who destroyed part of Ken’s maze got away in that truck,” Violet said.
“Well, if you find a blue truck that’s got a headlight out, you might want to talk to the owner,” Peggy said.
As the Aldens walked away, Benny said, “We know somebody who has a blue truck. I don’t know if they’ve got a headlight burned out. But they definitely have a blue truck.”
“Kurt,” the others said at the same time.
“I think we’d better pay a visit to Kurt,” Jessie said.
Mr. Sweeney was still gone when the children returned to Ken’s. Grandfather and Ken were in the middle of a game of chess.
“Does Kurt live very far away?” Henry asked.
“His is the next farm up the road,” Ken replied. “It’s about a mile away. Why?”
“We were thinking we’d like to visit him,” Jessie said. “Would that be all right?” She didn’t want to tell Ken why they wanted to visit Kurt. Not until they were sure about their suspicions.
“That would be fine,” Ken said as he moved a pawn forward. “You might enjoy looking around his farm. Just don’t tell him I said so.” Ken winked.
“Be back in time for supper,” Grandfather said.
“We will,” Violet promised.
The children set off. They trudged up one hill, then down the other side. When they came to the top of the next hill, they saw a tall white farmhouse in the valley below. It looked a lot like Ken’s house, only smaller.
“That must be Kurt’s house,” Benny said, pointing.
A familiar rusty blue pickup truck sat under the shade of a large maple tree. As the Aldens drew closer, they noticed the right headlight was smashed in.
“Oh, no,” Violet moaned when she saw the broken headlight.
“Let’s go talk to Kurt,” Henry said.
As the Aldens approached the house, they heard a strange noise. It lasted a few seconds, then stopped. Then it started again.
“What’s that noise?” Jessie asked.
“It sounds like a machine gun,” Benny said. The noise was coming from the front porch.
The children approached the porch very cautiously.
“It’s Kurt!” Henry said with a short laugh. “He’s snoring.”
Kurt was lying on his back on a padded wicker sofa. He was sound asleep.
“Should we wake him?” Violet whispered.
But before anyone could answer, Kurt’s eyes flew open. “What?” he said, startled. “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s you,” Kurt said when his eyes focused on the Aldens. He rubbed his eyes and smiled. “I’m afraid you caught me.”
“Caught you?” Violet asked.
“Caught me sleeping in the middle of the day,” Kurt said. He sat up. “But I’m awake now. What brings you kids up here on such a nice day?”
The children climbed the porch steps and stood around in an awkward semicircle.
“We heard a car or truck out by the road last night right after we chased the person who was trying to destroy the maze,” Henry began.
“You heard a vehicle in the middle of the night? On our quiet little road?” Kurt looked surprised.
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We also talked to your neighbor, Peggy Rodman.”
Kurt scowled when Jessie mentioned Peggy’s name.
“She heard it, too,” Jessie went on. “In fact, she said she even saw the vehicle.”
Jessie watched Kurt carefully. “She said she saw a blue pickup truck that was missing a headlight.”
“Hmm,” Kurt said, glancing over at his truck. “I have a blue pickup that’s missing a headlight.”
The Aldens waited for him to say more.
“I suppose you’re wondering whether it was my truck that Ms. Rodman saw?” Kurt asked.
“Yes,” Jessie said.
Kurt took a deep breath, then let it out. “Okay, I admit I was out late last night. But it’s not what you think.”
He shifted on the sofa. “I didn’t destroy Ken’s maze. I would never do anything to hurt my brother. I was trying to help him.”
“Help him how?” Violet asked. “What were you doing?”
“I’m worried about Ken,” Kurt said. “Somebody really wants him to cancel the
“Well, if you find a blue truck that’s got a headlight out, you might want to talk to the owner,” Peggy said.
As the Aldens walked away, Benny said, “We know somebody who has a blue truck. I don’t know if they’ve got a headlight burned out. But they definitely have a blue truck.”
“Kurt,” the others said at the same time.
“I think we’d better pay a visit to Kurt,” Jessie said.
Mr. Sweeney was still gone when the children returned to Ken’s. Grandfather and Ken were in the middle of a game of chess.
“Does Kurt live very far away?” Henry asked.
“His is the next farm up the road,” Ken replied. “It’s about a mile away. Why?”
“We were thinking we’d like to visit him,” Jessie said. “Would that be all right?” She didn’t want to tell Ken why they wanted to visit Kurt. Not until they were sure about their suspicions.
“That would be fine,” Ken said as he moved a pawn forward. “You might enjoy looking around his farm. Just don’t tell him I said so.” Ken winked.
“Be back in time for supper,” Grandfather said.
“We will,” Violet promised.
The children set off. They trudged up one hill, then down the other side. When they came to the top of the next hill, they saw a tall white farmhouse in the valley below. It looked a lot like Ken’s house, only smaller.
“That must be Kurt’s house,” Benny said, pointing.
A familiar rusty blue pickup truck sat under the shade of a large maple tree. As the Aldens drew closer, they noticed the right headlight was smashed in.
“Oh, no,” Violet moaned when she saw the broken headlight.
“Let’s go talk to Kurt,” Henry said.
As the Aldens approached the house, they heard a strange noise. It lasted a few seconds, then stopped. Then it started again.
“What’s that noise?” Jessie asked.
“It sounds like a machine gun,” Benny said. The noise was coming from the front porch.
The children approached the porch very cautiously.
“It’s Kurt!” Henry said with a short laugh. “He’s snoring.”
Kurt was lying on his back on a padded wicker sofa. He was sound asleep.
“Should we wake him?” Violet whispered.
But before anyone could answer, Kurt’s eyes flew open. “What?” he said, startled. “What’s the matter?”
“Oh, it’s you,” Kurt said when his eyes focused on the Aldens. He rubbed his eyes and smiled. “I’m afraid you caught me.”
“Caught you?” Violet asked.
“Caught me sleeping in the middle of the day,” Kurt said. He sat up. “But I’m awake now. What brings you kids up here on such a nice day?”
The children climbed the porch steps and stood around in an awkward semicircle.
“We heard a car or truck out by the road last night right after we chased the person who was trying to destroy the maze,” Henry began.
“You heard a vehicle in the middle of the night? On our quiet little road?” Kurt looked surprised.
“Yes,” Jessie said. “We also talked to your neighbor, Peggy Rodman.”
Kurt scowled when Jessie mentioned Peggy’s name.
“She heard it, too,” Jessie went on. “In fact, she said she even saw the vehicle.”
Jessie watched Kurt carefully. “She said she saw a blue pickup truck that was missing a headlight.”
“Hmm,” Kurt said, glancing over at his truck. “I have a blue pickup that’s missing a headlight.”
The Aldens waited for him to say more.
“I suppose you’re wondering whether it was my truck that Ms. Rodman saw?” Kurt asked.
“Yes,” Jessie said.
Kurt took a deep breath, then let it out. “Okay, I admit I was out late last night. But it’s not what you think.”
He shifted on the sofa. “I didn’t destroy Ken’s maze. I would never do anything to hurt my brother. I was trying to help him.”
“Help him how?” Violet asked. “What were you doing?”
“I’m worried about Ken,” Kurt said. “Somebody really wants him to cancel the
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