane to Benny.
“Hey, look, yellow candy wrappers!” he cried.
“Butterscotch. The same kind that Adelita loves,” said Jessie. “She was here all right.”
“If she hid the backpack in the clearing after stealing the necklace, why would she camp here?” Henry asked. He thought for a minute. “I agree with Rick. Adelita must be innocent.”
“Then why was she here?” asked Jessie.
“Maybe she is hiding,” said Henry. “Let’s keep looking for her. If Adelita spent the night here, she can’t be far away.”
Jessie let Watch sniff the glove again. “Find her, Watch!” she said. Watch raced from the campsite and back into the woods. “We should have a search grid set up,” said Jessie. “Then we wouldn’t cover the same area over and over.” She puffed to catch her breath.
“I think Watch has his own searching method,” Henry said, laughing. “We just have to keep up with him!”
The four children followed Watch as he ventured down a hill and onto a worn footpath.
“Whew, at least it will be easier to follow him now,” said Violet. “I was getting tired!”
“Me too,” said Benny.
“Let’s rest for a few minutes,” said Jessie.
The children agreed to take a break. Jessie called Watch,
who quickly came and lay down by her side.
“I think Watch is a little tired too,” said Violet.
The children sat alongside the path, munching on pancakes and drinking the water they had packed. Henry poured water from his bottle into a bowl that he had brought along for Watch.
“I feel like we’re back in the woods at our boxcar,” said Violet.
“That was fun, wasn’t it?” said Jessie. “Henry brought us loaves of bread, and we divided a loaf among us.”
“And we gave some to Watch,” Benny reminded her.
“That’s right!” Jessie broke off a piece of her pancake and gave it Watch. He gobbled it down and lapped up more water. “You usually don’t get people food, but this will be an exception,” said Jessie.
Watch licked his lips.
“Is everyone ready to start searching again?” Henry asked.
“I’m always ready!” said Benny. Violet and Jessie smiled and said they were ready too.
“Let’s go find Adelita, Watch!” said Henry.
Watch took off again but wasn’t gone for very long. He came bounding back down the path toward Jessie, barking and wagging his tail.
“Look, Watch is already back,” called Jessie. “He’s acting like he found something.”
Watch wagged his tail some more. Then he yipped and ran back up the path. The children followed as Watch turned and bounced into the woods.
“I hear someone talking,” said Benny.
“Shh!” said Henry. The children all stopped and listened. They heard a voice in the distance.
“Hey there, boy, where’d you come from?” asked the voice.
The children crept into the trees and peeked through the branches. A woman sat on a log by a large tree. Her feet were bare and her socks and muddy boots were close by. She had a red jacket tied around her waist.
“I’ll bet that’s Adelita,” whispered Jessie. “She looks like her photo.”
The Aldens waited quietly as the woman petted Watch and talked to him.
“It’s very nice to see a friendly face,” the woman said. “I’m afraid that I’m in terrible trouble. I’ve been here all night, looking for something I lost.” She ruffled the fur on Watch’s neck and nuzzled him. “It was a backpack full of valuable jewelry. I’ve been searching and searching.”
Watch licked her face and the woman laughed.
“Maybe you can help me find it, old boy,” she said. “I would appreciate it very much.”
“So, she is innocent,” Jessie whispered.
“That’s right,” whispered Violet. “Nobody would lie to a dog. People trust dogs.”
“And dogs only like good people,” said Benny.
Henry smiled. “Let’s say hello to Adelita,” he said.
Watch barked and wagged his tail as the children appeared from the woods. Adelita looked surprised, then smiled when Watch ran over to greet them.
“Hello there,” she said and waved at the children. “Are we having a party in the woods?”
“Yes,” said Henry. “We’re having a search party for Adelita. Are you Adelita?”
“Yes, I am,” said the woman. “Why are you searching for me?”
“Because we found your missing backpack!” blurted Violet. “It was filled with beautiful jewelry.”
“Watch found it while we were practicing search and rescue,” said Benny. “He’s a very smart dog!”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news!” cried Adelita. “I’ve been looking everywhere for that backpack. I thought it was lost forever or that someone found it and took it. I was so upset when it went flying out of my airplane!”
Chapter 6
Coming Unhinged
“It fell out of your airplane?” asked Henry. “Well, that explains how it got out here. But how did it fall out?”
Adelita pulled on her socks and struggled with her muddy hiking boots. “I bought that plane from a pilot who retired,” she explained. “It needed work, but I got a good deal. But the front baggage door would pop open in the air if we had turbulence.”
“I know what turbulence is,” said Benny. “It’s like a carnival ride!”
“That’s right,” said Adelita. “A bumpy ride, like riding on a bucking horse in these hills. The door would fly open. Then I’d have to circle back to the airport and tape it shut. But tape didn’t always work. I was featured in the Sunriver newspaper when I lost a load of piñatas that I was flying to Portland for a Cinco de Mayo celebration. The piñatas scattered all over town.”
“Piñatas in the streets!” said Jessie. “That would be quite a news story!”
“And lots of candy for everyone,” added Benny. He licked his lips.
Adelita smiled. Then she continued her story. “The door was finally fixed right, or so I thought. But then yesterday morning, it popped open over the foothills. I saw that yellow backpack go flying out. I tried to watch where it landed. Then I flew back to the airport, got my camping gear, and came back to look for it. I was here all night, searching.”
“Watch found it in a big clearing,” said Henry.
“I am so glad to hear that,” said Adelita. “I wanted to find the backpack before Twila knew it was missing. I noticed that Twila called my cell phone but I haven’t called her back yet.”
“Rick tried to reach you too,” said Jessie.
Adelita hung her head. “I know, but I didn’t want him to get in trouble too. I waved at him when I saw his plane fly over yesterday so he knows I’m okay. You see, Rick is the one who fixed the door for me. He would feel like it was his fault that it came open again.”
“We saw you,” said Benny. “We were in the plane with Rick.”
“I’m glad you met Rick,” said Adelita. “He’s a good guy.”
“Did you say that Rick fixed the door?” Henry asked.
“That’s right,” said Adelita. “He knew I was taking valuable cargo this time so he worked on the door the night before. He put in all new parts.” Adelita sighed. “Well, at least the backpack has been found. I’m so grateful to you all and to Watch!”
Jessie and Violet looked at each other. Jessie could tell that Violet didn’t want Adelita to know the bad news. But somebody had to tell her.
Adelita looked at their troubled faces. “What is it? What aren’t you telling me? Is Rick all right?”
“Rick is okay,” Henry assured her. “But Twila is not okay. She noticed that a very special necklace was missing from her backpack. She’s very upset about it.”
“Oh no!” Adelita cried. “Twila was very careful about packing that necklace into the backpack after she showed it to me.” Adelita explained how Twila insisted on putting her backpack into the front baggage compartment by herself. The pack was zipped up tight. “She knew about the problems I’d had. She said that she wanted to secure the door herself. I didn’t mind. I was inside getting my plane ready for takeoff.”
“We noticed the door was open when we looked at your plane at the airport,” Henry said.
“I didn’t take the time to look at the door or try to shut it,” said Adelita. “I was in a hurry to find the backpack.” Adelita took her cell phone out of her pocket. “I need to call Rick and then see Twila. I just hope that she has insurance for the missing necklace.”
“What is insurance?” Benny asked.
“You buy insurance when you want something to be protected in case it is damaged, lost, or stolen,” said Henry. “The insurance company will pay to replace or repair it as long as the damage or loss wasn’t your fault.”
“Insurance would cover the value of the missing necklace,” agreed Adelita. “But it would not replace Twila’s beautiful creation.”
“Twila did say that she needed the money,” said Jessie.
“I think she would rather have her necklace back,” said Violet. “She was very up
set to lose it. She said she didn’t even want to sell it.”
“That’s interesting, Violet,” said Adelita. “Rick and I were in her store recently. Twila seemed proud to show her creations, but when we asked about price, she’d change the subject. Rick wondered how she stayed in business!” Adelita pulled out her cell phone and punched numbers.
Henry remembered the cell phone call he had overheard Twila receive outside the hangar. Suddenly something didn’t seem right about that call, but Henry couldn’t put his finger on what it was.
“Rick isn’t answering,” said Adelita. “My car is down by the lake in the main parking lot. I’m going to head out. Thank you so much for your help.” Adelita stooped to give Watch a big hug. “Especially you, my dear friend.”
“Watch did have a little help,” said Henry. He pulled out Adelita’s glove and handed it to her. “I borrowed this from your hangar.”
“Good idea!” said Adelita. “A search dog can track better if it has a scent to follow. Rick and I have transported SAR teams many times. We know quite a bit about it all.”
Watch licked Adelita’s face as if to say good-bye. The children also said good-bye and watched Adelita walk away.
“You’re right, Jessie,” said Henry. “Adelita didn’t steal anything.”
“That’s right,” said Benny. “Watch would tell us if she did!”
The children followed Watch as he led them back through the woods.
“I agree,” said Henry. “But I’m not so sure about Rick. He did work on the door, and the door came open, causing the backpack to fall out.”
“But we know that he and Adelita are good friends,” said Jessie. “Why would he get his friend in trouble?”
“That’s a good question,” said Henry. “We should talk to Rick again.”
Just then Watch barked. He was back where he had found the backpack, pawing the leaves and wagging his tail.
“Now what did you find?” Jessie asked. The children gathered around Watch. They peered at something glinting in the leaves.