The Case of the Missing Zucchini

by L. M. Falcone

  Zelda stepped back onto the porch holding a tray with a pitcher of lemonade and some glasses. “We certainly do,” she said proudly. “And since the fair ends tomorrow, there’s no time to dillydally.” She set the tray down and popped straws into each of the glasses.

  Zelda poured the drinks, and Zeeta continued. “As usual, everything was going just lickety-poo.”

  Larry giggled. “Lickety-poo. Write that down, Max. I want to remember that.”

  Max cleared his throat, hoping Larry would take it as a signal to be quiet.

  “In fact, this year’s zucchini was the largest we’ve ever grown. It weighed at least two hundred pounds.”

  “I had no idea a zucchini could grow that big,” said Max.

  “They don’t,” said Zeeta. “Ours is a freak of nature.”

  “At two hundred pounds,” said Max, “your zucchini would almost certainly win the blue ribbon, wouldn’t it?”

  “You betcha,” answered Zelda, as she handed Max a glass of lemonade.

  “My Uncle Louie,” said Larry, “the one I told you about from Toledo? He once grew a twenty-pound potato. Then he had it bronzed.”

  Larry leaned over and drank through the straw in Max’s glass. The lemonade disappeared. The sisters and Max stared wide-eyed at the glass.

  “Your lemonade!” the sisters exclaimed at the same time, pointing at the empty glass.

  Max gulped. He looked at Larry for help. “Umm …”

  Larry gave a satisfied sigh. “Ahh … that hit the spot.”

  “The glass must have a crack in it,” said Zelda.

  Everyone looked down. There were puddles of water where the sisters had dripped after being sprayed by Mr. Leonard.

  “Of course,” said Zeeta. “Pour Max another glass, dear.”

  Zelda held another glass up to the light and

  examined it, then poured more lemonade.

  OUR ZUCCHINI LOVED PUCCINI

  “Ask the sisters how they grew a freaky two-hundred-pound zucchini,” said Larry.

  “What’s the secret to growing such a big zucchini?” asked Max.

  Zeeta and Zelda looked at each other and smiled.

  “Now, promise you won’t tell anyone,” said Zeeta.

  “I promise,” said Max.

  Zeeta looked around to make sure Mr. Leonard couldn’t hear, then whispered, “Our secret is music.”

  “Music?” asked Max.

  Zelda nodded. “We discovered early on that our zucchini loved Puccini.”

  “Puccini, the composer?” asked Larry.

  “Puccini, the composer?” asked Max. (He’d never heard of him.)

  Zelda grinned. “The one and only. From the time our zucchini was a little sprout, we put speakers on either side, and every day we’d play Puccini. The more music we played, the bigger it grew!”

  “That’s amazing,” said Max.

  Zeeta sighed. “It won’t mean anything if we don’t get our zucchini back before the competition tomorrow.”

  A REAL PEACH

  “When did you discover it was missing?” asked Max.

  “It was right after we got back from the Harvest Parade,” said Zelda.

  “We have a lovely parade on Main Street every year on the first day of the fair. Everybody goes,” Zeeta explained.

  “Everybody?”

  “Yes, we’re very proud of our parade.”

  “How long does it last?” asked Max.

  “Oh, about an hour, wouldn’t you say, Zelda, dear?”

  Zelda nodded.

  “That would give someone plenty of time to steal the zucchini,” said Max, “without worrying about being seen.”

  Zelda shook her head. “We just can’t imagine anyone in our town stealing our zucchini. Everyone is so nice!”

  Larry burst out laughing. “Yeah, that Mr. Leonard is a real peach.”

  “Do you know if anyone else around here is entering the zucchini competition?” asked Max.

  “Well, there’s Mr. Jordan,” said Zeeta. “He lives in the big house at the end of the street.”

  “He grows some large zucchini that he enters in the competition every year,” added Zelda, “and always does very well. He’s come in second — how many times has it been now, Zeeta?”

  “Well, not counting the year he was on vacation, I believe it’s eight.”

  “He wasn’t on vacation that year,” corrected Zelda. “He was busy building the community center.” She turned to Max. “It’s named after him, as are many things in our town.”

  Max got up and said goodbye to the sisters. Once he was out of earshot, he turned to his uncle. “Let’s pay Mr. Jordan a visit.”

  CHAPTER 5

  GIANT BARBECUED CHICKEN LEG

  When Max and Larry got to the end of the street, they found themselves in front of a gigantic house with stone lions on either side of the entrance.

  “Whoa! This Jordan guy must be rich,” said Larry. “I’ll be back in a minute.” Then he disappeared.

  Max looked around. “Uncle Larry?”

  Larry was nowhere to be seen, so Max walked alone up the long, winding driveway, climbed the front steps and rang the bell. Within seconds, an elderly gentleman wearing a black vest and tie answered the door.

  “Are you Mr. Jordan?” asked Max.

  “I’m Hemsley, Mr. Jordan’s butler. May I help you?”

  Larry appeared out of nowhere behind Hemsley. He was taking a bite out of a giant barbecued chicken leg.

  “Want some chicken, Max?” offered Larry with his mouth full.

  Max tried not to look at his uncle — or the chicken.

  “We’d like to speak to Mr. Jordan, please,” he said to Hemsley.

  Hemsley tilted his head and looked around Max. “We …?”

  “Um, I … I’d like to speak to Mr. Jordan, please.”

  “If you’re selling something —”

  “I’d just like to ask him a question.”

  One of Hemsley’s eyebrows went up. “Very well. Come in.”

  YOU COULD BOWL IN HERE

  Max stepped into the huge foyer. A grand staircase went up to the second floor, and a sparkling chandelier hung down from the ceiling.

  “Get rid of the chicken,” Max hissed at Larry.

  “You could bowl in here,” Larry said, making sure he kept the chicken leg out of sight behind the butler.

  “This way, please,” said Hemsley, leading them through a living room. Max noticed lots of paintings hanging on the walls, a grand piano in the corner and a fireplace with a fancy carved mantle.

  Next they went through a dining room. The table seated fourteen people and had a big vase filled with fresh flowers on it. At the end of the room, there was an aquarium with colorful fish swimming around. Hemsley opened a patio door and waved Max outside. “Please have a seat. Mr. Jordan will be arriving momentarily.”

  “The chicken, Uncle Larry!”

  “Okay, okay!” Larry snuck one last bite, then threw the chicken leg into the aquarium. As Max walked outside, Larry bent down and looked at the scattering fish. “Sorry, fishies, didn’t mean to scare you,” he said, before joining Max.

  Max and Larry sat down at a table on the patio and waited.

  “Look at the size of this yard, Max. It’s like a golf course.”

  Max looked out over the grass. It seemed to go on forever. He noticed a garden off to the left filled with tall sunflowers. “There’s no vegetable garden out here, Uncle Larry.”

  “I’m pretty sure this guy can afford to buy his vegetables at the supermarket.”

  “Yes, but where are his zucchini? Zeeta and Zelda said he enters one in the competition every year.”

  “That’s right! Maybe he buys them from somewhere else and then enters them in the competition under his name!
With his money, he could have them shipped from anywhere in the world!”

  “That’s a good point, Uncle Larry.”

  Whomp-whomp-whomp …

  Larry looked around. “What the heck is —?”

  Whomp-whomp-whomp-whomp …

  The sound got louder and louder, and then a helicopter crested over some trees and flew in the direction of the house. It created a strong wind as it circled and came in for a landing on the lawn.

  “Would you look at that — he has his own chopper!” said Larry. “I always wanted to take flying lessons. And then I died. Now I can fly anywhere I want!”

  A tall, thin man stepped down from the helicopter. He held a cane in his left hand and limped across the yard.

  As the helicopter lifted off again, the leaves and branches of nearby trees whipped and swayed in the wind created by its blades.

  HOW RUDE

  “Who are you?” snapped Mr. Jordan.

  Larry frowned. “What’s got his knickers in a twist?”

  “I’m Max Monroe, and I’ve been asked to help find Zeeta and Zelda Zamboni’s stolen zucchini.”

  “I know nothing about a stolen zucchini,” said Mr. Jordan, resting his cane against the table.

  “Have you seen anyone suspicious hanging around the neighborhood?” asked Max.

  “No, I haven’t.”

  “Have you heard any unusual sounds?”

  “Afraid not.”

  “Do you have any idea who might want to steal the sisters’ zucchini?”

  “Haven’t got a clue.”

  Larry leaned in. “He’s a hard nut to crack, but don’t give up, Max. Keep asking questions.”

  Max didn’t get to ask any more questions because just then Mr. Jordan picked up a small silver bell from the table and rang it.

  “Is he ringing for lunch?” asked Larry hopefully.

  “Now, if you’ll excuse me,” said Mr. Jordan.

  The patio doors opened, and Hemsley appeared.

  “You rang, sir?”

  “Please see this young man out.”

  “But I still have a few —”

  Mr. Jordan cut Max off. “I have a splitting headache, and I need to get out of the sun.”

  He turned and limped into the house. Just as he reached the patio doors, Max called after him, “Put a frog on your head. It’ll take care of that headache.”

  Mr. Jordan stopped but didn’t turn around. “That’s disgusting,” he said and went inside.

  “Did he just call Fred disgusting?” asked Larry.

  “I guess so,” said Max.

  “How rude.”

  BEWARE OF DOG

  Hemsley turned to Max. “Come this way, please.”

  Max, Larry and the butler went down some marble steps. As they walked along the stone path, Max noticed a fence at the side of the house, behind a high row of bushes. It had barbed wire running along the top. As he ran his eyes along the length of the fence, he saw a sign that said, BEWARE OF DOG.

  Max caught up to Hemsley. “What kind of dog does Mr. Jordan have?” he asked.

  “Mr. Jordan doesn’t have a dog. Too many germs.”

  As they continued on the stone path, Max said, “I was just visiting the neighbors Zeeta and Zelda Zamboni.”

  “And how are the sisters doing today?”

  “They’re a little damp,” Larry said, laughing.

  “Their zucchini was stolen,” said Max.

  Hemsley looked surprised. “The one they’re entering in the Harvest Fair?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that.”

  “Yeah, I bet you are,” muttered Larry. “What did you do with the freaky zucchini? Come clean, and we’ll go easy on you.”

  Max glowered at Larry, then turned back to Hemsley. “The sisters mentioned that Mr. Jordan grows some pretty big zucchini.”

  “Never big enough to beat theirs, but this year might be different.”

  “Different how?”

  “Mr. Jordan has hired the most highly regarded specialists to analyze his soil and recommend the best fertilizers. They’re working around the clock so that at least one of his zucchini will be awarded the blue ribbon. This year, Mr. Jordan is determined to go home a winner.”

  WHAT SIGN?

  After leaving Max at the front of the house, Hemsley went back inside.

  “Why would a man who doesn’t own a dog have a Beware of Dog sign?” said Max.

  “What sign?” asked Larry.

  “And why does his fence have barbed wire on it?”

  “What fence?”

  Max stopped and looked at his uncle. “How could you miss it?”

  “Miss what?”

  “Mr. Jordan’s hiding something,” said Max. “And I want to check it out.”

  “You’re right. He’s definitely hiding something. Yes, definitely … But where?”

  “Behind the fence!”

  “The fence! Of course!”

  Max slipped behind some bushes and headed toward the side of the house.

  CHAPTER 6

  CAUGHT

  Max continued to the fence. It was at least twice his height. He looked around for something to stand on and spotted a large green garbage bin with wheels. After pushing it up to the fence, he struggled to climb on top without tipping it over.

  Larry floated effortlessly up in the air.

  “Show-off,” said Max.

  Larry grinned. “Just one of the perks of being dead.”

  Max carefully got himself up on his tiptoes and looked through the barbed wire.

  On the other side of the fence was a huge vegetable garden with a dozen rows of very large zucchini. A man and a woman, dressed in white lab coats, stood at the far end. One was inspecting the vegetables; the other was checking a thermometer.

  “Do any of those zucchini look like they might weigh two hundred pounds?” whispered Max.

  “Not even close.”

  “Okay. Let’s go.”

  Larry looked around. “Great view from up here.”

  As Max turned to jump down, Larry suddenly shouted, “Wait!”

  “Why?”

  “I can see right into Mr. Jordan’s bedroom! The butler just came in carrying a silver tray with a glass of water on it. There’s something else on the tray, but I can’t make out what it is.”

  “It’s not important, Uncle Larry. Come on.”

  “Wait! Wait! Wait!”

  “What?” Max strained to get a better look but couldn’t get high enough.

  “They’re gloves! That thing I couldn’t make out was a plastic bag with a pair of white gloves inside! The butler just snipped open the bag, and now Jordan’s putting them on! Now he’s reaching for the glass of water! Now he’s popping a pill! Now … Uh-oh.”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “The butler spotted you!”

  As Max spun around, his coat collar caught on the barbed wire.

  YOU’RE CHOKING ME!

  “Jump down!” shouted Larry. “And run!”

  “I can’t! My coat’s caught!”

  “Hurry, hurry!” urged Larry.

  “Help me!”

  “Okay, okay …”

  Larry tried to untangle Max’s coat, but the more he tried, the worse it got. He became hysterical. “It’s no use! Ohmigosh! Ohmigosh! What are we gonna do?” Larry started bawling. “I shouldn’t have been so nosy! I’m the worst detective ever! IT’S ALL MY FAULT!”

  Larry kept yanking at the coat and crying, “Mr. Jordan’s gonna have us arrested! And sent to the big house!”

  “You’re choking me!” cried Max.

  “What are we gonna dooooo?!”

  “Uncle Larry, let go!”

  A ladder slammed up against the fe
nce. Both Larry and Max gasped and turned to see Hemsley climbing up.

  NO HARM DONE

  “Now, just relax, young man,” said Hemsley. He reached over and untangled the coat from the barbed wire. “There. No harm done.”

  Max jumped to the ground. Larry heaved a sigh of relief and floated down beside him. The butler climbed down the ladder.

  “Thank you,” said Max.

  “Glad to be of service. Now, I suggest you get on your way before Mr. Jordan sees you.”

  “May I ask one question before I go?” said Max.

  “What is it?”

  “Why does Mr. Jordan wear gloves?”

  “Mr. Jordan is a germaphobe. He never touches anything without his gloves. Now, off you go. He’ll be coming out any minute to check on his zucchini.”

  Max and Larry quickly made their way out to the street and headed back toward the Zucchini Sisters’ house. As they walked, Max took out his notebook and wrote …

  Suspect #2 — Mr. Jordan

  Motive — Wants to win

  “If Mr. Jordan stole Zeeta and Zelda’s zucchini and entered it as his own, he’d win the blue ribbon for sure,” said Max.

  “Right!” said Larry. “And it would finally put an end to his losing streak.”

  CHAPTER 7

  IT’S MAKING ME HUNGRY

  As Max and Larry neared the Zucchini Sisters’ house, a delicious smell wafted through the air.

  “What is that heavenly smell?” Larry asked.

  “I don’t know,” said Max. “But it’s making me hungry.”

  Larry followed his nose, floating from house to house, until suddenly he shot like a torpedo into the backyard of a house on the corner. “Over here, Max!”