“Yes, you did.” Steve waved a finger at her. “But you didn’t tell us they’d figure out so much, Mrs. Dawson.”
“Is it true?” Jessie asked, her eyes huge. “Are you really the authors of the Detective Club books?”
“Yes, we are,” said Amanda.
The Aldens looked at one another. For a moment, they were too amazed to speak.
“I can’t believe it!” Henry said at last. “We’re sitting with our favorite authors!”
“We’ve read every book in the Detective Club series!” added Jessie. She sounded just as excited as her older brother.
“I don’t get it.” Benny looked puzzled. “You mean, you’re not really Amanda Penner?”
“Oh, I am Amanda Penner, Benny,” she assured him. “Mila Jones is my pen name.”
“And Jake Winston is my pen name,” added Steve.
“Sometimes authors use a different name on their books,” Henry explained to his younger brother. “It’s called a pen name.”
“I’m sorry for keeping you in the dark,” Amanda said sheepishly. “You see, Steve had his doubts about our latest plot.”
“The Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery?” guessed Violet.
“Exactly,” said Steve, looking surprised that Violet knew that. “I thought some of the clues were too hard for kids to figure out—especially the one about the rings of time.”
Amanda added, “When Mrs. Dawson mentioned that you children had solved quite a few mysteries, it got me thinking.”
“You decided to test it out,” Henry concluded. “The plot, I mean.”
Amanda nodded. She explained how they’d needed a photograph of Dora to fit the clues, so they hired Carly Boyd to pose for it. Next, Steve carved the riddle into the stones. The only hitch was finding a good reason for removing the stones from the walkway.
“I twisted my ankle when I was out jogging in Fudge Hollow,” Amanda told them. “Why not pretend I tripped over a loose stone in the walkway?”
“I didn’t think you kids could solve this mystery,” Steve admitted. “But then I saw you at the library today, and I knew you’d figure everything out.”
“You were following us, weren’t you?” Jessie realized.
“I’m sorry if I frightened you,” said Steve. “I just happened to be passing by and I saw you go inside. I was curious to see how you were making out with the mystery. When I saw you browsing through books on Greek myths, I knew you were doing just fine.” Then he turned to Mrs. Dawson. “You were right about these kids,” he said. “They don’t miss a thing.”
“So you were in on this, too, Mrs. Dawson?” asked Jessie.
“Yes, that’s why I went out to your house the other day,” Mrs. Dawson confessed. “I knew if I mentioned the loose stones, you would offer to help.”
“Grandfather thought it was a coincidence,” said Henry, “that the kids you hired happened to be detectives.”
Jessie had a sudden thought. “When you were visiting with Mrs. McGregor the other day, you spilled the cream on purpose, didn’t you, Mrs. Dawson?”
“Yes, I did,” said Mrs. Dawson. “I didn’t want to talk about Amanda’s writing, so …”
“You tried to distract everyone,” finished Henry.
Mrs. Dawson nodded. “I knew what good detectives you were. I was afraid you’d have everything figured out in no time if I said too much.”
Benny looked confused. “There’s one thing I don’t understand, Mrs. Dawson,” he said. “If you were in on everything, why were you tracking down clues?”
“Me?” Mrs. Dawson pointed to herself. Then she began to laugh. “Why would you think I was tracking down clues?”
“You said if you opened Pandora’s box,” Benny told her, “then all your dreams would come true.”
“Oh, you heard that, did you?” said Mrs. Dawson. Then she turned to Steve. “That must have been when you phoned.”
“Neither Amanda nor I could stand the suspense,” Steve said with a laugh. “We just had to find out if the bank had approved Mrs. Dawson’s business loan.”
“Well, guess what?” Mrs. Dawson’s face broke into a big smile. “The bank manager just called and gave me the thumbs up! Looks like my dream really will come true.” Turning to the youngest Alden, she added, “When you heard me on the phone, Benny, I was talking about opening my bookstore. You see, I decided to call it Pandora’s Box.”
“Oh!” The children looked at each other in sudden understanding.
As everyone congratulated Mrs. Dawson, Henry noticed the game of checkers on top of the refrigerator. He suddenly thought of something. In a flash, he was on his feet. Reaching the box of checkers down, he came back to the table.
Jessie could tell by the look on her older brother’s face that something was up. “What’s going on, Henry?”
“We missed something,” Henry said. “There was a clue in the first riddle, but we didn’t pick up on it.”
“What?” asked Benny.
Curious, Jessie tugged her notebook from her pocket. After flipping through the pages, she recited, “Follow the clues/ both night and day;/ leave no stone unturned/ the game’s in play.”
Violet slapped a hand against her forehead. “Oh, the game’s in play!”
“The game of checkers,” Jessie realized. “How could we miss that?”
“Open it, Henry!” Benny inched his chair closer.
As Henry lifted the lid from the box of checkers, Amanda and Steve seemed to be holding their breath. Even Mrs. Dawson was standing as still as a statue.
Inside the box, they found a folded checker board and a cloth bag. Henry gave the bag a shake, but there weren’t many checkers inside.
“That’s odd,” said Jessie.
Henry held the bag upside down and gave it a shake. When Amanda caught a glimpse of what tumbled out, her jaw dropped.
“What in the world …?” she cried out in astonishment.
“Oooh!” cried Violet. “It’s a diamond ring.”
Sure enough, a sparkling diamond on a gold band came to rest in the middle of the checker board.
It was clear Amanda couldn’t quite believe what she was seeing.
“But we put chocolate coins in that bag—wrapped in gold foil,” she said in bewilderment. “Do you know anything about this, Steve?”
Jessie couldn’t help noticing that beads of perspiration had popped up on Steve’s forehead. He was mopping at his face with a handkerchief.
“Steve?” Amanda repeated.
To everyone’s astonishment, Steve suddenly knelt down on one knee beside Amanda’s chair. Reaching for her hand, he said, “Will you marry me?”
For a long moment, Amanda stared at Steve. Then her face broke into a smile. “Of course, I’ll marry you!”
The Aldens let out a cheer as Steve slipped the engagement ring onto Amanda’s finger.
“Oh, how romantic!” gushed Mrs. Dawson, wiping away a tear of joy.
“You planned this all along, didn’t you, Steve?” Amanda said, admiring her ring.
Beaming happily, Steve got to his feet. “I wanted to propose in a special way,” he said. “I thought—what would be better than to make it part of a mystery.”
Violet smiled to herself. Steve hadn’t been looking for the “rings of time”—he was looking for an engagement ring for Amanda!
Benny had a question. “Did your grandfather really play the spy game with you, Amanda?” he wanted to know. “Or did you make that part up, too?”
“Oh, that was true, Benny,” Amanda assured him. “In fact, that’s how I got the idea for The Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery. It’s because of my grandfather,” she added, “that I love mysteries so much.”
Jessie was wondering about something, too. “The day you surprised us with that picnic lunch,” she said, “you were trying to give us a hint, weren’t you, Amanda?”
Amanda didn’t deny it. “I wanted to point you towards Fudge Hollow.”
“You gave us another hint, too,” Violet realize
d, “when you said there might be family photos in the hope chest.”
“Right again,” said Amanda.
This made Mrs. Dawson laugh. “I don’t think these children needed any hints,” she said. “They figured everything out—and more!”
Steve was quick to agree. “The kids in the Detective Club books couldn’t have done it better. And thanks to the Aldens,” he added, “we can send The Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery off to the publishers.”
“I can’t wait till it comes out!” said Benny.
Amanda looked over at Steve. With a quick nod, Steve hurried out of the room. He came back a moment later holding a stack of typed pages tied together with string.
“You won’t have to wait, Benny,” Steve said, placing the bundle on the table. “We made an extra copy of The Jigsaw Puzzle Mystery.”
“You mean, we can read it?” Benny asked in disbelief.
“Before it’s even published?” added Jessie.
“You sure can,” said Amanda. “But first, it needs a dedication.” Fishing a pen from her purse, she wrote something on the first page. Then she passed the manuscript to the Aldens.
When Jessie took a closer look, her eyes widened and she gasped.
“What is it?” asked Benny. “What does it say?”
Jessie read the dedication aloud:
To Henry, Violet, Benny, and Jessie, the world’s greatest detectives!
“Yippee!” cried Benny. “We’ll be famous.”
“I think this calls for a celebration,” said Mrs. Dawson, as everyone laughed. “Anybody for chocolate cake?”
Benny raised his hand high in the air. “My two favorite things,” he said with a grin. “Food and a mystery!”
About the Author
GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book, The Boxcar Children, quickly proved she had succeeded.
Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car — the situation the Alden children find themselves in.
When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.
While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible — something else that delights young readers.
Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.
The Boxcar Children Mysteries
THE BOXCAR CHILDREN
SURPRISE ISLAND
THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY
MYSTERY RANCH
MIKE’S MYSTERY
BLUE BAY MYSTERY
THE WOODSHED MYSTERY
THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY
MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY
SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY
CABOOSE MYSTERY
HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY
SNOWBOUND MYSTERY
TREE HOUSE MYSTERY
BICYCLE MYSTERY
MYSTERY IN THE SAND
MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL
BUS STATION MYSTERY
BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY
THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY
THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY
THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING
THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO
THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY GIRL
THE MYSTERY CRUISE
THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST
MYSTERY IN THE SNOW
THE PIZZA MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY HORSE
THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW
THE CASTLE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE
THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE
THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL
THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC
THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH
THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT
THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN
THE MYSTERY ON STAGE
THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC
THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK
THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON
THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE
THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR
THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE
THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN
THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR
THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE
THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY
THE HURRICANE MYSTERY
THE PET SHOP MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE
THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO
THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO
THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY
THE SOCCER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC
THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER
THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL
THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY
THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY
THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY
THE PANTHER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS
THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY
THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY
THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP
THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN
THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL
THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK
THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY
THE POISON FROG MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE
THE HOME RUN MYSTERY
THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES
THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME
THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE
THE HOCKEY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG
THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL
THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY
THE COPYCAT MYSTERY
THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE
THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN
THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE
THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE
THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY
THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP
THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT
THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY
THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY
THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY
THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY
THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE
THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY
THE RADIO MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST
THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR
THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE
THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES
THE SWORD OF THE SILV
ER KNIGHT
THE GAME STORE MYSTERY
THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN
THE VANISHING PASSENGER
THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY
THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE
THE ROCK ’N’ ROLL MYSTERY
THE SECRET OF THE MASK
THE SEATTLE PUZZLE
THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW
THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND
A HORSE NAMED DRAGON
THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE
THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE
THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES
THE SPY GAME
THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY
THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY
SUPERSTAR WATCH
THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS
THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW
THE PUMPKIN HEAD MYSTERY
THE CUPCAKE CAPER
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this ebook onscreen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
copyright © 2009 by Albert Whitman & Company
978-1-4532-2907-1
This 2011 edition distributed by Open Road Integrated Media
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New York, NY 10014
www.openroadmedia.com
EBOOKS BY GERTRUDE CHANDLER WARNER
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