before the fair."
"Things don't always work out the way you expect. Now it's my turn on the swing."
Willow jumped off, her feet skidding across the floor. "I'm really glad you're better."
"Me, too. Thanks for fixing the school lunches."
A few weeks passed, and they heard nothing about getting their drone back. One day, Mrs. Winterson called them into the office, and told them the trial would be starting the following week. Willow, Elon, and Linden would be called as witnesses.
The trial started on a Tuesday morning. They dressed up in their best clothes and their parents took them to the courthouse. Because they were supposed to be in school, the kids testified first in the morning, then had to go back to school.
Miss Berry and Mrs. Winterson were gone for three days, leaving the kids puzzled over what was happening. But on Friday morning, when they entered the cafeteria, Miss Berry was back behind the counter serving breakfast.
"Miss Berry, what happened?"
Miss Berry looked up from the tray of orange juice boxes she was putting out. "It turned out to be exactly as Elon had said in Mr. Bannon's office." She sighed and took a breath. "When Tom Bannon's father died and Tom inherited the business, he didn't know much about operating it. He testified that he depended on Mr. Hutchins, who had worked there for many years, to explain how things worked."
"And?" Willow said.
"The state lawyer investigated and found Mr. Hutchins hadn't had much money until about eight months ago. Then during the testimony it came out that Mr. Hutchins hadn't saved for retirement. What little he had was poorly invested. He wanted to retire, but couldn't. He started skimping on some of Bannon's smaller customers, but when we gave them the school contract for local food, Mr. Hutchins saw his opportunity to make even more. He was sure Tom wouldn't know enough to figure it out."
"I knew it!" Elon said.
"He also figured that kids wouldn't appreciate expensive food," Miss Berry said. "But he knew restaurants did. So he took the local foods that were supposed to be for Mt. Hood Elementary, and sold them to restaurants, without telling Mr. Bannon. The restaurants paid a lot of money, not knowing they were getting stolen food, and Mr. Hutchins kept it all."
"Where'd he get the food for our school?" Linden asked.
"Mr. Hutchins still needed to make the deliveries to hide his crime, so he looked around for really cheap food. He found a company in California that was selling excessed foods." Here Miss Berry swallowed deep, then continued in a whisper. "Food that were supposed to be served to farm animals because it wasn't good enough for people. He bought that junk, getting weekly deliveries in the early morning when no one else was around." She went back to a normal voice. "It was much cheaper than fresh food, so Mr. Hutchins was making thousands of dollars every week. For a long while no one had noticed. Until you three figured it out. Good job."
The bell rang, and the sound of six hundred kids running for class sounded out.
"Thanks, Miss Berry," Willow said as they ran to class.
That evening at home the phone rang.
"I got it," Elon yelled, running for the kitchen. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Tom Bannon," the voice said.
"Hi, Mr. Bannon." Elon wasn't sure if Mr. Bannon would be angry. Was he in trouble?
"Mr. Hutchins is going to jail."
"I heard. I hope you're not in trouble," Elon said.
"No, no." There a soft chuckle from the other end of the line. "I actually wanted to say thank you. If it wasn't for you three, Mr. Hutchins could have gone on longer, more people would have gotten sick, and Bannon Foods and I could have gotten into bigger trouble. So I really appreciate you solving this mystery."
"You're welcome," Elon said.
"But the judge said I have to buy you kids a new drone. Will a thousand dollars cover it?"
Elon's eyes went big. A thousand dollars? They could build a supersized drone. But he didn't want to be dishonest. "It's too
"Things don't always work out the way you expect. Now it's my turn on the swing."
Willow jumped off, her feet skidding across the floor. "I'm really glad you're better."
"Me, too. Thanks for fixing the school lunches."
A few weeks passed, and they heard nothing about getting their drone back. One day, Mrs. Winterson called them into the office, and told them the trial would be starting the following week. Willow, Elon, and Linden would be called as witnesses.
The trial started on a Tuesday morning. They dressed up in their best clothes and their parents took them to the courthouse. Because they were supposed to be in school, the kids testified first in the morning, then had to go back to school.
Miss Berry and Mrs. Winterson were gone for three days, leaving the kids puzzled over what was happening. But on Friday morning, when they entered the cafeteria, Miss Berry was back behind the counter serving breakfast.
"Miss Berry, what happened?"
Miss Berry looked up from the tray of orange juice boxes she was putting out. "It turned out to be exactly as Elon had said in Mr. Bannon's office." She sighed and took a breath. "When Tom Bannon's father died and Tom inherited the business, he didn't know much about operating it. He testified that he depended on Mr. Hutchins, who had worked there for many years, to explain how things worked."
"And?" Willow said.
"The state lawyer investigated and found Mr. Hutchins hadn't had much money until about eight months ago. Then during the testimony it came out that Mr. Hutchins hadn't saved for retirement. What little he had was poorly invested. He wanted to retire, but couldn't. He started skimping on some of Bannon's smaller customers, but when we gave them the school contract for local food, Mr. Hutchins saw his opportunity to make even more. He was sure Tom wouldn't know enough to figure it out."
"I knew it!" Elon said.
"He also figured that kids wouldn't appreciate expensive food," Miss Berry said. "But he knew restaurants did. So he took the local foods that were supposed to be for Mt. Hood Elementary, and sold them to restaurants, without telling Mr. Bannon. The restaurants paid a lot of money, not knowing they were getting stolen food, and Mr. Hutchins kept it all."
"Where'd he get the food for our school?" Linden asked.
"Mr. Hutchins still needed to make the deliveries to hide his crime, so he looked around for really cheap food. He found a company in California that was selling excessed foods." Here Miss Berry swallowed deep, then continued in a whisper. "Food that were supposed to be served to farm animals because it wasn't good enough for people. He bought that junk, getting weekly deliveries in the early morning when no one else was around." She went back to a normal voice. "It was much cheaper than fresh food, so Mr. Hutchins was making thousands of dollars every week. For a long while no one had noticed. Until you three figured it out. Good job."
The bell rang, and the sound of six hundred kids running for class sounded out.
"Thanks, Miss Berry," Willow said as they ran to class.
That evening at home the phone rang.
"I got it," Elon yelled, running for the kitchen. "Hello?"
"Hi, it's Tom Bannon," the voice said.
"Hi, Mr. Bannon." Elon wasn't sure if Mr. Bannon would be angry. Was he in trouble?
"Mr. Hutchins is going to jail."
"I heard. I hope you're not in trouble," Elon said.
"No, no." There a soft chuckle from the other end of the line. "I actually wanted to say thank you. If it wasn't for you three, Mr. Hutchins could have gone on longer, more people would have gotten sick, and Bannon Foods and I could have gotten into bigger trouble. So I really appreciate you solving this mystery."
"You're welcome," Elon said.
"But the judge said I have to buy you kids a new drone. Will a thousand dollars cover it?"
Elon's eyes went big. A thousand dollars? They could build a supersized drone. But he didn't want to be dishonest. "It's too
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