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leather work boots. His clothes were covered sawdust. The children could tell that the man was a carpenter. He looked at them with a friendly but puzzled expression.
    Grandfather stepped forward and shook the man’s hand and introduced the children.
    â€œI’m sorry, sir,” Jessie said, “we didn’t mean to snoop.”
    â€œWe were looking for some musical instruments,” Violet added.
    The carpenter smiled. “Ah, well, I used to play a harmonica pretty well when I was your age, but that’s about it.”
    â€œNo, sir, we were looking for some stolen instruments,” Henry replied. He and the other children explained everything that had happened so far.
    â€œAnd the thief was driving a van exactly like this one,” said Jessie. “Just our luck that there are two of them.”
    â€œOh, there are many vans like this around here,” the carpenter said. “It’s a rental.”
    â€œA rental?” Benny asked. “What’s that?”
    â€œIt means I’m borrowing it,” the carpenter replied. “My own van is being fixed right now, so I’m renting this one from a place called Drive-It-Yourself. They have lots of vans just like this.”
    Jessie’s eyes widened. “The thief must have rented a van from the same place!”
    The others were nodding. They all thought the same thing.

CHAPTER 8
Mr. Fred Parker of Greenfield
    The next morning was bright and beautiful, perfect for the Greenfield Music Festival. As Grandfather drove past the fairgrounds, the Aldens could see the crowds beginning to gather. They spotted a truck from the television station in the parking lot. Even from the back seat of the car, the children could sense the excitement in the air at the Greenfield Music Festival.
    â€œWe’ll be there soon,” Jessie reminded the others.
    â€œBut first we have to go to the van rental place to help the police, right?” asked Benny.
    â€œRight,” said Grandfather. “I called my good friend Officer Weiss last night, and he’s meeting us there. He thinks you’ve discovered an important clue about the thief’s van. Now the next step is to find out more about the person who rented the van.”
    â€œWho just might be the same man we talked to at the festival yesterday morning,” Henry added. “And maybe someone who works at the Drive-It-Yourself counter will remember him, too.”
    The Drive-It-Yourself Car Rental Agency was a tiny place on a quiet road. The parking lot was filled with cars, trucks, and vans—and they were all white with blue stripes.
    The children went inside. The office was brightly lit and very neat. And, just like the cars and trucks outside, the walls had been painted white, with a large blue stripe. It ran around the entire room.
    Grandfather waved to Officer Weiss, who was standing at the front counter. He was speaking to a woman there. The gold name tag on her shirt said that her name was Barbara. She looked up and smiled at the children.
    â€œDon’t tell me one of you wants to rent a truck!” she said, chuckling.
    The children laughed. “No, ma’am,” Henry replied. “We’re trying to catch the person who stole the Greenfield Four’s instruments.”
    â€œOh, yes. Officer Weiss just told me what happened. How awful,” she said. “And I certainly do remember renting a van to a man with a beard and a black beret.”
    â€œDo you remember anything else about him?” Jessie asked.
    â€œLet’s see … I remember that he seemed very nice,” Barbara said. “I also remember that he was having trouble with his eyes.”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” Henry asked.
    â€œHe kept blinking and rubbing them,” Barbara told him. “When I asked if he was okay, he said it was just allergies. But he took his glasses off before filling out the rental form, which I thought was strange. Most people