Chapter 6

Chapter 6 "I think Josh is sick," Ruth Rose whispered to Dink. "I am not sick," Josh said. He took another bite of his tuna sandwich. The kids were eating lunch at Dink's picnic table. "Then why are you so quiet?" Ruth Rose asked. "You haven't insulted me all day!"

Josh chewed his sandwich. "I'll insult you later," he said. "Right now I'm thinking about those missing falcons." He looked at his friends. "I think Grace Lockwood took them." "Grace Lockwood!" Dink said. "Why do you think it was her?" "You saw that magazine she was reading," Josh said. "It was all about falcons." Ruth Rose nodded. "She was acting a little strange at Doc Henry's." "Yeah, and remember how she looked at us at Ellie's," Josh said. "She was staring right at me." "Staring at you?" Dink said. "Josh, she stared at us because we were staring at her!" Josh snitched one of Ruth Rose's carrot sticks. "Let's go back to the vet's and talk to her," he said. "Maybe she'll say something that'll be a clue!" Dink got up to go. "Okay, but I think you're wrong, Josh. Just because Grace Lockwood reads magazines about falcons doesn't mean she goes around robbing nests."

At the vet's, the kids peered through the window at Grace Lockwood. "Look!" Josh whispered. "She's wearing long leather gloves! Falconers wear gloves like that!" "So do firefighters," Dink said. They went inside. Grace Lockwood was holding a crow down on a table. The bird had plastic wrapped around its leg and neck. She looked up. "Yes?" she asked. "Um, we came to see how Flash is doing," Ruth Rose said. "What happened to the crow?" Grace shook her head. "Plastic six-pack holders!" The kids watched as Grace carefully snipped the plastic with scissors. The crow bit her gloves several times. Dink shuddered. That beak looked sharp! When the crow was untangled, Grace moved toward the rear of the building. "Will one of you get the door for me?" Dink opened the door and held it. Grace carried the crow through a small courtyard that was filled with cages and pens. She threw the black bird into the air. "And stay away from plastic!" she yelled. The crow

disappeared into the trees. Dink looked around the yard. It was as big as a basketball court and surrounded by a tall wooden fence with a gate. Dink saw a sleeping skunk in one cage. Other cages held raccoons and rabbits. He saw a few snakes and a lot of birds. He even saw a baby fox! "I always thought vets just took care of cats and dogs," Josh said. "Some do," Grace said. "I happen to like wildlife." Josh looked at Dink and Ruth Rose and wiggled his eyebrows. "Where's Flash?" Josh asked, looking around at several other cages. "I put him over here," she said, walking toward a corner of the courtyard. "Doc likes to separate the newcomers from the other animals." Grace stopped in front of a cage covered by a small rug. "He may be sleeping," she said. She removed the rug. The bottom of the cage was covered with straw. Inside was a section of hollow log. "That's where he goes to hide from us," Grace said. She tapped lightly on the side of the cage.

"That's strange," she said, opening the cage door. She jiggled the log, then peered inside. "What's the matter?" Ruth Rose asked. "He's gone," Grace said.