Mystery in the Fortune Cookie by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page B
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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still have no idea who’s behind this fortune cookie hunt.”
“Or the reason for it,” put in Benny.
“That’s true,” said Henry. “But there’s somebody else we might want to include on our list of suspects.”
“Who is it?” Violet and Benny asked at the same time.
“Drum Keller,” Henry said.
Jessie, Violet, and Benny were so surprised, all they could do was stare at their older brother.
Then Violet spoke up. “You think Drum Keller wrote those weird fortunes, Henry?”
“Could be.” Henry leaned forward in his chair. “Isn’t he the author of a whole series of fortune cookie mysteries? And didn’t we find the strange messages inside fortune cookies?”
Everyone agreed Henry had a point. It would be easy for a mystery writer to make up codes and clues.
All of a sudden, Jessie said, “Do you realize what this means? Drum Keller might be living right here in Elmford!”
“He would have changed his name, of course. He might even be someone we know,” Violet said in an awestruck voice. After a moment’s thought, she added, “But why do we keep getting the mysterious messages?”
“Because we’re detectives. We already decided that,” Benny reminded her.
Henry spoke slowly, as if uncertain about what he was saying. “I can’t help wondering if the messages in the fortune cookies were never meant for us at all.”
Jessie looked puzzled. So did Violet and Benny.
“Think about it for a minute,” Henry instructed. “Where was the first message hidden? Wasn’t it inside Dottie’s fortune cookie?” he said, answering his own question.
“It was a special cookie for the birthday girl,” recalled Benny. “But Dottie gave it to me.”
“And that’s not all,” Henry went on. “Dottie goes to the Elmford Ice Cream Parlor every week. And she always gets the mystery flavor.”
“That’s right!” Violet cried in surprise. Her mind was racing. “Benny and Dottie both ordered the mystery flavor at about the same time. Maybe the ice-cream cones got switched around.”
This got Jessie thinking. “Now that you mention it, even the cellar clue led us right to The Underground, where Dottie works.”
Violet said what they all were thinking. “So the messages were meant for Dottie, not for us.”
“We just keep getting them by mistake,” realized Benny. He thought for a moment, then he added, “That reminds me of what Martin said to Auntie Two. Remember him saying, ‘I don’t want any more mix-ups’?”
“That’s right,” said Jessie. “And he wasn’t very happy when Dottie gave away her special fortune cookie on her birthday.”
“He stopped smiling,” Benny remembered. “We thought he was just in a bad mood that day.”
“Then ... maybe Martin’s the one who left those messages for Dottie,” suggested Violet.
Jessie said, “That’s an interesting theory, but ... why would he do such a thing?”
No one had an answer to that.
“No, I still think Drum Keller’s behind everything,” argued Henry.
“Unless ... ” A sudden thought came to Violet.
“Unless what?” Benny questioned.
Violet’s eyes were huge. “Unless Martin Howard is Drum Keller!”
CHAPTER 9
Spies Everywhere!
The next afternoon, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny took a break from puzzling over the rebus clue. After swimming in the pond near their aunt’s house, they sat in their bathing suits near the water’s edge and talked about the mystery “You really think Martin’s the famous author?” Benny was saying. He held out his cracked pink cup while Violet poured lemonade from a big thermos.
“I don’t really know, Benny,” Violet said. “It’s just a guess.”
“That would explain why Martin got so upset at the bookstore,” Henry said. “You know, when the customer said Drum Keller’s mysteries weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”
Violet nodded. “It would also explain Martin’s comment at the coffee shop. When he was on the phone, I mean.”
“What
“Or the reason for it,” put in Benny.
“That’s true,” said Henry. “But there’s somebody else we might want to include on our list of suspects.”
“Who is it?” Violet and Benny asked at the same time.
“Drum Keller,” Henry said.
Jessie, Violet, and Benny were so surprised, all they could do was stare at their older brother.
Then Violet spoke up. “You think Drum Keller wrote those weird fortunes, Henry?”
“Could be.” Henry leaned forward in his chair. “Isn’t he the author of a whole series of fortune cookie mysteries? And didn’t we find the strange messages inside fortune cookies?”
Everyone agreed Henry had a point. It would be easy for a mystery writer to make up codes and clues.
All of a sudden, Jessie said, “Do you realize what this means? Drum Keller might be living right here in Elmford!”
“He would have changed his name, of course. He might even be someone we know,” Violet said in an awestruck voice. After a moment’s thought, she added, “But why do we keep getting the mysterious messages?”
“Because we’re detectives. We already decided that,” Benny reminded her.
Henry spoke slowly, as if uncertain about what he was saying. “I can’t help wondering if the messages in the fortune cookies were never meant for us at all.”
Jessie looked puzzled. So did Violet and Benny.
“Think about it for a minute,” Henry instructed. “Where was the first message hidden? Wasn’t it inside Dottie’s fortune cookie?” he said, answering his own question.
“It was a special cookie for the birthday girl,” recalled Benny. “But Dottie gave it to me.”
“And that’s not all,” Henry went on. “Dottie goes to the Elmford Ice Cream Parlor every week. And she always gets the mystery flavor.”
“That’s right!” Violet cried in surprise. Her mind was racing. “Benny and Dottie both ordered the mystery flavor at about the same time. Maybe the ice-cream cones got switched around.”
This got Jessie thinking. “Now that you mention it, even the cellar clue led us right to The Underground, where Dottie works.”
Violet said what they all were thinking. “So the messages were meant for Dottie, not for us.”
“We just keep getting them by mistake,” realized Benny. He thought for a moment, then he added, “That reminds me of what Martin said to Auntie Two. Remember him saying, ‘I don’t want any more mix-ups’?”
“That’s right,” said Jessie. “And he wasn’t very happy when Dottie gave away her special fortune cookie on her birthday.”
“He stopped smiling,” Benny remembered. “We thought he was just in a bad mood that day.”
“Then ... maybe Martin’s the one who left those messages for Dottie,” suggested Violet.
Jessie said, “That’s an interesting theory, but ... why would he do such a thing?”
No one had an answer to that.
“No, I still think Drum Keller’s behind everything,” argued Henry.
“Unless ... ” A sudden thought came to Violet.
“Unless what?” Benny questioned.
Violet’s eyes were huge. “Unless Martin Howard is Drum Keller!”
CHAPTER 9
Spies Everywhere!
The next afternoon, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny took a break from puzzling over the rebus clue. After swimming in the pond near their aunt’s house, they sat in their bathing suits near the water’s edge and talked about the mystery “You really think Martin’s the famous author?” Benny was saying. He held out his cracked pink cup while Violet poured lemonade from a big thermos.
“I don’t really know, Benny,” Violet said. “It’s just a guess.”
“That would explain why Martin got so upset at the bookstore,” Henry said. “You know, when the customer said Drum Keller’s mysteries weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”
Violet nodded. “It would also explain Martin’s comment at the coffee shop. When he was on the phone, I mean.”
“What
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