Clocks and Robbers

by Dan Poblocki

  They crossed Main Street and finally reached their destination. The library was now closed, the windows dark. The tall clock appeared to be staring up and down the street, on the lookout for danger. The half-moon window, through which the cherry peeked, grinned as if congratulating them on their hard work. “Right back where we started,” said Viola quietly, almost to herself.

  Rosie clutched the key in her hand. For a moment, the object seemed to throb, but then Rosie realized it was her heart making her feel this way. “Look,” she whispered. “Near the base. A small hole. A perfect fit.”

  “Do it,” said Sylvester.

  Someone coughed, and the group froze. They immediately knew that they were not alone. Stepping from the shadows, Phineas Galby appeared, wearing a wide, frightening smile. He held his hands out to them. “You have something for me?”

  Rosie spoke up, saying the first thing that came to mind. “But it’s not Monday yet.”

  “I don’t care what day it is,” said Phineas. “I want what belongs to me.” He began to walk forcefully toward them. He was no longer playing games. The clock was the only thing between him and the Question Marks.

  Woodrow shouted, “Run!”

  Slipping on the snow, the group turned and ran back in the direction of the abandoned store. Phineas huffed and puffed not far behind them. They reached Main Street, unsure which way to go. They needed a place to hide. But Phineas’s footsteps were coming closer. Leading the way, Woodrow was about to head toward the diner when a voice called out from across the street.

  “Woodrow!” It was Bill. He stood just outside One Cent Savings and Trust. Woodrow had never been so happy to see him. The group raced toward the bank, leaving Phineas flabbergasted and out of breath on the other side of the road. Bill stared for a few intense seconds at the man who’d been chasing the kids. Then as if flipping a switch, he greeted the group jovially. “Your mom’s been looking for you!” he said loudly, as if he wanted Phineas to hear him. “Enough games for today. You kids must be freezing. Come inside.” He nodded at the bank. Then, glancing back across the street, he called to Phineas, “And good night to you. Hope you make it safely back to where you belong. Roads in these parts can be dangerous on nights like these.”

  Woodrow’s throat began to close. Why was Bill talking to Phineas as if he knew him? Suddenly, he wasn’t sure following Bill was the best idea either. But now, what choice did they have?

  The bank was warm. Bill told them to wait in his office while he closed up.

  After a few seconds, Sylvester spoke up. “What the heck just happened?”

  Still clutching the key, Rosie shook her head. “I knew we should have told our parents what was happening. About the treasure.”

  “Treasure?” said a female voice from the hallway outside the office. The door swung the rest of the way open. When they saw who was there with Bill, the Question Marks all stood. Shocked. Ms. Dzielski, their principal, wore a long black coat. She crossed her arms and bit her bottom lip. “What treasure?”

  Bill sighed. “Margaret, we don’t need to confuse them any more than we already have. They’ve come this far. Now it’s time we gave them answers.”

  As it turned out, the man who called himself Phineas Galby was not the only one who’d been tracking the Question Marks on their journey through Moon Hollow that day. Another group had been paying close attention to them ever since their discovery of Clintock’s clock clues at the beginning of November.

  Ms. Dzielski sat behind Bill’s desk, looking just as authoritative as she had on the day she’d invited them into her office. Bill stood beside her. “Let me start by saying you’ve all behaved really irresponsibly,” said the principal. “Sneaking around, not telling anyone what you were up to, especially after being approached by a complete stranger who obviously has some screws loose …”

  Each of the four blushed, their faces burning. Was she going to give them detention, make them write one-thousand-word essays, expel them? Could she even do that here, they wondered?

  “Margaret,” said Bill, with a hint of frustration, “we agreed.”

  Ms. Dzielski sighed. “Sorry. There’s something you kids need to know. The society you ‘discovered,’ the Timekeepers of Moon Hollow … Well, they still exist.”

  “You’re looking at two of them,” said Bill.

  “What?” said Woodrow, glancing up at his mom’s new boyfriend, all of his suspicions suddenly confirmed.

  “We’ve been keeping tabs on you four,” Ms. Dzielski continued. “We needed to find out exactly what you knew about us. That’s one of the reasons I asked you to my office a month ago.”

  “And is that why Bill kept asking me about the mysteries my friends and I try to figure out?” said Woodrow, trying to control his temper. “Is that why you started going out with my mom?”

  Now it was Bill’s turn to blush. “Of course not. You know your mother and I met each other before you guys took on the mystery of the clocks.”

  “But you still used my mom to get close to me,” Woodrow insisted. “You said it yourself. You wanted to know what we knew—if we were keeping anything else a secret.”

  “You wanted to know if we knew anything about the treasure!” said Sylvester, sticking up for his friend.

  Bill shook his head. “I’m sorry if that’s what you think, Woodrow. But your mom and I would have become close even if the Timekeepers never existed.”

  Ms. Dzielski added, “It was our duty though, as members, to try to learn what we could. The secrets of the Timekeepers have never been compromised before. We are more than pleased with how you worked it all out. If it wasn’t for your curiosity, we might never have learned the whereabouts of the first Timekeepers’ so-called treasure.”

  The four were so shocked they couldn’t move. “You mean, all this time, you didn’t know where it was?” Woodrow managed to ask.

  The principal shook her head. “Once Bill and I realized that you hadn’t already discovered the treasure, we hoped that you’d eventually look for it. We could tell you were onto something today, and we’ve been watching with interest. When we saw you approaching from down the block, Bill snuck back inside the bank. I thought I’d have a better view from the old space next door, which is owned collectively by the Timekeepers. I didn’t mean to leave the entrance unlocked—but then, I didn’t expect that was where you were headed.” She shrugged. “Once you were inside, I stayed quiet, hidden in the workroom closet. I was flabbergasted when you discovered that key and reasoned out what it opened. To think it had been right under our noses all along! After you left the store, I ran and told Bill what had happened. We were about to follow you there and reveal everything. But then that man showed up. He chased you. And plans changed. I’m sorry you had to go through that.”

  “What you four accomplished is astounding,” said Bill. “Years ago, Mr. Clintock left a trail of clues leading to three parcels, which we now know the Timekeepers had hidden in each of his clocks. He hoped that the society would continue on forever, but in case it did not, I suppose he wanted to be sure that the parcels would not be lost. The clues were a long lost map, one we were unaware of—but you four followed it perfectly.”

  “Why did you trust us?” asked Viola.

  “We spent plenty of time trying to learn if we could,” said Bill. “You might remember that interview you all gave to that reporter, Darlene Reese, a few weeks ago? Haven’t you wondered why the article was never published?”

  “Yeah!” said Sylvester. “Whatever happened to her?”

  “She’s doing just fine,” said Ms. Dzielski. “I know, because she’s my sister, as well as a member of the Timekeepers. She lives in the hills on the outskirts of town.”

  “She’s not a reporter?” Viola asked, disappointed.

  Ms. Dzielski shook her head. “I’m sorry. We needed to find out if you knew any more than what you’d told the Herald.”

  “But what we learned is that you all want to help people,” said Bill. “So
do we. We tend to be a little more secretive than you four, but both of our groups are most definitely mysterious.”

  “Which brings us to the point of this conversation,” said Ms. Dzielski. She glanced at Bill, who nodded at her. “We’d like to ask you to join us.”

  The group gasped.

  “You want us to be Timekeepers?” said Woodrow.

  “Why not?” asked Bill. “You’ve proven yourselves worthy. Besides, you already know so much about us.”

  “With your parents’ permission, we’d love all of you to participate,” said Ms. Dzielski.

  “What would we have to do?” Viola asked.

  “You could come to meetings,” said Bill. “You know where they are, don’t you?”

  The four of them laughed.

  “Or you could simply keep doing what you’re doing,” said Ms. Dzielski. “Being good detectives. Helping your friends, your families, the people of Moon Hollow—that is the spirit of the Timekeepers.”

  Viola, Sylvester, Rosie, and Woodrow all looked at one another. They didn’t even need to speak, except to say one word all together: “Yes!”

  “Good,” said Ms. Dzielski. “I must make one request.” She smiled at Rosie and held out her hand. “The key, please.” Rosie gave it one last squeeze, then gave it back.

  “I have a question,” said Viola. “You implied Mr. Clintock’s parcels are not exactly a real treasure. If they aren’t a treasure, then what are they?”

  Bill and the principal smiled. “What is it that the Timekeepers keep?” asked Bill.

  Viola raised an eyebrow. “Time?”

  “Exactly,” said Ms. Dzielski. “And how does one keep time?”

  “Clocks?” Woodrow answered.

  The principal chuckled. “True, clocks literally keep time. But years ago, when Mr. Clintock put together his plans to help build up this town and make it as special a place as he could, he and his friends decided to mark the occasion. Inside each clock is a time capsule, filled with objects that every member thought was important to the time in which they lived.”

  “Phineas Galby said the Timekeepers’ treasure was priceless,” said Sylvester.

  “Priceless is a relative term,” answered Bill. “So is treasure. If we were to open the parcels, we’d probably find letters, newspaper clippings, maybe some trophies or toys. Little things that were important to the very first members of the group. Pieces of our shared history. Yes, the items inside might get some cash at auction. But not much.”

  “None of the parcels have been opened since Mr. Clintock and the original Timekeepers locked them away,” said Ms. Dzielski. “We’d like to keep it that way.”

  22

  THE TIME CAPSULES

  So much can happen in only a few days.

  On Friday evening after the snowstorm, the Question Marks Mystery Club waited at Woodrow’s driveway for Bill to pick everyone up for the meeting at the college’s gatehouse. He’d have to switch cars with Mrs. Knox for the evening in order for all five of them to fit, but she didn’t have a problem with that.

  In fact, when Bill had asked each of their parents if Woodrow, Sylvester, Viola, and Rosie could join the Timekeepers of Moon Hollow, he was met with mild disbelief. All were surprised to hear not only that the “secret society” still existed, but that Bill was a senior member. But once he explained what the group was all about, the parents allowed their children to decide.

  Obviously, they’d already made their decision.

  Most of the snow had melted, but Bill drove slowly up into the hills, watchful for black ice. He parked on Cherry Tree Lane, not far from the gatehouse. When everyone got out, they noticed a small group of people huddled across the street from the college entrance on the small patio where one of Clintock’s clocks stood. The four recognized some faces from around town, including Principal Dzielski’s sister, Darlene, who eventually apologized to the Question Marks for her deception. Viola thought it was cool that this group had been able to keep themselves a secret for such a long time. What must they have thought when the Question Marks had uncovered the clues in the clock? For the first time since learning that the Timekeepers were still around, Viola felt embarrassed. She and her friends had caused such trouble for them!

  Yesterday, the man who had called himself Phineas Galby was caught by police after trying to smash the clock face at the library. He insisted to them that there was a great treasure hidden inside. His argument didn’t help him, and he was currently being held in the Moon Hollow Police station. Luckily, the clock survived without a crack.

  Tonight, a small ladder was propped up against the side of the Cherry Tree Lane clock. Ms. Dzielski stood nearby. The group of Timekeepers parted as they noticed Bill coming up the street with the Question Marks. “Everyone ready?” Bill asked.

  The principal held up the key that Sylvester had found in the toolbox in the abandoned store on Maple Avenue. Then she knelt down at the base of the clock. She inserted the key into the small hole there, and turned it to the right. A soft mechanical sound filled the icy night air. A motor whirred inside the bulbous clock head, then with an almost inaudible click, one of the faces unlocked, revealing a small dark gap. An older gentleman—Viola recognized him as Mr. Fredericks, owner of a local antiques shop — stepped up on the ladder and pulled the clock face the rest of the way open. Inside, gears and cogs glinted, reflecting ghostly light from nearby streetlamps. Mr. Fredericks reached inside, into a gap underneath the clockworks, and pulled out a large wooden box. He handed the box to someone else on the ground.

  “One down,” said Ms. Dzielski. “Two to go.”

  The Timekeepers traveled to the other clocks around town, using the key to remove the other parcels. After what Phineas Galby had done, everyone understood how vulnerable the “treasures” were. It was time to make a change. Mr. Clintock’s clues had certainly worked as a map. The Question Marks had tested it out. But in order to protect the time capsules now, they needed to be moved. Bill set up three large safety deposit boxes at One Cent Savings and Trust. That’s where the group would deliver the parcels at the end of the night, to be left unopened, as Mr. Clintock and the original members of the society had wished.

  After the meeting was over and the deed was done, Bill switched cars at Woodrow’s house. The Question Marks all went inside to talk about what they’d just experienced.

  Sitting in the Knoxes’ kitchen, eating popcorn, Woodrow asked, “Does anyone else wish we could have peeked inside the time capsules?”

  “I’m totally curious,” said Viola. “But I understand why they had to remain sealed.”

  “I don’t,” said Sylvester.

  “Good things come to those who wait,” said Rosie. “And who knows, maybe we’ll be around someday when the Timekeepers decide it’s time to reveal the contents.”

  Viola nodded. “You have to admit though, it was pretty cool to watch Ms. Dzielski open all the clocks tonight. To think that for all these years, no one knew there were secrets inside.”

  “And now those secrets are safe again,” said Woodrow.

  The Timekeepers weren’t the only ones who had new business with Bill’s bank that week. After nearly losing her savings, Sylvester’s grandmother finally decided to start a new account. Bill helped her set up some investments, and she was happy to have the help. Woodrow was beginning to change his mind about his mom’s relationship. He thought that maybe Bill was actually kind of cool, and it wasn’t just because Bill had invited Woodrow to be part of his secret society. Woodrow had to admit that Bill was nice to his mom. He could be funny when he tried. And best of all, he treated Woodrow like a friend. Woodrow knew he’d been overly suspicious. He felt bad about it.

  Woodrow now knew that there was only one way to win at the Strangers Game. Gather all the details you want, he thought; you still have to find out if your theories are right. To do that, despite what adults always say, you do have to talk to strangers. If you’re lucky, later, the stranger is no longer so strange.
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  “What do we do now?” Viola asked, leaning back in her chair, glancing at Woodrow, Sylvester, and Rosie.

  “I have an idea,” said Woodrow. He leapt up from the table, then dashed out of the kitchen.

  “Where’s he off to?” said Rosie.

  “Should we follow him?” asked Sylvester.

  But before any of them could stand, Woodrow appeared in the doorway holding a large cardboard box that he’d pulled out of the recycling bin. He plopped it down on the kitchen table. Then, grabbing a pen from a drawer next to the refrigerator, Woodrow proceeded to scribble something on the box. When he was done, he showed his friends what he’d written.

  the question marks mystery capsule

  “I thought that maybe we could make our own. We’ll each put in a few things that are important to us. Then we can seal it up and hide it away somewhere. And years from now, someone will find it and try to figure out who we were. I think it could be really cool.”

  Everyone agreed.

  Sylvester, Rosie, and Viola rushed off to their houses to search for items to put in the box, promising Woodrow they’d be back in only a few minutes. He continued to sit at the kitchen table. He clicked the pen he’d grabbed from the drawer. He looked at it more closely, reading the words printed along the side. One Cent Savings and Trust. After a moment, Woodrow clicked the pen one last time. Then, very carefully, he laid it inside the cardboard box and waited for his friends to return with their own secret treasures.

  BONUS

  CLUES AT THE WHITE ELEPHANT

  (A ??? MYSTERY)

  On Christmas morning, a frosty sun rose over Moon Hollow, trying desperately to break through a thin blanket of violet clouds. Snowy remnants of mid-December storms lay in drifts against the houses and storefronts. Patches of brown grass poked up through otherwise icy white lawns. In the air above the neighborhood, a singular clue revealed the warmth that existed inside the quiet buildings below: the hushed haze of chimney smoke. It wafted on a slight breeze, easing leisurely toward the frozen water of the Hudson River. Fires in fireplaces kept early-risers warm, as children opened presents and parents sipped coffee and cocoa from steaming mugs.