Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3 "I'm hungry," Nate announced. "Can we go home?" "Okay," said Ruth Rose. "I'll make us some sandwiches." "And I've got to get to my office and check these things for fingerprints," Officer Fallon said.

"But unless this guy was stupid, he'd have worn gloves." They separated at the police station. Dink, Josh, Ruth Rose, and Nate headed for Woody Street. At Ruth Rose's house, the kids made lunch. Nate took his sandwich to the living room to watch a dinosaur video. Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose ate theirs at the kitchen table. Pal snoozed at Josh's feet. "It's almost one o'clock," Dink said. "Eleven hours till midnight." "So where do we start looking for a panda kidnapper?" asked Josh. "It could be anyone!" Dink said. Ruth Rose chewed slowly. "Not anyone," she said after a minute. "If that knife really was the kidnapper's, maybe he's a fisherman." "Or a fisherwoman," said Josh. Ruth Rose nodded. "Good point." "Whoever it was either has a key to the gate or can climb over tall fences," Josh went on. He

reached for another sandwich. "So who does that narrow it down to?" "Anyone," Ruth Rose said glumly. Nate screeched from the living room. "Dinosaur fight! Come see, you guys!" Josh ran to the living room, with Dink and Ruth Rose following. On the TV screen, a Tyrannosaurus and a Stegosaurus were circling each other. Their tails lashed back and forth. The Tyrannosaurus roared and snapped his enormous teeth. Then the dinosaurs were gone, and the scene switched to a museum. A man's face appeared on the screen. "Hello, I'm Dr. Paleo," he said, "and I'd like to talk to you about what you just saw in this video." An idea popped into Dink's head. "Ruth Rose, didn't you tape what happened at Panda Park this morning? Why don't we watch your video? Maybe we'll see some clues." "Good idea," Ruth Rose said. "Do you mind, Natie?"

Can I have a cookie? Nate asked, grinning at his sister. "Sure. Bring the box in here so we can all have some, okay?" "O-kay!" Nate said, racing toward the kitchen. Ruth Rose ejected the dinosaur video, then plugged the camcorder into the VCR. Nate came back with the cookie box. Josh reached for one as Ruth Rose hit the Play button. The kids watched as Tom Steele, Irene Napper, and Flip Frances came on the screen. Seconds later, Ping emerged from her cave. Ping looked around, froze, then turned her head sharply. Suddenly she rushed forward and began throwing herself against the fence. "She sure looks angry," Dink said. "You'd be mad, too, if someone stole your baby," Josh said. "It looks like she's trying to attack someone outside the fence."

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"Someone in the crowd?" Ruth Rose asked. "She's not looking at the crowd," Dink said. He put his finger on the TV screen. "Remember, the microphone was there, off to the side. That's where she's looking." "She's mad at the microphone?" Josh asked, grabbing two more cookies. "Dink's right!" Ruth Rose said. "Ping is looking at the people standing at the microphone." Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose stared at the TV screen. Finally, Ruth Rose unplugged the camcorder and put Nate's dinosaur tape back into the VCR. "I think one of those three people kidnapped Winnie," she said, "and Ping knows which one."