for him and clutched his pajama sleeve while they listened to the rest of the message.
When they heard, “I’ll call you tomorrow, after you get home from the zoo,” Mr. Streater said, “I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit.”
Mrs. Streater turned off the answering machine without listening to the rest of the messages. “Where are the kids?” she said. “Even Corey would know better than to stay at the zoo alone.”
“Let’s not panic. Maybe someone from the zoological society stayed with them.”
“But wouldn’t they call and tell us that?”
“Maybe they did. Let’s listen to the rest of the messages.”
They turned the machine back on and played the rest of the messages. There was nothing from Ellen, Corey, or anyone from the zoological society.
Mr. Streater said, “Let’s call Mrs. Caruthers.”
Mrs. Streater looked up her number and dialed it. After six rings, a sleepy male voice said, “Hello?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you so late at night,” Mrs. Streatersaid, “but I need to speak with Mrs. Caruthers. It’s urgent.”
“She isn’t here. This is her son.”
“Do you know anything about the children who were going to camp overnight at the zoo? This is their mother and we had plane trouble and didn’t get home on time. We have a note saying that the children went to the zoo.”
“That’s right; the kids are at the zoo.”
“Do you know where? If we go there now, do you know where we can find them?”
“You can’t get in now. All the gates are locked at night.”
“Are you certain that’s where the children are?”
“Positive. Ma called a little while ago and she said the kids got there a half an hour late. She was glad she didn’t have to wait any longer than that because . . .”
“Do you expect her home soon?” Mrs. Streater didn’t mean to be rude and interrupt, but she was anxious about Ellen and Corey.
“She won’t be home until morning.”
“Oh,” Mrs. Streater said. “She stayed, then?”
“She said she couldn’t leave, not when . . .”
“How kind of her!”
The voice at the other end stifled a yawn.
“Thank you so much,” Mrs. Streater said. “I’m sorry I woke you up. We’ll go to the zoo first thing in the morning to bring the kids home.”
She hung up, turned to Mr. Streater, and said, “Mrs. Caruthers stayed at the zoo. Wasn’t that nice of her?”
“She probably didn’t have any choice. Corey probably refused to leave.”
“We must do something special, to thank her. Maybe we could send flowers.”
“Well, let’s wait until daylight to order them,” Mr. Streater said, as he returned to the bedroom.
“As long as I’m up, I’m going to call the hospital,” Mrs. Streater said. “Maybe someone can tell us how Mother is.” Just as she reached for the telephone, it rang.
“This is Jeff Caruthers. You called for my mother a few minutes ago. I was kind of fuzzy minded on the phone but after you hung up, I realized exactly what you had said. Aren’t you at the zoo now?”
“No. That’s why I called you. Our plane was late and we just got home.”
“Ma said the kids came to the zoo alone and met you there a few minutes later. She said she left as soon as you arrived.”
“She isn’t with them? She didn’t stay at the zoo?”
“Ma’s at the hospital. My sister’s having a baby.”
“Then who’s with Ellen and Corey?”
“I don’t know. Ma thought you were.”
Mrs. Streater’s hand shook as she hung up the phone and called the police.
“I need help,” she said. “I think my children are alone at the Woodland Park Zoo.”
13
“S TOP yelling,” the man said, as his arm tightened on Ellen’s shoulder.
She tried not to cry but the pain from his hand on her shoulder was excruciating. Blinking back tears, she glared up into his angry eyes.
“Some people heard me,” she lied. “Their car slowed down and I saw them point at me. They’ve gone for help.”
“You’re
When they heard, “I’ll call you tomorrow, after you get home from the zoo,” Mr. Streater said, “I don’t like this. I don’t like this one bit.”
Mrs. Streater turned off the answering machine without listening to the rest of the messages. “Where are the kids?” she said. “Even Corey would know better than to stay at the zoo alone.”
“Let’s not panic. Maybe someone from the zoological society stayed with them.”
“But wouldn’t they call and tell us that?”
“Maybe they did. Let’s listen to the rest of the messages.”
They turned the machine back on and played the rest of the messages. There was nothing from Ellen, Corey, or anyone from the zoological society.
Mr. Streater said, “Let’s call Mrs. Caruthers.”
Mrs. Streater looked up her number and dialed it. After six rings, a sleepy male voice said, “Hello?”
“I’m sorry to disturb you so late at night,” Mrs. Streatersaid, “but I need to speak with Mrs. Caruthers. It’s urgent.”
“She isn’t here. This is her son.”
“Do you know anything about the children who were going to camp overnight at the zoo? This is their mother and we had plane trouble and didn’t get home on time. We have a note saying that the children went to the zoo.”
“That’s right; the kids are at the zoo.”
“Do you know where? If we go there now, do you know where we can find them?”
“You can’t get in now. All the gates are locked at night.”
“Are you certain that’s where the children are?”
“Positive. Ma called a little while ago and she said the kids got there a half an hour late. She was glad she didn’t have to wait any longer than that because . . .”
“Do you expect her home soon?” Mrs. Streater didn’t mean to be rude and interrupt, but she was anxious about Ellen and Corey.
“She won’t be home until morning.”
“Oh,” Mrs. Streater said. “She stayed, then?”
“She said she couldn’t leave, not when . . .”
“How kind of her!”
The voice at the other end stifled a yawn.
“Thank you so much,” Mrs. Streater said. “I’m sorry I woke you up. We’ll go to the zoo first thing in the morning to bring the kids home.”
She hung up, turned to Mr. Streater, and said, “Mrs. Caruthers stayed at the zoo. Wasn’t that nice of her?”
“She probably didn’t have any choice. Corey probably refused to leave.”
“We must do something special, to thank her. Maybe we could send flowers.”
“Well, let’s wait until daylight to order them,” Mr. Streater said, as he returned to the bedroom.
“As long as I’m up, I’m going to call the hospital,” Mrs. Streater said. “Maybe someone can tell us how Mother is.” Just as she reached for the telephone, it rang.
“This is Jeff Caruthers. You called for my mother a few minutes ago. I was kind of fuzzy minded on the phone but after you hung up, I realized exactly what you had said. Aren’t you at the zoo now?”
“No. That’s why I called you. Our plane was late and we just got home.”
“Ma said the kids came to the zoo alone and met you there a few minutes later. She said she left as soon as you arrived.”
“She isn’t with them? She didn’t stay at the zoo?”
“Ma’s at the hospital. My sister’s having a baby.”
“Then who’s with Ellen and Corey?”
“I don’t know. Ma thought you were.”
Mrs. Streater’s hand shook as she hung up the phone and called the police.
“I need help,” she said. “I think my children are alone at the Woodland Park Zoo.”
13
“S TOP yelling,” the man said, as his arm tightened on Ellen’s shoulder.
She tried not to cry but the pain from his hand on her shoulder was excruciating. Blinking back tears, she glared up into his angry eyes.
“Some people heard me,” she lied. “Their car slowed down and I saw them point at me. They’ve gone for help.”
“You’re
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