The Hotel Mystery #2

by Martin Widmark

  GROSSET & DUNLAP

  Published by the Penguin Group

  Penguin Group (USA) LLC, 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

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  Original title: LasseMajas Detektivbyrå Hotellmysteriet

  Text by Martin Widmark

  Original cover and illustrations by Helena Willis

  English language edition copyright © 2014 Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Original edition published by Bonnier Carlsen Bokförlag, Sweden, 2002. Text copyright © 2002 by Martin Widmark. Illustrations copyright © 2002 by Helena Willis. Published in 2014 by Grosset & Dunlap, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group, 345 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014. GROSSET & DUNLAP is a trademark of Penguin Group (USA) LLC. Manufactured in China.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available.

  ISBN 978-0-698-18156-4

  Version_1

  Contents

  Copyright

  Title Page

  The Hotel Mystery

  Maps

  The People

  The Braeburn family

  The Day Before Christmas Eve

  VIP Guests

  Short on Money

  A Chinese Apple Dachshund

  The Dog Has Gone

  Apples on the Net

  In a Red Case

  Truth Revealed

  Special Excerpt from The Circus Mystery

  The Hotel Mystery

  The books in The Whodunit Detective Agency series are set in the charming little town of Pleasant Valley. It’s the kind of close-knit community where nearly everyone knows one another. The town and characters are all fictional, of course . . . or are they?

  The main characters, Jerry and Maya, are classmates and close friends who run a small detective agency together.

  CHAPTER 1

  The Day Before Christmas Eve

  Every year, on the day before Christmas Eve, nearly everyone in the little town of Pleasant Valley does the same thing: They all head to the holiday buffet at the town’s hotel, where they find turkey, ham, roasted carrots, and mashed potatoes and gravy, all served on big platters in the beautiful dining room.

  This year, one of the holiday guests was Roland Sussman, the caretaker of the church just down the street. Like many others in town, he had the day off and was going to enjoy the buffet in the hotel. Roland brushed a few snowflakes off his coat, scarf, and hat before handing them to the coatroom attendant.

  “Happy holidays, Mr. Sussman!”

  Roland Sussman looked up in surprise. There, in reception, was someone he knew: Jerry! The young man and his binoculars had once used the church tower as a spy lookout. Jerry had said he was looking for a rare bird, but in fact he was solving a tricky case involving stolen diamonds at the jeweler’s shop across the street.

  “What a surprise to see you, Jerry! Are you working here? There can’t be any rare birds at the hotel.” Roland Sussman laughed.

  “I’m working here during the winter break to help my uncle. Mostly, I help in the coatroom. But sometimes I run errands, carry suitcases to the rooms, or am here in reception.”

  “And your partner, Maya? How is she? I read all about the two of you in the newspaper after you solved the diamond mystery.”

  “Maya’s here, too. She’s helping in the kitchen.”

  “Do you have any exciting new cases in the works?”

  Jerry shook his head.

  “No? Well, the holiday buffet’s waiting,” Roland Sussman said with a smile. “Happy holidays to you and Maya,” he said, and disappeared into the crowded dining room.

  As he watched Roland walk away, Jerry thought about Maya.

  The two of them were best friends and classmates at school, and together they ran the Whodunit Detective Agency. Their office was in Maya’s basement. There, they kept everything they needed for their detective work: a pair of binoculars, a camera, several mirrors, flashlights, and a magnifying glass. They even had their own computer now. Jerry’s and Maya’s parents were friends, too, and had gone away for a couple of days together. They wouldn’t be home until Christmas Day. Jerry and Maya had each begged their parents to be allowed to stay at home.

  “We need to take care of the detective agency,” said Jerry.

  “We have to set up the computer,” Maya said.

  In the end, their parents agreed. After all, they could celebrate Christmas when their parents returned. Jerry and Maya were staying with Jerry’s uncle Larry. He worked at the town’s hotel on Market Square, and when he asked if they’d like to help out at the hotel for a few days, Jerry and Maya said yes. Perhaps something exciting would happen!

  “Hi, Jerry! Has anything happened?”

  It was Maya, who had just dropped by. She was on her lunch break and was taking the opportunity to look around the hotel, in true detective style.

  “No, nothing special,” replied Jerry. He could see that she was disappointed. Maya was always on the hunt for an interesting assignment for their detective agency.

  “Oh well,” she said. “Anyhow, the hotel manager wants to talk to us in his office at 4:00 p.m. He’s going to tell us about the holiday celebrations and a very important family that’s arriving at the hotel tomorrow.”

  “Okay,” said Jerry. “I’ll see you there.”

  CHAPTER 2

  VIP Guests

  At four o’clock in the afternoon, the hotel manager’s office was full of people. The manager, Ronnie Hazelwood, was a man of about fifty. He had long muttonchops on his cheeks, but not a hair on his head.

  Ronnie had visited Pleasant Valley one fall day a few years ago. Although he had just come for a vacation by the water, when he saw a run-down hotel, he was charmed: He would buy the old hotel and fix it up. And a year later, the hotel was as good as new.

  Jerry’s uncle said the hotel manager had an iron will, a heart of gold, and a wallet as empty as an old mine. Fixing up the hotel must have cost him a couple million dollars.

  Now, he had called the staff together around the big table in his office.

  To the left of the kind manager sat grumpy Bert Anderson. Bert worked in reception. Jerry and Maya disliked him immediately. He bossed people around and acted like he owned the hotel. He made Jerry and Maya call him sir.

  Jerry’s uncle had told them that Bert Anderson spent all his time alone because no one wanted to be friends with a man who never smiled and was only interested in his stamp collection.

  Here in the meeting, the moody receptionist noisily drummed his fingers on the table. Clearly, he didn’t think he had time to sit there.

  Next to the unpleasant Bert Anderson sat his complete opposite: the friendly and always-cheerful Rita Henderson, a chef from New Orleans. Jerry’s uncle said that the manager, Ronnie Hazelwood, had a crush on Rita.

  Rita dreamed of one day opening her own restaurant in France. But she didn’t have enough money, and spent most of her paychecks on lottery tickets and scratch cards, hoping to win big. During the meeting, she was scratching a card with a penny.
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  “Useless!” She laughed and ruffled Jerry’s hair. “I didn’t even win a dollar! But one day I’ll hit the jackpot, and then I’ll be off to France!”

  Opposite friendly Rita sat Pierre Chalottes, a dark-haired and sad-looking housekeeper from France. Pierre didn’t say much, but Jerry and Maya had noticed how he and Rita liked to sit together and whisper during their lunch breaks.

  “Well, now,” said Ronnie Hazelwood. “The hotel’s holiday celebrations are under way.” The manager’s whole face lit up with a smile. “Maya is helping Rita bake a big gingerbread house, which will go in reception. First thing tomorrow morning, Jerry will decorate the tree in the lounge. We’ll hand out the holiday presents there at 4:00 p.m. I’ll dress up as Santa Claus—or do you think we should have a reindeer this year? That could be a part for you, Bert!”

  The hotel manager chuckled and gave Bert a friendly thump on the back. Maya saw Bert’s upper lip twitch slightly. Some might have thought it was the beginning of a smile, but Maya suspected it was more of a snarl, and that Bert Anderson would like to bite his boss’s hand.

  “Anyway,” the hotel manager continued, without noticing his receptionist’s annoyance, “tomorrow is not only Christmas Eve, but also a very important day for the hotel. The Braeburn family has reserved the hotel’s best suite. The family plans to stay for quite a while. This means a lot of money for the hotel, and goodness knows we certainly need it. We all must make sure that everything runs perfectly during their stay.”

  Jerry and Maya could see that the manager was nervous.

  “Mr. and Mrs. Braeburn will be here with their daughter, Pippin, and a small dog, Winston.”

  The manager continued talking about the wealthy family: “Mr. Braeburn made it very clear that Winston is to receive the best treatment. Otherwise he could become stressed and stop eating. Evidently, the Braeburns own a very expensive and unusual dog, and nothing bad must happen to it,” he firmly concluded.

  “I’m sure everything will be fine with the dog. You’ll see,” Rita said with a laugh.

  The hotel manager relaxed a little and gazed affectionately at Rita.

  “Well, I think that covers everything,” he said, and closed the meeting.

  Then the staff members left the room and continued their preparations for the holiday celebrations.

  CHAPTER 3

  Short on Money

  Christmas Eve morning arrived. It was a beautiful, sunny winter’s day. The air was clear and cold, and the snow crunched as Jerry, Maya, and Uncle Larry walked through town. Inside the hotel foyer, it was cozy and warm. The smell of coffee and gingerbread filled the air.

  Maya and Jerry said hello to grumpy Bert Anderson, who was sitting in reception leafing through a magazine about stamps. Maya remembered that Jerry’s uncle had said that a very rare stamp was for sale, and that Bert Anderson couldn’t afford to buy it. That was probably why he was in a particularly bad mood that day.

  “Merry Christmas, Mr. Anderson!” Jerry and Maya said in unison.

  Bert Anderson just grunted in reply, without lifting his eyes from the magazine.

  The housekeeper, Pierre Chalottes, was arranging a beautiful bouquet of winter flowers. Seeing Pierre reminded Jerry of what had happened the previous afternoon, and he started chuckling. The mailman had announced that he had a package for “Pier Scallops”!

  “It’s French, and it’s pronounced Pee-air Sha-lot,” Jerry had to explain.

  Pierre had opened the package in the break room. It contained cheese and crackers from France. Pierre’s mother sent goodies to her son, knowing that he was homesick. She sent the care packages hoping they would lure him back home to France.

  Maya disappeared into the kitchen and Jerry continued to the lounge. It was time to decorate the big fir tree. Uncle Larry came in with a huge box of decorations, and Jerry got right to work. He hung strings of lights, glass ornaments, little snowmen, and strings of garland. He delicately draped tinsel over the branches. Hard at work behind the tree, Jerry was almost completely hidden by the branches and decorations.

  After a few minutes, Jerry heard some people come into the lounge. He recognized their voices: It was Rita and Pierre. They couldn’t see Jerry behind the tree, and thought they were alone in the room. Rita didn’t sound as cheerful as usual. On the contrary, she sounded upset.

  “If we’re going to open our own restaurant, we need $30,000,” said Rita. “How are we ever going to get a hold of that kind of money?”

  “But darling,” began Pierre, “my mother said we could borrow the money from her.”

  “I refuse to borrow money from anyone. No, thank you! I’d rather stay here and work for someone else,” Rita hissed angrily.

  Rita and Pierre left the lounge.

  On the other side of the hotel, Maya was standing in the hallway just outside the manager’s office. She had stopped behind the open door. The manager was talking on the telephone and sounded agitated.

  “I promise! You will have the money in the next few days,” he said.

  Ronnie Hazelwood sighed and hung up the phone. Maya walked by as if she had heard nothing.

  CHAPTER 4

  A Chinese Apple Dachshund

  It was nearly noon, and the grand Braeburn family was due to arrive at any minute. The staff members stood at attention in reception. Then, in walked the family, right on time!

  The elegant Mrs. Braeburn entered first, sweeping into the room draped in an expensive fur coat. Behind her came a short man who must have been Mr. Braeburn. And finally, in walked their daughter, Pippin. Mr. Braeburn carried a red velvet cushion. On the cushion sat the fattest dog Jerry and Maya had ever seen.

  Now there’s a dog that has never refused food, thought Maya.

  She stretched out her hand to pet him. But the dog, Winston, was surprisingly quick and not very friendly. He turned his plump head and snapped at Maya, who quickly recoiled. Pippin told everyone:

  “Winston does not like to be touched by hotel staff. Chinese apple dachshunds are highly sensitive dogs. We have been offered $30,000 for him, but we have no intention of selling him.”

  Jerry looked around at the staff. The manager, Pierre, Rita, and Bert each had a gleam in their eyes, as if they were looking not at a beloved pet, but at a fat wad of dollar bills—a snuffling, slobbering wad of bills on a red velvet cushion. Jerry and Maya knew there were a lot of people in the hotel who would love to get their hands on that kind of money.

  “We’ll do everything we can to make sure you and your dog are happy here,” said the groveling hotel manager. “In fact, this afternoon at four, we’ll present gifts to all of the children in the lounge.”

  Jerry took one of the Braeburns’ suitcases in each hand and climbed the stairs to their luxury suite. He read the address labels stuck on the cases. They were from five-star hotels in New York, Miami, and Chicago. This family is clearly used to living in style and sparing no expense, Jerry thought. He opened the door to room 13 and set down the suitcases.

  At 4:00 p.m., the hotel guests and staff gathered by the fir tree. A lovely fire crackled in the fireplace. There was a knock on the door. It was the manager, dressed up as Santa Claus. Several of the young children gasped.

  “Ho-ho-ho!” he chortled. “Are there any good children here?”

  It was clear that the manager enjoyed dressing up as Santa and giving out presents. He wore a fluffy fake beard, a big red hat, and a red suit, and danced around the room with a sack of gifts. None of the children will recognize me under this holiday costume! he thought.

  Pippin stood by the tree, tugging on a glass ornament.

  “Here’s a sweet little girl! I’m sure she’s been very good this year,” said the manager.

  He tried to pat Pippin on the head, but she reached over and grabbed the package from Santa’s hands. She ran across the floor an
d yelled: “Look, Mommy! Look what I got from that silly manager!”

  The manager laughed nervously. He quickly gave out the rest of the presents and disappeared from the room

  .

  Later that evening, the guests danced around the cheerily decorated tree and then enjoyed a special Christmas dinner in the large dining room. Ronnie Hazelwood had changed out of his costume and was sitting next to Mr. Braeburn.

  “And how is your little dog? Has he made himself at home in the suite? Should we send up a tasty little sausage?”

  “Winston doesn’t eat after 6:00 p.m. He gets gas,” replied Mr. Braeburn, taking a sip of the expensive wine he had ordered.

  The manager nodded sympathetically.

  Pippin threw the doll she got from the manager on the floor.

  “Yuck! This food’s disgusting,” she said. “I want to watch TV.”

  “Of course, Pippin,” replied Mrs. Braeburn. “We’ll go up to the room soon. We have to make sure Winston is all right, don’t we?”

  Later, when all the guests had finally gone to bed, Jerry and Maya sat in the lounge. They shared some apple cider and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

  Uncle Larry had gone home, and Jerry and Maya were about to go, too.

  Then suddenly, they heard a scream from upstairs.

  CHAPTER 5

  The Dog Has Gone

  Who had screamed? It sounded like Mrs. Braeburn. What had happened?

  Jerry and Maya rushed out of the lounge and up the stairs. The hotel manager was also on his way up to the next floor. His hand was wrapped in a bandage spotted with blood! What had he done? But there was no time for questions.

  Jerry, Maya, and the manager reached the hallway where the special guests were staying.