chairs sat around a yellow table in the middle of an open area that had been partitioned off from the rest of the store. Large, fluffy pillows were stacked in a corner next to some games. And the mural on the wall showed a variety of children standing in a line holding hands. The whole area looked really inviting.
“This is wonderful, Queenie,” Violet cried.
Queenie shrugged. “Well, you kids did most of the work. I’m pleased with how things turned out. Now the children who come in here have someplace to play while their parents look at games or play a game of their own.”
“Could we play a game here right now?” Benny asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Queenie replied. “What game would you like to play?”
“How about Word Master?” Jessie suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Queenie said. “You can practice for the tournament next week. You kids are planning to play in the tournament, aren’t you?”
“We sure are,” Jessie said.
“Wonderful,” Queenie said as she went to get a copy of Word Master off the shelf. She set it on the table in front of the children. “Carter’s really taking this tournament seriously. He’s been studying word lists all week.”
“Wow, he must really like to win,” Henry said.
“He likes to do his best,” Queenie said.
Benny opened up the Word Master box, and Violet and Jessie started dividing up the letters. Queenie went back to hanging flyers.
While the children were playing, Carter suddenly stood up. He picked up his brown jacket and put it on. As he did, Violet noticed that part of his pocket was torn off.
Violet nudged Jessie. “Look at Carter’s jacket,” she whispered.
Jessie turned. “Hey, the pocket is torn all the way off,” she replied in a low voice.
Henry reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the scrap of cloth they’d found in the rose bushes the other night.
“Carter’s jacket is the same color as this cloth,” Henry said.
“I’m going to go down to the drugstore and get a newspaper,” Carter told Queenie as he straightened his jacket.
“Okay,” Queenie called back. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“Quick! Let’s get this game picked up,” Jessie said. “We need to talk to Carter about his jacket.”
The Aldens quickly scooped up the letters and put them back in the box. Violet closed up the box and put it back on the shelf.
“Let’s not tell Queenie what we’re doing until we talk to Carter,” Henry said.
“Good idea,” Jessie said. “We don’t want to upset her until we know something for sure.”
The children put on their jackets and hurried toward the front of the store.
“We’re going to head out, too, Queenie,” Henry said with a wave.
“Okay. Thanks for stopping in,” Queenie said.
When they got outside, they noticed Carter was just going inside the drugstore. The children decided to wait outside the store for him.
“I wonder why Carter would take letters off that sign?” Benny said. “What is he doing with them?”
“We’ll ask him that, Benny,” Henry said.
“And if he’s the one who has been taking the letters off the sign, why would he leave a message that says CARTER ROBBER?” Violet wondered.
“That is strange,” Jessie said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the list of words they’d found in the missing letters. “Let’s look again and see if we can find a message in these words while we wait for Carter.”
The others crowded around Jessie and looked at the paper in her hand. QUEENIE, POLK, PLAY, ME, PLEASE, SAME, MAPLE, MERRY, MARRY, MY, PEARL, SALE, SEAL, MEAL, SPRAY, and YES.
“‘Please play with me’ …” Violet said.
“No, there’s no W, T or H,” Jessie said.
“‘Sale please’ …” Henry said.
“‘Please Queenie’ … ,” Benny said.
“Now what are you kids doing?” Carter asked in a gruff voice. He had a newspaper tucked under his arm.
“We’re trying to figure out why you would have taken all those letters
“This is wonderful, Queenie,” Violet cried.
Queenie shrugged. “Well, you kids did most of the work. I’m pleased with how things turned out. Now the children who come in here have someplace to play while their parents look at games or play a game of their own.”
“Could we play a game here right now?” Benny asked.
“I don’t see why not,” Queenie replied. “What game would you like to play?”
“How about Word Master?” Jessie suggested.
“That’s a good idea,” Queenie said. “You can practice for the tournament next week. You kids are planning to play in the tournament, aren’t you?”
“We sure are,” Jessie said.
“Wonderful,” Queenie said as she went to get a copy of Word Master off the shelf. She set it on the table in front of the children. “Carter’s really taking this tournament seriously. He’s been studying word lists all week.”
“Wow, he must really like to win,” Henry said.
“He likes to do his best,” Queenie said.
Benny opened up the Word Master box, and Violet and Jessie started dividing up the letters. Queenie went back to hanging flyers.
While the children were playing, Carter suddenly stood up. He picked up his brown jacket and put it on. As he did, Violet noticed that part of his pocket was torn off.
Violet nudged Jessie. “Look at Carter’s jacket,” she whispered.
Jessie turned. “Hey, the pocket is torn all the way off,” she replied in a low voice.
Henry reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the scrap of cloth they’d found in the rose bushes the other night.
“Carter’s jacket is the same color as this cloth,” Henry said.
“I’m going to go down to the drugstore and get a newspaper,” Carter told Queenie as he straightened his jacket.
“Okay,” Queenie called back. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”
“Quick! Let’s get this game picked up,” Jessie said. “We need to talk to Carter about his jacket.”
The Aldens quickly scooped up the letters and put them back in the box. Violet closed up the box and put it back on the shelf.
“Let’s not tell Queenie what we’re doing until we talk to Carter,” Henry said.
“Good idea,” Jessie said. “We don’t want to upset her until we know something for sure.”
The children put on their jackets and hurried toward the front of the store.
“We’re going to head out, too, Queenie,” Henry said with a wave.
“Okay. Thanks for stopping in,” Queenie said.
When they got outside, they noticed Carter was just going inside the drugstore. The children decided to wait outside the store for him.
“I wonder why Carter would take letters off that sign?” Benny said. “What is he doing with them?”
“We’ll ask him that, Benny,” Henry said.
“And if he’s the one who has been taking the letters off the sign, why would he leave a message that says CARTER ROBBER?” Violet wondered.
“That is strange,” Jessie said. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the list of words they’d found in the missing letters. “Let’s look again and see if we can find a message in these words while we wait for Carter.”
The others crowded around Jessie and looked at the paper in her hand. QUEENIE, POLK, PLAY, ME, PLEASE, SAME, MAPLE, MERRY, MARRY, MY, PEARL, SALE, SEAL, MEAL, SPRAY, and YES.
“‘Please play with me’ …” Violet said.
“No, there’s no W, T or H,” Jessie said.
“‘Sale please’ …” Henry said.
“‘Please Queenie’ … ,” Benny said.
“Now what are you kids doing?” Carter asked in a gruff voice. He had a newspaper tucked under his arm.
“We’re trying to figure out why you would have taken all those letters
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