patting his neatly combed hair. “What’s so special about the Hungry Heart Diner?”
Jessie was smoothing her hood in the hall mirror. “I’m not sure, Benny,” she said, shrugging a little.
“The Hungry Heart Diner is special to us,” Violet pointed out. “After all, that’s where the mystery began.”
Jessie suddenly whirled around. A funny look came over her face. Then she clapped her hands.
“That’s it!” she exclaimed.
A frown crossed Benny’s round face. “What’s it?”
“I know the answer to the riddle!”
“We already figured that out, Jessie,” Benny reminded her. “It’s either Pioneer Square or the Seattle Center.”
“Or maybe the ballpark,” added Henry.
Jessie shook her head. “I think we got it wrong,” she said, her voice rising with excitement. “Remember the first part of the riddle?”
“Sure,” said Violet, who had it memorized. “In the heart of the city / where first it began.”
“What if the riddle wasn’t talking about where the city began,” said Jessie. She paused for a moment to let them think about it. “Don’t you see?” she said at last. “Maybe that wasn’t it at all.”
Henry looked puzzled. “I’m not following you, Jessie.”
“What else could it mean?” asked Violet.
“The mystery!” Jessie told them. “The riddle’s telling us to go back to where the mystery first began.”
“Of course!” exclaimed Violet. “The ‘heart’ is the Hungry Heart Diner.”
“There’s only one problem,” said Benny.
“You’re thinking about the fans, right?” Violet asked him. And Benny nodded.
Henry thought about this for a moment. “Maybe they use fans at the diner to keep the place cool.”
“I don’t remember seeing any,” said Benny.
“Me, either,” said Jessie. “But it’s worth checking out.”
“What a fine group!” Grandfather said, coming into the room. “I still have a few calls to make. Why don’t you go to the diner and get us a table. I’ll meet you there shortly.”
“Sure, Grandfather,” said Henry, and the others nodded.
The children soon hurried on their way. But when they stepped inside the diner, Benny’s shoulders slumped.
“Uh-oh,” he said. “I don’t see any empty tables.”
“We might have to wait a while,” added Violet.
Just then, a young woman with curly red hair came rushing over. The children recognized her immediately. It was Gwen—the waitress who’d taken their orders the other day.
“I’m afraid we’re packed with the dinner crowd right now,” she told them. “But I might be able to squeeze you into the back room.”
The children kept their eyes peeled for any sign of fans as they followed the waitress past the crowded booths and tables.
“After you,” said Gwen, as she opened a door onto a darkened room. “I’ll get the light switch.”
Jessie looked at Henry. Why were the lights off?
As they stepped into the shadowy room, Gwen flicked a switch and lights blazed.
“SURPRISE!!”
The four Alden children stood frozen to the spot, their mouths opened wide as Watch came bounding over. The little dog jumped up on them, barking happily. Around a table in the middle of the room, familiar faces were beaming at them.
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny stared in speechless wonder as Mrs. McGregor gave them a cheery wave. On either side of her, Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy were all smiles. Finn Evans and Toby Spinner were giving each other high-fives, while Reena was laughing and clapping her hands.
“Is this a surprise party … for us?” Benny asked. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“It sure is,” said Grandfather, coming into the room behind them. “A surprise party with all of your biggest fans.”
As the children sat down, it slowly began to sink in. “You were behind this mystery,” Jessie realized. “Weren’t you, Grandfather?”
“It was a team effort, Jessie,” Grandfather told her. “Everything was planned before we even got to
Jessie was smoothing her hood in the hall mirror. “I’m not sure, Benny,” she said, shrugging a little.
“The Hungry Heart Diner is special to us,” Violet pointed out. “After all, that’s where the mystery began.”
Jessie suddenly whirled around. A funny look came over her face. Then she clapped her hands.
“That’s it!” she exclaimed.
A frown crossed Benny’s round face. “What’s it?”
“I know the answer to the riddle!”
“We already figured that out, Jessie,” Benny reminded her. “It’s either Pioneer Square or the Seattle Center.”
“Or maybe the ballpark,” added Henry.
Jessie shook her head. “I think we got it wrong,” she said, her voice rising with excitement. “Remember the first part of the riddle?”
“Sure,” said Violet, who had it memorized. “In the heart of the city / where first it began.”
“What if the riddle wasn’t talking about where the city began,” said Jessie. She paused for a moment to let them think about it. “Don’t you see?” she said at last. “Maybe that wasn’t it at all.”
Henry looked puzzled. “I’m not following you, Jessie.”
“What else could it mean?” asked Violet.
“The mystery!” Jessie told them. “The riddle’s telling us to go back to where the mystery first began.”
“Of course!” exclaimed Violet. “The ‘heart’ is the Hungry Heart Diner.”
“There’s only one problem,” said Benny.
“You’re thinking about the fans, right?” Violet asked him. And Benny nodded.
Henry thought about this for a moment. “Maybe they use fans at the diner to keep the place cool.”
“I don’t remember seeing any,” said Benny.
“Me, either,” said Jessie. “But it’s worth checking out.”
“What a fine group!” Grandfather said, coming into the room. “I still have a few calls to make. Why don’t you go to the diner and get us a table. I’ll meet you there shortly.”
“Sure, Grandfather,” said Henry, and the others nodded.
The children soon hurried on their way. But when they stepped inside the diner, Benny’s shoulders slumped.
“Uh-oh,” he said. “I don’t see any empty tables.”
“We might have to wait a while,” added Violet.
Just then, a young woman with curly red hair came rushing over. The children recognized her immediately. It was Gwen—the waitress who’d taken their orders the other day.
“I’m afraid we’re packed with the dinner crowd right now,” she told them. “But I might be able to squeeze you into the back room.”
The children kept their eyes peeled for any sign of fans as they followed the waitress past the crowded booths and tables.
“After you,” said Gwen, as she opened a door onto a darkened room. “I’ll get the light switch.”
Jessie looked at Henry. Why were the lights off?
As they stepped into the shadowy room, Gwen flicked a switch and lights blazed.
“SURPRISE!!”
The four Alden children stood frozen to the spot, their mouths opened wide as Watch came bounding over. The little dog jumped up on them, barking happily. Around a table in the middle of the room, familiar faces were beaming at them.
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny stared in speechless wonder as Mrs. McGregor gave them a cheery wave. On either side of her, Aunt Jane and Uncle Andy were all smiles. Finn Evans and Toby Spinner were giving each other high-fives, while Reena was laughing and clapping her hands.
“Is this a surprise party … for us?” Benny asked. He couldn’t believe his eyes.
“It sure is,” said Grandfather, coming into the room behind them. “A surprise party with all of your biggest fans.”
As the children sat down, it slowly began to sink in. “You were behind this mystery,” Jessie realized. “Weren’t you, Grandfather?”
“It was a team effort, Jessie,” Grandfather told her. “Everything was planned before we even got to
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