Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4 "You think Winnie's kidnapper was standing right there at the microphone?" Dink asked. Ruth Rose nodded. "Yes, and I think Ping recognized him or her. That's why she charged the fence!" "But the guy probably stole Winnie at night," Dink said, "so how could Ping have seen him?"

"Maybe she didn't see him," Ruth Rose said, "but she might have smelled him." "Right," Josh said. "Most animals can smell a lot better than humans." Dink stared at the TV screen. "So how do we figure out who Ping was growling at?" he asked. "Too bad pandas can't talk," Josh said. "We could just ask her!" "Pandas can't talk," Ruth Rose said, "but people can. I say we interview the three people who were standing at the microphone, starting with Irene Napper." "You think she did it?" Dink asked. "I don't know," Ruth Rose said. "But she does have a key to the gate." "If she thinks we suspect her, she might clam up," Josh said. Ruth Rose pointed at Dink's notebook. "We'll tell her we're writing a story for The Panda Paper." "Good idea," Dink said.

Josh stood up and patted his stomach. "I have to be home by four to watch the twins for an hour," he said. Ruth Rose grabbed the cookie box. It was empty! "Joshua, I didn't get a single cookie!" she said. Josh grinned. "Detective work makes me hungry!" Josh woke up Pal, and the kids left Ruth Rose's house. They took a shortcut through the rose garden in Center Park. Pal barked at a swan being trailed by three cygnets. They passed the Book Nook and waved at Mr. Paskey in his window. At the petting zoo, they passed under a wooden arch. A honeysuckle vine climbed the arch, filling the air with a sweet smell. A hummingbird darted away. They found Irene Napper surrounded by ducks. She was feeding them pellets that she pulled from one of her uniform pockets. "Hi, Ms. Napper," Ruth Rose said.

"Well, hi," Irene said. "Say, weren't you kids at Panda Park this morning?" "Yeah. We're sorry about the kidnapping," Josh said.

Irene's smile disappeared. "I'm so angry I don't know what to do!" she said. "Who would steal a baby panda?" No one knew what to say. "Good thing Winnie's old enough to eat bamboo," Irene said. "If she still needed her mother's milk, I don't think she'd make it." Ruth Rose nudged Dink. "Um, we're writing a story for The Panda Paper," Dink said. "Could we ask you some questions?" The woman looked at Dink for a moment. "Yeah, I guess," she said finally. Just then, Pal barked, and the ducks scattered. "But first let's move your dog away from my ducks," Irene said.

The kids followed Irene to a shady bench. She sat and stretched out her long legs. "Shoot," Irene said. Pal sighed and dropped to the ground. Irene started stroking his ears. Dink noticed that Irene's hands were large and strong-looking. Everyone was waiting for Dink to ask a question. But Dink's mind was suddenly blank. "Who takes care of Ping and Winnie?" Ruth Rose asked, coming to Dink's rescue. "I do," Irene said. "I feed them, clean out their area, all that stuff. Ping even let me hold her baby."