The Mystery at the Crooked House

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  Zooming down the hill, they all shouted and squealed as the snow sprayed back into their faces. About halfway down, the toboggan went off course. Before they knew what was happening, they were heading straight for a tree!

  “Look out!” cried Clarissa.

  But it was too late. Everybody tumbled into the snow when the toboggan collided into the tree with a great thunk!

  “Is everyone okay?” asked Henry, shaking the snow from his hat.

  For a moment, they were all laughing too hard to speak. Finally, Benny held up an icicle. “Look! We knocked out the tree’s tooth.”

  Everyone laughed at Benny’s joke. Then Violet began to stare wide-eyed at the tree.

  “What’s the matter?” Jessie asked her in alarm.

  Scrambling to her feet, Violet rushed over and snapped another icicle from a branch. “It really does look like a tooth,” she said. “A dragon’s tooth!”

  When Violet started to recite the riddle aloud, the other Aldens chimed in. By now, they knew it by heart. When they were finished, Benny cried out, “Wait a minute! A tree loses its teeth when the icicles melt!”

  Jessie’s eyes were sparkling. “And it gets new teeth when the winter comes around again. Just not the kind of teeth that bite.”

  “Of course!” agreed Henry. “A tree does have bark, so its—”

  “Bark is worse than its bite!” finished Violet. “The answer to the riddle is a tree!”

  The Aldens let out a cheer. Putting together clues was always fun.

  “I’m glad you found the answer to the riddle,” Clarissa told them as they headed home. “Even if it did take longer than just a second!”

  Jessie looked confused. How did Clarissa know about the P.S. at the end of the Mystery Lady’s note?

  When they were back at the Crooked House, they waved good-bye to Clarissa. As soon as she was out of earshot, Jessie said, “Nobody told Clarissa that it was supposed to take a second to find the treasure. How did she know?”

  “Maybe Madeline told her about it,” suggested Henry.

  “I doubt it,” said Jessie as they went around to the back of the house. “Madeline doesn’t even believe there is a treasure.”

  Violet thought about this. “Clarissa might have overheard us talking yesterday. Don’t forget, she was standing right behind us when we were taking a break from playing hockey.”

  “I guess that’s possible,” admitted Jessie. But she wasn’t so sure.

  Henry put the toboggan away in the shed, then fastened the lock on the door. “Well, at least we found the answer to the riddle!”

  Benny seemed worried. “But we still don’t know where the treasure is hidden. Do we?”

  “I think I know where to look!” Violet said, her voice excited.

  When their boots were lined up neatly by the door and their knitted hats were all hanging on the hat tree, the Aldens raced up the crooked stairs behind Violet. Dashing into the room with the cornflower-blue wallpaper, Violet pointed to the Mystery Lady’s painting on the wall.

  Everybody stared at it for a moment. Then Jessie said thoughtfully, “There are icicles on the trees in that picture. But I doubt the painting’s worth very much, Violet. Mrs. McGregor told us that the Mystery Lady was just a beginner.”

  “That’s true,” said Violet. “But what if there’s something hidden in the back of the frame?”

  That was possible. They decided to check. Henry lifted the painting down from the wall. And sure enough, Violet was right! They found a note just under the backing.

  “It’s another riddle,” Henry told them. Then he snapped his fingers. “That’s what the Mystery Lady meant! She wasn’t talking about time when she said it would take a second to find the treasure.”

  “I don’t get it,” responded Benny.

  “I think I do,” said Jessie. “She meant it would take a second riddle!”

  Henry nodded.

  “Well, what does it say, Henry?” Benny asked.

  Henry read the riddle out loud:

  “‘Look around and you will see,

  A thing that hangs upon a tree;

  If you’re partial to the shade,

  Just keep this thing with you all day!

  What is it?’”

  “What does partial mean?” asked Benny.

  “It means, if you prefer the shade to the sun,” explained Violet.

  Jessie sighed. “The second riddle is certainly a mystery, too!”

  “I just hope it’s a mystery we can solve,” replied Henry.

  CHAPTER 8

  A List of Suspects

  After hanging the Mystery Lady’s painting on the wall again, the children hurried downstairs to prepare their dinner of sweet-and-sour meatballs, mashed potatoes, green beans, and fruit salad. The Aldens were on their own tonight. Mrs. McGregor and Madeline were dining with an old friend, and Nola wouldn’t be back from town until later. Jessie carefully read the recipe that Madeline had left for them, so she could help instruct her brothers and sister with the meal.

  While they worked in the kitchen, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny discussed the second riddle.

  Benny was shaping the meat into little balls. “I bet the answer is an umbrella!” he said.

  “That’s a good guess, Benny,” said Jessie, stirring the sweet-and-sour sauce at the stove. “An umbrella does give shade, but—”

  “It doesn’t hang on a tree,” finished Benny with a sigh. Then his face suddenly brightened. “A possum hangs upside down from a tree!”

  “That’s true,” said Violet, chopping bananas and apples for their fruit salad. “But possums aren’t known for their shade.”

  That didn’t stop Benny. “How about a possum holding an umbrella?”

  The others burst out laughing. Henry gave Benny a little pat on the back. “Keep trying, Benny!” he said. Then he went over to the stove and dropped the peeled potatoes into a pot of water.

  While they were waiting for the meatballs to bake and the potatoes to boil, the Aldens sat around the kitchen table. Jessie read a chapter of The Alphabet Mystery aloud while Benny helped Violet and Henry string cranberries and popcorn for the birds.

  When Jessie had finished a chapter, she went to check on the meatballs. The sauce was bubbling nicely. She poked a fork into the potatoes. They were ready for mashing.

  Violet laughed as she gathered up the cranberry and popcorn strings. “Oh, Benny! I think you ate more popcorn than you put on the string!”

  The youngest Alden couldn’t help grinning. “Figuring out riddles makes me hungry.”

  While Henry mashed the potatoes, Jessie kept an eye on the green beans while they steamed. Violet and Benny set the table.

  Benny took a break for a moment to take a look at the famous author’s inscription in The Alphabet Mystery: “To Margaret, All Best Wishes from Amelia Quigley Adams.”

  “I can tell that Amelia Quigley Adams had a good imagination!” he said at last. “Just like the Mystery Lady.”

  “How can you tell that, Benny?” asked Jessie, dishing up the meatballs.

  “Because of her handwriting,” Benny pointed out. “See all her high loops?”

  Jessie set the meatballs on the table, then she went over to take a closer look. A frown crossed her face. “How odd! The fs are crossed the same way, too. Why, it looks exactly like the Mystery Lady’s handwriting.”

  Violet was pouring milk into the glasses. “Are you sure?” she gasped.

  “I can’t be certain,” admitted Jessie. “But I think so.”

  “Maybe we should compare the two,” suggested Henry.

  Jessie nodded. “That’s a good idea.”

  Benny sat down quickly at the table. “Not until we are done eating! We don’t want our food to get cold. Do we?”

  Henry laughed. “Don’t worry, Benny. We’re hungry, too!”

  “Didn’t Mrs. McGregor take the shoe box back up to the attic?” Violet asked as she passed the green beans.

  Jessie nodded. “
I’m sure she won’t mind if we go up for a minute.”

  During dinner Benny was unusually quiet. Violet could tell something was troubling him. “What’s wrong, Benny?” she asked as she served the fruit salad for dessert.

  A frown crossed Benny’s round face. “I think Madeline is right. I don’t think there is a treasure!”

  “Why do you say that, Benny?” Henry wanted to know.

  “The Mystery Lady fooled Mrs. McGregor,” replied Benny. “She signed the book herself. Then she pretended the famous author signed it. That was a mean trick to play on Mrs. McGregor.”

  “Yes, it was,” agreed Violet.

  Nobody said much for a while. As they cleared the table, Henry remarked, “I guess the Mystery Lady could have fooled Mrs. McGregor about the treasure, too.”

  “We can’t be certain the handwriting is the same,” Jessie reminded them. “Not until we compare the two.”

  As soon as the dishes were done, Henry took one of the flashlights that hung by the kitchen door. Then they headed up to a second flight of crooked stairs that led to the attic.

  “Brrr!” said Violet, rubbing some warmth into her arms. “It’s freezing up here.”

  “And dark, too,” added Benny, reaching out for Jessie’s hand. “It’s a good thing Henry brought the flashlight.”

  Henry beamed the light over trunks and boxes, stacks of books and magazines, and old lamps and paintings. “Never mind. This won’t take long.”

  Benny was the first to spot the shoe box on top of a steamer trunk in the corner. Henry held the flashlight above the shoe box while Jessie looked for the Mystery Lady’s note.

  “That’s funny,” she said. “I can’t find it in here.”

  Violet didn’t think it was funny at all.

  “Look again, Jessie. I saw Mrs. McGregor put the note in there.”

  “Aaah-chooo!” The dust was making Benny sneeze.

  Violet handed Benny a tissue, while Jessie rummaged through the old mementos one more time.

  “There’s no doubt about it,” Jessie said at last. “The note’s gone!”

  “I can’t believe it!” Violet said a little later as they sat by the fire. Her eyes were wide with worry. “Who could have taken Mrs. McGregor’s note?”

  Benny had an opinion about this. “A thief. That’s who!”

  Henry threw another log on the fire. “Someone else must be looking for the hidden treasure, too!”

  “That means there really is a treasure,” Benny said. “And it must be a lot more than just a coin or an old toy. I bet it’s Nola Rawlings who’s looking for it!”

  Violet had been thinking the same thing. She told them, “I had a feeling someone was eavesdropping that first night. It’s possible Nola Rawlings heard everything Mrs. McGregor said about the hidden treasure.”

  “Nola is very mysterious,” agreed Henry. “But we have no proof that it was her.”

  “I just know it was!” insisted Benny.

  Jessie remembered something. “What if Clarissa overheard us talking by the lake? If she did, then she would have known about the treasure, too.”

  “Clarissa did leave in a big hurry,” said Henry. “And Madeline said she stopped in for a visit right after seeing us. She could have taken the note before Mrs. McGregor had a chance to put the shoe box back in the attic.”

  Violet wasn’t too sure about this. “Maybe,” she said in a hesitating voice. “That was strange that she had time to visit when she was in such a hurry. But why would Clarissa do something so mean?”

  Henry shrugged. “She doesn’t seem to have a reason.”

  Jessie reminded them, “We have to look at every possibility.”

  “Maybe we should add someone else to our list of suspects,” declared Henry after a moment’s thought.

  “Like who?” Benny wanted to know.

  “Like Madeline.”

  They were all so surprised by Henry’s words, they were speechless.

  “Well, she wasn’t exactly happy about us looking for the treasure,” Henry explained.

  Jessie thought about that. “She just doesn’t want us to get our hopes up. Don’t forget, Madeline doesn’t even believe there is a treasure.”

  “Maybe she wants us to think there isn’t a treasure,” argued Henry. “Maybe she’s afraid the treasure might be worth enough to save the Crooked House.”

  Violet looked confused. “I don’t understand. Madeline wants to save the Crooked House. Doesn’t she?”

  Henry shrugged. “Maybe not. Mrs. McGregor told us that Madeline wanted to sell the house years ago.”

  Violet nodded, looking less puzzled. “She wanted to do some traveling. Do you think that’s what she still wants? Is that what you mean, Henry?”

  Henry nodded. “She might have taken the note without realizing that Jessie had made a copy of it.”

  Benny’s eyes grew wide. “This is getting more and more mysterious!” he whispered.

  CHAPTER 9

  Partners in Crime

  “Maybe Mrs. McGregor decided to put the note somewhere else,” suggested Violet. “You know, for safekeeping. We can ask when she gets home.”

  Henry agreed. “I guess we shouldn’t suspect people until we’re certain it was actually stolen.”

  “And no matter what,” declared Benny, “I’m not going to fall asleep by the fire tonight!” This was immediately followed by a huge yawn.

  Violet smiled at her younger brother. “I have an idea. Why don’t we all go outside and hang the cranberry and popcorn strings for the birds? The fresh air will keep us awake!”

  Benny didn’t need to be coaxed. They quickly bundled up and went outside.

  “What’s the matter, Benny?” asked Jessie, when she heard her younger brother’s sigh.

  Benny was standing in the middle of the front yard with his hands on his hips. “Our crooked snowman looks lonely out here in the dark.”

  “I know just the thing!” replied Violet. And she proceeded to tie a string of cranberries around the neck of the snowman.

  Benny grinned. “Now he looks as if he doesn’t have a care in the world!”

  “Our snowman doesn’t have a care in the world,” agreed Henry. “He knows it won’t be long before the birds arrive. Then he’ll have lots of company.”

  They were busy looping a string of popcorn around a fir tree when a car pulled into Madeline’s driveway.

  “I bet that’s Mrs. McGregor!” Benny stepped out from the shadows. Then he quickly jumped back again, shaking his head. “It’s Nola Rawlings.”

  Madeline’s houseguest was so unfriendly, the Aldens preferred to keep out of her way. They were surprised when Nola got out of her car and headed straight for the Spencers’ house without noticing the children in the shadows behind the fir tree.

  “What’s she doing?” Benny whispered.

  Violet shrugged. “I don’t know.”

  They watched as Nola knocked on the door. The children didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they were standing very close to the Spencers’ house. They couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of the conversation.

  Nick looked surprised when he opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

  Nola didn’t answer right away. She was too busy glancing nervously over her shoulder. When she turned to face Nick, her back was to the Aldens. They couldn’t make out what she said. But then Nick nodded and replied, “Sure thing. After all, we are partners in crime.”

  Jessie and Benny looked at each other, horrified.

  “Did you hear that?” Benny gasped, forgetting to lower his voice.

  Violet put a finger to her lips. But it was too late. Nola had already whirled around. The children stood perfectly still, holding their breath. Then Nick said, “Come on in, Rebecca.”

  Benny’s big eyes got even bigger. Had Nick just referred to Nola as Rebecca?

  The moment the door closed, Violet grabbed Benny’s hand, and the Aldens raced across the yard to the Crooked House.

 
As they sat by the fire, they discussed everything they’d overheard.

  “She’s just pretending to be Nola Rawlings!” said Benny. “Her real name is Rebecca!”

  Violet nodded. “Rebecca Flagg. That was the name on the book I found. The one about Amelia Quigley Adams.”

  “That means Nick isn’t the nice person we thought he was,” Jessie said sadly. She could hardly believe that Nick was anybody’s partner in crime.

  Violet was frowning. “What I can’t figure out is why Nola—I mean, Rebecca—was reading all about Amelia Quigley Adams.”

  “And why did she make such a secret of it?” demanded Benny.

  Violet said in a quiet voice, “It’s the oddest thing.”

  Henry had been thinking. “Unless ...”

  “Unless what, Henry?” Jessie wanted to know.

  It took Henry a few moments to answer. “Unless the Mystery Lady wasn’t tricking Mrs. McGregor, after all,” he finally said. “Maybe Amelia Quigley Adams really did sign that mystery book.”

  Benny said, “But Jessie said the handwriting was just like the Mystery Lady’s!”

  “What if it looks the same because—” began Henry.

  Jessie’s eyes widened as she caught Henry’s meaning. She finished her brother’s sentence for him. “Because the Mystery Lady was none other than Amelia Quigley Adams herself!”

  “You think the famous author hid the treasure?” asked Benny in amazement.

  Henry nodded. “And I’m almost certain that Rebecca Flagg and Nick Spencer are looking for it, too!”

  They all thought Henry might be right. “That would explain Rebecca Flagg’s interest in Amelia Quigley Adams,” admitted Violet.

  “But we can’t be sure that the Mystery Lady really was Amelia Quigley Adams,” Benny pointed out.

  Henry couldn’t argue. “Mrs. McGregor just has the one photograph of the Mystery Lady,” he said. “And her face is hidden under that big hat.”

  Jessie stared at Henry. Then her mouth dropped open.

  “What’s wrong?” Violet asked her sister.

  Jessie spoke up. “A hat gives shade from the sun!”