“He had something sticking out of his pocket,” Henry said. “It looked like a striped cap.”
“The man at the ballpark wore a striped cap,” Violet remembered.
“And the man we saw talking to Willard that morning was carrying one,” Jessie added.
“Like a railroad engineer’s hat,” Violet said.
“So the man downstairs today could be the same man,” Henry concluded.
“Let’s say he gave Willard the first clue.” Jessie held up the second clue. “But what about this one? I found it in my backpack after we had been to the Water Tower. We didn’t see him there.”
Benny frowned in thought. “Maybe he put the clue there before we got there. Or Willard — he went there early in the morning and hid the envelope.”
“I looked all around that building,” Henry said. “Inside and out.”
“Then I dropped the leaflets,” Jessie said. “We already decided I must have picked up the clue then.”
“I picked up most of the leaflets,” Benny said. “And I didn’t see an envelope.”
“And Grandfather picked up the others,” Violet said. “The envelope must have been with those.”
“The person who dropped that envelope knew we’d find it,” Henry said. “Whoever did it had to be right there with us.”
Henry smiled triumphantly. “There were only two people who could have done that: Chad or Grandfather.”
Benny stood up. “Chad did it,” he said. “Now can we eat?”
“Not until Grandfather comes back,” Jessie said.
Suddenly they realized that Mr. Alden had been downstairs a long time — much longer than it would take to buy a newspaper.
“He always takes a long time,” Benny said. “He’s probably talking to Willard.”
But the others weren’t so sure. They remembered last night’s telephone call, and Grandfather’s long walk that morning. None of the Aldens could remember seeing Grandfather reading the first newspaper he’d bought.
“Let’s go look for him!” Henry said.
Before he could finish the thought, Jessie was out the door, Violet at her heels.
Henry sprinted after them, saying, “Come on, Benny!”
CHAPTER 9
Another Phone Call
The elevator seemed to take forever. None of the Aldens spoke. They were wondering what they would find when they reached the ground floor. Grandfather had been strange during this trip. How did he know they would be at the Water Tower that day? He said Chad told him. No one remembered that — not even Chad. And later, at the ball game, he disappeared. He told them he stopped to buy Benny a cap, but that wasn’t true. Henry was with him when he bought it. Then there was the phone call in the night. And all the trips to get newspapers! Added together, these events got the Alden children thinking.
“Maybe he decided to read the paper down in the lobby,” Jessie suggested.
That was a possibility. Comfortable chairs and couches lined the inner lobby. He could read the paper and chat with Willard.
The doors slid open. The children hurried out. They glanced around. No one was sitting on the chairs or couches.
The Aldens looked beyond to the outer lobby. Then they saw Grandfather. Off in a corner, he was talking to someone — a man who carried a raincoat and a broad-brimmed hat.
“There he is!” Benny said, darting ahead.
Henry caught him. “Wait, Benny,” he said. “Let’s see what we can find out.” He put a finger to his lips, a signal for his sisters and brother to be quiet.
They crept to the wall between the two rooms and pressed themselves against it. One of the doors was propped open. Still, it was difficult to hear Grandfather’s words over the voices of the other people in the outer lobby. They did hear the tone; it sounded as if the two men were having a disagreement.
Henry motioned for the others to follow. He went through the doors. Then he stopped short. “Why, Grandfather!” he said, pretending to be surprised. “We were just looking for you.”
Mr. Alden’s face turned red and his eyes opened wide. He was genuinely surprised. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
The other man stepped forward. He held out his hand. “I’m Jacob Piper,” he said. “You must be the very special grandchildren I’ve heard so much about.”
The children shook his hand. They all said, “It’s nice to meet you.”
Something about the man seemed familiar.
Henry glanced at the raincoat and hat Mr. Piper carried. “Didn’t we see you here earlier?” he asked. “Talking to Willard?”
Mr. Piper looked at Mr. Alden, then back at the children. He didn’t respond. Instead, he said, “I want to take you out to dinner. I’ve been trying to persuade your grandfather.”
Mr. Alden recovered his voice. “I told Cob you were probably too tired. After all, you’ve had a busy day.”
Relief flooded the younger Aldens. So that’s what the two men had been talking about.
“I’m never too tired to eat,” Benny piped up.
Everyone laughed.
“So you’ll come?” Mr. Piper said. He sounded pleased.
“We’ll have to clean up and change,” Mr. Alden said.
Mr. Piper turned to Benny. “Can you wait that long?”
“I think so.” Benny sounded very serious — and uncertain.
Mr. Piper laughed. “Good,” he said. “Meet you in an hour.” He put on his hat and turned to leave. “Remember: X marks the spot,” he said as he went out the door.
That seemed a strange thing to say.
“X marks what spot?” Benny asked.
“We’ll find out,” Mr. Alden said. “Cob is fond of riddles.”
The younger Aldens were ready before their grandfather.
In the living room, Henry said, “Mr. Piper is the man we saw earlier — the man in the raincoat.”
Jessie nodded. “I thought so, too, Henry. But when you asked him, he didn’t answer.”
“Didn’t you say there was something striped sticking out of his pocket, Henry?” Violet asked.
“Yes. A railroad cap — the kind the man with the mustache wore.”
“I didn’t see anything like that,” Benny said.
“Mr. Piper was carrying the raincoat,” Henry responded. “It was all folded over. You couldn’t see his pockets.” He sighed. “But I was on the wrong track. He’s not the man with the mustache.”
Jessie sat down at the table. “Let’s look over the clues again,” she said.
They listed what they knew. The first clue had been given to them by Willard. The second was picked up outside the Water Tower. The third was at the Art Institute on the student bulletin board. Chad gave them that one. The fourth and final clue had been slipped under their door. Knowing where they had gotten the clues did not tell them who had written them.
“We know one thing for sure,” Henry concluded. “Chad was with us — or nearby — every time.”
It did seem likely that Chad was behind the mystery. But even though they had watched him for telltale signs of guilt, there had been none. He had certainly acted surprised to find the envelope on the student bulletin board. He had even suggested someone might be following them.
That thought prompted Violet to say, “Remember that man at the Art Institute? We thought he might be the man with the mustache.”
“But he wasn’t,” Benny said. “He didn’t have a mustache. Just bushy eyebrows.”
“The two men did look alike,” Henry said. “Both were balding and both were about the same size.”
Jessie nodded. “We thought they might be brothers.”
Grandfather came into the room. “Are we ready?” he asked.
Benny’s stomach growled. Everyone heard it.
Mr. Alden laughed. “I think that’s a yes!”
Because it was a warm, clear evening, they decided to walk.
Thinking about the mystery, Henry asked, “Grandfather, have you known Mr. Pipe
r for a long time?”
“For many years. I knew his father, too. And I watched Chad grow up.”
“Has he always been in the paper business?” Jessie asked.
Grandfather nodded. “And his father before him. Somewhere along the line, the family was connected with railroading. At one time, Chicago was the railroad center of the country.”
That pleased Benny. “Maybe I could ask Mr. Piper how I can get to be a railroad engineer.”
Mr. Alden chuckled. “I’m sure he could help,” he said. Grandfather stopped before a glass and steel building. “We’re here.”
The Alden children stepped back to look up. They couldn’t believe their eyes. Starting at the broad base and climbing to the narrower top were a series of gigantic steel X’s.
“X marks the spot,” the younger Aldens all said at once.
Grandfather laughed. “Right you are,” he said. “Another mystery solved!” He told them the name of the building: the John Hancock. “The X’s are not decoration; they’re essential to the structure,” he added as he glanced upward. “This was the tallest building in Chicago until the Sears Tower was built.”
They hurried inside to an elevator. It ascended so quickly their ears popped. The first stop was a restaurant on the ninety-fifth floor, where Jacob Piper was waiting.
He led them to a table by the windows.
Behind him, Henry and Jessie noticed something they hadn’t seen before: Mr. Piper’s dark hair framed a bald spot.
“Here we are,” Mr. Piper said.
Outside the windows, the lake and city stretched as far as the eye could see.
Beside them, Mr. Piper murmured, “No matter how many times I see this sight, it still thrills me.”
“And no wonder,” Grandfather said. “It’s spectacular.”
They sat down and opened their menus.
Benny read the selections. Everything looked good. He glanced at the prices. Everything was very expensive. He closed his menu. “Maybe I’m not so hungry after all.”
Mr. Piper seemed to read his mind. “This is my treat,” he said. “I come here on special occasions only. Meeting you finally, and our being together — that’s reason to celebrate.”
After that, they all relaxed.
Mr. Piper was easy to talk to. He told them about the paper business and about his family. “I hoped Chad could join us tonight,” he said, “but with work and school, he hasn’t much spare time.”
“Chad’s a very good artist,” Violet said. “And a very good teacher.”
Mr. Piper smiled. “He told me you were good, too, Violet.”
When their dinners arrived, Jessie said, “This looks beautiful — almost too good to eat.”
Benny picked up his fork. “No food looks that good,” he said.
Throughout the meal, Henry was distracted. Mr. Piper’s upper lip and lower forehead were red, and he kept scratching them.
Benny noticed it, too, and while they were waiting for dessert, he asked, “What’s that red stuff on your face, Mr. Piper?”
“Benny!” Jessie scolded.
“That’s all right, Jessie,” Mr. Piper said. “It does look strange. People have been asking me about it all week. It’s some kind of rash.”
“You must be allergic to something, Cob,” Mr. Alden said.
Mr. Piper smiled. “I wonder what it could be.”
Back at the apartment, the children went straight to bed. Grandfather sat down to read his newspaper.
The phone rang.
This time, all four Aldens heard it. Behind their doors, they listened carefully.
“I told you that before,” Grandfather said. “You just have to be patient.” And, “No, I won’t do that. Not yet.” There was a pause, then, “Trust me. It won’t be long.”
“Let’s go talk to the girls,” Benny whispered.
Henry shook his head. “Not now, Benny. Grandfather will hear us.”
Across the hall, Violet and Jessie had a similar conversation.
For now, there was nothing they could do.
CHAPTER 10
X Marks the Spot
Grandfather knocked on their doors. “Wake up, sleepyheads!” he called. “It’s another beautiful day in Chicago!”
For a few brief seconds, the younger Aldens forgot their concern. But when they were fully awake, the memory of last night’s telephone call resurfaced.
“Grandfather sounds cheerful,” Violet said. She was hoping they had been wrong. Perhaps the two late-night phone conversations did not mean trouble after all.
Jessie slipped into her slacks. “He does,” she agreed. But still she was fearful. Grandfather had a way of putting a good face on things. If he was in some kind of trouble, he would not want to worry them.
They went out into the hall. The boys’ door opened and Henry and Benny came out.
“Grandfather certainly sounds cheerful,” Henry said.
“He’s pretending,” Benny whispered.
The table was set with juice and fresh fruit and a big platter of sweet rolls.
“Well, there you are!” Grandfather said as they sat down. “I was up early,” he said. “I went to the bakery.” He held up a piece of paper. “But I remembered to leave a note in case you woke up and found me gone.”
Jessie and Henry looked at each other. They had left the clues spread out on this table. Their maps and leaflets were stacked at one end. Were the clues there? Had Grandfather seen them? If he had, wouldn’t he ask about them? How would they answer his questions?
Grandfather saw Jessie staring at the stack. “I piled those things together,” he said.
Surely he hadn’t noticed the clues.
“I’ll be busy all day today. What do you and Chad have planned?”
“We haven’t talked to him,” Henry said.
“He was here yesterday,” Benny put in, “just before we found —”
Jessie was quick to interrupt. “He was here when we got back from the museum,” she said, “but he didn’t have time to talk.”
Grandfather nodded. “That’s right.”
Violet said, “I’m hoping we can do some more sketching.”
“It’s a fine day for it.” Mr. Alden pushed his chair away from the table. “I guess I’d better get a move on.” He went into his bedroom.
Violet leaned close to the others. “Should we ask him about the phone calls?”
“There’s probably nothing to tell us,” Henry said. “He seems fine.”
Mr. Alden came in carrying a briefcase. “Can you find enough to do until Chad gets here?” he asked.
They all said, “Yes. Plenty!”
As soon as he was gone, Jessie dug through the pile of brochures. “Funny Grandfather didn’t see the clues,” she said as she spread them out.
Violet looked at them and sighed. “Where do we start?”
“Let’s not think about the writer of the clues,” Henry said.
Benny tapped the final clue. “We should solve this.”
Jessie turned the map over. She read the first four lines of the verse. “‘Buried deep/ Beneath the rest,’” she repeated.
“We might need a shovel for this one,” Henry joked.
“Read the rest, Jessie,” Benny said.
“‘Can you find/ A place like home …’”
“What does that mean?” Violet asked.
“Home could be Grandfather’s house,” Jessie said.
“Or our boxcar,” added Violet. “After all, that was our home once.”
Henry said, “The last part says, ‘Resting on/ A bed of stone.’”
Jessie frowned. “This is the hardest clue yet.”
Henry turned the paper over. “We’ve been to all the places pictured on this map.”
“Could that mean this clue leads to someplace we’ve already been?” Jessie said.
The telephone rang. Jessie answered. It was Chad.
“Something’s come up,” he said. “I’m sorry, but I can’t get there th
is morning.”
“Oh, that’s all right, Chad.”
“I may be able to get away this afternoon,” Chad went on. “If not, I’ll see you tonight.”
“Tonight?”
“At dinner with my father.”
Jessie was confused. “But we had dinner with him last night.”
After a brief silence, Chad said, “I … uh … maybe I misunderstood.” He told her he would phone later and hung up.
Jessie repeated his message.
They had mixed feelings about it: On the one hand, they were sorry to miss a morning of sightseeing; on the other, they were happy to have time to work on the clue.
“Chad didn’t seem to know we were with his father last night,” Jessie said.
Violet was puzzled. “But he must have been invited. Mr. Piper said Chad was too busy to be there.”
“Maybe Chad forgot,” Benny suggested.
“Or got the dates mixed up,” Henry added.
They returned their attention to the clue. But it was no use. They could not solve this part of the puzzle.
Henry turned the map this way and that, moving it close to his eyes and far away. “Look here,” he said at last. He pointed to several pictures: the Water Tower, the Art Institute, the Fire Academy.
A small X was penciled on each one.
“Those are the places the clues sent us to,” Violet observed.
“X marks the spot,” Henry said.
Benny jumped in his chair. “Mr. Piper said that!”
“Mr. Piper can’t be behind this,” Jessie said. “When would he have the time? He’s been at all those meetings with Grandfather ” She leaned toward the map. “Are there any other X’s?”
They took turns looking. On the first try, no one could find a single additional mark. Second time around, Violet saw something.
“This looks like an X.” She pointed it out to the others.
“You found it, Violet!” Benny said.
Henry’s mouth dropped open. “And it’s on the picture of the building we’re in!”
They were stunned to silence. Could this mean the final clue led right here? But where could the treasure be?
“Let’s go talk to Willard,” Jessie suggested. “Maybe he knows something about this building that would help.”
Willard smiled as the Aldens approached. “On your way out?”
Windy City Mystery Page 5