“That means that he’ll see someone leaving the candy factory with . . .”
The sheriff nodded. “Right, Sophie. With nothing. The box of candy with the ruby inside is gone. I can’t stop anyone. I can’t arrest anyone. I can’t do anything. Someone in this ring must work there, at least one of them must.”
“Remember, Sophie, that Uncle Sal says that people who work there can take home chocolate every day. No one would notice if someone had the chocolates. They could normally walk out the front door with them. It should be easy for Uncle Sal to make a new box like this.”
“But, Jessica, I think it’s pretty likely that someone is going to find out quickly that the gemstone isn’t in the box of chocolates they got from the factory. Even if we find a way to leave a new box there, it won’t help.”
“Yes. And if they’re smart, and they probably are, they may already know that someone is watching the front.”
Sophie gulped. “And they’ll also figure out or at least suspect that Jessica and I have their special box of chocolates. No matter how you look at it, we have a problem.”
Jessica said, “But we could go inside the chocolate factory, sneak in, make a new box of chocolates, and put it where this one was.”
Sophie nodded. “We picked up this box at the very end of the day, and Mrs. Clayton had already left early, so—”
Jessica jumped in, “So we might be able to get this back on her desk before anyone knows it’s missing.”
“Girls, I can’t let you do that. If you walk in the front door of the candy factory, a hundred people might see you doing that. Even if we ask Sal Donadio to let you in that door on Sunday, people could be nearby and see you. I can’t risk your being exposed.”
“But, Sheriff, almost anyone would figure out that we have the box of chocolates. Uncle Sal said it was out front, and there were a lot of people around then. Besides”—Sophie grinned—“we don’t have to walk in the front door.”
“No, we have a better way.”
“This I have to hear. The only other entrance into the place is the emergency escape to the roof, which leads to a ladder down the back of the building.”
The idea was interesting. “We didn’t know about that.”
The sheriff said, “But you could still have someone see you on top of the roof. No, I have to protect you girls. You’re my responsibility.”
Jessica pretended to swim, swinging her arms in the air as though she was cutting through water.
“Swim? There’s no way in from the lake. I know that to be a fact.”
“Sheriff, I don’t know who started that rumor, but it isn’t true.”
“And you know that because . . .?
Expecting Sheriff Valeska to be none too happy about their earlier trip to the factory, Jessica clenched her teeth.
“We swam there”—Sophie held up one hand when she saw the sheriff about to reprimand her—“with Mr. Donadio giving permission first, and Tony going with us so there was a family member. After I saw the boats on the lake, I wanted to see if there was a boat under the factory.”
“And? Was there a boat under the factory?”
“An old rowboat, but we couldn’t tell if it had been used.”
Jessica said, “But we found a secret passage! We can go from it into the factory.”
The sheriff laughed. “I haven’t seen that, and I’ve been in that factory many times.”
Jessica nodded. “It’s there.”
Sheriff Valeska sighed. “I guess we could send a boat to take you underneath the boathouse.”
“No, Sheriff! That won’t work because people could see it and hear the motor. If we swim tomorrow, it’s Sunday, when the factory is closed for the day. No one will know we’re there.”
“I’m hesitant to tell Sal Donadio that you’re doing this because I’m not sure who he trusts and who he might tell. It’s private property though—”
“The last time we went, he told Tony that if we wanted to go under there and swim around and have fun, it was no matter to him.”
“Then set this up with Tony, and let’s do this. I don’t see any other way to make it happen.” After another hesitation, the sheriff added, “Girls, I need for you to stay away from my office for a while. You’re at the chocolate factory almost every day, and people in Pine Hill know that you’ve solved two mysteries. If they see you coming in and out of here often, they may start to think that you’re involved in a mystery again.”
Sophie said, “But Sheriff, what if we find an important clue?”
The sheriff sighed. “Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, Sophie. I don’t even want you to call here or for Jessica to send a text message with her phone. I don’t have a better solution.”
“I do! I read about it in one of my books. It’s called a dead drop, a place where we can leave things for each other, but no one else will know they’re there.”
The sheriff laughed. “Sophie, that sounds like something out of a spy movie. This is Pine Hill.”
“But, Sheriff, it would work.”
“So where do you suggest we have this dead drop?”
Sophie’s mind raced. They needed a place that would be easy to get to but where no one else would think to look. Her favorite bench in town came to mind, the one she always sat on when she wanted to figure things out. “The bench on the sidewalk over by Bananas Bakery. If something were taped underneath it, no one would know it was there.”
“I can live with that, Sophie.”
“We’ll make a chalk mark on the side of the bench’s armrest to let you know when there’s something for you to pick up.”
Sophie thought over the chalk that was in a box of toys from when she was little. “A line made from bright blue chalk.”
“That won’t be obvious, will it?” Jessica said sarcastically.
“Okay, white chalk. That might look more like dust, so it won’t stand out as much.”
The sheriff agreed.
“And when you’ve picked it up, Sheriff, wipe off the chalk mark so we know it’s been done. We also need a code so no one else will be able to read the note.”
Sheriff Valeska groaned. “Okay. What’s the code?”
“I’ve read about so many good ones.” She turned to Jessica. “Let’s use the one I told you about earlier.” When Jessica nodded, Sophie described it to the sheriff.
Ten minutes later, Sophie left the sheriff’s office, and she marched importantly down the street with her cousin. Sheriff Valeska had put her in charge of what they would do tomorrow afternoon. Well, her, Jessica, and Tony in charge. Her footsteps slowed as she realized that this could land them in the middle of danger.
Jessica said, “Sophie, why are we stopped here?”
Sophie noticed that she was standing in front of Buds & Blooms. “I just realized that we were going into a place tomorrow where someone works who either stole very expensive gemstones or helped someone who did.”
“And you just thought of this? I thought of it from the first second that you suggested the idea. But I don’t know of any other way to make this work.” When a family walked by, she realized they were far from alone here. “There are quite a few people here. Maybe we should head toward home and talk about it there.”
“You’re right.” Sophie gave a glance toward Buds & Blooms. When the owner looked up, Sophie gave a small wave. “I might buy Mom a flower sometime soon. She’d like that.”
“Do you think the owner of this business has any connection with the gemstones?”
“I’m not sure of anything anymore. You were a spy who was supposed to find a spy, or at least watch out for one, but now we have a major criminal—or more than one—working in the chocolate factory. I hope that Uncle Sal is wrong about someone stealing his recipes though, because one crime is more than enough.”
“Being a secret spy was kind of fun for a little while. But I’m glad we’re working on this together now, Sophie.”
More Chocolate
WHEN TH
E GIRLS GOT back to Sophie’s house, they went into the kitchen for a snack. Sophie grabbed a bag of trail mix—a mixture of nuts and dried fruit—out of the cupboard. When she went over to the refrigerator to get juice for them, she stopped and stared at the door.
Jessica took a handful of the trail mix. “Anything wrong?”
Sophie removed a note from the fridge. “We didn’t have anything cold for our lunch, so I didn’t see this note. Dad is reminding me that we’re going to dinner tonight. But I don’t remember—”
“Isn’t it your mom’s birthday today?”
“Oh no! I’ve been thinking about our mystery, and I didn’t think about Mom. That isn’t good.”
“I’ve been with you almost all the time, so my guess is that you haven’t gotten her a birthday gift or a card, right?”
“Very right. Dad must have left the note for me this morning. We need to hurry back to town so I can find something.”
“Maybe you’ll see a store and think of a gift you could buy there that your mom would like.”
“Mom has so many things because of the store she owns. Her store’s where other people want to buy their gifts.”
They each ate a handful of trail mix and drank a glass of juice before going to town on their usual path through the woods. Sophie didn’t find anything on Main Street that felt like a good gift for her mom. They turned onto another street and came to a corner. She hadn’t noticed earlier that the Down Shoppe, an important place in another mystery, was gone and the fishing store, Hook, Line & Sinker, was back there where it should be. Buds & Blooms was across the street.
After crossing the street, Sophie paused at the flower shop’s window. “I talked about getting Mom a flower to make her happy, but a whole bunch of flowers might make her very happy. Maybe this is a good birthday present for her. She doesn’t buy flowers for herself, other than the ones she plants at our house that she has me weed.”
Sophie pulled open the door to the shop and walked inside with Jessica right behind her. Kelsey was helping someone at the counter, so Sophie and Jessica wandered around and looked at the bouquets. There were price tags on a few of them. Sophie leaned over to see one and groaned. “Jessica, I don’t think I can afford to get Mom flowers with what Dad gave me for her birthday.” She held up the tag for Jessica to see, and her cousin grimaced.
“You may be right. But before we go, let’s ask and make sure. Maybe these bouquets are more expensive because of the kind of flowers or something like that.”
Sophie chewed on her lip a second, staring at the vases filled with flowers. She still wasn’t sure if she should leave or if she should ask. But she could hear her dad’s voice telling her, “There’s no such thing as a stupid question.” When the other customer exited, Kelsey came over. “Can I help you, Sophie?”
Sophie hesitated for a second. “I’m not sure, Kelsey. My mom’s birthday is today—”
“And you came here to buy her a gift! That’s wonderful. I’m sure I can help you.”
“I don’t know, Kelsey. This is how much money Dad gave me to buy a gift.” Sophie set the money on the counter.
“Are some flowers less expensive than others?” Jessica asked.
“Absolutely. I can make you a beautiful bouquet of flowers, Sophie. Do you need them to be in a vase?”
“Mom has a lot of pretty vases in her store.”
Kelsey laughed. “That’s partly why the flower bouquets near the entrance are so expensive. They’re in antique vases from your mom’s shop. Give me about ten minutes, and you can take your flowers with you.” Kelsey went into a glass-fronted refrigerator filled with buckets of flowers.
Sophie felt stress ooze out of her. She would have a gift for her mom.
As they walked around the store, waiting for the flower arrangement, something caught Sophie’s eye. “Jessica,” she said in a low voice, “there are chocolates here.”
“I know that lots of times people buy chocolates and flowers together as a gift. My dad has done that for my mom before.”
“These aren’t just any chocolates. These are from Sweet Bites Chocolates.”
Jessica stepped closer. “Sophie, the chocolates are made in this town, so that isn’t a surprise.”
“But no one else sells them. At least not that I know of, which is strange.”
Kelsey stepped out with a pretty bouquet of what Sophie recognized as daisies and carnations, along with other things she couldn’t put a name to. She knew her mother would love it because it had an old-fashioned look that reminded her of the things her mother sold in her store. It wasn’t too modern.
Kelsey said, “I see you noticed the chocolates that I have there. I’m the only store in Pine Hill that sells them. For some reason the factory wants them to ship to other places and not be sold here.” She paused and seemed almost nervous when she added, “My brother Kirk talked me into carrying them here in the store and managed to talk Sal into letting me do it.” Then the shadow lifted, and she smiled brightly again, maybe too brightly.
Sophie paid for the flowers Kelsey had wrapped with green paper. Then they went out the door. Standing outside, Sophie said, “Don’t you think it’s strange that only one store can sell Sweet Bites Chocolates?”
“I think people who visit Pine Hill would love to buy some. It doesn’t make sense to me. Do you think it’s another clue?”
Sophie turned and studied the building they’d left. “Maybe we should set up surveillance and watch to see who comes and goes.”
“Who would we be watching for? People who like chocolate? Or flowers? I don’t see how we would learn anything.”
“I guess you’re right. But something doesn’t feel right about this place.” Sophie began walking again, and Jessica stepped beside her.
“This time, I agree with you. But we’ll have to see if any other clues lead back to Buds & Blooms. Well, any clues other than the owner and her brother having an argument.”
Neither of them said anything for a while. Finally, as the shortcut to Sophie’s house came into view. Sophie said, “Let’s get ready for dinner. Tomorrow we have church. Then adventure.”
THE NEXT MORNING, SOPHIE dressed in tan pants and a forest green T-shirt slid into the pew next to Jessica who wore a light pink dress with white sandals. It was Sophie’s usual look, but a little dressier for church. She’d worn a dress for dinner last night and didn’t want to wear one again today. Jessica loved dressing up for church and everywhere else she could. She’d worn a dress last night too.
Sophie leaned over to her. “I’ve been thinking about swimming today.”
Jessica raised one eyebrow.
Maybe they shouldn’t talk about that here. Sophie glanced past Jessica and over to the opposite side of the church. “Dylan and his mother are over there. They’re on our unknown list.”
Jessica twisted in her seat so she could see the pair. The college student from their class was next to his mother, and she was talking—at least Sophie figured she was talking since her lips were moving.
In a low voice Sophie said, “I’m surprised she doesn’t run out of breath. If I blow up a couple of balloons, I start to hurt inside. And she must blow out that amount of air as she speaks.”
Jessica agreed. “It is amazing to see. And hear.”
“You girls shouldn’t speak about anyone that way,” Mrs. Sandoval said from beside Sophie.
“Sorry, Mom. Mrs. Hanley seems like a good person. But it’s hard to get in a word when she’s nearby.”
“Still, Sophie. Be kinder. I don’t know someone with that name. Who are you talking about?”
Sophie turned again toward the mother and son. “Dylan and his mother are in our chocolate-making class.”
“Ah, yes. She came in the store one day this week. It was an afternoon, so it must have been after your class. Very nice woman. Kind. But I have to agree with you. I believe she said more words in the twenty minutes she was in the store than most people say in hours. I asked where she was visi
ting from. She told me all the places she had lived in her life, and it seems like they moved around a lot when she was young.” Mrs. Sandoval smiled.
“I think her son is a little stressed-out.”
“Where are you and Jessica going swimming today? I heard you ask her about it.”
Sophie gave her best smile but knew it probably didn’t look real. “In the lake. Over by the chocolate factory, I think. We’re meeting Tony.”
To her relief, the minister walked to the front of the church and up to the pulpit. Sophie knew not to say anything to Jessica during the rest of the service and worked to push the mystery out of her mind for the next hour. Even though they had excitement coming later today.
Chocolate-Covered Clue
JESSICA SWAM UP TO the dock where Tony and Sophie already sat waiting. She leaned her elbows on it and looked up at them. “Sophie, you normally plan things very well, so well that we both have plastic bags with things we need taped to our backs including the tape to put them back on for our swim out. But we may have forgotten something.”
Sophie stood. “We’re here, and no one spotted us yet. I think everything’s okay.”
Jessica climbed the ladder and stood beside Sophie as Tony rose to his feet. “There’s just one thing. We’re dripping wet, so we’re going to leave a trail of water down the hall.”
Sophie put her hand over her mouth and groaned. “You are so right. We know where the bathroom is, so let’s go inside the building, run in there to get the paper towels, and dry off. After that, we’ll quickly wipe up the floor. That way if there’s a security guard, he or she won’t spot it.”
“That sounds like a plan. It’s about the only thing we can do if we want to get this job done today.”
“There’s one other thing, Tony. Jessica and I know how the chocolates are made because we’ve been in the class this week, so we’re the best chance we’ve got for fixing this. We’ll take the lead on the project.”
The Chocolate Spy Page 10