“Could that really happen?” Faisal asked. “That wasn’t my intent. I wanted to solve the mystery behind the strange things happening. That’s why I’m here today.”

  He thought for a moment. “Maybe I went too far in making the center sound bad. A good reporter should cover all sides of a story. I’m sorry my articles caused problems. I thought I’d be helping this place if I revealed the culprit.”

  “Well, we do need to know who did those things,” Henry said. “Have you had any luck?”

  Faisal shook his head. “I’ve talked to the staff and volunteers, but if anyone knows anything, they’re not telling me. I’m not sure where to go next. That’s why I snuck in. I haven’t seen anything strange though. Do you have any ideas?”

  “We haven’t figured it out yet,” Henry said. “We are getting closer though.”

  “Will you write a good story if we find out the truth?” Violet asked.

  Faisal smiled. “I think all my stories are good stories. Are you asking if I’ll give the Raptor Rehab Center positive coverage? How about this? I’ll try to be neutral. I’ll make sure I give the director a chance to tell her side of things. I’ll also mention how people can help by donating money or time.”

  “I guess that’s fair,” Violet said.

  “You’d better leave now,” Henry said. “The director is in a meeting, but we can ask her to call you later.”

  “Wait, one more question,” Jessie said. “How did you know there was a story here in the first place?”

  “Good question. Maybe you kids are clever enough to solve the mystery.” Faisal hesitated. “I can’t give away a source, but I got a tip from someone who knew about the situation.”

  Faisal left the building. The Aldens made sure he drove away. Then they went back into the main room. Daisy was on the phone again, but she looked up and waved.

  The children sat at a long table. “Maybe the reporter will give this place fair coverage now,” Jessie said. “But we’re running out of suspects. He says someone gave him a tip, but that could be any of the staff or volunteers. It could even be someone who watches the eagle cam.”

  “We need another clue.” Benny rubbed his belly. “How about a snack to help us think?”

  Daisy got up from the reception desk. “I need to give a tour in a few minutes. I’m going to greet people as they arrive outside so they don’t track mud in here. Can one of you cover the phone?”

  Jessie nodded and moved to Daisy’s desk as Daisy left.

  “Let’s watch the eagle cam footage one more time,” Jessie said. “That gave us one big clue. Maybe there’s another one we missed.”

  The children gathered around the computer. Henry remembered which video showed the person stealing Pierce. They played it again.

  “I still say that person is very brave to handle an eagle,” Violet said, “even if they do have big, heavy gloves.” She studied the gloves. “Wait a minute. Those gloves are green. I didn’t notice before.”

  Jessie frowned. “Where have we seen green gloves before?”

  “Daisy used green ones when she went out and found Pierce,” Violet said.

  Henry went to the shelf that held supplies. One tub had heavy leather gloves. Most of them were brown. Only one pair was green. “These gloves are available to anyone.” He picked them up. “But I’ll bet everyone who works or volunteers here has their favorite pair. These are pretty small. Not everyone would be able to use them.”

  Violet studied the gloves with wide eyes. “Did Daisy take Pierce out of his enclosure?”

  “We’ll find out when she gets back,” Henry said.

  Carmen finished her meeting, and the board members filed out of the building. Before the children could tell Carmen about their discovery, Daisy came back from her tour.

  “How was the meeting?” Daisy asked. “They’re not going to recommend we close, are they?”

  “I convinced them to wait,” Carmen said. “We still need to find out who caused the trouble though. I don’t know what we’ll do if we can’t stop the problems.”

  “Maybe it’s all over,” Daisy said. “Maybe nothing else will happen.”

  Henry held up the green gloves. “Does that mean you’re planning to stop causing trouble? We looked at the eagle cam footage again. The person who moved Pierce had green gloves, exactly like the ones you use.”

  “You found Pierce very quickly,” Violet added. “Was that because you knew exactly where he was?”

  Daisy’s mouth opened and closed. No sounds came out.

  “You have keys,” Jessie said. “You could get into any of the buildings, even at night. You know how the bird cards work, so you knew that moving them would cause problems.”

  Daisy staggered to a chair and collapsed into it. Her shoulders slumped. “You’re right,” she said. “I’ve felt terrible since I found out the bad publicity might cause the center to close.”

  Carmen stared at her. “But why? I thought you loved the raptors.”

  “I do! I didn’t want to hurt any animals.” Daisy dabbed at her eyes. “I only wanted to show how my ideas could help. I thought if I showed how things could go bad, you’d be more open to using newer technology.”

  “I was never against your ideas,” Carmen said. “It’s always been a funding issue.”

  “I didn’t think you were listening to me,” Daisy said.

  Carmen shook her head. “I’m sorry if I seemed dismissive of your ideas. I’ve been overworked and under a lot of stress. Maybe I should have taken more time to explain why we can’t do those things now. But what you did was not the right way to get attention. You put the birds in danger.”

  “I had Pierce someplace safe,” Daisy said. “I was ready to point out the problem with the bird cards if you hadn’t noticed them first. I wouldn’t let a raptor get hurt.”

  “That doesn’t make it okay,” Carmen said. “What if you had an accident and couldn’t tell us where Pierce was? What if you hadn’t had a chance to point out the mixed-up cards? And you caused such terrible news coverage!”

  “Wait a moment,” Jessie said. “The reporter mentioned that someone told him to investigate the center. Was that you, Daisy?”

  Daisy nodded, then lowered her head. “I’m sorry about that too. I tipped off that reporter because I wanted to draw attention to the way improvements could help the center. I didn’t know he’d write such negative stories.”

  Carmen held out her hand. “Please give me your keys.”

  “Am I fired?” Daisy had tears in her eyes as she handed over the keys.

  “No, but I’m afraid I’ll have to put you on probation.” Carmen tucked the keys into her own pocket. “You can work the phones and do filing, but no more tours and no more working directly with the raptors. Maybe one day I’ll trust you again, but you’ll have to prove yourself.”

  Daisy stood up with her hands clasped together. “I understand. I will prove myself. I truly want what is best for the birds. I didn’t mean to cause problems.”

  Carmen patted the other woman’s shoulder. “Go home for the day. Think about how you might make up for your mistakes.”

  “I can call that reporter and tell him the truth,” Daisy said.

  “Oh, we saw him,” Henry said. “Carmen, he’d like to get a statement from you. He promised to write a more balanced article.”

  “I think I’d prefer to talk to him myself,” Carmen told Daisy. “I’ll let you know if we need you to confirm my statements.”

  Daisy nodded and left.

  Carmen put one arm around Jessie and one around Violet. “Thank you, children. You really did solve the mystery. I’m sorry it was Daisy behind the problems, but at least no one was really trying to hurt the birds. Maybe she’ll learn a lesson from this.”

  “I’ll bet she did,” Violet said. “I’ve learned a ton this week. I’ll be sad when our visit is over.”

  “Oh, I almost forgot!” Carmen smiled. “I’ve got a big surprise to share with you.”

  “What is it?” Benny asked. He loved surprises.

  Carmen smiled and shook her head. “Today has been exciting enough as it is. I’ll tell you all about it tomorrow.”

  “Can’t we at least get a hint?” asked Violet.

  “Let’s just say I got some good news about a close friend of yours,” Carmen responded with a twinkle in her eye.

  The children exchanged looks with each other. What could she mean?

  Wild and Free

  “It’s a party!” Benny yelled as he ran ahead.

  The other children followed along with Grandfather. It had been a few days since they uncovered Daisy’s plans, and things had started to get back to normal at the Raptor Rehab Center. They’d be heading home later that day, but first it was time to enjoy Carmen’s big surprise: they were going to watch as Pierce was released back into the wild. Dozens of people had gathered in the field near a forest. Pierce’s carrying case sat about thirty feet from the group. A blanket hung over it to keep the raptor calm.

  “There’s Sebastian,” Violet said as she waved.

  Sebastian joined their family and shook Grandfather’s hand. He looked happier and nicer now that he wasn’t so worried.

  “I did my volunteer training yesterday,” he said. “I can’t wait to get started. I’ll be at the Raptor Rehab Center one day every week. I love watching birds in the wild, but it’s also exciting to see them up close. Since I have experience with wild birds, they’re going to train me to feed the raptors.”

  “That sounds wonderful,” Violet said. “You get to work with raptors every week!”

  Jessie looked around at the crowd. “Who are all these people? I recognize some of the volunteers and staff, but there must be thirty people here.”

  “We promoted the event in the eagle cam chat,” Sebastian said. “People have been watching Pierce from all around the world. Some people came a hundred miles to watch his release. We also have a video feed set up for those who are too far away to come. It’s a big day for all of us.”

  He turned to Benny. “Would you like to meet some folks from the eagle cam chat?”

  “Sure!” Benny might have been the youngest of Pierce’s fans, but he was as enthusiastic as any of them. He quickly made new friends in person with the people he’d met online.

  Faisal hurried over from the parking area. “Isn’t this exciting?” he said to the children. “I learned all about how they rehabilitated the eagle being released today. I have an article almost ready to go. I just need to cover the release today and get pictures.”

  “I’m glad you see how important this work is,” Jessie said.

  “It’s incredible,” the reporter replied. Like everyone else there, Faisal had a huge smile. “It’s nice to cover a story about people doing something good. People need more articles with happy endings.”

  Benny rejoined their group. “I’m sad I won’t be able to see Pierce on the eagle cam anymore.”

  Jessie put her arm around him. “He gets to be a wild bird now. We shouldn’t keep birds in captivity unless they are too injured to survive on their own. The goal is to send them back into nature. Birds do best in their natural habitat.”

  “I know,” Benny said. “I’m glad Pierce gets to be free. I’ll still miss him though.”

  Henry ruffled Benny’s hair. “There are other animal cams. Some of them even show eagles or other raptors. Also, we know more about raptor behavior now. Maybe we can go bird-watching and find some raptors in the wild.”

  Benny grinned. “That sounds fun!”

  “I like seeing the birds in the wild best,” Violet said. “I’m so happy Pierce gets to go home. Maybe he’ll find a mate and they’ll have baby eagles.”

  “It sounds like you’ve had a very interesting week,” Grandfather said.

  “We did,” Henry said. “I miss our rooms and our boxcar though.”

  Violet nodded. “I miss Watch.”

  “Me too,” Jessie said. “I can’t wait to see him again. We’ll have to bird-proof our house and yard. We don’t want our dog to hurt any birds. We don’t want birds to fly into the windows either.”

  “How do you stop that?” Grandfather asked.

  Jessie held up her notebook. “I have notes. We can hang shiny objects from the gutters. Birds don’t like them, so they’ll stay away. Flags that move in the wind work too, and many birds don’t like the loud noise of wind chimes.”

  “But we like seeing birds,” Violet said. “We just need to make sure we put bird feeders or sources of water where it’s safe for them.”

  “It sounds like we have some redecorating to do!” said Grandfather.

  When everyone was gathered, Carmen headed out to the animal carrier.

  “Look!” Benny jumped up and down. “Carmen is getting ready to release Pierce.”

  Everyone spread out in a long line so they could all see.

  Carmen spoke to the crowd for a few minutes. She explained the importance of saving raptors and how the Raptor Rehab Center worked. Then she said, “I had some very special helpers this week. I’d like the Aldens to come up here.”

  The children joined Carmen. They waved to the crowd.

  “Now let’s release Pierce.” Carmen took the blanket off Pierce’s carrier. She told the children, “Crouch down in back. We don’t want to spook him when he flies out.”

  They knelt behind the carrier. Carmen reached over to open the door.

  The eagle hopped out of the carrier, flapping his wings. Within a few steps, he was airborne. He swooped into the forest. Everyone cheered as he rose up and down before finally settling in a tall evergreen tree.

  “You’d never see him if you didn’t know where to look,” Henry said.

  “We’ll look more carefully now,” Jessie said.

  Carmen gave each of the children a hug. “I don’t know what I would have done without you this week. You really saved the day.”

  “We like to help,” Violet said.

  Carmen gestured toward a table that had a wide, pink box on it. “I have a special treat to celebrate Pierce’s release. I think Benny will really like it. Go ahead and open the box.”

  Benny ran ahead. He lifted the top off the box. “Cake! And it’s decorated with an eagle.” He grinned. “Pierce is happy and we get cake. This is the best way to celebrate!”

  Read on for a sneak preview of

  The Big Spill Rescue

  the first book of The Boxcar Children® Endangered Animals, an all-new series!

  “I want to touch a shark!” called six-year-old Benny Alden.

  “Shh!” Benny’s sister Jessie put a finger to her lips. “The sign says we should whisper.”

  Benny put his hand to his mouth. Then he whispered, “I want to touch a shark!” just as excitedly, but quieter.

  The Aldens were at the Port Elizabeth Aquarium. In front of them, a shallow tank stretched across the room. Inside, small sharks and stingrays swam lazily among rocks and plants. A sign above read “Touch Tank.” That meant visitors were welcome to reach into the tank through the open top.

  Grandfather put his hand on Benny’s shoulder. “You’ll get a chance, but first we have to learn the rules.”

  “That’s right,” said Isaiah Young. “Listen to Kayla, she’ll explain.”

  Mr. Young was an old friend of Grandfather’s. The Aldens were staying with him while they visited Port Elizabeth. Kayla, his daughter, was their unofficial guide to the aquarium.

  “Thanks, Dad.” Kayla spoke softly. “We whisper so we won’t frighten the animals. You should also move slowly. Put your hand right under the surface of the water. Hold it there with your palm down.”

  The four children followed Kayla’s lead. A stingray swam toward them. As it rose in the water, Violet’s hand stroked across its back. She tried to keep quiet but let out a tiny squeal of joy and excitement. “It’s smooth and slippery,” she said.

  “It didn’t touch me,” Benny said sadly.

  “Be patient,” Grandfather said.

  “Are there other rules?” Jessie asked. She was twelve and liked to make notes about everything she learned. She couldn’t write in her notebook with her hand in the water, but she’d try to remember what she learned for later.

  “Don’t try to grab the animals,” Kayla said. “And don’t try to touch their bellies or tails. Instead, touch their backs.”

  “What happens if you touch a shark’s tail?” Benny asked. “Will it bite?”

  Kayla smiled. “These sharks won’t bite. There are about four hundred species of sharks in the world, and most are small and gentle, like these. You can handle them easily.”

  “We still need to treat them with respect,” Henry said. At fourteen, he was the oldest of the Alden children.

  “That’s right,” Kayla said. “We should treat all animals with respect. Here at the touch tank, the sharks and rays will hide if you scare them. But if you are calm and gentle, they’ll get curious and come out.”

  “I don’t want to scare them,” Benny said. “I want to make friends.”

  Benny held his hand under the water. His body wanted to squirm, but he tried to stay very still. A speckled shark as long as his arm swam toward him. Benny held his breath. The shark nosed at his hand, and Benny got nervous. Then it slid past, letting Benny pet down its back.

  “I touched one!” Benny grinned and clapped his hands together. Water from his wet hand sprayed into his face. He wiped himself off with his shirt sleeve as the other children laughed quietly.

  After a few more minutes at the touch tank, Kayla asked, “Shall we move on?”

  Everyone agreed. They were excited to see the other animals at the aquarium. After the children had washed and dried their hands, Kayla led the way to the next room.

  Violet walked beside her. “We don’t get to touch wild animals very often,” she said. “I’ve been to a petting barn at the zoo, but those animals aren’t wild.” Ten-year-old Violet loved animals. She hoped she’d get a chance to draw some during their visit to Port Elizabeth.