Some had still been at the park when the alert had gone out, but many had raced there from their homes. Chief Hoenekker was there, along with every security guard he could round up. Some of them took statements from Summer and me about what had happened. Others went up on the roof to search for clues. Large Marge simply lurked in the rain forest, pretending to be busy while giving me the stink eye. Then there were the keepers. Vicky Benbow, the shy rhino keeper, had come from Rhonda’s quarters. According to her, Rhonda and all the other rhinos were unharmed; Summer and I had stopped the hunter before she’d had a chance to shoot. All available herpetologists were making sure that none of the reptiles had been hurt, while the crocodile specialist was helping security fish what little remained of the rifle out of the exhibit. And a biologist had examined the sloth; she reported that it was exhausted, but otherwise fine. J.J. McCracken was there too. Once he’d made sure that Summer was all right he had chewed out Hondo for letting her ditch him, and then ordered him to take her home.
