Gertrude Warner - Great Shark Mystery

“What’s he doing here?” asked Jessie.

As the children approached the two men, they could hear bits of what they were saying. While they couldn’t hear everything, they definitely heard the word “diamonds” several times.

Then the man in the baseball cap started to walk away. “Thanks, Pete,” he said, waving to Mr. Wilson. “See you tomorrow.”

Mr. Wilson waved and then walked back into the store. The man in the baseball cap got into a car that was parked by the curb and drove away.

“They seem pretty friendly,” said Violet.

“They sure do,” Jessie agreed. “Makes me think about what the police said, about this being an inside job. That means they think it was someone who either works here or was friendly with someone who does.”

“Someone like that man?” asked Benny.

“Could be,” said Jessie.

“Let’s go inside,” suggested Violet.

The Aldens entered the jewelry store.

Mr. Wilson was behind a counter when they came in. He smiled at the children. “How can I help you?”

“We’re just, um … looking at bracelets,” said Jessie, naming the first thing she saw in the display case.

“Silver?” Mr. Wilson asked.

Jessie nodded. Mr. Wilson came over and unlocked the back of the case. He pulled out a tray of silver bracelets. “Anything here you like?”

Just then the phone rang. “Excuse me a moment,” Mr. Wilson said. “My assistant just left, so I’m all alone here.” He went to get the phone, leaving the Aldens standing in front of the bracelet tray.

“Maybe that man was his assistant!” said Benny.

“Look over there.” Henry pointed to a small alcove by the door. All of the display cases in the alcove held diamonds—rings, bracelets, earrings, necklaces. One shelf was completely bare. “That must be where the stolen jewelry was.”

“It’s right by the door,” Jessie pointed out. “Easy to sneak out with.”

Just then Mr. Wilson returned. “So what do you think?”

“Um, they’re very pretty,” Jessie said. “I need to think about it. I’ll come back in a few days.”

“All right,” said Mr. Wilson, smiling and putting the tray back in the glass case.

As the Aldens were heading to the door, Henry stopped walking. He had his head down and looked as if he were thinking about something.

“What is it?” Jessie asked.

Without answering, Henry turned back to Mr. Wilson. “Um, excuse me, did we see you at Ocean Adventure Park today?”

“It’s possible,” Mr. Wilson said. “I was there today.”

“I think we saw you in the office, speaking with Ms. Carver,” Henry said, hoping Mr. Wilson might explain what he and Ms. Carver had been discussing.

“I did have a meeting with her. We’ve been discussing some … plans,” Mr. Wilson said. “How did you like the park?”

“It’s great,” Henry said. “Actually we’re staying there and helping out this week.”

“How exciting,” said Mr. Wilson. “I love that place. If I hadn’t opened this shop, I would have loved to work with animals at a place like that. I visit there all the time.”

“It is lots of fun,” Jessie said.

“Well, thanks for your help,” Henry said. “Good-bye.”

As the Aldens walked back to town, Henry said, “I was hoping he’d tell us more about what he and Ms. Carver were discussing.”

“Me, too,” Jessie agreed. “He sounds like much too nice a man to want to kill a shark. He even said he wanted to work with animals.”

The children walked in silence for a few moments. Then Henry said, “I was surprised he left that tray of jewelry out when he went to answer the phone.”

“We wouldn’t steal anything,” Violet said.

“I guess he figured we were just children and we looked honest,” said Henry. “Maybe that’s what happened with the diamonds. Maybe he left some out, and something happened—like the phone rang—and he walked away. Remember, he told the police his assistant wasn’t there that day, either.”

“So someone stole the diamond jewelry while he wasn’t looking?” Benny asked.

“Maybe,” said Jessie.

“Sounds risky,” said Violet. “That person must have had a good reason.”

“Risky” Jessie repeated. “Just like Ms. Carver said.”

The next morning, the Aldens went with Emily to the Manatee Haven.

“Have you spoken to Mac this morning?” Jessie asked. “Did he talk to Ms. Carver about the shark?”

“I haven’t seen Mac yet,” Emily said. “I’ll stop by there later.”

The Aldens decided not to mention the mix-up with the note from the night before, and Emily didn’t bring it up, either.

“What’s that baby bottle for?” Benny asked when he saw what Emily was carrying.

“You’ll see,” Emily said, smiling mysteriously

In the center of the large building was a giant tank. Swimming in the tank were two large animals and a slightly smaller one. They had fat, round bodies and looked a bit like walruses without tusks. They moved very slowly. Floating in the water were viny clumps of leaves, which they pulled into their mouths with their large front flippers.

“Are those manatees?” Benny asked.

“Yes, they are,” said Emily.

“They’re funny-looking!” he said.

“Not quite as sleek as the dolphins, are they?” Emily agreed.

“I think they’re cute!” said Violet. “Like big roly-poly teddy bears.”

“Manatees are gentle animals that graze on sea plants and grasses,” Emily said. “Some people call them sea cows. The legends of mermaids may have started when sailors caught glimpses of manatees through the fog.”

“Is that a baby one?” Jessie asked, pointing to the smallest of the three manatees.

“Yes,” said Emily. “We brought him in because we found him alone, and he’s too young to survive without his mother.” Emily led the children to a platform beside the tank, from which she could reach the animals. “Come on, it’s time for his breakfast.”

The Aldens stepped up onto the platform and watched as Emily squatted by the edge and pulled the littlest manatee toward her.

Cradling the manatee’s head, she fed it from the bottle.

“So that’s what the bottle was for,” said Benny.

“How sweet,” said Violet.

Emily pointed to another one of the manatees. “See the scar on that one’s back?”

“Is that from a shark attack?” Benny asked.

“No,” Emily said. “Manatees are so large they don’t really have any natural enemies, besides humans.”

“People hunt manatees?” Violet asked.

“In some places people do, for meat and blubber oil,” Emily said. “Manatees are endangered because people have destroyed the manatees’ natural habitats. The scar on that manatee is from a speedboat. When people race around in speedboats where manatees live, the animals can get hurt.”

“That’s terrible!” Jessie said.

“Yes, it is,” Emily agreed. “That’s why some areas have passed laws protecting manatees and other wildlife.”

“I wish there was something we could do,” Jessie said.

When the manatee was done drinking from the bottle, it swam off in the water. Emily and the Aldens were watching the manatees when suddenly Emily said, “Oh, excuse me a minute.” She darted up the path away from the Manatee Haven.

“Where did Emily go?” Benny asked.

“I don’t know,” said Henry. “Looked as if she saw someone she knew.”

The Aldens looked where Emily had just gone and saw her deep in conversation with someone.

It was the man in the blue baseball cap.

“Him again!” said Violet.

“Does Emily know him?” Jessie asked, noticing that the man’s hand was on Emily’s arm.