The Clue in the Recycling Bin by Gertrude Chandler Warner Read Free Book Online

workbench. Jessie wondered if Kayla was hiding something.
    Kayla locked the studio door, and they all ran to her van and piled in. But before Kayla could pull into the street, Chad came running up to them.
    â€œMy car won’t start,” he said. “Can you give me a ride? I don’t live far.”
    â€œSure,” said Kayla. “Hop in.”
    By the time Chad squeezed into the van, he was soaked.
    â€œThanks,” he said to Kayla.
    â€œWhere to?” she asked him.
    â€œOh, you can drop the kids off first,” he said. “I’m in no hurry.”
    Jessie thought that Chad had better manners when he needed something, like a ride home.
    As Kayla drove the Aldens home, Chad asked them how they became interested in the recycling center. They told him they learned about recycling in school, and that with the help of their grandfather and Mrs. McGregor, they had set up recycling boxes in their garage.
    â€œWe used to have to take the newspapers to one town, and the plastics and glass to another,” said Henry. “Now we can take everything to one center here in Greenfield.”
    â€œYou take old newspapers and cans and bottles to the center,” said Chad, “and you take things home from the center.”
    â€œOnly if we want to,” said Jessie.
    â€œWe didn’t know we could take things home until we saw Mrs. McGregor’s big green frog,” said Benny.
    â€œYes,” laughed Kayla, “that is one really big , really green metal frog!” She seemed to think for a while. “I wish I hadn’t given that frog away.”
    â€œI’m already using the notebooks I took home,” said Jessie. She looked down to study Chad’s boots, but the car was so crowded, she couldn’t see much.
    â€œWhat about you, Benny?” Chad asked. “Did you get anything good from the Other Stuff bin?”
    â€œYes,” said Benny. “It’s a big red piñata. A bull.”
    Chad looked out the window. “It’s a good thing you rescued it,” he said. “The piñata would be ruined if it sat out in the rain. Did you hang the piñata in your bedroom?” he asked.
    â€œNo,” said Benny. “It’s on the sunporch with Mrs. McGregor’s frog.”
    Chad was silent for a while.
    â€œWhat about you, Chad?” Kayla asked, looking at him through the rearview mirror. “Did you find your pocket watch?”
    Chad smiled. “Yes,” he said, “I found what I lost.”
    Soon Kayla pulled into the Aldens’ driveway. She drove as close to the house as she could because the rain was still coming down hard.
    Henry showed Kayla where to stop. “We’ll run in through the sunporch,” he said.
    The children thanked Kayla for the ride and said good-bye to her and to Chad.
    When they got in the house, Mrs. McGregor told the children to change out of their wet shoes and socks. By the time they did that, Grandfather arrived home. Soon it was time for dinner.
    At dinner, the children told Grandfather about their day.
    â€œIt seems so strange that somebody is breaking into a recycling center,” said Grandfather. “They could have anything from it for free.”
    â€œWe think that two different people have broken in,” said Jessie.
    â€œAnd for two different reasons,” said Henry.
    Late that night, when everybody was asleep, Watch began to bark. He barked and barked, louder and louder.
    Henry sat up in bed, rubbed his eyes, and listened. He heard the thump , thump , thump of Watch’s feet.
    Benny came running into Henry’s room. “Watch is barking,” said Benny. “And he is growling.”
    Henry and Benny ran into the hallway. Jessie and Violet were already there with Grandfather.
    They heard more growling from Watch. It was coming from the sunporch.
    Grandfather walked into the kitchen and switched on the outdoor lights. The children were behind him.
    As