Mystery #20: Mary Anne and the Zoo Mystery
I honestly don’t know if I have the energy for a zoo-set mystery narrated by Mary Anne, but here we are. In a classic must-be-nice-to-live-in-Stoneybrook plot point, the SMS eighth-graders get to do a science project in which they observe animals at the zoo. The downside? They’re put into teacher-assigned groups. Dawn gets to work with Claudia and Logan, but Kristy is stuck with Stacey (who is currently on the outs with the BSC) and Mary Anne is stuck with Alan Gray and Howie Johnson. Alan and Logan are being super competitive, which ramps up Mary Anne’s anxiety.
Meanwhile, the BSC and their charges are working on a campaign to Free Babar, an elephant who’s being used as a prop in the parking lot of a new mall. They’re raising money by selling buttons and t-shirts, and they’re planning a town-wide walkathon.
On their first day at the zoo, the eighth-graders see picketers (anti-zoo, anti-animals-in-cages stuff) and are told by the two zoo liaisons for their project, Mrs. Wofsey and Mr. Chester, that they’ve hired extra security after receiving some threats, because they’re afraid someone might let the two gorillas on loan from San Diego — James and Mojo — out of their cages. Lotta info to give some thirteen-year-olds.
Of course, an animal does get out of its cage — the emu that Mary Anne is observing for her project. The emu is safely herded back into her cage, but Mary Anne notices smashed berries on the ground, and overhears Mrs. Wofsey, the zoo director, say that she lost her master key (which happens to look exactly like the info kiosk keys that zoo guests get). Howie also says he saw some suspicious people in matching sweatsuits carrying cameras who discussed the animals at each cage and took a lot of notes, but never smiled or took a photo. Of course, the BSC is on the case.
The next time Mary Anne is at the zoo, Geraldine the Giraffe “escapes” (is let out). Luckily, Geraldine is returned without anyone getting hurt, but this has obviously become a pattern — even with extra security patrolling the grounds. Another time, someone attempts to free the gibbons, who are housed right near James and Mojo.
The couple in the matching sweatsuits keeps showing up and they seem to be interested in how much certain animals cost and how they’d be as pets. Mr. Chester also keeps getting reeeeal testy with Mrs. Wofsey, saying how if he were in charge, none of the escapes would be happening. Well, Mr. Chester, I’m starting to think you are the reason the escapes are happening. We’ve seen you feeding the gorillas, and when Matt Braddock uses ASL to ask Mojo who let out the emu, Mojo signs back, “food.” Everyone thinks she’s just asking for a snack but I THINK SHE MEANS THE FEEDER IS THE FREER.
After some investigation, the BSC tracks down Mrs. Wofsey’s missing key (Howie had it, and then Mary Anne ended up with it) and finds out that the sweatsuit couple is doing research for an eccentric tycoon who wants to build a zoo on his own estate. That leaves Mr. Chester as the prime suspect, especially after Mary Anne and Logan realize he was lying when he said he’d been feeding the seals while the gibbons were freed. They report their findings to Mrs. Wofsey, and together they work up a sting operation. Mrs. Wofsey expects that if Mr. Chester is really trying to get her in trouble and fired, he’ll try to free James and Mojo.
The plan goes off without a hitch, culminating in Claudia getting photos of Mr. Chester in the act and Mrs. Wofsey catching him red-handed. Another day saved by thirteen-year-old baby-sitters! (Their elephant walkathon also drew enough attention to get a wealthy donor to pay for Babar the elephant to be relocated to a Florida sanctuary.)
