London Art Chase

by Natalie Grant

“I’m sorry, Mom,” Maddie said. “You even left your concert early, didn’t you?”

  “Nothing is more important than my girls,” Mom said, putting her hands on Maddie’s knees. “Of course, you understand that you will have a consequence. Dad and I will talk about that. But I want you to know that we forgive you and we know you’ll learn from this.”

  “Lulu and Mia are still angry with me,” Maddie said. “I want to make it right with them, and with Miss Julia too.”

  Mom nodded. “That is a tough one, but I think the best thing to do is to face it head-on. Maybe we can talk with your sisters over ice cream? What do you think?”

  Maddie smiled a slow smile. “Okay. I’ll go talk to Miss Julia now.”

  When Maddie had finished talking to Miss Julia, she came into the living room, where Dad was entertaining everyone with a snappy rendition of “This Little Light of Mine.”

  “Dad’s working on our song,” Mia said, obviously forgetting for a moment to give Maddie the silent treatment.

  “Can I hear it?” Maddie asked, trying not to think about having to actually sing the song onstage and just enjoy the moment.

  “Why don’t we hear one round of it, and then ice cream for all,” Mom said.

  Dad started back at the beginning, and by the end, Mia, Mom, Lulu, and even Maddie were dancing and singing along. Maybe she still had some explaining to do, but she could see that things would be okay in the end. Please, God. Help me have great courage, the way Mom said, Maddie prayed, as they went out in search of an ice cream parlor.

  THIRTY-THREE

  I want a double-decker cone,” Lulu said, pointing out the ice cream flavors she’d chosen. “With chocolate fudge and mint chocolate chip.”

  “May I have a cup with two scoops, Mom?” Mia asked.

  “Yes, this afternoon, we’re having the works. Ice cream before dinner, even,” Mom said.

  Mia ordered chocolate peanut butter and vanilla bean, and Maddie chose just one scoop of mint chocolate chip in a cup. She would save it until after the hard part was over, so she could really enjoy it.

  The girls found a table, and Mia and Lulu sat opposite Mom and Maddie. Lulu dug into her ice cream right away, but Mia held off, watching Mom.

  “Can we talk about what happened now?” Mia asked.

  “Yes,” Mom said. “I think it’s time to talk.”

  “What I don’t understand is why Maddie isn’t in tons of trouble. I mean, she snuck out. Across London. And here she is eating ice cream.”

  “You’re right, Mia,” Mom said. “Sneaking out was very wrong. And Dad and I will talk about a fair consequence. But remember, we aim for consequences that fit the situation. Maddie has already faced some pretty tough consequences today, so I think a little ice cream is okay. I’ll let her tell you about the day, and you can see for yourself.”

  Maddie told the story again, about how she felt like every last person was staring at her as she walked down the London streets, and then about watching Aria sell the painting and not being able to do a thing about it. She explained how she’d run into Mr. Hughes, and then the chase to Aria’s flat.

  “Just like our chase earlier today,” Lulu said. “But faster and farther. I wish I was there!”

  “I was only thinking about solving the mystery.” Maddie poked her ice cream with her spoon, but still didn’t take a bite. “I didn’t think about what it would feel like to watch Aria be arrested. The bobby clipped handcuffs on her and walked her out of her house, probably to go to jail for a very long time.

  “I also didn’t think about how it would feel to be out in London without you two,” Maddie said. “The whole time, I wanted you there with me. Mia, I knew you’d have a better idea what to do when Aria was selling the painting. Maybe if you’d been there, you could have helped me. And Lulu, I know you would have made the whole thing more fun. But the truth is, none of us really should have been there today. I should have told Mr. Hughes about Aria somehow, and then left it up to him. I thought I was trying to do everything I could to get someone to listen to me. Now I see that I could have tried harder. I could have thought more about asking for help instead of trying to do everything on my own.”

  “You know what I think?” Mom said, putting an arm around Maddie. “I think that even though Maddie did some very wrong things today, she was also very brave. She stood up against what she knew was wrong, and she helped Mr. Hughes and the National Gallery. I have a feeling that the Renoir will be found very soon.”

  “I’m sorry, Mia,” Maddie said. “When you said we shouldn’t sneak out, I should have listened to you. I should have figured out something else, like waking up Miss Julia or calling Mr. Hughes, or something. And Lulu, I’m sorry I hurt your feelings.”

  “I wish the Glimmer girls could have solved the case together,” Lulu said. “It would have been our very first real case.”

  “I think we did solve the case together,” Maddie said. “How would we have found Mr. Hughes’ office if you hadn’t charged into all of those guards at Buckingham Palace?”

  “Charged into . . . what?” Mom asked.

  “Ummmm,” Mia said, jumping in quickly. “They all brushed themselves off and were fine.”

  “Anyway,” Maddie said, pushing on, relieved that Mom was smiling, despite the fact they hadn’t answered her question. “If Lulu hadn’t done that, and Mia, if you hadn’t chased after Mr. Hughes with me the first time, we’d never have found the office, and I’d never have overheard Aria. So, really, we all did solve the case together.”

  “Glimmer girls to the rescue!” Lulu shouted, and then clapped her hands over her mouth as everyone in the parlor turned to stare. “Oops!”

  “Will you forgive me?” Maddie asked.

  “Yes, of course.” Mia smiled and took her first bite of ice cream. “Mmmm.”

  “Me too!” Lulu’s next bite was so giant she nearly couldn’t fit the spoon into her mouth.

  “Watch out, you’ll get brain freeze,” Mom said, laughing.

  Maddie grinned and took her first bite too. The minty-creamy taste was delicious, and even more delicious because she knew that everything would be okay now. Maybe even Aria would be okay in the end.

  “What do you say we finish up and then invite Dad and Miss Julia to come with us to ride the London Eye?” Mom asked.

  “What’s that?” Mia asked.

  “The giant Ferris wheel,” Mom said. “It’s not like any Ferris wheel we’ve ever ridden though. We’ll all be able to go inside a capsule, ride together, and see the sights of the city. If we go now, we will probably be able to see the sunset!”

  “Yay, yay, yay!” Lulu cheered, taking her very last bite.

  Maddie took another bite of ice cream, letting the coldness melt in her mouth. Mr. Hughes was right—sometimes the small things did matter most of all.

  THIRTY-FOUR

  The London Eye was giant, as far as Ferris wheels went. It towered above them as they walked through the entrance gates. Dad paid their entrance fees.

  Miss Julia eyed it doubtfully. “You know, maybe I should wait for you down here.”

  “Nonsense,” Dad said. “You can’t miss seeing all the sights of London from way up top. Plus, it’s sunset. It’s the perfect time of day to go.”

  Lulu could hardly stand still, she was so excited. “We’ll see Big Ben . . .”

  “We see Big Ben from nearly everywhere we go in London,” Mia said.

  “And the palace, and the Tower of London . . .”

  “We already saw both those places up close,” Mia said.

  “And now we’ll see them from up top!” Lulu said. “Like we’re birds. Or dragons!”

  They lined up to wait for their turn. The cars came around and moved so slowly they didn’t even stop as the new people walked on.

  “Whoa,” Lulu said as she watched. “Awesome!”

  “What’s wrong, Miss Julia?” Maddie asked, noticing that she was hanging back.

  “I’m just not . . . W
ell, heights aren’t my favorite,” Miss Julia admitted.

  “The Ferris wheel moves very slowly,” Maddie pointed out. “And you can take lots of pictures for the travelogue.”

  “You’re right, of course,” Miss Julia said.

  “I was afraid out on the London streets all by myself,” Maddie said.

  “As you should have been,” Miss Julia pointed out, giving Maddie a warning eyebrow.

  “Yes. But I found out that something happens when you’re afraid and you do something anyway.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You realize that the feeling—being afraid—doesn’t have to stop you. You can take one step and then another and then another. And suddenly, you’re doing the thing you thought you couldn’t do.”

  Miss Julia blinked at Maddie, and then pulled her into a sideways hug. “And you think that will work for me?”

  “I do,” Maddie said.

  “Okay, then,” Miss Julia said. “It can’t hurt to give it a try.”

  “It’s our turn,” Dad called over his shoulder. “Everyone into this next car.”

  Maddie took Miss Julia’s hand. “I’ll stay right here with you.”

  They stepped on and walked out to the edge. Slowly, slowly, the cars started to rise. Gold, pink, and red streaked the sky, and lights shone from the windows of the tall buildings.

  “Do you think any stars will come out while we ride?” Mia asked.

  “If one does, it will be the first star of the night,” Dad said. “A wishing star.”

  “I know what my wish will be,” Lulu said, leaping and giving a twirl.

  Miss Julia shuddered. “How can she jump and dance and not hold on?”

  Maddie squeezed Miss Julia’s hand. So far, she was doing pretty well, though they were standing pretty far back from the window, far enough that she didn’t have to see all the way down to the ground directly under them.

  Up and up they went, and as they did, Miss Julia’s hand started to relax. Eventually, she let go, and put her arm over Maddie’s shoulder as they watched the sunset colors deepen.

  “A star, a star!” Lulu said.

  Everyone looked up. Maddie saw it, winking directly above them. She closed her eyes and thought about what she wished most of all.

  I wish I will be the kind of brave that helps other people be brave too. That I’m brave in small ways that add up to something special. And that I’m brave enough to be Maddie, even if that’s not all fireworks and leading the charge.

  “What did you wish, Maddie?” Mia asked.

  “You can’t tell your wish,” Lulu said. “Or it won’t come true.”

  Mia linked her arm through Maddie’s. “Well, whatever your wish, I hope it comes true.”

  “You too,” Maddie said, and then linked her other arm through Lulu’s. “And yours too, Lulu.”

  Miss Julia snapped a photo of the girls, with the London skyline behind them. Mom and Dad joined them, hugging all of the girls close.

  “Here’s to our last day in London tomorrow,” Dad said. “Let’s make it even better than today.”

  “And here’s to all of our brave, clever, kind girls,” Mom said.

  “Like our motto says,” Mia said.

  “Glimmer girls, sparkle and shine, but most of all, be kind!” the three girls chorused.

  Everyone laughed, and then turned back to the window to watch as their capsule slowly lowered back toward the ground.