The Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase

by Wendy Mass

  As he turned off the light, he felt a little silly for letting the chickens (and Henry!) scare him off. But as he drifted to sleep with the smells of the new candy he’d collected mixing with the old chocolate odor from his suitcase, Logan knew he wouldn’t need the puzzle to remind him of his grandfather anyway. Almost everything he knew about candy he’d learned from Samuel Sweet. That knowledge lived inside him. He would take it everywhere he went, and it wouldn’t even need to fit in a suitcase.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Tuesday

  Logan could hardly contain himself. He shifted his weight from side to side and had to concentrate on keeping his feet on the floor and not jumping up and down. He and his parents stood by Miles and his parents, who stood next to Philip, who had worn a tie for the occasion. Only a handful of others would be the first to see the Harmonicandy come down the belt. The head candymakers from each room were there, including Fran, from the Taffy Room; Avery, from the Tropical Room; Paulo, from the Bee Room; and of course Steve and Lenny. Sabrina, the head of advertising, and three other “suits” from the sales and marketing teams ran in just as Max pressed the button to start the machine. He’d offered to let Philip do the job, but Philip had declined. The gears began to move, and a cheer went up from the small crowd.

  Outside, hundreds of employees and guests were waiting on the great lawn for the Kickoff to officially begin. The crowd included the judges from the candymaking contest, who always got to celebrate the newest winner. They would also be presenting Philip with his winning plaque, just like the ones in the front lobby of the factory. The Candymaker had bought everyone plastic harmonicas to practice with, so the crowd was no doubt keeping busy while they waited.

  “Here they come!” Miles shouted. He pointed as the first tray of naked Harmonicandies slid under the enrober and chocolate cascaded down upon them. He really didn’t need to point, as all eyes had been glued on that first tray. A dozen more trays followed right behind it. They’d all be wheeled outside so everyone could try them together.

  Amid his joy, Logan felt a pang of sadness that Daisy couldn’t be there. She loved the enrober even more than he did, and he loved it a lot. They’d all tried to reach her, and no one had heard back. He couldn’t imagine wanting to be anywhere other than where he stood right then. But if he were the world’s best teenage spy, maybe he wouldn’t want to leave his supersecret assignment to watch a candy bar being made. Daisy was probably on the other side of the world, rescuing a kidnapped princess or recovering a priceless work of art.

  The trays moved past them toward the cooling tunnel, where it would take five minutes for the Harmonicandies to solidify. When the real ones were ready to be packaged for sale in a few weeks, the tray would have a longer journey. After cooling, it would flip over, gently releasing the Harmonicandies onto the belt and funneling them, one at a time, into the wrapping machines. At the end of the line, they would drop into a specially made box that would cushion each one so the inner workings of the harmonica wouldn’t get crushed.

  Each person cheered as the first tray passed in front of them. Philip just wiped away a tear. He didn’t even try to hide it. Logan was at the end of the line. When the tray reached him, he cheered like the rest of them. How would they wait until all these had cooled before they tasted one?

  The Candymaker’s walkie-talkie buzzed, and he stepped away from the group to answer it. The rest of the group watched the clock, counting down the seconds. But when the Candymaker returned, his eyebrows were scrunched together. Everyone stopped talking and gathered around him.

  “What is it?” Logan’s mother asked. “Is everything okay?”

  The Candymaker paused. “I hope so. Big Billy from Mmm Mmm Good is here.”

  “So?” Mrs. Sweet said. “You invited lots of other candymakers, right?”

  He nodded. “Yes, but he just told the crowd he had an announcement to make after the unveiling of the Harmonicandy.”

  “You don’t think he changed his mind about letting us produce some of his candy, do you?”

  Mr. Sweet shook his head. “I hope not. It’s his choice, of course. Maybe he thinks we’ll be too busy with the Harmonicandy to give his the time they deserve.”

  “Come now, Richard,” Henry said, stepping forward. “Nothing’s wrong till something’s wrong, right? This is a day of celebration. We’ll worry about Big Billy if he gives us something to worry about.”

  “You are wise beyond your years,” the Candymaker said, putting his hand on Henry’s shoulder.

  “There ain’t much left beyond my years!” Henry joked.

  Logan relaxed. His dad and Henry had been having that exchange for as long as Henry had been handing out advice. Which was as long as Logan could remember.

  “The first batch is done!” Max announced, transferring the now-cooled tray to the bottom shelf of the cart. “You can all go join the party, and I’ll wheel these out as soon as the rest are cooled off.”

  Logan, Miles, and Philip lagged behind as the others filed out. “I’d like to stay,” Philip said.

  “I bet your family’s anxious to see you,” Max said.

  “They’re not here.” Philip said it like he didn’t care, but Logan wondered whether he really did. It seemed as though Philip was very used to his dad’s not coming to things.

  “I’m here,” a man’s voice said from behind them.

  They turned around to find Reggie heading into the room. Logan had begun to suspect that Reggie meant more to Philip than just someone who worked for his father.

  “What are you doing here?” Philip asked, two red patches appearing on his cheeks. “I said you didn’t need to come.”

  Logan cringed to hear Philip talk to Reggie that way.

  Reggie held up Philip’s violin case. “You left this in the car.”

  Philip looked surprised. He mumbled thanks, took a quick peek inside like he was making sure his violin was still in there, and stuck the case in a cabinet.

  Max’s assistants had been busy pulling the finished trays off the belt, and the carts were now full. “We’re ready to introduce the Harmonicandy to the world,” Max said. “Boys, a little help?” Logan and Miles each grabbed a cart and lined up behind Max. Philip got behind the last one, giving Reggie one more wary glance.

  The bright sunshine was a stark contrast to the last time Logan had stood in that spot outside the back door, only ten hours before. The shooting stars seemed almost like a dream. Now balloons and banners hung from trees, boxes of chocolate pizza sat piled high on picnic tables, and colorful beach balls flew through the air, chased by laughing kids. It was a beautiful sight, and Logan’s heart swelled.

  The crowd welcomed him and Miles and Philip with cheers and chants of “Harmonicandy! Harmonicandy!” They had the honor of handing out a Harmonicandy to each person lined up in front of their cart. If some of the people Logan handed them to looked a few seconds too long at his hand or arm or face (which some definitely did), he refused to let it bother him. He thought again that it wasn’t fair that Daisy had to miss this, even if she was out saving the world somewhere. Philip caught his eye and smiled at him. A real, genuine smile, which was rare for him. Logan smiled back extra wide.

  When everyone had a Harmonicandy clutched (but not too hard!) in his or her hand, the Candymaker stood at the podium to make a speech. He gestured for Philip to join him, then spoke about having dreams, about the joy of teamwork and of believing in oneself. Logan knew people were still giving him sideways glances and whispering that he was probably wishing he were standing up there instead of Philip. But he wasn’t. He was too excited about taking the first bite of the Harmonicandy before it melted.

  It had been four months since he’d last tasted one, and that was four months too long. He knew back then that they’d created something special, and it wasn’t only that the candy bar played music. Somehow the ingredients had combined to taste so much better than the sum of their parts. He’d always regretted that they hadn’t made any extra c
andy, but they were lucky they’d even had enough for the contest judges.

  The Candymaker handed Philip the microphone. Philip, who was normally anything but shy, seemed at a loss for words as he stared out at the crowd. Finally he raised the microphone and said, “Thank you, everyone, for your support. It’s a great honor that wouldn’t have been possible without my friends Logan Sweet, Miles O’Leary, and Daisy Carpenter and all the other wonderful candymakers at Life Is Sweet.”

  Logan and Miles gave a wave to the crowd as everyone clapped. Then Philip added, “Now let’s see what this thing can do!” He quickly moved the Harmonicandy up to his lips. Everyone else did the same. He blew into it and moved his fingers over the tiny holes. The notes flew through the air. The crowd immediately joined in! It wasn’t as easy for them, without having practiced, but soon the great lawn was filled with music. A really bad, not-harmonious-in-any-way type of music, but it was music. Out of a candy bar.

  Logan couldn’t wait even one more second. He took a bite, chewed, swallowed, and took another. His heart began to pound. Sweat broke out on his forehead. His hands shook as he took the final bite.

  Around him people of all ages cheered and called for more. Logan scanned the crowd for Randall, locating him leaning against a tree, munching away happily. His parents, Max, Philip, Miles, the three judges from the contest—everyone he saw was smiling and laughing as they ate the bars.

  And then his eyes landed on Henry. There must have been fifty people standing between them, but Henry’s unusually pale face wore an expression Logan had never seen before. His thick glasses magnified the sadness and worry in his eyes, along with something else Logan couldn’t quite identify. It was almost like Henry was looking at something the rest of them couldn’t see. This only confirmed what Logan was thinking. There was no denying it—the candy bar was delicious. The dark chocolate took the edge off the milk chocolate base, the caramel was sweet yet salty, the cookie had just the right crispiness, and the vanilla complemented the marshmallow perfectly. No doubt they had a winner on their hands.

  But Logan knew, and clearly Henry knew, that this was not the Harmonicandy. This was not the candy bar that had won the Confectionary Association’s annual New Candy Contest and had indirectly saved Life Is Sweet from being taken over by Philip’s father.

  Something was very wrong.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Logan tried to make his way through the crowd toward his father and Max without passing out from panic. He only half registered that Big Billy had taken the stage and had just announced he was giving Life Is Sweet four of Mmm Mmm Good’s most popular candies—more than he was giving any other factory—and that a bunch of his employees were now tossing samples of those candies into the cheering crowd.

  What did hold Logan’s attention was when Billy said that his trucks would be arriving the next day. The next day! Not in two weeks, as planned. He was taking his whole staff on a surprise vacation to thank them for their years of service and loyalty, and that bumped up the delivery date.

  Logan reached his dad at the podium just as the Candymaker leaned over to shake Big Billy’s hand. “Your faith in Life Is Sweet has not been misplaced. We will do you proud.”

  “I know you will, Richard,” the old man said, leaning on his cane. “And you’ve got another winner on your hands.”

  The Candymaker smiled. “The Harmonicandy is certainly delicious.”

  “It is,” Big Billy agreed. “But I meant him.” He nudged the Candymaker and pointed to Logan. Then he went to join the throng of well-wishers.

  “Dad!” Logan cried out, too focused on getting his dad’s attention to be flattered or embarrassed by Big Billy’s kind words. “I have to tell you something!”

  But before he could start, his father said, “Logan, I’m so sorry. I don’t see how we can go on the publicity tour now. There’s just no way, with those trucks coming tomorrow. Your mother and I need to be here to figure out how we’re going to get the new candies into production while fulfilling all the initial Harmonicandy orders.”

  Logan was stunned. They were supposed to leave in two hours! Their bags were sitting in the front hall by the door. Three crates of Harmonicandies had just been picked up for overnight delivery to the stores!

  “I hope you understand,” his father continued. “I’d still send you boys without us, but you’d need a chaperone, obviously, and we can’t spare anyone now. We’ll reschedule the trip when things settle down, okay?”

  At least he wasn’t saying the tour would never happen. But how could it happen without a Harmonicandy to sell? Logan had to tell his dad.

  “The Harmonicandy isn’t right,” Logan blurted out, nearly shouting over the music and laughter.

  “What?” his father said. “The Harmonicandy isn’t ripe?”

  Logan shook his head. “Right. Isn’t right.”

  “It’s too noisy here,” his dad said. “We’ll catch each other back inside. I’m sorry again about the trip. I know you’re disappointed.” He gave Logan a squeeze, then let himself get drawn into the crowd, all eager to speak with the famous Candymaker.

  Frustrated, Logan blew out a stream of air. He turned to look for Max and Randall. Randall stood taller than almost everyone in the crowd, and Max’s bald head was easy to spot. But they were also surrounded by visitors and happily answering questions. And when it came down to it, even though Randall had the best sense of taste in the factory, he hadn’t tried the original Harmonicandy, so he wouldn’t notice the difference. Max had tasted it while Philip was working on the recipe, but Max’s skills were different from Randall’s and Logan’s. Max was an expert on measurements and temperature and the actual science behind combining ingredients. Logan would have been surprised if he had noticed any difference between the taste of the Harmonicandy now and the way it had tasted four months ago, when he’d only had a small sample.

  Logan gave up and went in search of Henry. Before he got far, Philip and Miles pulled away from the group and ran up to him. They’d been laughing and grinning until they saw his face. Their smiles faded fast. “What’s wrong?” Miles asked. “You look all panicky.”

  Logan gave one more glance around for Henry, who had apparently disappeared into thin air, and then led his friends around the side of the barn, where they’d have privacy. He took a deep breath and in a rush of words said, “Remember how the rules of the contest clearly state that the ingredients of the winning candy have to be identical to what was submitted? And that’s why the I Scream was eliminated?”

  Miles and Philip nodded.

  “Well, the rules also say that the ingredients have to be ones that any of the chocolate factories can easily find in large supply—nothing too rare or expensive. I mean, the point of the contest is to make a candy that can be sold, after all. Normally this isn’t a problem—many candies use the same ingredients. It’s all about the preparation, the combination, how much you use of each one, that sort of thing. No one even focuses on that part of the rules because it’s so obvious.”

  “Okay,” Philip said, “so what’s the problem?”

  “The Harmonicandy is the problem,” Logan said, his heart sinking as he said it. “It’s not the same as the one that won the contest.”

  Miles and Philip stared at him. “What do you mean it’s not the same?” Philip demanded. “Max had the same list of ingredients. It looks the same, it sounds the same, and as far as I can tell, it tastes the same. Right, Miles?”

  Miles nodded. “No one else seems to notice anything wrong. Even the judges loved it. They’re over there now, congratulating Max. But…” He glanced at Philip apologetically. “If Logan says something’s wrong, then something’s wrong.”

  Philip crossed his arms. “Well, even if he’s right, it’s too late to do anything about it.”

  “You’re missing the point,” Logan insisted. “If Max and his staff followed the directions we gave them—and I know they did—but it still tastes different, that means we left something off o
ur ingredient list when we submitted it.”

  Philip shook his head. “Not possible. We knew exactly what we put in there. Bottom line—production starts in two weeks. The Harmonicandy tastes great, and people are excited for it, and the stores have preordered hundreds of cartons. End of story.”

  Miles, who had gone a bit pale, turned to Philip. “Of course you’d still want to make it, even though Logan’s telling you something’s wrong. You’d lose all that money otherwise. I heard you talking with Reggie about the profits you’ll make on each bar.”

  Philip glared at Miles. “That’s not fair. What I do with my portion of the profits is none of your business. It has nothing to do with that.”

  Logan took each of them by the arm. “C’mon, we can’t fight. We have to figure this out together. I don’t want to stop production any more than you do—trust me.”

  Miles looked down. “Sorry,” he grumbled in Philip’s general direction.

  “Whatever,” Philip muttered back.

  “And it’s not true that no one else noticed a difference,” Logan said. “Henry did. I could tell from his face that he knew it.”

  “Let’s go find him, then,” Miles said. “I’m sure he has an explanation.”

  They ran all over the great lawn checking out any men with wild white hair (which were more plentiful than one might expect). When they couldn’t find him anywhere, they went down to Henry’s favorite bench by the pond. A family of four was sitting on the bench and taking pictures. A few scattered playing cards littered the ground, no doubt remnants of a game abandoned when the excitement started. Henry wasn’t on any of the other benches. Logan couldn’t shake the feeling that he was hiding. But why would he do that?

  Once the family recognized Philip, they wanted to take pictures with him. Philip posed stiffly, but at least he wasn’t frowning. More and more people wanted pictures, and as the minutes passed, Logan grew more and more anxious. He told Philip that he and Miles would go look inside for Henry and would meet him back there.