Chapter 5

Chapter 5 That night, a thunderstorm sent the kids running from their tents into their houses. It was still raining the next day, so they decided to play Monopoly at Dink's house. "Ruth Rose, it's your turn," Josh said. "I know," she said, staring out Dink's window. "I can't concentrate. Tiger is out there in the rain." Dink and Josh just looked at each other. "If Fred Little didn't take the pets, then who could it be?" Ruth Rose asked. She came and plopped herself down at the Monopoly board.

Dink thought a moment. "If we could figure out why someone was stealing animals," he said, "maybe we could figure out who was doing it." Ruth Rose picked up her stack of Monopoly cash. "I still think it's for money," she said. "When people get kidnapped, it's usually for ransom money, right?" The boys nodded. "But no one who's lost a pet has gotten a ransom note," Josh said. "Not yet, anyway." Ruth Rose tossed her play money onto the table. "I'm going home. Mom put an ad in the paper, and I want to be there if anyone calls about Tiger." The two boys watched her put on her coat and head out into the rain. "I've never seen her act so mopey," Josh said after the door closed. "She doesn't even argue with me anymore!" "Yeah, and have you noticed she's not wearing one color either?" Dink pointed out. "I hope Tiger comes home soon." That night the rain cleared up, so Dink and Josh slept out in the tent again.

The next morning, Ruth Rose woke them up. She was wearing cut-off jeans and an old T-shirt. Her untied sneaker laces were muddy from dragging. "Read this, guys," she said, and she shoved the Sunday Morning Gazette under Dink's nose. One paragraph was circled in red crayon. Dink and Josh stumbled out of the tent and sat at the picnic table. The paragraph was under LOCAL AREA CRIMES. Dink scanned it quickly, then read it out loud: "Two Green Lawn homes were burglarized last night, Officer Charles Fallon has reported. The homes of Dr. and Mrs. Michael Pardue and Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Gwynn were entered by persons unknown. Several items of value were taken. Police are investigating." Dink looked up. "Wow! First they lose their pets, then someone breaks into their houses. I think that stinks!" "And I think they're connected," Ruth Rose said. "Don't you see, it is about money! Someone is taking pets, then breaking into the same houses."

"But why would someone need to steal a pet before robbing a house?" Dink asked. "And not only that," Josh added, "but what about you and Mrs. Davis? Your pets disappeared, but your houses weren't broken into." "He's right, Ruth Rose," Dink said. "Why just two houses and not all four?" Ruth Rose frowned at Dink and Josh. "I don't know," she said. "We should try and find out. Let's go see the Pardues and the Gwynns again. Maybe the burglars left some clues!" They hurried over to Thistle Court and rang the bell. Mr. Gwynn came to the door in his bathrobe. "Oh, hi, kids! Mrs. Gwynn told me you stopped by Friday. Guess what? Yesterday afternoon, someone found our parrot and returned him!" Ruth Rose stared at Mr. Gwynn. "Archie was returned yesterday?" Mr. Gwynn nodded. "To celebrate, I took the family out for dinner and a movie. But when we got back home, we discovered we'd been robbed. nkledc. The rats took my coin collection."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Dink said. "May I ask who returned your parrot?" "A nice young woman," Mr. Gwynn told the kids. "She said she'd caught Archie eating seeds under her bird feeder."

"Did you invite her into your house?" Ruth Rose asked. Before he could answer, Dink blurted out, "Did she see your coin collection?" Mr. Gwynn's mouth dropped open. "Are you suggesting…Oh, my you could be right!" he said. "The collection was in the living room where we sat and talked. Do you think she came back and stole it?" Dink, Josh, and Ruth Rose looked at one another. Ruth Rose had her "I told you so!" look on her face. "It sure seems that way, Mr. Gwynn," Dink said. The kids thanked Mr. Gwynn, then raced all the way to the Pardues' house. Out of breath, Ruth Rose rang the bell. Mrs. Par due came to the door. "Hi, gang, what's up?" she said. Ruth Rose asked, "By any chance, did someone bring your rabbit back yesterday, before your house got robbed?" "Why, how did you know?" Mrs. Pardue asked. "A nice young couple called and said they'd found