“I don’t think we have any choice but to shut down,” said the man beside her.
“Wait!” Benny interrupted. “Don’t do that!”
“Cal’s not missing,” Violet said.
“And we’re the ones who left the notes that said ‘ha-ha!’ ” Zoe spoke up.
The Aldens told everyone what they knew about Cal, and the Zeller twins explained why they took some of the caches and replaced them with notes that said “ha-ha.”
“Okay, but what about the other missing caches?” Mr. Robertson asked. “The ones the Zellers didn’t take?”
“We have a theory about that,” Benny said. Benny liked the word theory now.
“What’s your theory?” Andy asked.
“We think Cal took them!” Benny said.
“What?” Mr. Zeller asked with disbelief. Mr. and Mrs. Greene shook their heads.
“Why would he do such a thing?” Mrs. Greene muttered.
“Because they were his to begin with,” Henry explained. “If you look up all the missing caches on geocaching.com, you’ll see that they all had some kind of damage.”
“Or they needed to be refilled with new things to trade,” Jessie added.
Henry continued. “We think Cal went around and took the caches so he could repair them. But then, before he could put them all back, he got called out of town.”
“That’s a very interesting theory!” said a voice behind them.
Everyone turned toward the voice.
“Cal!” the Aldens cried.
Cal carried a bulging black garbage bag. It looked like the same bag he’d been carrying in the dog park.
The whole group ran to him and shook his hand or patted him on the back.
“We’re glad you’re okay. How is your mother?” someone asked him.
“She’s much better, thanks,” Cal said. “I’m sorry you were all so worried. And I’m sorry the nature center has been closed all this time. I wish I had taken the time to leave a key with one of my volunteers, but at the time all I could think about was getting to the airport.”
“That’s okay,” Mr. Robertson said. “We understand.”
“And I should have called one of you to let you know what was happening,” Cal went on. “But I’m afraid I didn’t think to make phone calls until my mother started to get better. I was too worried about her. I didn’t even think to bring my cell phone with me.”
“We’re just glad you’re back, Cal,” Andy said.
“Thanks, everyone,” Cal said, smiling. Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out a key, and unlocked the nature center. Everyone went inside.
“So, what about my theory?” Benny asked Cal, once everyone was settled. “Was I right? Did you take the caches?”
“Yes, I did,” Cal replied. “And it was just like you said. I saw there were problems with several of my caches, so I gathered them up that day I saw you kids at the dog park.”
Cal opened the garbage bag and took out some metal boxes, covered pails, and other containers. He set them all on the table in front of him.
“So you weren’t collecting garbage like we thought,” Violet said. “You were collecting caches!”
“That’s right,” Cal said. “In fact, I was going to tell you what I was doing and ask you if you knew what geocaching was. But then I got that phone call about my mother. I’m glad you kids found out about geocaching on your own.”
“We ran into Andy and his dad just a few minutes after we left you,” Benny said. “They told us all about it.”
“And you thought we were stealing all the caches just to prevent your family from winning the contest,” Zoe told David Greene.
“I did,” David admitted. “I’m sorry about that. But I bet you thought I was doing the same thing. I bet you thought I was trying to prevent you from winning the contest.”
“We’re sorry, too,” Zack said.
“Speaking of contests,” Mr. Robertson said, holding up his hands. He held a computer printout in one hand and a GPS box in the other. “Yesterday was the last day of the month.”
“So the contest is over?” David said.
“Do we have a winner?” Zoe asked expectantly. “Do we know who wins the new GPS?”
Mr. Robertson scratched his chin. “Well, there’s a slight problem with that,” he said. “It seems we have a tie. The Green Lights and the Zees both found eighty-three caches this month.”
Everyone clapped for the Greenes and the Zellers.
“Great job, all of you,” Mr. Robertson said. “But I don’t know how we can split this GPS in two.”
“I have an idea,” Zack said. “We already have a pretty nice GPS. And I’ll bet the Greenes do, too.”
All three members of the Greene family nodded.
“I think we should give the new GPS to the Aldens to thank them for solving the mystery of the missing caches,” Zack said.
The Aldens were stunned.
“That’s a great idea,” David said.
Everyone else nodded and started clapping again.
Cal nudged Benny. “Go get your new GPS, kids,” he said.
So the Aldens went over to Mr. Robertson and he handed Henry the box with the GPS.
“Wow, thanks!” Henry said.
“Thank you for solving the mystery,” Mr. Robertson said.
Cal nodded toward the table full of geocache containers. “I’ve fixed these caches,” he said. “So I could use some help putting them back in their hiding places this afternoon.”
“Sure.” “Of course.” “We’d love to help!” everyone said.
“It looks like the geocaching club will stay together after all,” Violet said.
“Hooray!” Benny said.
The next weekend, the Aldens took out a large square plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. They set it on the kitchen table and Grandfather and Mrs. MacGregor helped the children decide what to buy for the container. Jessie wrote down all their ideas.
“Well, we definitely need a log book and pencil,” Henry said.
“And plastic bags that zip closed so the stuff doesn’t get damaged,” Jessie added.
“How about a compass and a water bottle?” Grandfather suggested.
“I’ve got some toys from fast food meals that we could put in there,” Benny said.
“Some people include a disposable camera so that people can take pictures of themselves finding the cache,” Violet said.
“That would be fun,” Henry said. “Then we could upload the pictures to the website.”
“Could I make some chocolate chip cookies?” Mrs. MacGregor asked. “People who are hunting for treasure in the woods are probably hungry.”
“Yes, but you’re not supposed to put food in a cache,” Jessie pointed out. “Even though it’s sealed up, animals have a strong sense of smell.”
“She could put her chocolate chip cookie recipe on a card and we could leave that in the cache,” Violet said.
“That’s a great idea,” Benny said. “Anybody would be lucky to find Mrs. MacGregor’s chocolate chip cookie recipe!”
“Why thank you, Benny,” Mrs. MacGregor said. “In that case, maybe you’d like to help me bake some cookies this afternoon?”
“I would!” Benny cried. “I really would!”
Grandfather took the children shopping for the items on Jessie’s list. When they got home they packed everything in the big container, then went outside.
“So where should we hide our cache?” Jessie asked.
“I’ve got a perfect idea,” Violet said. “Follow me!” She led them around to the backyard.
“I know where Violet’s taking us!” Benny cried. “To our boxcar!”
“That’s right, Benny,” Violet said.
The children walked around inside and outside the boxcar, searching for the perfect hiding place. The settled on a spot of tall grass just behind one of the back wheels.
Benny slid the container behind the wheel and the others gathered a few ro
cks and sticks to pile up all around it.
“Now all we have to do is use our GPS to figure out the coordinates and then enter our new cache at geocaching.com,” Jessie said.
“What are we going to call our cache?” Henry asked. “Any ideas?”
“How about ‘All’s Well That Ends Well?’ ” said Violet.
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
copyright © 2007 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2902-6
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
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