asked hopefully. “I wish I could have fried shrimp.”
“Yes, Benny” Grandfather said. “We’re going to dinner and you may have fried shrimp.”
Grandfather looked tired, Jessie thought. And worried. “What is it?” she asked.
“I called the visitors’ center where Andrew Beldon works,” James Alden said. “They haven’t heard from him, either. And there was no answer at Andrew’s house.”
“You mean he hasn’t gone to work?” Henry asked.
Grandfather shook his head. “He hasn’t called in sick or taken a leave of absence.”
Jessie drew in a breath. “It’s like he’s disappeared!”
What had happened to Ranger Beldon?
CHAPTER 2
The River of Grass
M rs. Johnson told the Aldens about a pancake restaurant just down the road. Over pecan pancakes and fresh Florida orange juice the next morning, the Aldens made plans.
“Now what do we do?” asked Violet.
“We’re going to the Everglades,” James Alden replied. “To the visitors’ center where Andrew was supposed to be working. The young woman I spoke to yesterday didn’t sound too concerned.”
“How did she sound?” Violet asked.
“Annoyed,” Grandfather said. “Are we ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes!” the children answered at once.
It was very hot, even early in the morning. The kids were glad their rental car had air-conditioning. Jessie sat up front with Grandfather as his “map guide.”
“We just go out Route Forty-one,” she told him. “And we come to the Shark Valley Information Center.”
“What a funny name,” Violet remarked. “They don’t have sharks in the Everglades, do they?”
“Not in the Everglades,” Henry replied. “But there are plenty of sharks in the water around Florida.”
Soon they turned into Shark Valley. They parked and went inside the information center. At the front desk, they were greeted by a ranger. Her name badge read, MELANIE HARPER .
“Can I help you?” the young woman asked. She had blond hair cut very short.
“Yes,” said Grandfather. “I’m looking for Andrew Beldon. I understand he works here.”
Melanie frowned. “Were you the gentleman who called yesterday?”
“Yes,” replied Grandfather. “Andrew is a family friend. I’ve come to see him.”
“Good luck,” Melanie said breezily. “He’s on rotation here this week, but we haven’t seen him. So I’m doing his job as well as mine.”
“Andrew hasn’t called his supervisor?” asked Grandfather.
“Nope.”
Melanie seemed awfully casual, Jessie thought. “Isn’t anybody worried about him?” she asked Melanie.
“It’s his life,” the young woman replied flippantly. “If he wants to lose his job, that’s his business.”
Henry thought the ranger had the wrong attitude. “Maybe he’s sick at home. Has anyone called or gone to his house to check on him?”
“Look, all I know is I have to run Andrew’s tram tours and announce the showings of the film,” said Melanie. “It isn’t easy doing double duty. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for the next tour.”
The Aldens moved away from the desk and went over to the exhibit area.
“Now I’m really worried,” said Grandfather. “But I don’t want to call Thomas and tell him that no one has seen Andrew in days. It might make his illness worse.”
“You won’t have to do that,” said Henry firmly. “We’ll find Andrew.”
“Yeah,” Benny said. “This won’t be the first mystery we’ve solved.”
Grandfather smiled. “You’re right about that. You kids have solved a lot of mysteries.”
“I have an idea,” said Violet. “Let’s take the tram tour that Andrew was supposed to be running. Maybe we’ll find out something on the tour.”
“Good idea,” Henry said. “We’ll retrace Andrew’s steps. Maybe we can learn something about where he was last seen.”
They wandered around the exhibits. The information center was busy.
Melanie picked up a microphone and announced the next viewing of the
“Yes, Benny” Grandfather said. “We’re going to dinner and you may have fried shrimp.”
Grandfather looked tired, Jessie thought. And worried. “What is it?” she asked.
“I called the visitors’ center where Andrew Beldon works,” James Alden said. “They haven’t heard from him, either. And there was no answer at Andrew’s house.”
“You mean he hasn’t gone to work?” Henry asked.
Grandfather shook his head. “He hasn’t called in sick or taken a leave of absence.”
Jessie drew in a breath. “It’s like he’s disappeared!”
What had happened to Ranger Beldon?
CHAPTER 2
The River of Grass
M rs. Johnson told the Aldens about a pancake restaurant just down the road. Over pecan pancakes and fresh Florida orange juice the next morning, the Aldens made plans.
“Now what do we do?” asked Violet.
“We’re going to the Everglades,” James Alden replied. “To the visitors’ center where Andrew was supposed to be working. The young woman I spoke to yesterday didn’t sound too concerned.”
“How did she sound?” Violet asked.
“Annoyed,” Grandfather said. “Are we ready to go?” he asked.
“Yes!” the children answered at once.
It was very hot, even early in the morning. The kids were glad their rental car had air-conditioning. Jessie sat up front with Grandfather as his “map guide.”
“We just go out Route Forty-one,” she told him. “And we come to the Shark Valley Information Center.”
“What a funny name,” Violet remarked. “They don’t have sharks in the Everglades, do they?”
“Not in the Everglades,” Henry replied. “But there are plenty of sharks in the water around Florida.”
Soon they turned into Shark Valley. They parked and went inside the information center. At the front desk, they were greeted by a ranger. Her name badge read, MELANIE HARPER .
“Can I help you?” the young woman asked. She had blond hair cut very short.
“Yes,” said Grandfather. “I’m looking for Andrew Beldon. I understand he works here.”
Melanie frowned. “Were you the gentleman who called yesterday?”
“Yes,” replied Grandfather. “Andrew is a family friend. I’ve come to see him.”
“Good luck,” Melanie said breezily. “He’s on rotation here this week, but we haven’t seen him. So I’m doing his job as well as mine.”
“Andrew hasn’t called his supervisor?” asked Grandfather.
“Nope.”
Melanie seemed awfully casual, Jessie thought. “Isn’t anybody worried about him?” she asked Melanie.
“It’s his life,” the young woman replied flippantly. “If he wants to lose his job, that’s his business.”
Henry thought the ranger had the wrong attitude. “Maybe he’s sick at home. Has anyone called or gone to his house to check on him?”
“Look, all I know is I have to run Andrew’s tram tours and announce the showings of the film,” said Melanie. “It isn’t easy doing double duty. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get ready for the next tour.”
The Aldens moved away from the desk and went over to the exhibit area.
“Now I’m really worried,” said Grandfather. “But I don’t want to call Thomas and tell him that no one has seen Andrew in days. It might make his illness worse.”
“You won’t have to do that,” said Henry firmly. “We’ll find Andrew.”
“Yeah,” Benny said. “This won’t be the first mystery we’ve solved.”
Grandfather smiled. “You’re right about that. You kids have solved a lot of mysteries.”
“I have an idea,” said Violet. “Let’s take the tram tour that Andrew was supposed to be running. Maybe we’ll find out something on the tour.”
“Good idea,” Henry said. “We’ll retrace Andrew’s steps. Maybe we can learn something about where he was last seen.”
They wandered around the exhibits. The information center was busy.
Melanie picked up a microphone and announced the next viewing of the
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