Violet Alden saw the little hotel first. “Oh, it’s so pretty! Like a sunset!” She was sitting in the front seat with Grandfather.
“You’re right, Violet. The Flamingo Hotel certainly lives up to its name! I’ve never seen such a bright pink!” Grandfather steered the rental car into the driveway.
Six-year-old Benny Alden leaned out a window. “I’m going to climb that tree and get a coconut!” he exclaimed. “It’s a pretty short tree.”
“That’s because it’s a palmetto, not a palm tree,” said Henry, reading from a guidebook.
After the Alden family had landed at the Miami airport, Benny had rushed to the windows to watch planes take off, but Henry had headed for a little bookstand. At fourteen, he was becoming interested in science.
“I bet there are a zillion bugs around here. I’m glad I brought insect spray,” remarked twelve-year-old Jessie.
“This time I didn’t forget my camera!” Violet said. “Florida is a perfect place to take lots of pictures.” Violet was ten. When she wasn’t drawing, she was snapping photos with her camera.
Grandfather pulled into a parking space near the pink-painted railing of the small porch. “Well, here we are,” he said.
“When do we eat?” Benny asked.
Everyone laughed. “We just got here!”
“What happened to the burger and fries you had at the airport?” asked Grandfather.
“That was a long time ago,” Benny said.
“Yeah!” said Henry. “Like about thirty minutes ago.” With Jessie’s help, he began dragging luggage from the trunk.
“It seems hard to believe we’re still in the United States,” Jessie commented. “I mean, we left Connecticut this morning and now we’re in Miami and it doesn’t look anything like home!”
“I know what you mean,” Violet agreed. “Our lawn in Greenfield was smooth and green and Mrs. McGregor’s roses were just blooming. But here it’s like a jungle.”
“Wait’ll we see the Everglades,” Henry added.
“I want to see lots of alligators,” put in Benny. “I wished on a star last night.”
“I hope we see Andrew Beldon,” said Grandfather. “That’s the purpose of this trip, after all.”
Just yesterday James Alden had received a phone call from a business friend. Thomas Beldon was concerned about his youngest son, Andrew.
Andrew Beldon was a wildlife ranger in the Everglades National Park in south Florida. Andrew always called his father once a week. But sometimes he got too involved in something and forgot to call. It had been over two weeks since Mr. Beldon had heard from Andrew, and he was too ill to take a trip to Florida. Grandfather had decided that this was a perfect time to visit the Everglades. He could take a vacation with his grandchildren and check on Andrew. He had known Andrew Beldon since Andrew was a boy Benny’s age. It wasn’t like Andrew to cause his ill father needless worry.
So the Aldens packed and flew to Florida.
“It seems like we’re always on the go,” Jessie remarked as they carried their luggage up the cement porch steps.
“Maybe it’s because we once lived in a boxcar,” Henry said thoughtfully. “Even though the boxcar didn’t go anywhere, we’ve gone lots of places since Grandfather found us.”
After the children’s parents died, they had no home. Afraid of the grandfather they had never met, the children lived in an old boxcar in the woods. When James Alden found his grandchildren, he was overjoyed to have a brand-new family.
“But the boxcar did go someplace,” Benny pointed out.
“That’s right,” said Violet. “Grandfather had our old boxcar brought to his backyard so we can play in it.”
The screen door opened and a small dark-haired woman held it open for them, smiling. “You must be the Aldens. I’m Mrs. Ethel Johnson. Welcome to the Sunshine State!”
They all filed into the cool hallway and set the luggage down.
Grandfather went over to the small registration desk to sign in and chat with Mrs. Johnson.
After being in the bright sun, the children blinked at the dim interior.
From the darkness came a sudden loud cry. “Hello!”
Violet was so startled, she nearly dropped her tote bag. “What . . . ?”
Ethel Johnson waved a hand. “Oh, pay no attention to Mollie. She just wants to be noticed.”
As their eyes adjusted to the dim light, the kids realized the screamer was a red parrot on a tall perch.
“Wow!” Benny cried. “What a big beak she has! I bet she eats a lot!”
“Only nuts and seeds,” said Ethel. “And animal crackers.”
“Does she say different things?” Jessie asked. She thought the bird was beautiful.
“When she’s in the mood,” Mrs. Johnson replied. “Now I’ll take you to your rooms. This is a little hotel. I hope you don’t mind sharing two baths.”
“Not at all,” said Grandfather. “Your place is charming.”
“How nice of you to say so,” Mrs. Johnson said, leading them down a long hall. “There are five rooms. I’ve put you in three, all in the back, so you can see the sunrise. The girls are in here and the boys are next door. Mr. Alden is across the hall. Right now, you are my only guests.”
“Thank you,” Grandfather said.
“If you need anything, just give a yell,” shouted Mrs. Johnson on her way back down the hall.
As soon as the woman was down the stairs, Jessie began giggling.
“What’s so funny?” Henry asked.
“No wonder the parrot is so loud,” Jessie said between giggles. “He learned to yell from Mrs. Johnson.”
They all went into their rooms to unpack. The rooms were cheerfully decorated with prints of the Florida Everglades.
“It looks like a swamp,” said Benny, staring at the picture over his bed.
“It isn’t, really,” Henry told him. “It’s more like a river, with this long grass growing in it. You’ll see. We’ll go there tomorrow.”
“I wish we could go today,” Benny said. “I want to see an alligator.”
Just then Grandfather passed their door. “There you all are. I want to make some calls to Andrew and the visitors’ center where he works before the Everglades Park closes.”
“What about dinner?” Benny said, alligators suddenly forgotten.
“We’ll eat in a while, after I make the calls,” Grandfather told him. “Why don’t you kids go for a walk? It’s been a long trip, first on the plane, then driving out from the city. You could use the exercise.”
“Great idea,” said Violet. “Let’s take a look at our neighborhood.”
The sun was just beginning to slide over the stately royal palms that lined the street. The air smelled sweet from flowers.
“I’d love to live here,” said Jessie, picking a trumpet-shaped blossom and tucking it behind one ear. “It would be like summer all the time.”
“But wouldn’t you miss the leaves falling?” said Violet.
“And snow?” Henry put in.
“And Watch? And Mrs. McGregor?” Benny added.
Jessie laughed. “All right! All right! I’m not moving to Florida!”
They strolled down the block. The houses were similar in style to the Flamingo Hotel. A few had signs out front advertising rooms for rent. At the end of the street was another small hotel called simply Seashells.
A man sat on the porch swing, reading a newspaper.
Violet noticed he had bushy brownish hair. He needed a haircut.
As if he read her mind, the man slowly lowered the newspaper. He stared at the Aldens.
“Hello,” Violet said shyly.
“Nice evening, isn’t it?” Henry added pleasantly.
“Hrmmpf,” was all the man said, and went back to his newspaper.
“I wonder what’s wrong with him?” Jessie whispered as they turned around and went back to their own hotel.
“Maybe he hasn’t had his dinner yet,” Benny said.
“I got the hint, Benny,” said Henry. “Race you back!”
The kids were red-faced and sweaty when they reached the pink-painted porch.
Grandfather was waiting for them.
“Are we going to dinner now?” Benny asked hopefully. “I wish I could have fried shrimp.”
“Yes, Benny” Grandfather said. “We’re going to dinner and you may have fried shrimp.”
Grandfather looked tired, Jessie thought. And worried. “What is it?” she asked.
“I called the visitors’ center where Andrew Beldon works,” James Alden said. “They haven’t heard from him, either. And there was no answer at Andrew’s house.”
“You mean he hasn’t gone to work?” Henry asked.
Grandfather shook his head. “He hasn’t called in sick or taken a leave of absence.”
Jessie drew in a breath. “It’s like he’s disappeared!”
What had happened to Ranger Beldon? |