by Ron Roy
A short woman with gray hair sat at a table in a corner. She was stitching a pink dress. Three fingers on each hand were wrapped in Band-Aids. On the table were scissors, a jar of pins, and a tape measure. A ring of keys lay next to the scissors.
“Sofia is repairing a gown that ripped when someone stepped on it,” Mandy said.
“Why does she have all those Band-Aids on?” Ruth Rose asked.
“To protect her fingers,” Mandy said. “Those scissors and needles are sharp!”
Sofia looked up, smiled at the kids, and went back to her work.
In another corner, Dink noticed a small desk with a bulletin board above it. A few pictures had been pinned to the cork. Dink recognized Mandy with a smiling man in one picture. In another, Mandy was hugging a dog, with ocean water in the background.
Next to the desk were a sink and mirror under a small window. A row of miniature bottles sat on a shelf above the window. Each bottle was filled with a different-colored liquid.
“What’s in those little jars?” Dink asked.
“Paint,” Mandy said. “We use it for quick repairs. The shoes get scuffed up a lot from tourists stepping on them. Sometimes our cleaning crew’s vacuum cleaners bang up against the shoes. When that happens, we just choose the right paint color and touch up the scuff. If it gets real bad, we replace the shoe.”
Josh pointed to a jar of glass eyes. “They look like marbles!” he said. “Marbles that stare at you!”
“Those are old,” Mandy said. “We have better methods for making eyes now. If you come back, I’ll show you how we do it.”
She waved a hand around the room. “As you can see, we have thousands of clothing changes,” she went on. “If that little boy vomits on anyone else, we can get that outfit dry-cleaned and dress the figure in the spare outfit.”
“This is amazing,” Josh said. They were surrounded by hundreds of suits, jackets, dresses, fur coats, hats, scarves, canes, and uniforms. One rack held hundreds of neckties.
“Why is everything inside those cases?” Dink asked.
“To protect the clothing from getting dusty,” Mandy said.
“How do you find what you need?” Ruth Rose asked.
“Each rack is labeled,” Mandy said. “For example, world leaders, the Royal Family, and sports figures are all on separate racks. And each outfit has a tag with the figure’s name. Of course, every item of clothing is also in our computer.”
They heard a soft bell sound.
“Six o’clock, closing time,” Mandy said. She led the kids and Dink’s dad toward the exit.
It was still raining when they left the museum.
“I have to check in at the conference one last time,” Dink’s father said. “I’ll meet you at the hotel later.”
“Okay, bye, Dad,” Dink said. Josh and Ruth Rose waved.
Mr. Duncan stepped to the curb and raised his hand for a taxi. A shiny black cab pulled over, and Mr. Duncan stepped inside. He waved as the cab sped away.
“Race you back!” Ruth Rose yelled. Hopping over puddles, they dashed to their hotel, around the corner from the museum. Soon they burst into the hotel lobby, damp and laughing.
The hotel was called Welcome House. Two hundred years earlier, the small brick building had been a private home. Dink’s father had picked it because it was close to the museum, shops, and restaurants.
A small plaque near the doorbell read:
IN 1888, JACK THE RIPPER MURDERED AT LEAST FIVE WOMEN IN LONDON. ONE OF THE VICTIMS LIVED IN THIS BUILDING. THE UNKNOWN KILLER WAS NEVER CAUGHT.
“They never caught the guy,” Josh whispered. He poked Dink’s back.
Dink shivered. “When we were on the tour last night, I kept thinking Jack the Ripper was following us,” he said. “Those dark, narrow streets were creepy!”
“He must be dead, Dink,” Ruth Rose said. She rang the bell. “If Jack the Ripper was alive, he’d be at least 150 years old!”
“But what if his ghost was following us?” Josh whispered. “What if his next victim is a kid named Dink? What if—”
A tall man with red hair opened the door. The name tag pinned to his sweater said DAMON FOX, MANAGER.
“How was the museum?” Damon asked. “I assume Ian took good care of you.”
The kids followed Damon into the lobby.
“You know Ian?” Dink asked.
“He’s my cousin,” Damon said.
“We saw all these amazing fake people,” Josh said. “Hey, has anyone ever told you that you look like Prince Harry?”
Damon Fox blushed. “Yes, I’ve heard that quite a few times,” he said.
“Did you hear about the queen’s jewels getting stolen?” Ruth Rose asked Damon.
He nodded. “It’s been on TV for two days, and the story’s in all the newspapers,” he said.
He reached toward a stack of London Times papers at one end of the counter. “Take one with you if you’d like,” he said, handing Dink a paper. Dink noticed a round bandage stuck to the back of Damon’s left hand.
Welcome House had no elevator, so the kids climbed the stairs to their rooms on the second floor. Dink shared a room with Josh, and Ruth Rose had the one next door. Dink’s father’s room was across the hall.
In Dink and Josh’s room, the three kids grabbed bed pillows and flopped on the floor. Josh turned on the TV set and Dink opened the newspaper.
A weather forecast was on TV. The weatherwoman was apologizing for all the rain. “Rain yesterday, rain today, more rain tonight,” she said. “Typical April weather in England!”
“Hey, look, here’s a story about the queen’s jewelry!” Dink said.
He read the headline:
Below the story was a picture of the queen wearing a tiara and necklace like the ones the kids had seen on her wax figure.
“There’s a reward?” Josh said. “Cool, we should try to get it! How much is ten thousand pounds in American money?”
“Wait a second,” Ruth Rose said. She pulled her guidebook out of her backpack. She flipped a few pages. “Here it is.” She counted silently for a few seconds. “Ten thousand British pounds is around fifteen thousand U.S. dollars.”
“Oh my gosh!” Josh said. He did a little math on his fingers. “That means if we solve the crime, we each get about five thousand dollars!”
“Dude, don’t start spending that money,” Dink said. He flipped his pillow at Josh. “If Scotland Yard can’t find these guys, three fourth graders sure can’t.”
Josh tapped his head. “But they don’t have the mighty Josh brain!” he said.
Dink fell over laughing. “You don’t, either!” he said.
Ruth Rose clicked off the TV set. She stared at Dink and Josh. “What if we could solve the Royal Mystery?” she asked quietly.
Josh looked at her. “Are you serious?”
Ruth Rose nodded. “Why not? We have a couple more days before we go home.”
“But how?” Dink asked. “We don’t know anything.”
“Sure we do.” Ruth Rose held up five fingers. “One: the queen left Buckingham Palace with her jewels. Two: she drove to Windsor Castle. Three: she saw her two grandsons standing in the rain.”
“Except they weren’t really her grandsons,” Josh put in.
“I know,” Ruth Rose said. “Then, four: she stopped and rolled down her window. Five: one of the robbers reached in and grabbed the jewel case.”
“And number six, her pooch bit the guy,” Josh said.
“And seven, the queen saw some letters on a bumper sticker,” Dink added.
Ruth Rose found that part of the newspaper story. “U-A-S-S and E-M-A-D,” she read out loud. “Eight letters. Are they words?”
“Yeah,” Josh joked, “in some other language.”
“I wonder what they mean,” Dink said.
Josh stretched out on the floor and looked at the ceiling. “It means Josh solves the mystery!” he said. “I want a helicopter like the one we saw the other day! Do you think I can
buy a helicopter with fifteen thousand dollars?”
Dink and Ruth Rose laughed.
Then they heard something outside the bedroom door.
Whatever it was made a soft scratching noise.
Dink walked to the door. He listened but didn’t hear anything else. “Who is it?” he asked.
“Jack,” a deep voice said. Dink heard more scratching. “Let me in.”
Dink gulped. “Jack who?” he asked.
Then he heard his father’s laugh. “Jack the Ripper!”
Dink unlocked the door and yanked it open. “Very funny, Dad,” Dink said.
“I thought so,” Mr. Duncan said. He walked into the room and took off his damp jacket and cap.
“Mr. Duncan, we’ve been reading more about the queen’s jewels being stolen,” Josh said.
Dink’s dad nodded. “It’s all anyone’s talking about,” he said. “Unbelievable how the robbers pulled it off. Imagine disguising themselves as the queen’s own grandsons!”
“It could have been an inside job!” Josh said. “I’ll bet someone at Buckingham Palace stole the jewels!”
“Yeah,” Dink said. “Maybe the butler did it!”
Mr. Duncan smiled. “Sounds like you kids want to solve another mystery,” he said.
“There’s a monster reward!” Josh said.
Mr. Duncan walked back to the door. “I’m taking us out to dinner tonight,” he said, looking at his watch. “How about seven-thirty?”
“Thanks, Dad,” Dink said. “See you later.”
“Keep your door locked,” Mr. Duncan said to Dink. “They never caught Jack the Ripper. He might be hiding around here somewhere!”
Dink laughed. “Josh will protect us,” he said. But he locked the door behind his father.
“I still think the robbers might be someone in Buckingham Palace,” Josh said.
“You mean someone who works there?” Dink asked. He flopped on his bed.
“Yeah,” Josh said. “In the movies, it’s always the butler or the gardener.”
“Well, if it was an inside job,” Ruth Rose said, “why wouldn’t it be someone at Windsor Castle? She was driving there for her birthday party.”
“You’re right,” Dink said. “The newspaper said she stopped her car a few meters from the Windsor Castle gate.”
“How much is a meter?” Josh asked.
Ruth Rose grabbed her guidebook and flipped to the index. “A meter is a little more than one yard,” she said.
“And she saw the getaway car!” Josh added. “Maybe she remembers the license plate number.”
“She told the police about the bumper sticker,” Dink said. “But no license plate.”
Ruth Rose sat on the end of Dink’s bed.
Josh stretched out on his own bed.
They looked at each other.
“We should go to Windsor Castle,” Ruth Rose announced.
“Why?” Dink asked.
“To look for clues,” Ruth Rose said.
Josh sat up. “What kind of clues?” he asked.
“We won’t know until we find them, Josh!” Ruth Rose said.
Josh grinned at her and Dink. “So when do you want to go?”
“Really?” Ruth Rose said.
“Sure, why not?” Josh said. “It would be cool to have our pictures in the London Times. ‘Connecticut Kids Catch Crooks.’ ”
“We can go tomorrow,” Ruth Rose said. “I’ll ask Damon how to get there.”
The next morning, the kids crowded in front of Damon at the hotel counter. “We want to go to Windsor Castle,” Ruth Rose said. “How do we get there?” Today her color was blue, from her sneakers to her hat.
“Easy peasy,” Damon said. “Walk along Baker Street until you get to Marylebone Road, then go stand on the other side of Marylebone. Watch for bus twenty-three. There will be a lot of other buses, so be sure to wait for the one that says Berkshire or Windsor Castle.”
“What’s Berkshire?” Dink asked.
“The county where Windsor Castle is located,” Damon said.
“Can we use our London Passes?” Dink asked.
Damon nodded. “Yes, but only so many people are allowed into the castle at one time. You may not be able to get on a tour today. The grounds are beautiful, though, and you can walk around. You might even see deer or peacocks!”
“Thanks, Damon,” Ruth Rose said.
“Have fun,” he said. “And watch those peacocks. They like to bite tourists!”
The kids hurried up Baker Street. They crossed Marylebone Road and stood next to a bus stop sign.
“It would have to rain again,” Josh said. He was wearing a hooded sweatshirt. Dink and Ruth Rose wore baseball caps.
“But it’s only light rain,” Dink commented. “Back home, it pours in April.”
They watched several buses go by. None was number 23.
Cars and trucks whizzed by, splattering rain everywhere.
Finally, the right bus came along. They showed the driver their London Passes.
“We’re going to see Windsor Castle,” Dink said.
The driver grinned. “Be careful not to get close to the peacocks,” he said. “They’ll take one of your fingers clean off you!”
The kids sat behind the driver. Twenty-five minutes later, he pulled up to a tall fence. The gate was open.
“Just walk up that long drive to the castle,” the driver said. “A bus comes here about every forty-five minutes, till six. After that, you’re on your own.”
The kids hopped off the bus and walked through the black iron gates. Soft rain plopped on the trees, bushes, and bright green lawn.
The first thing they saw was a peacock with his tail in the air. He stared at the kids with shiny black eyes.
The kids stopped.
“He doesn’t look happy to see us,” Josh whispered.
“Why don’t you go pet him?” Dink asked.
“No way!” Josh said. “I like having ten fingers!”
Ruth Rose opened her pack. She pulled out a small bunch of grapes that she’d snitched from breakfast. “Watch this,” she said.
Ruth Rose waved the grapes toward the peacock. Then she threw them as far as she could. When the peacock chased the fruit, the kids ran up the long drive.
“Nice arm,” Josh told Ruth Rose.
“Easy peasy,” Ruth Rose said.
Up ahead of them, tall bushes lined the narrow drive. To Dink, it was like walking through a wet green tunnel. On both sides, the bushes dripped water.
Josh stopped walking. He pointed between two bushes. “I think I just saw a troll,” he whispered.
“Trolls live under bridges,” Ruth Rose said.
“No, really,” Josh said.
He pointed between some bushes on their left side. “I know I saw something moving back there. It was pushing a wagon with a dead body in it!”
The three kids stopped walking and tried to peer through the bushes. They heard swishing noises.
Dink saw something dark moving. It was hunched over, and it did look like a troll!
“It’s probably just a peacock,” Ruth Rose said.
“Maybe it’s a deer,” Dink said. He hoped he was right.
Then they heard a clunk and something thudding on the ground.
“That’s a noisy deer,” Josh whispered.
They saw a shadowy figure, who suddenly stepped out from behind the bushes. He was hunched over a wheelbarrow, pushing it across the drive. The man was tall. He wore jeans, a rain hat and jacket, and rubber boots. The wheelbarrow held plants, gardening tools, and a long shovel.
“Just a gardener,” Ruth Rose said. “Not a troll. And no dead body!”
“I’ll bet he’s one of the robbers,” Josh whispered. “He’s probably hiding the queen’s jewels under all that stuff in the wheelbarrow.”
“Gee, Josh, why don’t you tackle him, then call those detectives at Scotland Yard?” Ruth Rose asked. “You’ll get the reward!”
“I know he’
s a robber,” Josh said under his breath. “I can tell by the way he’s staring at us.”
Dink grinned. “He’s staring at you!” he said. “He’s never seen so many freckles before!”
When the kids got closer, they discovered that the wheelbarrow pusher was a woman. She smiled at the kids.
“Nice weather, eh?” the woman said. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were red. Frizzy brown hair surrounded her face. Rain dripped off her hat.
“Does it always rain in England?” Josh asked.
The woman nodded. “Especially in April,” she said. “If you’re here for a castle tour, the next one isn’t until two o’clock. But you can hike around, if you like getting wet!”
Ruth Rose pulled a small umbrella out of her pack. “My guidebook says always bring one with you to England!” she said.
The woman grinned at the kids. “Mind the peacocks. They like to bite kids from the United States.”
“How can you tell that’s where we’re from?” Josh asked.
The woman laughed. “You’ve got funny accents, luv,” she said.
Dink remembered that Mandy had said Prince William and his brother were very tall. The robbers must be tall, too, he figured. Otherwise, how could the queen have been fooled?
The woman standing in front of them was at least six feet tall.
Could Josh be right? Dink wondered. Could this friendly woman be one of the robbers?
“Are there any tall guys working here?” Dink asked the woman.
She laughed. “Only me, luv. All the men are shorties!” she said, then pushed her wheelbarrow onto a field.
The kids hiked along the drive. Fields of tall grass and wildflowers grew on both sides. A few ancient trees dripped rainwater. A grazing deer noticed the kids and bounded out of sight.
In the distance, they saw the castle. It loomed out of the mist like a castle in a fairy tale. The massive stone walls gleamed in the rain.
“Gosh, that place is bigger than our whole town back home!” Josh said.
“It’s like a city,” Dink said.
They heard a dog barking somewhere ahead of them. Then a voice called, “Come, you lot!”