Belly Up

The next day, Teddy’s mother tells him to stay by her side even though she allowed him to explore nature by himself in the Congo. She warns him, “[Animals] rarely try to harm people unless they’ve been provoked—and even on those occasions, they’re not that hard to scare away. But humans are different” (139). Although Teddy understands his mother’s concerns, he believes the best way to protect himself is to find the killer before he strikes again. Teddy spends the morning in his mother’s office, and he creates an opportunity to sneak away by showing her security footage of teenagers antagonizing the gorillas. While she storms off to berate the rude youths, he heads to his meeting with Summer.

Summer’s bodyguards didn’t want her to leave the house, so she bribed a cook to drive her to the park in exchange for some autographs he could sell. She tells Teddy that Henry’s murderer must know a great deal about animals because few people would think of killing a hippo by poking holes in its intestines. A group of paparazzi storm past, and the disguised celebrity bitterly complains about how she can never go anywhere without photographers descending on her. Teddy retorts, “kids [their] age were dying of malaria and malnutrition and half their families had been killed in the war” in the Congo (148), and she appreciates him reminding her of her privilege.

Summer invites Teddy to be her plus one at the exclusive party for Carnivore Canyon’s grand opening the following night. Her father will be there, which makes it a good opportunity to tell him about Henry’s murder. Summer researched Henry’s keepers to see if they might have a motive to kill him. In her investigation, she learned Henry used to be in a circus and bit the clowns. One of the clowns was Charlie Conner, who now works at FunJungle. When Summer called Charlie, he told her that he knew who killed Henry. Teddy worries their meeting with Charlie could be another trap, but Summer isn’t concerned.

Charlie’s job at FunJungle is wearing a Larry the Lizard costume and posing for photographs with guests. He is surprised to learn his meeting is with two children but tells them what he knows about Henry. The hippo attacked him back when he was a clown, and his injury cost him his job at the circus, so he took a job at FunJungle. One day, he overheard Pete Thwacker tell Marge he wanted Henry dead because the hippo had an appalling habit of defecating at guests and she agreed to do the job for the right price. Summer isn’t sure this counts as conclusive proof, but Teddy has a very low opinion of Marge and believes she would do it.

Teddy’s mother is furious at him for sneaking off and confiscates his phone. Summer is also in trouble for ditching her bodyguards again, and Teddy wonders if they’ll be allowed to go to the party at Carnivore Canyon. Teddy tells his mother what he learned from Charlie, and she argues neither Pete nor Marge have the intelligence needed to concoct the plan that killed Henry. Teddy’s mother calls Buck Grassley, who comes to the Fitzroys’ home. He tells the Fitzroys Charlie is “a two-bit thug” who served time in prison for armed robbery before he joined the circus (170). Buck suggests Charlie is a more likely suspect than Pete or Marge.

The head of security knows Summer and Teddy went into Henry’s pool, and Teddy tells him Doc now has the murder weapon. Buck mentions the World of Reptiles security cameras could be turned off inside FunJungle’s administration building, which Teddy’s mother thinks makes it sound like an inside job. Buck replies, “Oh, I don’t think there was ever any doubt of that” (176). After Teddy promises to leave the investigation to Buck, the man leaves. Mrs. Fitzroy worries Buck’s focus on Charlie is misguided when there is a lengthy list of suspects who disliked Henry. Teddy points out J. J. McCracken himself makes that list. She agrees to let Teddy go to the party because he will be safer at the event than alone in their mobile home.