Henry held up the fabric scrap for Carter to see. Up close, there was no doubt it matched Carter’s jacket perfectly.
Carter glanced around nervously. “Look, it’s not what you think,” he said in a low voice. “How about we go down to that coffee shop and I’ll explain everything.”
CHAPTER 9
The Secret Message
The children followed Carter down to the Java Café. Carter went to the counter and ordered everyone cookies and hot chocolate. Then they all took their treats to a large table in the back of the café.
“I have been taking letters off that sign,” Carter admitted. “But it’s not what you think. I’m planning on giving the letters back. When I’m finished with them.”
“What are you doing with them?” Henry asked.
Benny took a bite of his cookie and listened intently.
“You were on the right track when you were looking for a message in the missing letters,” Carter explained. “I’ve been trying to collect the right letters so I can spell out a message.”
“You want to spell out a message on the mall sign?” Jessie asked. “Why?”
Carter smiled. “If you knew what the message was, I think you’d understand.” He reached inside the inner pocket of his jacket, pulled out a stack of plastic letters and laid them all out on the table.
“What is the message supposed to say?” Benny asked.
“Let’s see if you can figure it out,” Carter said. “I’ve finally collected all the letters I need.”
The Aldens watched as Carter moved some of the letters around on the table. “These letters make up the first word,” Carter said as he separated out the letters L E P E A S.
Jessie moved the six letters around until she found the word. “The word is PLEASE,” she said.
“That’s right,” Carter said. He pulled five more letters out of the pile: R A R M Y.
Henry scratched his head. “The word isn’t army,” he said. “There would be an R left over.”
“That’s right,” Carter said, taking a sip of hot chocolate. “Keep looking. You’ll get it.”
Violet moved the M to the front of the word. She grinned. “I know what the word is. It’s MARRY!”
Carter nodded. “And you already know that Queenie’s first and last names are in here.” He pulled out the Q U E E N I E and P O L K and laid the letters out at the end of the table.
“That’s why you talked Queenie into changing the message on the sign that day,” Jessie said. “You needed those letters.”
“That’s right,” Carter said.
“That only leaves M and E,” Benny said, reaching for the last two letters. “That spells ME.” He inserted the word in its proper place.
The children read the message in full: PLEASE MARRY ME QUEENIE POLK.
“I’m planning to put that message up tonight after dark,” Carter explained. “That way Queenie will see it when she comes in in the morning. Would you kids like to help me put it up?”
“Oh, yes,” Violet said eagerly. The others agreed.
“Everyone was right about you kids,” Carter said. “You are good detectives. I’m just glad that it was you who figured out what I was doing instead of Queenie.”
“Well, don’t worry,” Jessie said. “We won’t tell her.”
“But there’s still something I don’t understand,” Benny said, his face wrinkled in confusion.
“What’s that?” Carter asked.
“If you’re the one who’s been messing up the sign, why would you rearrange the letters to say CARTER ROBBER?” Benny asked. “You’re not the safe robber, are you?”
Carter stiffened. “No, I’m not,” he said. “And I’m not the one who put that message there. I wish I knew who did.”
Jessie finished the last of her hot chocolate, then wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I wonder if it was the real robber?”
“There have been three robberies here and the police still don’t have any leads,” Carter said. “I don’t suppose you kids have any idea who the robber is?”
“We have an idea,” Henry said.
“Who?” Carter asked.
“Well,” Jessie said. “Raina had a key to the Java Café and to the Game Spot. And she knew the combinations to both safes. But she didn’t have a key to the jewelry store. And she was out of town when the Game Spot was robbed. So we don’t think she could have done it.”
“And George has a key to all three stores, but he said he didn’t know any of the combinations to the safes,” Violet explained. “Plus it wouldn’t make sense for him to steal from his own tenants. They’d go out of business and then his mall would sit empty.”
“Then there’s Tony Silver,” Benny said.
“The guy who installs the safes?” Carter asked.
“We don’t know for sure that he’s our robber,” Henry said. “But he knows the combinations to all the safes. And it’s possible he stole keys to each of the stores when he was in there.”
“Hmm,” Carter said, shifting in his seat. “Well, all these robberies have occurred during the night. Maybe when we’re here tonight, we can keep an eye on things and make sure there isn’t another robbery.”
“That’s exactly what we were thinking,” Jessie said. “We could take turns watching. If Grandfather drives the van over, we could bring sleeping bags and some of us could sleep in the back of the van while the others watched the store.”
“That’s a good idea,” Carter said. “If your grandfather doesn’t mind. I could park my car in the alley behind the store, and a couple of us could watch the back door from there. The rest of you could watch the front from your grandfather’s van.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Violet said. “He’d want us to catch the robber.”
“It’s all settled then,” Carter said. “I’ll meet you kids here at nine o’clock. First we’ll put up the message for Queenie. Then we’ll spend the rest of the night watching the drugstore.”
“And if we’re lucky, we’ll catch a robber,” Henry said.
That night, Grandfather drove the children over to the mall at eight forty-five.
“What an interesting way to propose to a woman,” Grandfather said.
“Isn’t it?” Jessie said. “Do you think Queenie will like it?”
“I think she will,” Grandfather said.
“Even more important, do you think she’ll say yes?” Violet asked.
“I think she will,” Grandfather said again. “She and Carter have been good friends for a long time.”
Grandfather parked right in front of the sign. It read: TRY A LATTE AT THE JAVA CAFÉ.
“Hmm. A latte sounds good,” Grandfather said. “I think I’ll try and get one before the Java Café closes. Would you kids like something, too?”
“We’ve got snacks,” Henry said, glancing at the small cooler that sat at his feet. The cooler was filled with bottles of spring water. A bag of apples sat next to the cooler.
“We’ll just wait here for Carter,” Jessie said.
There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The Game Spot, Lake’s Jewelry Store, and Bob’s Drugstore had all closed at eight o’clock. The Java Café was the only store at Crossroads Mall that was still open.
The children watched as Grandfather went into the coffee shop and came back out with a tall paper cup a few minutes later. Chip Douglas had followed Grandfather to the door. Grandfather said something to Chip, and Chip smiled. Then Grandfather left, and Chip locked the front door.
“Carter hasn’t arrived yet?” Grandfather asked when he returned to the van.
“Not yet,” Jessie said, checking her watch. It was five minutes past nine.
The lights went out in the Java Café, then Chip stepped outside. He double-checked that the door was locked, then walked across the parking lot to a small red sports car. He got in and drove away.
A few minutes later, Carter drove up in a silver sedan. He parked right beside the Aldens.
�
��Sorry I’m late,” he said when he got out of his vehicle. “I was with Queenie and couldn’t get away.”
“That’s okay,” Violet said. “The Java Café just closed. We probably wouldn’t have wanted to put the message up until everyone had left the mall, anyway.”
“That’s true,” Carter said.
“Do you have all the letters?” Benny asked.
Carter patted the inside pocket of his jacket. “Right here,” he said.
So they all went over to the sign.
“First we’ll have to pull all these letters off,” Carter said. “I’ll keep them and give them to George later. But right now I don’t want any other letters interfering with my message.”
The children helped Carter pull the message about the Java Café off the sign. Then they helped him put up the new message. When they finished, they stepped back to admire their work.
PLEASE MARRY ME QUEENIE POLK.
“That looks nice,” Jessie said.
“It should be the first thing she sees when she pulls into the parking lot,” Carter said.
They all went back to the two vehicles.
“So, what is the plan for the rest of the night?” Grandfather asked. “Would you like me to stay parked where I am?”
“Yes,” Carter said. “I brought some walkie-talkies so we can stay in contact.” He opened the front door to his car, reached in and pulled out a walkie-talkie, then handed it to Grandfather.
“I’m going to drive around to the back,” Carter went on. “Perhaps Henry and Benny can come with me. Jessie and Violet can stay with you, James. If you see anything suspicious, call me on the walkie-talkie. I’ll do the same.”
Jessie nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
Henry and Benny got into the back seat of Carter’s car and Carter drove off. Jessie and Violet got comfortable in the back of the van. Then they waited.
About an hour after they’d arrived, Jessie saw a dark figure approach the drugstore.
CHAPTER 10
Setting a Trap
“Wake up, Violet,” Jessie nudged her sister. “Grandfather, look!”
Someone was inserting a key into the front door of the drugstore. And the person was too short to be Bob, the store owner.
Grandfather picked up the walkie-talkie and said, “We’ve got someone entering the drugstore through the front door. Could be an employee, but given the late hour, I think we better go check it out.”
The walkie-talkie crackled, then Carter’s voice came over it. “Copy that. We’ll wait here in case the person tries to make a getaway through the back door.”
Violet, Jessie, and Grandfather slipped quietly out of the van and tiptoed across the parking lot. The drugstore was still dark.
Jessie tried the door. It was unlocked. “Let’s go in,” she whispered to Violet.
Violet nodded as Jessie pushed the door all the way open.
“Hello?” Grandfather called. There was a panel of light switches beside the door. Grandfather flipped them all and light flooded the store.
Jessie and Violet squinted in the sudden brightness.
There was a rustle in the back of the store. Then footsteps. Someone was running out the back.
Jessie, Violet, and Grandfather followed the sound of the footsteps through the store, through the back room, and out the back door.
Tony Silver stood with his hands above his head. Carter’s headlights lit up the whole alley.
“The police are on their way,” Carter said as he held up his cell phone. Henry and Benny stood on either side of him.
“How can you be the robber?” Benny asked, shielding his eyes from the bright headlights. “You sell safes. You’re supposed to keep people’s money safe.”
“I know.” Tony hung his head in shame. “But I’ve got a lot of credit card bills. I can’t seem to get ahead. And breaking into these stores is just so easy. I know all the combinations to the safes because I help the store owners set them. And getting keys is easy, too. Everyone seems to leave spare keys lying around. I know it was wrong, but I just couldn’t help myself.”
“So you’re the one who put CARTER ROBBER on the sign out front?” Carter asked angrily.
Tony nodded. “I saw you taking letters off that sign one night. And so did Bob. I thought people might believe you were the robber since a couple of people already knew you were sneaking around the mall late at night.”
“I would never rob anyone,” Carter said.
“No, I suppose you wouldn’t,” Tony said.
They all heard sirens in the distance. The sirens grew louder and louder as two police cars zoomed around the corner and pulled into the alley.
“This is Tony Silver,” Grandfather told the officers when they got out of their vehicles. “We just caught him breaking into the drugstore.”
A white-haired officer stepped forward and took out his handcuffs. “Tony Silver,” he said, “you’re under arrest.”
The Aldens didn’t get much sleep that night. They wanted to be at the mall first thing the next morning so they could see Queenie’s reaction to the sign.
Queenie smiled when she saw them. “What’s all this?” she asked as she stepped out of her car. She hadn’t noticed the sign yet.
“We just wanted to say good morning,” Carter said cheerfully.
“And it is a good morning indeed,” Queenie replied as they all walked across the parking lot. “I understand our robber was caught last night and I have all of you to thank for that.”
“You were right about Raina all along, Queenie,” Benny said. “She wasn’t the robber.”
“Of course she wasn’t,” Queenie said. “Raina can be a little bit scatter-brained, and she doesn’t always make the best decisions when it comes to money. But she would never steal.”
All of a sudden, Queenie stopped walking. Her bottom jaw dropped open and she looked at Carter.
“D-did you do this?” she asked, her eyes darting back and forth between Carter and the sign.
Carter took Queenie’s hand, then got down on one knee right in the middle of the parking lot. With his other hand, he reached into his inside pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box.
“Oh, my goodness!” Queenie put her hand to her chest when Carter raised the lid of the box. A diamond ring gleamed in the sunlight.
“You’ll make me the happiest man in the world if you say you’ll be my wife, Queenie,” Carter said.
“I-I don’t know what to say,” Queenie said shyly. Her cheeks were glowing. A smile played at the corners of her mouth.
“Say yes!” Benny blurted.
“Benny!” Jessie hissed. She put her finger to her lips.
But Queenie just laughed. “It’s okay, Jessie. Benny’s right. That’s exactly what I should say.” She turned to Carter, who was still down on one knee, and smiled. “Yes, dear. I’ll marry you.”
Carter took the ring out of the box and slipped it on Queenie’s third finger. Then he stood up, and the two of them hugged.
The Aldens clapped and cheered.
A car that was trying to get past them honked.
“We better get out of the way,” Carter said as the group moved quickly toward the sidewalk.
“We’ve got a lot of planning to do,” Queenie said.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Carter replied, smiling.
On Saturday, the big Word Master tournament was held at the Game Spot. There was a children’s tournament and an adult tournament. More than fifty people had signed up for both tournaments, which made the store unusually crowded.
Jessie had won all three of her games so far. So now she was seated at the yellow table in the Kids’ Korner playing for the championship. A crowd of children had gathered around Jessie and her opponent, a serious-looking boy named Andy.
Andy was a little younger than Jessie, but he was good at finding words. He was fast, too. Jessie knew she’d have to concentrate if she wanted to beat him.
While Jessie and Andy puzzled o
ver the letters in round three, there was a sudden eruption of cheers from the front of the store.
Carter and a woman with straight blond hair stood up and shook hands.
“Congratulations, Carter,” Queenie said as she presented Carter with a small trophy.
“Thank you,” Carter said with a small smile.
Jessie turned back to the letters in front of her. She wondered how Andy was doing? Did he have more words than she did?
But she knew it was a mistake to worry so much about her opponent. It was better to simply look at the letters in front of her and do the best she could.
Finally, the game was over and they counted up their points.
“I have 212 points,” Jessie announced. “How many do you have?”
“I have 204,” Andy replied. He reached across the table to shake Jessie’s hand. “Good game.”
“Good game,” Jessie echoed. “Maybe we can play again sometime.”
Andy nodded. “I’d like that.”
Jessie and Andy started picking up the game. Queenie came over and handed Jessie a small trophy. Carter and Raina stood right behind Queenie and clapped. So did Grandfather, Henry, Violet, and Benny.
“Thank you,” Jessie said with a grin. She turned the trophy around and looked at it. It had a gold cup on top of a wooden pedestal. The lettering on the front of the pedestal read WORD MASTER CHAMPION. It was identical to Carter’s trophy.
“Perhaps the two Word Master champions should play a game next,” Carter suggested, once everyone except the Aldens had left.
“Really?” Jessie asked eagerly. “You’d play a game with me, Carter?” He had said no when Jessie had asked him before.
“I’d be honored. In fact,” Carter gestured for everyone else to come and sit down, “why don’t we all play a game? Just for fun?”
“Don’t mind if I do,” Grandfather said as he pulled out a chair and sat down. The children, Queenie and Raina sat down, too.
Then Carter divided up the letters and they all got ready for another game.
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
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