Read The Clue in the Recycling Bin for Free Online

were opposite the Other Stuff bin that had been tipped over yesterday.
    â€œI think we can draw some conclusions,” said Jessie. “First, these footprints were made by a different person. They don’t match the first set.”
    â€œMaybe,” said Henry. “Or maybe they were made by the same person, but the person was wearing different shoes,” saidHenry. “There’s one way to find out.”
    Henry pulled the small tape measure out of his pocket again. It took him a while to find a whole footprint. When he did, he measured it. “These footprints are only nine-and-a-half inches long,” he said. “They were made by a different person.”
    Jessie wrote the information on another page of her notebook. “There’s something very different about these footprints,” she said. “Instead of being far apart like the other set, these ones are close together.”
    â€œThey’re all on top of one another,” Benny reminded her. “See,” he said, pointing to where one heel mark was pressed deeply into another toe mark.
    Henry stood and examined the top of the chain-link fence. It still had the same damage he had seen the first day. “The fence is bent inward here,” he said.
    â€œSo somebody climbed the fence here,” said Jessie.
    â€œAnd whoever it was kept slipping off,” Violet said. “Whoever it was kept fallingback to the ground onto his own footprints!”
    â€œOr her own footprints,” said Jessie.
    Jessie drew the tread mark of a toe and of a heel. Everybody looked at her drawing and back at the fence.
    â€œYou know what this means,” Jessie said.
    Henry nodded. “It means we have two different people breaking into the recycling center.”
    â€œOne wears a shoe that’s eleven inches long,” said Jessie. “And the other wears a shoe that’s nine-and-a-half inches long.”
    â€œAre the two people working together?” asked Benny.
    â€œI don’t think so,” said Henry. “And I think each of them is breaking into the recycling center for a different reason.”
    â€œTwo people, two reasons,” said Jessie. “That makes sense to me.”
    The children talked about their discovery as they walked around the last side of the recycling center. When they turned the final corner, they saw Mrs. Wickett leaning over one of the boxes people had left outsidethe center. She was wearing her bright red rubber boots.
    â€œWe’re about to take all those bags and boxes inside,” Henry told her.
    Benny walked up to the box Mrs. Wickett had been bending over. A bottle of raspberry Doo-Dah Tea lay on top of the box. Benny thought that Mrs. Wickett must have put it there.
    Mrs. Wickett didn’t say anything. She just stood there holding a brown paper bag.
    â€œIs something wrong?” Violet asked her.
    Mrs. Wickett let out a long sigh. “Yes,” she said at last, “something is wrong.”
    The children waited. “What is it?” Violet asked at last.
    Mrs. Wickett looked at the children. “I behaved badly yesterday morning. Violet and Henry, I’m sorry that I was rude to you. Will you accept my apology?”
    Violet and Henry said yes.
    â€œI was rude to Kayla, too,” said Mrs. Wickett, staring into the recycling center.
    When it looked as if Mrs. Wickett mightstand there forever, Jessie spoke. “You would probably feel better if you apologized to Kayla,” she said.
    â€œWill you go in with me?” Mrs. Wickett asked them.
    The Aldens walked into the recycling center with Mrs. Wickett. As soon as they entered, they heard Kayla shouting.
    The four children and Mrs. Wickett walked toward the main recycling bins. There was Chad, pulling plastics and glass out of the bins and throwing them on the ground again.
    â€œStop! Stop!” Kayla shouted at Chad. “You’re supposed to put things into the bins, not take them