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anything as they rode their bicycles home. There was nothing to say. Mr. Allen hadn’t been able to help after all. They had seen lots of interesting cats, but they were no nearer to finding Spotzie than they’d been when they first started looking.

CHAPTER 8
    A Strange Phone Call
    â€œL ook, Violet! That’s the North Star,” Henry pointed up at the sky.
    The Aldens had just finished dinner and Grandfather Alden had gotten out his book of constellations. The four children were trying to find the constellations and stars he had shown them in the book.
    â€œI see the Big Dipper,” said Henry.
    â€œVery good, Henry,” said Grandfather.
    Just then they heard the sound of the phone ringing through the open back door.
    â€œI’ll get it,” said Henry.
    He raced up the stairs and a moment later, the others heard the phone stop in mid-ring.
    A few minutes later, Henry came back outside.
    â€œWho was it, Henry?” asked Grandfather Alden.
    â€œI don’t know,” said Henry. “I think someone was trying to disguise his — or her — voice.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Jessie asked quickly.
    Henry said, “It was someone calling about Spotzie. The voice was very muffled and hard to hear. He — or she — said that Spotzie is lost and going to stay lost. And if we know what’s good for us, we’ll stop looking for her!”
    Everyone was so surprised that no one said anything at all for a minute. Then Violet said, “Do you think it was the same man who called me? Mr. Jones?”
    â€œThere’s no way of knowing,” said Henry. “I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman calling. But if it was a man, it might be the man you talked to.”
    Suddenly Jessie snapped her fingers excitedly. “But now we have a clue!”
    â€œA clue?” Grandfather looked at Jessie. “What’s the clue?”
    â€œNow we know Spotzie was stolen! Why else would anyone want us to stop looking for her, unless they’d taken her and didn’t want to get caught?” explained Jessie.
    â€œYou’re right!” exclaimed Henry.
    â€œWas it a cat burglar?” asked Benny, looking up at his grandfather. “Was it a cat burglar who took Spotzie?”
    Grandfather Alden patted his youngest grandchild on the head. “It was a cat burglar of sorts, Benny.”
    â€œI think we should visit Professor Madison again,” Jessie said. “I think she knows more than she is telling us.”
    The Aldens all agreed it was a good idea, and decided to go visit Professor Madison the following day.
    The next day when the Aldens arrived at Professor Madison’s, she was even more unfriendly than she had been before.
    â€œHello,” said Henry politely when the professor opened the door.
    This time, Professor Madison didn’t try to close the door in their faces. Instead, she stepped outside onto her porch and shut the front door behind her. She folded her arms in front of her and frowned. “What is it now?” she asked.
    â€œWe’d like to talk to you about Spotzie.” Jessie held up the photograph of Spotzie to remind the professor.
    The professor sighed a big, annoyed sigh. “Are you still looking for that cat? Well, she’s not here. Not now. Not ever!”
    â€œWait a minute,” said Henry. “Remember the last time we were here and we tried to show you a photograph of Spotzie. You said you didn’t have a cat that looked like ours. But you didn’t really look at the photograph!”

    Professor Madison bit her lip. “I saw as much as I needed to see.”
    â€œBut — ” Henry began.
    â€œI’ve told you everything I’m going to tell you,” Professor Madison told them.
    â€œThen there is more,” said Jessie quickly. “You know more and you aren’t telling us!”
    Putting her hand on the door handle behind her, the professor