Chapter 10

Chapter 10 The kids walked Officer Fallon back to the police station on West Green Street. "So are you going to arrest her?" Josh asked. "Arrest who, Josh?" "Grace Lockwood!" Josh said. Officer Fallon smiled and shook his head. "We don't have any proof that she's done anything wrong."

Dink decided not to say anything about the GL initials on the band. Josh was already trying to throw Grace Lockwood in jail! "Don't worry Josh," Officer Fallon continued. "I'm sure we'll catch whoever's doing this." The kids watched him walk into the station. "Come on," Dink said. "Let's go to the petting zoo for a while." "Dink, don't you care about the falcons?" Josh asked. "Sure I care. But you heard Officer Fallon," Dink said, crossing West Green Street. "We don't have any proof that it was Grace Lockwood." Josh kicked at a stone. "Trust me, you guys. There's something weird about her!" Dink laughed. "Josh, you just think she's weird 'cause she caught you staring at her cheeseburger!" The kids cut around the library and entered the zoo. Llamas and baby deer nibbled pellets from kids' hands. A goose waddled along in front of six goslings. There were a few animals in cages, but most were loose. Several teenagers walked around selling animal food. They wore dark green shorts and shirts with

big round badges. The badges said GLPZ, for Green Lawn Petting Zoo. "Wait a sec, guys," Ruth Rose said. "I want to feed the fawn." Dink and Josh watched her hurry over to one of the teenagers. "Well, I still think Grace Lock-wood's the one," Josh insisted. "We should tell Curt about her." "Tell him what, that she gave you a dirty look?" Dink asked. "For one thing, I'm gonna tell him about the initials on that leg band," Josh said. "He might know what they mean." Ruth Rose came back with a small bag of pellets. "Want some?" she asked Dink and Josh. "Better not give any to Josh," Dink said. "He might eat 'em!" "Haw haw," Josh said, taking a few of the pellets from Ruth Rose's bag. They fed the deer and the llamas, then left the zoo. Josh called Curt Striker's office from the lobby of the Shangri-la Hotel. He hung up. "Not there." "Now what?" Ruth Rose said.

"Let's go to his cabin again," Josh said. "If he's not there, we can leave a note." "Saying what?" Dink asked. Josh dug a pencil out of his pocket. He got a piece of paper from Mr. Linkletter, the hotel clerk, and wrote on it. "This," he said, showing the paper to Dink and Ruth Rose. FOR CURT STRIKER: FLASH'S LEG BAND HAS GLKS 6.17 WRITTEN ON IT. I THINK I KNOW WHAT THE GL STANDS FOR. JASH PINTO Dink stared at Josh. "What do you think GL stands for?" he asked. Josh grinned. "Grace Lockwood!" "But what about the KS?" Ruth Rose asked. Josh shrugged. "That's what we'll ask Curt. Come on!"

The kids hiked up River Road to Bridge Lane. Halfway there, Ruth Rose suddenly stopped. "What's the matter?" Dink asked. She was staring into space. "Something's bugging me. It was something I saw at the DEP office, but I can't remember what!" "Maybe it was that stuffed owl," Josh said. He made big owl eyes at Ruth Rose. "No, I think it was something I saw on a desk." She stomped her foot in the dusty road. "Why can't I remember?" A few minutes later, they reached Curt's cabin. Josh walked up and knocked on the door. There was no answer. "Guess he's not home," Dink said. "Maybe he's in the backyard," Josh suggested. "Let's take a look." The backyard was empty except for a pile of firewood. Ruth Rose pointed to a dirt path that led into the woods. "Maybe this is how he got to the tree yesterday," she said. Suddenly, they heard a low whistle. "What's that?" Josh said.

"Just someone calling his dog," Dink said. "Come on, let's get out of here. We're trespassing." The whistle sounded again. Josh started running up the path. "That's a falcon!" Dink and Ruth Rose followed Josh. They found him standing in front of a small shed. On one side, a window flap had been propped open. "Listen," Josh whispered. The kids heard tweeting sounds and more whistles coming from the shed. "There are falcons in there!" Josh said. He ran around the side and started tugging at a thick padlock on a door. "Stupid thing is locked!" Josh said. Ruth Rose went back to the window. "Boost me up, guys." Dink and Josh crisscrossed their arms. Ruth Rose climbed on and hoisted herself up. "There are about ten cages in there filled with falcons!" she said. Josh and Dink let her down. "I'm going inside," Josh said. "We're going with you!" Ruth Rose said.