customers’ change.
“This is boring,” Benny said as he put his bicycle on the ground and crouched behind yet another tree trunk.
“I’ll say,” Henry agreed. “She’s so busy she’s not talking to her customers.”
It was almost dark when Mrs. Saunders began to count up all her money. She closed the windows of the truck and took her menu down. The boys followed her as she parked the truck in a lot near the school, then walked to a house nearby. They watched her go in her front door and turn on the light.
“I’m afraid we’re not going to have too much to tell Jessie and Violet about Mrs. Saunders,” Henry said as the boys pedaled home. Benny nodded wearily.
“But you know, Mrs. Saunders locks up her truck almost the same time as the Shoppe closes,” Henry observed. He looked at Benny. Benny looked too tired to talk.
“So,” Henry continued as he turned his bicycle at the corner, “she could be the one who breaks into the parlor late at night.”
“Maybe, but right now I’m too tired to think about it,” Benny moaned.
“But not too tired to eat dinner, I hope,” Henry teased.
Benny laughed and shook his head.
CHAPTER 9
A Late Night
T hat night at dinner, Jessie lost no time telling her family about the missing strawberry ice cream.
“Why didn’t Mr. Brown notice it was missing?” Benny wondered aloud.
“There was still lots of ice cream in the container, just not as much as yesterday,” Jessie replied as she passed the meatloaf to Henry.
“Whoever is taking ice cream is being more careful now,” Violet observed as she poured herself some water. “They’re making sure to leave some so we won’t notice it’s missing.”
“You should all be very proud of yourselves. You put in a good day of detective work,” Grandfather said. He gazed affectionately at the tired faces of his grandchildren. Benny looked so sleepy, he could barely hold his fork up to eat the delicious meatloaf Mrs. McGregor had made.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you the good news,” Violet said as she poured some milk into Benny’s cracked pink cup. That cup was very special to Benny. He’d had it ever since they’d lived in the boxcar.
“What?” everyone but Jessie said at once.
“Mr. Brown had a new glass pane installed this afternoon. The Shoppe can now open for business tomorrow.”
“Oh, that is good news,” Grandfather remarked as he put some pepper on his mashed potatoes.
Jessie proceeded to tell her family about Simone and her mysterious friend. Everyone listened closely.
“That’s not the same customer who yelled at her the first day?” Benny wanted to make sure.
“No,” Jessie replied. “This is another one. He has red hair — and he’s very quiet. I’ve seen him with Simone before.”
“Maybe they are planning something,” Henry said thoughtfully as he poured himself some water. “But I still can’t believe Simone is really involved in all this. She seems so careful about her work.”
“Well, she did take the morning off after all that chocolate ice cream disappeared. And one day Violet saw her reading a note very secretively,” Jessie reminded Henry. “I don’t want to believe it of Simone either,” she added.
Henry and Benny took turns telling their family about the ice cream trail they’d followed.
“You know,” Jessie said, “I wonder if there’s a connection between the ice cream trail and that trail of broken glass we saw.”
“You mean the morning after I heard glass breaking,” Benny said after he swallowed a mouthful of peas. He tried not to make a face.
“Yes!” Jessie sounded excited.
“There may be,” Henry said. “I just don’t know what to make of all these clues yet.”
After dinner, the children gathered in Benny’s room again to come up with another plan.
“I think we’re going to have to keep an eye on the parlor one evening after Mr. Brown closes up,” Henry said.
Jessie nodded. “There’s a big closet in the kitchen we can
“This is boring,” Benny said as he put his bicycle on the ground and crouched behind yet another tree trunk.
“I’ll say,” Henry agreed. “She’s so busy she’s not talking to her customers.”
It was almost dark when Mrs. Saunders began to count up all her money. She closed the windows of the truck and took her menu down. The boys followed her as she parked the truck in a lot near the school, then walked to a house nearby. They watched her go in her front door and turn on the light.
“I’m afraid we’re not going to have too much to tell Jessie and Violet about Mrs. Saunders,” Henry said as the boys pedaled home. Benny nodded wearily.
“But you know, Mrs. Saunders locks up her truck almost the same time as the Shoppe closes,” Henry observed. He looked at Benny. Benny looked too tired to talk.
“So,” Henry continued as he turned his bicycle at the corner, “she could be the one who breaks into the parlor late at night.”
“Maybe, but right now I’m too tired to think about it,” Benny moaned.
“But not too tired to eat dinner, I hope,” Henry teased.
Benny laughed and shook his head.
CHAPTER 9
A Late Night
T hat night at dinner, Jessie lost no time telling her family about the missing strawberry ice cream.
“Why didn’t Mr. Brown notice it was missing?” Benny wondered aloud.
“There was still lots of ice cream in the container, just not as much as yesterday,” Jessie replied as she passed the meatloaf to Henry.
“Whoever is taking ice cream is being more careful now,” Violet observed as she poured herself some water. “They’re making sure to leave some so we won’t notice it’s missing.”
“You should all be very proud of yourselves. You put in a good day of detective work,” Grandfather said. He gazed affectionately at the tired faces of his grandchildren. Benny looked so sleepy, he could barely hold his fork up to eat the delicious meatloaf Mrs. McGregor had made.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you the good news,” Violet said as she poured some milk into Benny’s cracked pink cup. That cup was very special to Benny. He’d had it ever since they’d lived in the boxcar.
“What?” everyone but Jessie said at once.
“Mr. Brown had a new glass pane installed this afternoon. The Shoppe can now open for business tomorrow.”
“Oh, that is good news,” Grandfather remarked as he put some pepper on his mashed potatoes.
Jessie proceeded to tell her family about Simone and her mysterious friend. Everyone listened closely.
“That’s not the same customer who yelled at her the first day?” Benny wanted to make sure.
“No,” Jessie replied. “This is another one. He has red hair — and he’s very quiet. I’ve seen him with Simone before.”
“Maybe they are planning something,” Henry said thoughtfully as he poured himself some water. “But I still can’t believe Simone is really involved in all this. She seems so careful about her work.”
“Well, she did take the morning off after all that chocolate ice cream disappeared. And one day Violet saw her reading a note very secretively,” Jessie reminded Henry. “I don’t want to believe it of Simone either,” she added.
Henry and Benny took turns telling their family about the ice cream trail they’d followed.
“You know,” Jessie said, “I wonder if there’s a connection between the ice cream trail and that trail of broken glass we saw.”
“You mean the morning after I heard glass breaking,” Benny said after he swallowed a mouthful of peas. He tried not to make a face.
“Yes!” Jessie sounded excited.
“There may be,” Henry said. “I just don’t know what to make of all these clues yet.”
After dinner, the children gathered in Benny’s room again to come up with another plan.
“I think we’re going to have to keep an eye on the parlor one evening after Mr. Brown closes up,” Henry said.
Jessie nodded. “There’s a big closet in the kitchen we can
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