Read The Clue in the Recycling Bin for Free Online Page A

out!”
    Chad stuck his head into the plastics bin and said something.
    â€œI can’t hear you!” Kayla said.
    Chad pulled his head out. “I said I lost something yesterday and I want to find it.”
    Then Chad seemed to notice the Aldens and Mrs. Wickett.
    â€œWhat are you doing here?” Chad asked Mrs. Wickett.
    â€œHello Chad,” she answered. “I’m here because I live across the street. You haven’t been in to work since the jewel robbery. What happened?”
    â€œI quit,” he said. “I don’t want to work at a place that gets robbed.”
    â€œOh,” said Mrs. Wickett.
    â€œWhat did you do at Jonah’s Jewelry Store?” Henry asked Chad.
    Chad started to answer, then stopped. “I sold jewelry to customers,” he said finally. As Chad answered, he kept looking into the glass bins and moving things around.
    â€œYou’re making me nervous doing that,” Kayla told him. “If you tell me what you lost, I’ll help you find it.”
    â€œI can help, too,” said Benny.
    Chad looked at everybody looking at him. “Uh,” he said, “I lost a pocket watch.”
    â€œWe’ll help you find it,” said Jessie.
    â€œI never saw you with a pocket watch,” said Mrs. Wickett.
    Chad frowned. “I don’t want anybody’s help. Just leave me alone!” He turned back to the bins and kept on searching.
    Mrs. Wickett cleared her throat. “Kayla,” she said, “I owe you an apology. Even though you shouldn’t allow people to leave their trash on the outside of the fence, I shouldn’t have shouted at you. I’m sorry.”
    Kayla seemed to think about the apology. “That’s okay,” she finally replied. “We all have bad days.”
    Mrs. Wickett opened the brown paper bag she had been holding. “I brought some bottled tea as a peace offering,” she said. “Would you like some? It’s cold and refreshing.”
    â€œSure,” said Kayla with a smile. She accepted a bottle of raspberry Doo-Dah Tea.
    Next, Mrs. Wickett offered each of the children a bottle of tea. All of the bottles had red labels.
    Violet and Benny said no, thank you. Henry and Jessie each took a bottle of tea and thanked Mrs. Wickett.
    â€œChad,” said Mrs. Wickett, “I didn’t know you would be here, or I would have brought mint-flavored tea, too. I know it’s your favorite. Would you like a raspberry Doo-Dah Tea?”
    â€œNo, thanks,” said Chad. He stood with his back to the Dumpster for clear glass.
    Henry thought Chad looked as if he was waiting for everybody to leave.
    â€œHey!” said Chad suddenly, pointing at Henry’s key ring. “What’s that?”
    Henry lifted his key ring upward. “It’s my new key ring,” he said. “I bought it from Kayla yesterday.”
    â€œI have more if you’re interested,” Kayla told Chad.
    â€œIs that a diamond inset?” asked Chad. “On a piece of scrap metal?”
    â€œNo,” said Kayla. “It’s not a diamond, it’s glass. And I happen to like jewelry made from scrap metal.”
    â€œLet me see it,” said Chad, holding his hand out to Henry.
    Henry thought Chad had very bad manners. He demanded the key ring instead of asking, and he didn’t even say “please.”
    Henry took the key ring off his belt and handed it to Chad.
    And then, to Henry’s surprise, and perhaps to everybody’s surprise, Chad took a small magnifying glass out of his pocket. Using the magnifying glass, Chad studied the sparkling stone set in the middle of the key ring. Henry knew that jewelers used such magnifying glasses to look at precious stones more closely. Watchmakers used them, too. Henry just couldn’t remember what the small tool was called.
    â€œYep,” said Chad. “It’s glass.” He folded up his tiny magnifying glass and handed