Bess, George, and I volunteered to go to Costa Rica for some R&R: rest and research. See, Corcovado Ecologica, a popular resort and preserve, isn't only a beautiful getaway; it's also a great place to study three species of monkeys. Or so we thought. When we arrived on the scene, we found the place in a shambles, and the monkeys were few and far between. And if the problem gets worse, the resort's going to be in trouble. Clearly my friends and I won't have much time for "monkeying around" on this trip -- we've got a case to crack! Catch my next case: Secret of the Spa Carolyn Keene is the author of the ever-popular Nancy Drew books. The Scarlet Macaw Scandal By Carolyn Keene Aladdin Copyright © 2004 Carolyn Keene All right reserved. ISBN: 9780689868443 1 An Auspicious Beginning As we touched down on a landing strip only slightly larger than our small plane, Bess squeezed my hand. "Nancy Drew!" she said. "I can't believe we're finally here." Her blue eyes were shining and her smile was even brighter than usual. I was just as thrilled, of course. How could I not be? Bess, George, and I were about to spend an entire week in a Costa Rican rain forest. We were part of a team of volunteers, studying tourism's effect on wildlife with three scientists from the University of River Heights. "We're going to have the most amazing week," I said as I pulled my strawberry blond hair up into a ponytail. "Forget about this week," said George. "I'm just thrilled to finally be getting off the plane." As soon as the pilot secured the brakes, George stood up and stretched. "Who knew the trip to Corcovado National Park would take this long?" Dan Margolis, a tall and handsome environmental scientist, must have overheard George because he kindly corrected her mistake. "Oh, we're not quite there yet." George raised her eyebrows. "Don't tell me I have to get on another plane," she cried. "This is already the third one today!" Dan laughed as he shook his head. "No, we only have a taxi ride left." "A taxi ride," George repeated. "That I can deal with. How far is the lodge from here?" "It's about forty miles away," Dan explained. "But since the only way there is on a narrow, dirt road that cuts through the forest, it'll take us at least two hours." "Two hours?" Bess asked. She and George exchanged a tired look. I knew exactly where my friends were coming from. We'd left River Heights many hours ago, and I felt like I'd been traveling for days. Once I stepped off the plane, though, any concern I had about the additional travel time was forgotten. I'd just walked into the middle of paradise! The deep, blue Pacific Ocean flowed gently on my right, and on my left stood a lush, tropical rain forest. Colorful birds flew overhead, and a stunning beach of soft, white sand stretched for miles down the coast. I breathed in the fresh air and basked in the warmth of the bright, buttery yellow sun. Back in River Heights it was the dead of winter, and I was thrilled to have a week-long break from the cold and snow. As the rest of the team stepped off the plane, Bess slipped on a pair of sunglasses. "I didn't know it would be this beautiful!" she exclaimed. Dan pointed to a nearby tree. "Look, everyone," he said. "Someone's watching us." I glanced up and immediately gasped. Staring down at us from the highest branches of one of the tallest trees were four little monkeys. "Those are white-faced capuchins, right?" I asked. "Good guess." Dan smiled at me. "You can tell from their coloring, of course. They're the only monkeys in the rain forest that have such distinctive white faces, necks, and chests, in contrast to their dark brown, furry bodies." "Like a cappuccino," Bess added. "It's got the frothy, white milk on top, and the dark, brown espresso on the bottom." "Exactly," said Dan, slipping on a pair of aviator sunglasses. As I pulled out my binoculars to get a closer look, I realized the monkeys were climbing down to lower branches so they could get a better view of us. I'd never seen anything like it. "I'm surprised they're not afraid of us," George commented. The monkeys' behavior reminded me of a passage in the field guide I'd studied in preparation for our trip. "This is natural. I read that the capuchins are curious," I volunteered, "and they're much more likely to be around people than the other types of monkeys found in Costa Rica. Since squirrel monkeys are so rare, they only exist in really isolated areas. I can't imagine finding one near an airport." I smiled to myself, since the so-called airport consisted of a cement landing strip in the middle of the sand, and nothing else. "That's true, and it's why we aren't going to be studying squirrel monkeys this week," said Dan. "I'm really impressed with your knowledge. But do you know about the other two types of monkeys that are found here?" "Of course," I replied. I'd done a ton of reading about Costa Rican wildlife in the past few weeks. I would have mentioned the o