hide in.”
“Oh, the one where Mr. Brown keeps the brooms and mops,” Violet said. “It would be big enough for all of us to fit in.”
“Good,” Henry said. “We should wait a couple of nights, I think.”
“Why?” Benny asked and then yawned.
“I think whoever broke that window will probably stay out of sight for a couple of days,” Henry remarked.
The others nodded. Then they all went to bed early and slept soundly.
The Shoppe was quiet for the next two days. Business seemed very slow. The Aldens watched Simone and Brian closely, but they never saw them do anything out of the ordinary.
The following Monday, the Aldens came to work early. Mr. Brown was already in the kitchen mixing a big batch of creamy chocolate ice cream. “I’m putting chocolate sprinkles and cherries in this batch,” he announced. Benny grinned.
Violet went to the table to get today’s menus, and right away she noticed something was wrong. Someone had scribbled on the menus with green crayons.
Mr. Brown looked at the menus in disbelief. “Simone, Brian, do you know anything about this?” he said calling the others to the kitchen.
Simone and Brian shook their heads. “I can make more menus,” Violet said. She tried to put Mr. Brown at ease.
“I know you can,” the owner answered sadly. “But that’s not the point.” He sighed. “I didn’t believe this at first, but someone is really trying to hurt the parlor,” he said, looking at everyone gathered around him.
“Surely, you don’t think we’re responsible.” Simone sounded a little indignant.
Mr. Brown sighed even more heavily. He sat down at his stool by the ice cream maker. “No, I would hate to think anyone in this room is responsible,” he said. “But I lock up at night. And most mornings when I come in something has been disturbed.”
Simone looked down at the floor.
“At first, I thought I was just forgetting or misplacing things,” Mr. Brown continued. “I am absentminded, but now I’m convinced someone wants to hurt our business.”
The Aldens looked at one another. “But who would want to hurt the parlor’s business?” Simone asked. She looked down at her hands and twisted her silver ring around her index finger.
“Have you thought about Mrs. Saunders?” Benny asked.
“Or what about that customer who is always so angry?” Simone asked Mr. Brown.
“That’s possible,” Mr. Brown said. The Aldens noticed how sad and tired he looked. “If any of you see anything suspicious, I hope you will let me know.”
“Of course,” Simone said. The others nodded and went back to work.
That afternoon, when no one else was around, the Aldens secretly made plans to spy on the parlor late that evening.
“We’ll have to be careful,” Jessie whispered as she added maple syrup to a banana shake. “Now that Mr. Brown is so suspicious, he’ll be very careful about locking up. He may even look in the closet.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Henry said. “Maybe we should tell him what we’re planning.”
Violet shook her head. She drew some soda water from the spigot at the counter. “I don’t think he’d let us do this, if he knew.”
“You’re probably right,” Henry said. “The fewer people who know of our plan, the better.”
That night Mr. Brown said he felt very tired. He began to lock up the Shoppe around five o’clock in the afternoon. The Aldens waited until Brian and Simone had left. Then, while Mr. Brown was in the kitchen putting on his coat, they pretended to leave by the front door.
“Good-bye, Mr. Brown,” they called.
“Good-bye, children. See you tomorrow,” Mr. Brown said.
Henry pretended to close the door with a loud bang. Then quickly, the Aldens all sneaked into the small coat closet at the far end of the counter.
Luckily for them, Mr. Brown only came into the parlor’s main area to lock the front door. Then he returned to the kitchen and left by the back door, locking it firmly behind him.
“Whew,
“Oh, the one where Mr. Brown keeps the brooms and mops,” Violet said. “It would be big enough for all of us to fit in.”
“Good,” Henry said. “We should wait a couple of nights, I think.”
“Why?” Benny asked and then yawned.
“I think whoever broke that window will probably stay out of sight for a couple of days,” Henry remarked.
The others nodded. Then they all went to bed early and slept soundly.
The Shoppe was quiet for the next two days. Business seemed very slow. The Aldens watched Simone and Brian closely, but they never saw them do anything out of the ordinary.
The following Monday, the Aldens came to work early. Mr. Brown was already in the kitchen mixing a big batch of creamy chocolate ice cream. “I’m putting chocolate sprinkles and cherries in this batch,” he announced. Benny grinned.
Violet went to the table to get today’s menus, and right away she noticed something was wrong. Someone had scribbled on the menus with green crayons.
Mr. Brown looked at the menus in disbelief. “Simone, Brian, do you know anything about this?” he said calling the others to the kitchen.
Simone and Brian shook their heads. “I can make more menus,” Violet said. She tried to put Mr. Brown at ease.
“I know you can,” the owner answered sadly. “But that’s not the point.” He sighed. “I didn’t believe this at first, but someone is really trying to hurt the parlor,” he said, looking at everyone gathered around him.
“Surely, you don’t think we’re responsible.” Simone sounded a little indignant.
Mr. Brown sighed even more heavily. He sat down at his stool by the ice cream maker. “No, I would hate to think anyone in this room is responsible,” he said. “But I lock up at night. And most mornings when I come in something has been disturbed.”
Simone looked down at the floor.
“At first, I thought I was just forgetting or misplacing things,” Mr. Brown continued. “I am absentminded, but now I’m convinced someone wants to hurt our business.”
The Aldens looked at one another. “But who would want to hurt the parlor’s business?” Simone asked. She looked down at her hands and twisted her silver ring around her index finger.
“Have you thought about Mrs. Saunders?” Benny asked.
“Or what about that customer who is always so angry?” Simone asked Mr. Brown.
“That’s possible,” Mr. Brown said. The Aldens noticed how sad and tired he looked. “If any of you see anything suspicious, I hope you will let me know.”
“Of course,” Simone said. The others nodded and went back to work.
That afternoon, when no one else was around, the Aldens secretly made plans to spy on the parlor late that evening.
“We’ll have to be careful,” Jessie whispered as she added maple syrup to a banana shake. “Now that Mr. Brown is so suspicious, he’ll be very careful about locking up. He may even look in the closet.”
“I didn’t think of that,” Henry said. “Maybe we should tell him what we’re planning.”
Violet shook her head. She drew some soda water from the spigot at the counter. “I don’t think he’d let us do this, if he knew.”
“You’re probably right,” Henry said. “The fewer people who know of our plan, the better.”
That night Mr. Brown said he felt very tired. He began to lock up the Shoppe around five o’clock in the afternoon. The Aldens waited until Brian and Simone had left. Then, while Mr. Brown was in the kitchen putting on his coat, they pretended to leave by the front door.
“Good-bye, Mr. Brown,” they called.
“Good-bye, children. See you tomorrow,” Mr. Brown said.
Henry pretended to close the door with a loud bang. Then quickly, the Aldens all sneaked into the small coat closet at the far end of the counter.
Luckily for them, Mr. Brown only came into the parlor’s main area to lock the front door. Then he returned to the kitchen and left by the back door, locking it firmly behind him.
“Whew,
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