Chick-Napped! Page 4

  Gaby’s taking this detective thing a little too far, Nancy thought.

  Nancy put her books in her book bag and zipped it shut. Kids passed her in the hall, talking and laughing. It was the end of the day, and everyone was heading home.

  Nancy slung her book bag over her shoulder and joined the flow of students moving toward the exit. She couldn’t stop thinking about the incident at lunch with Tommy and Gaby.

  Something was tugging at Nancy’s brain. Was it something Tommy or Gaby had said? Or was it something Nancy had seen?

  What was she missing?

  As she walked, Nancy went over the case in her mind. Catherine had confessed to messing up Tommy’s poster and hiding the bag of chick food. But because of her sprained ankle, she was pretty much off the hook for the chick-napping. Unless she had an accomplice, that is.

  Antonio could still be the chick-napper. It was hard to get a straight story out of him, though. If they were going to pursue him as a suspect, they would have to figure out some way to make him talk.

  And what about Tommy? Was he telling the truth about finding the chick-care book on the floor near his locker? Or had he chick-napped the chicks, then gone out and bought the book so he could take proper care of them?

  Nancy soon reached the exit. A bunch of kids were getting onto the bus. Other kids were getting picked up by parents and babysitters. Still other kids were walking home.

  Just then, Nancy spotted Gaby. She was standing next to a tall, skinny, red-haired girl who appeared to be her babysitter. The babysitter was wearing headphones and mouthing the words to some song. She didn’t seem to be paying much attention to Gaby.

  On an impulse, Nancy walked up to Gaby. “Hey, Gaby,” she called out pleasantly. “I was wondering if I could see that chick-care book.”

  Gaby stared at Nancy. “W-what do you want with it?”

  “I just want to look at it,” Nancy explained. “I’ll give it back. I promise.”

  Gaby hesitated. Then she reached into her book bag and pulled it out. “Here,” she said, thrusting it into Nancy’s hand. “Be careful with it, okay? It’s scientific evidence in my case against Tommy Maron.”

  The babysitter tugged at her headphones. “Come on, Gab,” she said in a bored-sounding voice. “We have to go, like, now. You have a violin lesson in fifteen minutes.”

  Gaby cast a worried look at the book in Nancy’s hands. “Give it back to me tomorrow, okay?” she insisted. Then she turned and walked to the parking lot with her babysitter.

  Nancy leaned against a tree and started flipping through How to Take Care of Your Pet Chicks. She studied the table of contents. She read the first few pages.

  George and Bess came skipping up to her. “Ready to walk home, Nancy?” George asked her.

  Bess peered at the book in Nancy’s hands. “What are you reading?”

  Nancy glanced up from the book. Her blue eyes were sparkling.

  “I think I know who stole the chicks!” she announced.

  George and Nancy stared at Nancy in surprise. “You’ve caught the chick-napper?” George asked Nancy.

  “I haven’t caught the person yet. But I think I know who it is,” replied Nancy.

  “Who is it? Who is it?” Bess began jumping up and down with excitement.

  Nancy showed the chick-care book to her friends. “Check this out and tell me what you notice,” she said.

  “This is Tommy’s book, right?” George said.

  “He told us that he found it on the floor near his locker,” Nancy replied. “I think he’s telling the truth.”

  Bess leaned over her cousin’s shoulder as George began flipping through the pages. “‘Your Pet Chick’s New Home,’” Bess read out loud. “‘What to Feed Your Pet Chick.’ ‘Your Pet Chick’s Litter Box.’” She glanced up. “Am I missing something? I don’t see any clues here.”

  George pointed to page three. “Hey, here’s something. Someone put a cow sticker on the bottom of the page,” she noted.

  Bess grabbed the book from her cousin and turned more pages. “Here’s a sheep sticker. And a bunny sticker. And a rooster sticker. And a horse sticker. And a piggy sticker.”

  “Do you remember where else we saw stickers like these?” Nancy prompted.

  George scrunched up her face, thinking. Then her eyes lit up. “Gaby’s detective notebook! It was covered with farm animal stickers!”

  Nancy nodded. “Exactly. I think this chick-care book is Gaby’s. She lost it by accident, and Tommy found it.”

  Bess frowned. “So why was she acting like it was Tommy’s book in the cafeteria today?”

  “She wanted us to think that Tommy stole the chicks,” Nancy explained. “And yesterday, she was eavesdropping on our conversation with Antonio, remember? On the playground? She was pretending to help us find the chick-napper. She had all these theories, like how the chick-napper might be Mr. Figgs or Mrs. Bailey or the ghost of River Heights Elementary School.”

  “Oh, yeah,” George said slowly.

  “I think Gaby’s been trying to cover up the fact that she’s the real chick-napper,” Nancy finished.

  “But why would Gaby steal the chicks?” Bess wondered. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “And how did she sneak them out of Mrs. Ramirez’s classroom on Friday?” George added.

  “We definitely need some answers,” said Nancy. “And there’s only one way to get them.”

  It was nearly dinnertime when Hannah turned left onto a dirt road called Waddling Duck Lane. The road was lined with tall, bushy trees. The smell of honeysuckle flowers filled the air.

  “I think we’re almost there,” Hannah called out to the girls.

  Nancy, George, and Bess were sitting in the backseat. They were on their way to Gaby Small’s house—or rather, the Smalls’ family farm.

  “What if Gaby isn’t home from her violin lesson yet?” said Bess worriedly.

  “What if she is, but she denies everything?” George piped up.

  “We’ll get her to tell us the truth somehow,” Nancy said.

  A few minutes later a large white farmhouse came into view. Half a dozen chickens scattered, clucking, as Hannah’s car approached. In the distance, Nancy could see a large, open field, horse paddocks, and three faded red barns.

  There was a silver SUV in the driveway. “Someone’s home,” Nancy noted.

  She, George, Bess, and Hannah walked up to the front door and knocked. The babysitter answered, still wearing her headphones. She was swaying and bopping to some song.

  “Uh, hi,” the babysitter said, still sounding bored. “Are you looking for Mr. and Mrs. Small? They’ll be home in about an hour.”

  “We’re actually looking for Gaby,” Nancy spoke up. “Is she here?”

  The babysitter gestured vaguely. “She’s in one of the barns.”

  Nancy thanked her, and the four of them headed out back toward the barns. “Be really, really quiet,” Nancy whispered to the others. “I want to surprise Gaby.”

  “Okay,” Bess whispered back.

  “I feel like a real detective,” Hannah said, chuckling. “Does this mean I’m an honorary Clue Crew member?”

  “Definitely,” George told her.

  They reached the first barn. Nancy peered through a crack in the doorway. There were animals inside, but no humans.

  They went to the second barn. Again, Nancy peered inside. And again, there were animals inside, but no humans.

  They went to the third barn. “She’d better be in this one,” whispered Bess.

  Nancy peered inside. She saw Gaby, sitting in the far corner of the barn, hovering over a cardboard box. Nancy could hear the distinctive sound of … peeping and chirping!

  Nancy rushed into the barn, followed by George, Bess, and Hannah. “Hi, Gaby,” Nancy called out. “Having fun with the chicks?”

  Gaby’s head shot up. She stared at Nancy and the others. “Uh … w-what are you d-doing here?” she stammered.

  Nancy walked up
to the cardboard box and peeked in. They were all there—the five yellow boy chicks and seven brown girl chicks, including Fred.

  “These aren’t the chicks from school,” Gaby said quickly. “They’re, um, our chicks. They came from our, um, chicken Annie Mae’s eggs.”

  “Really?” Nancy said. “And there just happen to be five boys and seven girls? And the exact same color water dish that Mrs. Ramirez used? And the same kind of litter box? And the …”

  “Okay, okay,” Gaby said, throwing her hands up. “I admit it. I took the chicks. But it was for a really good reason!”

  Bess folded her arms across her chest. “What reason?”

  “I heard Antonio say last Friday that the chicks were going to be sold to a restaurant and turned into fried chicken,” Gaby said miserably. “I couldn’t let that happen! I mean, you guys believed him too, right?”

  Nancy, George, and Bess exchanged glances. “Uh, well, yeah, sort of,” George said after a moment.

  “Anyway, I had to think fast,” Gaby went on. “On Friday after school, I hid in the supply closet in Mrs. Ramirez’s classroom. I waited until she’d left and locked the door. Then I took the box full of chicks. I locked the door behind me. Then I snuck out the side entrance—you know, the one we’re not supposed to use. No one saw me.”

  “Then what happened?” Nancy prompted her.

  “Tiffani—that’s my babysitter—was in the parking lot. I told her that Mrs. Ramirez had asked me to bring the chicks home for the weekend, to take care of them. She believed me. She believes whatever I say,” Gaby explained. “When I got home, I hid them in here. We don’t really use this barn anymore, so I figured my parents wouldn’t find the chicks.”

  “What were you going to do with the chicks?” George asked her.

  “I don’t know. Raise them here, I guess. I didn’t have a plan or anything. I just wanted to save them from becoming fried chicken!” Gaby wiped a tear from her eye.

  Nancy sighed. Then she turned to George, Bess, and Hannah—and smiled.

  They had found the chicks, safe and sound. The Clue Crew had solved another mystery!

  “Hi, Pippy Pipsqueak!”

  “Hi, Flufferina!”

  “Hi, Chirping Charlie!”

  “Hi, Fred!”

  The kids in Mrs. Ramirez’s class were gathered around the brooding pen, greeting the chicks. Nancy, George, and Bess were right up front. The chicks were peeping and chirping excitedly. They seemed happy to be home, surrounded by so many admirers.

  Gaby had returned the chicks to the school along with lots and lots of apologies. She had gotten into big trouble over the chick-napping. Mrs. Ramirez had told her that she would have to stay after school for the next four weeks. At home, Gaby’s parents had taken away her television and computer privileges for a whole month.

  Catherine was back in school too. Her sprained ankle was better. She, too, had apologized to both Mrs. Ramirez and Tommy. She had made Tommy a new “Welcome, Chicks!” poster. And Mrs. Ramirez told her that she would have to help clean out the chicks’ cage whenever it needed cleaning.

  But there was really good news too. Mrs. Ramirez had made arrangements with the Small family to take the chicks to their farm when they were old enough. There they would be able to grow up and produce more eggs—instead of fried chicken!

  George turned to Nancy and Bess. “The Clue Crew does it again,” she said proudly.

  “We definitely cracked this case,” Nancy agreed.

  “Nancy, you made a joke!” said Bess. “Get it? Cracked? As in eggs?”

  The three girls laughed.

  Nancy, Bess, and George’s Egg Carton Garden

  When it’s springtime, Nancy, Bess, and George love to grow flowers, veggies, and herbs in a special container that they can make from an egg carton. You can make your own egg carton garden too!

  You Will Need:

  An empty egg carton with the lid cut off

  Markers and stickers to decorate your carton

  Popsicle sticks to label your plants

  A bag of potting soil

  Packets of seeds (You might choose easy-to-grow flowers such as sunflowers, nasturtiums, or morning glories. Easy-to-grow veggies and herbs include beans, turnips, beets, and basil.)

  Springtime! (After a few weeks your seeds will have grown into little plants, called seedlings. The seedlings will need to be moved outside and replanted in your yard, so this project won’t work in cold weather. If you live someplace where it’s warm year-round, then you’re probably okay no matter what season it is.)

  To Make Your Container:

  Using a sharp pen or pencil, poke a little hole in the bottom of each egg cup. This way, when you water your plants, the extra water will be able to run out the bottom. Your plants like wet soil, not super-soggy soil!

  Decorate the outside of the cups with markers and stickers. Think of fun spring designs using flowers, butterflies, chicks, and bunnies. Or come up with a unique design that’s all your own!

  Fill each cup with potting soil—somewhere between halfway and totally full, so there’s a little room at the top. Pat each cupful of soil with your fingers so it’s packed firm but not rock hard. Set aside the remaining bag of potting soil for later, when you plant the seeds.

  To Make Your Labels:

  You might want to plant the same kind of seed in all twelve egg cups. Or you might want to plant different kinds of seeds: maybe six of one kind and six of another; or four, four, and four. Make labels for each kind of seed by writing the name of the plant on a clean Popsicle stick. You can use a marker, pen, or pencil.

  If you don’t want to use Popsicle sticks, you can also write the name of the plants directly on the egg cups.

  Now You’re Ready to Plant!

  With your finger, poke each cupful of potting soil in the middle so you get a little hole about one inch deep.

  Place a seed or two in each hole. If it’s a big seed, just use one. If they’re itty-bitty seeds, you can sprinkle a few into each hole. Use more potting soil to fill in the hole. With your finger, gently pat and press the top of the soil. (Important: Make sure to keep the seed packets, even if they’re empty; you’ll need the directions on them for later on, when you replant the seedlings outside.)

  Keep track of which seed is in which hole with your Popsicle stick labels. Place each label in the dirt, near the edge of the cup. Don’t stick the label in the middle of the cup, right where you put the seeds.

  After you’re done planting, water each cup. The soil should be moist (like the ground after a light rain), not flooded (like the ground after a huge storm). It’s always best to water slowly and gradually, until it seems just right; you can always add more if you need it.

  Put your egg container garden in a sunny window, on a towel or other surface that your parents won’t mind getting a bit wet or dirty. If one window in your house gets lots of morning sun, and another window in your house gets lots of afternoon sun, you might move your egg carton garden from one window to the other every day.

  Watch Your Plants Grow!

  Over the next few days and weeks, your seeds will grow into seedlings. Have fun watching them poke out of the top of the soil, then slowly get taller and taller.

  Check the soil with your finger every day. If it feels dry, add more water.

  Once the seedlings become too tall for their egg cups, you will need to move them outside. Ask your parents to check the weather reports to make sure it’s warm enough to do this. In general, temperatures should be well above freezing every night before you move your seedlings outside.

  When you’re ready to move your seedlings outside, find a sunny spot in your yard. Dig twelve holes in the ground with a small spoon from your kitchen; the holes should be about four inches apart from one another and two or three inches deep. (You can ask your parents for help.) Use the same spoon to dig out the seedlings, including the soil, from each of the egg cups. Be very careful not to hurt the roots. Place each seedling (and
soil clump) in its own hole. The roots should fit in the hole below ground level; the rest of the seedling should be above ground level. Fill in the holes with more soil and pat gently. Water.

  If you don’t have a yard, you could use a big pot or several big pots. You could also find out if there is a community garden in your neighborhood and plant your seedlings there.

  Make sure to check on your seedlings every day and water regularly, especially when there hasn’t been any rain.