Seattle.”
“Your grandfather thought following clues would be an interesting way to see the sights,” put in Mrs. McGregor.
Aunt Jane nodded. “You’ve solved so many mysteries for so many people,” she said, looking at each of the Aldens in turn, “we figured it was time you had a mystery of your very own.”
Violet had a question. “Did everybody come all this way just for the surprise party?”
“Well, I had a business trip planned for the Northwest,” explained Uncle Andy. “Aunt Jane decided to join me.”
Mrs. McGregor put in, “And Watch and I tagged along, too.”
“Dogs aren’t allowed in the hotel,” said Reena, “so my father and I have been looking after Watch.”
“No wonder you knew Watch’s name,” Jessie realized.
“And this must be the dinner party you were talking about,” added Violet, who noticed the vase of fresh flowers on the table.
Reena’s eyes were twinkling. “Like I said, Violet, it was a party for some very special friends!”
Something was bothering Benny. “Mrs. McGregor, why did you run away from me?”
“I’m sorry, Benny,” Mrs. McGregor apologized. “I just didn’t want to ruin the surprise. I never expected to see you in Pioneer Square.”
“We thought the underground city was the answer to one of the riddles,” explained Jessie. “Only, we were on the wrong track.”
Henry turned to Uncle Andy. “And you were on the ferry the other day, weren’t you?” guessed Henry.
Uncle Andy nodded. “I had a meeting on Bainbridge Island,” he admitted. “But I didn’t know you were on the ferry until your grandfather mentioned it later.”
Violet turned to her grandfather. “You spotted Uncle Andy when we were getting off the ferry, didn’t you?”
“Right.”
“That’s why you wouldn’t let me take a picture,” Violet concluded.
“Right again,” said Grandfather. “I thought it best to hustle you out of there as fast as I could.”
“That was a close call, all right!” Uncle Andy laughed, as the waitress put bowls of salad on the table.
Aunt Jane laughed. “Don’t feel bad, Andy. I almost blew it myself.”
“What do you mean, Jane?” Mrs. McGregor wondered.
Violet had an answer. “Aunt Jane almost knocked me over coming out of the diner.”
“I was on a mission to plant clues,” explained Aunt Jane. “Only, I got a late start that morning so I was in a rush. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“You also left the riddle at the Space Needle, right?” put in Jessie. “We saw you getting off the elevator.”
Aunt Jane nodded. “I was afraid you might see me, so I tried to stay hidden under my umbrella.”
“Unless I miss my guess,” put in Henry, “after you planted the clues, you stopped by the hotel to see grandfather.”
“Why, yes,” said Aunt Jane, surprised that Henry knew this. “I just wanted to touch base about the mystery and—”
“Guess what?” Benny broke in. “You left your umbrella behind.”
“What … ?” Aunt Jane slapped a hand against her cheek. “Are you serious?”
Grandfather chuckled. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when Violet held it up,” he said, swallowing a bite of his salad. “I had to do some pretty fast talking!”
Everybody laughed, including Aunt Jane.
Henry looked over at the desk clerk. “You played a part in this mystery, too. Didn’t you, Toby?”
Toby nodded. “I hid the clue by the troll.”
“Toby’s my cousin,” Reena added.
“I had a hunch you knew more than you were letting on,” said Henry, as he sprinkled pepper onto his salad.
“I felt someone watching us,” said Jessie. “The day we went to see the troll, I mean. It was you, wasn’t it, Toby?”
“You found me out, Jessie,” he said. “The suspense was starting to get to me. I had to find out if you were on the right track.”
Benny nodded in understanding. The youngest Alden didn’t like to be kept waiting in suspense either.
Violet spoke up. “We over heard you on
“Your grandfather thought following clues would be an interesting way to see the sights,” put in Mrs. McGregor.
Aunt Jane nodded. “You’ve solved so many mysteries for so many people,” she said, looking at each of the Aldens in turn, “we figured it was time you had a mystery of your very own.”
Violet had a question. “Did everybody come all this way just for the surprise party?”
“Well, I had a business trip planned for the Northwest,” explained Uncle Andy. “Aunt Jane decided to join me.”
Mrs. McGregor put in, “And Watch and I tagged along, too.”
“Dogs aren’t allowed in the hotel,” said Reena, “so my father and I have been looking after Watch.”
“No wonder you knew Watch’s name,” Jessie realized.
“And this must be the dinner party you were talking about,” added Violet, who noticed the vase of fresh flowers on the table.
Reena’s eyes were twinkling. “Like I said, Violet, it was a party for some very special friends!”
Something was bothering Benny. “Mrs. McGregor, why did you run away from me?”
“I’m sorry, Benny,” Mrs. McGregor apologized. “I just didn’t want to ruin the surprise. I never expected to see you in Pioneer Square.”
“We thought the underground city was the answer to one of the riddles,” explained Jessie. “Only, we were on the wrong track.”
Henry turned to Uncle Andy. “And you were on the ferry the other day, weren’t you?” guessed Henry.
Uncle Andy nodded. “I had a meeting on Bainbridge Island,” he admitted. “But I didn’t know you were on the ferry until your grandfather mentioned it later.”
Violet turned to her grandfather. “You spotted Uncle Andy when we were getting off the ferry, didn’t you?”
“Right.”
“That’s why you wouldn’t let me take a picture,” Violet concluded.
“Right again,” said Grandfather. “I thought it best to hustle you out of there as fast as I could.”
“That was a close call, all right!” Uncle Andy laughed, as the waitress put bowls of salad on the table.
Aunt Jane laughed. “Don’t feel bad, Andy. I almost blew it myself.”
“What do you mean, Jane?” Mrs. McGregor wondered.
Violet had an answer. “Aunt Jane almost knocked me over coming out of the diner.”
“I was on a mission to plant clues,” explained Aunt Jane. “Only, I got a late start that morning so I was in a rush. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”
“You also left the riddle at the Space Needle, right?” put in Jessie. “We saw you getting off the elevator.”
Aunt Jane nodded. “I was afraid you might see me, so I tried to stay hidden under my umbrella.”
“Unless I miss my guess,” put in Henry, “after you planted the clues, you stopped by the hotel to see grandfather.”
“Why, yes,” said Aunt Jane, surprised that Henry knew this. “I just wanted to touch base about the mystery and—”
“Guess what?” Benny broke in. “You left your umbrella behind.”
“What … ?” Aunt Jane slapped a hand against her cheek. “Are you serious?”
Grandfather chuckled. “I couldn’t believe my eyes when Violet held it up,” he said, swallowing a bite of his salad. “I had to do some pretty fast talking!”
Everybody laughed, including Aunt Jane.
Henry looked over at the desk clerk. “You played a part in this mystery, too. Didn’t you, Toby?”
Toby nodded. “I hid the clue by the troll.”
“Toby’s my cousin,” Reena added.
“I had a hunch you knew more than you were letting on,” said Henry, as he sprinkled pepper onto his salad.
“I felt someone watching us,” said Jessie. “The day we went to see the troll, I mean. It was you, wasn’t it, Toby?”
“You found me out, Jessie,” he said. “The suspense was starting to get to me. I had to find out if you were on the right track.”
Benny nodded in understanding. The youngest Alden didn’t like to be kept waiting in suspense either.
Violet spoke up. “We over heard you on
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