Read Online Pet Shop Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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take our bikes—and Watch—this time. That way we can spread out in case George gets away again. And Watch will be a big help. When we have George for sure, we’ll call you to bring the car.”
Watch barked twice as if he understood exactly what Henry had said. The children were on their bikes in no time. Watch followed along the sidewalk, staying right near everyone.
“Stop sign,” Jessie reminded Benny and Violet when they got to the corner of Oak Street. “We take a right turn here. It’s just a few houses down.”
At that very moment, a van screeched up to the other stop sign, then raced through.
“Oh, no,” Jessie cried. “It’s Mr. Fowler! I hope he’s not coming from the house where George was found. Let’s get there, quick!”
When the children arrived at the house, they jumped off their bikes and went straight to the garage. Watch sniffed around everywhere.
“Where is he, Watch?” Jessie asked. “Do you see George?”
Watch sniffed all the way down the driveway, then stopped.
“George is gone, isn’t he, Watch?” Jessie asked.
A young woman came out to the garage to find out what was going on.
Henry introduced everyone. “Hi, we’re the Aldens. Sorry we went into your garage. We got your call about the missing monkey and came straight over.”
The woman seemed confused. “But he’s not missing anymore. The manager from the Pretty Bird Pet Shop just picked him up.”
“Oh, no!” Jessie cried. “That was Mr. Fowler. He said he’s sending him to a zoo, but we’re not sure. How did Mr. Fowler find out George was here? We came as fast as we could.”
“After I left a message at your house, I called my neighbor over. My neighbor remembered a newspaper article that said the monkey was missing from the Pretty Bird Pet Shop, so I called there next. Wasn’t that the right thing to do?” the woman asked.
Jessie didn’t want the woman to feel bad. “It’s okay. As long as George is safe, I guess he’ll be fine. Thank you for calling us.”
The children said good-bye to the woman, when a surprise visitor appeared on the front lawn.
“Arthur!” Jessie said when she saw her classmate standing by the bicycles. “What are you doing here?”
Arthur was out of breath from bicycling. “Can you come to the pet shop with me? It’s important. Mr. Fowler chased me away. I heard him tell somebody to meet him in the storage building. He told the person he knew where the monkey was. Then he closed the shop and left. I didn’t know what to do, so I called your house. Your grandfather said you would be here. We have to go. And fast.”
“Good job, Arthur,” Henry said. “Let’s get over there quick.”
The children didn’t take long to get to the pet shop. The CLOSED sign still hung on the front door.
“Let’s see if anyone shows up in the parking lot,” Jessie said. “We’ll hide behind the Dumpster in back. We can keep an eye on the storage building from there.”
The children rolled their bikes down the alleyway. They huddled behind the Dumpster.
“There’s a light on in the storage building,” Jessie whispered. “The milk crate is still under the window. I’ll see what Mr. Fowler is up to.”
Standing on her tiptoes, Jessie peeked through the window. She could see Mr. Fowler walking back and forth and checking his watch. George huddled behind the bars of a small cage. Rainbow was perched in another cage.
“Poor things,” Jessie whispered when she returned. “George and Rainbow look so miserable. Shhh, there’s a car coming.”
The children heard a car door slam. A woman’s high heels clicked along the pavement. There was a knock at the door.
“It’s Mrs. Ransome,” a woman called out. “I came for the animals Mr. Badham told me about.”
The Aldens saw a streak of light spread across the alleyway when Mr. Fowler opened the door.
“The animals are in here,” he told the woman.
“In this drafty old building?” the woman wanted to know. “Mr.
Watch barked twice as if he understood exactly what Henry had said. The children were on their bikes in no time. Watch followed along the sidewalk, staying right near everyone.
“Stop sign,” Jessie reminded Benny and Violet when they got to the corner of Oak Street. “We take a right turn here. It’s just a few houses down.”
At that very moment, a van screeched up to the other stop sign, then raced through.
“Oh, no,” Jessie cried. “It’s Mr. Fowler! I hope he’s not coming from the house where George was found. Let’s get there, quick!”
When the children arrived at the house, they jumped off their bikes and went straight to the garage. Watch sniffed around everywhere.
“Where is he, Watch?” Jessie asked. “Do you see George?”
Watch sniffed all the way down the driveway, then stopped.
“George is gone, isn’t he, Watch?” Jessie asked.
A young woman came out to the garage to find out what was going on.
Henry introduced everyone. “Hi, we’re the Aldens. Sorry we went into your garage. We got your call about the missing monkey and came straight over.”
The woman seemed confused. “But he’s not missing anymore. The manager from the Pretty Bird Pet Shop just picked him up.”
“Oh, no!” Jessie cried. “That was Mr. Fowler. He said he’s sending him to a zoo, but we’re not sure. How did Mr. Fowler find out George was here? We came as fast as we could.”
“After I left a message at your house, I called my neighbor over. My neighbor remembered a newspaper article that said the monkey was missing from the Pretty Bird Pet Shop, so I called there next. Wasn’t that the right thing to do?” the woman asked.
Jessie didn’t want the woman to feel bad. “It’s okay. As long as George is safe, I guess he’ll be fine. Thank you for calling us.”
The children said good-bye to the woman, when a surprise visitor appeared on the front lawn.
“Arthur!” Jessie said when she saw her classmate standing by the bicycles. “What are you doing here?”
Arthur was out of breath from bicycling. “Can you come to the pet shop with me? It’s important. Mr. Fowler chased me away. I heard him tell somebody to meet him in the storage building. He told the person he knew where the monkey was. Then he closed the shop and left. I didn’t know what to do, so I called your house. Your grandfather said you would be here. We have to go. And fast.”
“Good job, Arthur,” Henry said. “Let’s get over there quick.”
The children didn’t take long to get to the pet shop. The CLOSED sign still hung on the front door.
“Let’s see if anyone shows up in the parking lot,” Jessie said. “We’ll hide behind the Dumpster in back. We can keep an eye on the storage building from there.”
The children rolled their bikes down the alleyway. They huddled behind the Dumpster.
“There’s a light on in the storage building,” Jessie whispered. “The milk crate is still under the window. I’ll see what Mr. Fowler is up to.”
Standing on her tiptoes, Jessie peeked through the window. She could see Mr. Fowler walking back and forth and checking his watch. George huddled behind the bars of a small cage. Rainbow was perched in another cage.
“Poor things,” Jessie whispered when she returned. “George and Rainbow look so miserable. Shhh, there’s a car coming.”
The children heard a car door slam. A woman’s high heels clicked along the pavement. There was a knock at the door.
“It’s Mrs. Ransome,” a woman called out. “I came for the animals Mr. Badham told me about.”
The Aldens saw a streak of light spread across the alleyway when Mr. Fowler opened the door.
“The animals are in here,” he told the woman.
“In this drafty old building?” the woman wanted to know. “Mr.
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