Mystery of the Midnight Dog Read Online Free

Aldens.
    “We have plenty of work for you. We need someone to stack all the pamphlets in our information booths and to help hand out maps.”
    “I can do that,” Violet said.
    “Me, too,” said Benny.
    Ms. Hedge said, “Kate Frances, I’m counting on you to help me plan the Stories Under the Stars program. It’s only two days away, you know.”
    “Stories Under the Stars?” asked Henry.
    Ms. Hedge nodded. “Yes. There is a storyteller who lives near here. She’s a well-known storyteller and she’ll be here tomorrow night at our outdoor theater. You should come. She’s wonderful.”
    “We will,” said Jessie.
    “We can sit in the employee section,” Kate Frances said. “My grandmother was already planning on coming and I know your grandfather would enjoy it, too.”
    “Good,” said Ms. Hedge. She turned to Lainey and continued, “The ground crew needs a little help today, Lainey, if you don’t mind pitching in. Someone knocked over all the litter containers on Bluff Trail and Overlook Trail.”
    “Good grief,” said Lainey. “Who’d do a thing like that?”
    “Maybe it was a wild animal,” said Violet. “A raccoon. Or a bear.”
    “No bears around here,” Ms. Hedge said, to Violet’s secret relief. “And I doubt a raccoon is strong enough to turn over those big containers.” Her lips tightened a little. “No, it was someone’s stupid idea of a joke.”
    “Well, let’s get to work,” said Lainey. “Henry, Jessie, you want to come along?”
    “Sure,” said Jessie.
    “And we can look for clues,” Henry added. “Maybe we can solve the Mystery of the Garbage Can Litterbug.”
    Lainey laughed. “Maybe. Let’s get packs from the equipment room and some sandwiches. We’ll have a picnic lunch on the trail.”
    Kate Frances said, “And we’ll have a picnic right here.”
    “See you this afternoon,” Violet said. She and Benny went to work in the visitors’ center while Henry and Jessie set out on the trails with Lainey.
    “Wow,” Jessie said as she stuffed newspaper into the litter sack slung over one shoulder. “Some people sure are litterbugs.”
    It was hot, hard work. Henry and Jessie looked for clues that might help them figure out who would upend all the litter cans—or why. But there were too many footprints on the trail to point to any one suspect and they could find nothing else that helped.
    “Whew! That’s done. Let’s head back,” Lainey said at last. “I just hope whoever pulled the trash can tricks doesn’t come back.”
    “Me, too,” said Henry.
    As they came out of the woods into the main clearing of the park, Henry said, “What’s that old cabin over there?”
    “Oh. That’s one of the cabins of the original European settlers here,” Lainey said. “Or what’s left of it. In this corner of the park and back through the woods are what’s left of several houses of the people who used to live here over two hundred years ago. Dr. Sage sometimes camps out here. She’s the archaeologist in charge of digging up the historic sites in the park. Why don’t we go meet her?”
    As Lainey, Henry, and Jessie approached the old ruined cabin, a woman peered from around the back of the house. “Stay between the ropes,” she barked. “Or you’ll be trampling on history.”
    Henry and Jessie were a little startled by this sharp welcome, but Lainey seemed used to it. “Hi, Dr. Sage,” she said. “It’s just me. I brought some friends to meet you. This is Henry and Jessie. They’re staying with Mrs. Wade and doing some volunteer work in the park.”
    Dr. Sage came out from around the corner of the house. She was a small, strong-looking woman, with dark skin. Her dark brown eyes seemed to miss nothing. She wiped one hand on the leg of her dirt-smudged jeans and said, “Hello.”
    Jessie and Henry said hello and shook hands.
    “So you’re volunteering. That’s good. Saves the park money. Money saved is money I can use to do my digging and research,” Dr.