“Do you think anything else will happen at soccer practice?” Violet asked.
“I do, Violet,” said Henry. “Either at a practice or at a game. We’ll have to be ready. We’ll watch Stan, Craig, and Gillian very closely. Then maybe we can catch whoever is doing this.”
CHAPTER 7
Pop Goes the Soccer Ball
“Catch it, Watch!” shouted Benny. He kicked the ball toward Watch. Watch ran after it and pushed it with his nose.
Watch, Benny, and Soo Lee were practicing soccer in front of the Aldens’ house. They were playing keep-away, trying to keep Watch from getting the ball. But Watch was too fast for them. Every time Soo Lee or Benny kicked the ball, Watch ran like a flash toward it and knocked it out of the way with his nose. Then Soo Lee and Benny had to chase him to get it back.
Soo Lee kicked a ball up in the air. Watch circled under it and when it landed, he pounced.
Then, suddenly, there was a popping sound, followed by a hiss.
“Oh, no!” cried Soo Lee. “Watch bit the ball!”
“He was just trying to catch it,” said Benny. The two of them ran toward Watch, and Watch ran away, carrying the ball in his teeth. They chased him all the way around the house before they caught him.
“Good boy, Watch,” Benny panted. He sat down on the front steps with the ball. He squeezed the ball between his hands. More air hissed out.
“Let me see,” said Soo Lee. She took the ball and examined it. “There,” she said. “See. There are two teeth marks in the ball. Those are Watch’s teeth marks.”
“I’m sorry,” said Benny. “But it was an accident.”
“I know. It’s okay,” Soo Lee said. She reached down and petted Watch. “He was just practicing. He’ll know next time not to bite the ball, won’t you, Watch?”
“Woof,” said Watch.
“We came out to play soccer with you,” said Jessie. She, Violet, and Henry came out of the house and down the front steps.
Soo Lee held up the ball. “We can’t. My soccer ball has a hole bitten in it.”
She and Benny told the others what had happened.
Henry inspected Soo Lee’s soccer ball. Then he said, “We should go to the Greenfield Sports Store and get you a new soccer ball, Soo Lee.”
“Yes,” said Jessie. “If we put all our money together, we can buy you a ball to replace the one Watch popped.”
“You don’t have to do that,” said Soo Lee.
“Yes, we do,” said Violet. “Besides, how can we practice soccer without a ball?”
“Okay,” said Soo Lee.
Benny took Watch inside to stay with Mrs. McGregor. Then they all got on their bicycles and pedaled into Greenfield.
The Sports Store was on a corner near the park. They parked their bikes outside and went in.
“Watch would like this store a lot,” said Benny. “It has all kinds of balls: soccer balls, baseballs, basketballs, even tennis balls and golf balls.”
“Do you think he would bite holes in all of them?” asked Soo Lee. She and Benny burst out laughing.
Jessie smiled. “It’s a good thing we didn’t bring Watch!” she said.
“There’s a ball like yours, Soo Lee,” said Henry. He and Soo Lee picked up the ball and examined it.
“It is just the same as the other ball,” Soo Lee agreed.
“Then that’s the one we should get,” said Jessie. The five children headed for the cash register. They had just paid for the ball and were about to leave the store when Soo Lee said, “Isn’t that our coach? Isn’t that Gillian over there?”
“It’s Gillian and Stan,” said Violet.
Gillian was standing next to a display of soccer cleats. Facing her, Stan had a matching sweatshirt and pants with the price tags dangling off of them.
As they watched, Stan shook his head and raised one eyebrow.
Gillian put her hand on her hip and scowled.
“I don’t think they are shopping together,” said Violet softly. “It looks as if they are having a fight.”
Stan shook his head again. Gillian raised her voice and suddenly they could hear her. “That’s not why I’m complaining and you know it, Stan. I like the Panthers. They are a good team. But you kept almost all the best players for yourself. You’ve made it nearly impossible for anyone else in the league to have a chance of winning.”
“You’re the one who wanted to let players of every skill level play together,” said Stan, raising his own voice.
“I have a good chance at that job as assistant coach with Coach Della at the university, as good a chance as you,” said Gillian angrily. “Or I had a good chance, until you did this.”
Stan smiled. It wasn’t a nice smile. He said, “If you’re such a good coach, Gillian, you’ll be able to make the Panthers into winners, won’t you?”
“You won’t get away with this, Stan,” Gillian said angrily. “I promise you, I’m going to find a way to stop you.” She turned and stormed down the aisle.
Stan stood and watched her leave, both eyebrows raised, the unpleasant smile still on his face. “May the best coach win,” he said finally, and laughed nastily before turning and leaving the store.
“I thought Gillian liked being our coach!” cried Benny.
“She does, Benny. But she’s right. Stan did keep most of the best players for himself. There’s not a single beginner on his team,” said Henry.
“She really wants that coaching job at the university,” observed Soo Lee. “It sounds as if she would do almost anything to get it.”
“Anything?” asked Jessie quickly.
“Possibly,” said Henry. “Maybe even sabotage her own team to cover up that she is sabotaging other teams.”
“The only other team that has had bad luck is Craig’s,” said Violet. “And I don’t think Gillian is behind any of the things that have happened.”
“I don’t, either. And anyway Stan’s team is the one she’s mad about. Why hasn’t anything happened to Stan’s team?” said Benny.
“That’s a good question, Benny. I don’t know,” answered Jessie. The Aldens went outside and got on their bikes and pedaled slowly home. After getting a cool drink of lemonade from Mrs. McGregor, they went into the front yard to practice soccer. They practiced all the rest of the afternoon. Whenever they rested, they talked about the mystery.
By the end of the afternoon, they were all better soccer players. But they were no closer to solving the soccer mystery.
CHAPTER 8
A Fake Phone Call
Hello?” said Violet, answering the phone. She listened for a moment and a worried expression crossed her face. “The game has been moved?” she asked. “Oh. Okay. Thank you.” She hung up the phone.
The Aldens were at the breakfast table. Benny wasn’t eating as big a breakfast as usual because the coach had told the team not to eat too much before a game. The Panthers were playing the Hawks that morning. But he wasn’t nervous, the way he had been before his very first soccer game.
Everybody else was calmer, too. Henry drank his juice and began to eat a second piece of toast. Jessie finished her cereal and said to Violet, “The game has been moved?”
“Yes. We were supposed to play at the Greenfield Community Center, but it has been moved to Silver City,” she told the others.
Just then Soo Lee came into the kitchen. “Hi, everybody,” she said.
“Would you like some breakfast?” asked Mr. Alden.
Soo Lee wasn’t as nervous as she had been before the first game, either. “Yes, please,” she said. “I’d like some juice. There’s plenty of time for me to have some today.”
“Not if we have to go to Silver City to play,” said Jessie.
“Silver City?” said Soo Lee, surprised. “But we’re playing at the Greenfield Community Center.”
“Someone just called and told Violet that the game has been moved,” Benny said.
Looking even more surprised, Soo Lee said, “No one called and told me that
.”
“Maybe they called after you left,” said Violet.
“And maybe Aunt Alice said you were coming here and would find out from us,” added Benny.
“I guess so,” said Soo Lee.
But Jessie was becoming suspicious. “Did the person who called tell you his name?” she asked Violet.
“Nooo,” said Violet slowly. “It was a man’s voice. But it was very deep, almost as if he were trying to disguise it. I didn’t recognize it, and he didn’t say who he was.”
Jessie got up from the table and went to the telephone. She looked up Stan Post’s name in the phone book and dialed his number.
“May I please speak to Stan Post?” she asked when someone answered.
“This is Stan Post,” he said at the other end of the line.
“This is Jessie Alden. Has the game between the Panthers and the Hawks been moved?” she asked. She listened for a moment and nodded. “I didn’t think so,” she said.
She hung up the phone and turned to face the others. “The game hasn’t been moved,” she told them. “That phone call was a fake. Someone didn’t want us to go to the game this morning!”
“Who would do a terrible thing like that?” gasped Violet.
“The same person who let the air out of the soccer balls and locked Elena in the dressing room,” said Henry.
“If it was a man who called, it couldn’t have been Gillian,” said Benny.
“That’s true, Benny,” said Violet. “I didn’t think she would do any of those mean things, anyway.”
“Then maybe it was Craig,” said Soo Lee.
“Or Stan,” said Henry. “Did he sound surprised when you asked, Jessie?”
“No. He didn’t even sound interested,” said Jessie. She made a face.
“Don’t forget the mysterious stranger,” Violet said. “He could have found out who we are from anyone and called us.”
Henry put down his fork. “Whoever it was, maybe we should get to the game a little early today.”
Later that day the Aldens were at the community center. The Panthers were ahead of the Hawks 1–0, but Henry didn’t want the Hawks to score even one goal. Henry was the goalie.
He paced up and down in front of the goal. He watched the teams running up and down the field.
Suddenly one of the Hawks kicked the ball toward the goal. Jessie ran after the ball. So did the Hawk. Who would get there first?
The Hawk player beat Jessie. He kicked the ball again.
From the side of the field, Henry heard Benny shout, “Go, Henry! Go, Henry!”
Henry ran toward the ball. The Hawk player ran toward the ball.
This time Henry got there first. He fell on the ball and curled himself around it so that the Hawk player could not kick it again.
He heard cheers from his team and from the sidelines as he got up. Looking down, he realized he was covered with dirt and grass stains from falling. But he didn’t care. He had caught the ball!
The referee blew her whistle. The game was over!
With the ball under one arm, Henry trotted toward the middle of the field. All the Panthers shook hands with all the Hawks. “Good game,” they said to each other. Gillian and Craig had taught both teams to do that. It was part of being a good sport.
Then Henry walked off the field with Elena, Violet, and Jessie, smiling broadly
“Good catch, Henry,” said Elena.
“I sure am glad you were there to save that goal,” Jessie said.
“I think it must be scary to be a goalie,” said Violet. “I don’t think I could run and catch the ball like that.”
Benny and Soo Lee ran out to them. They had played in the first part of the game but had not been playing near the end.
“That was great, Henry,” said Benny. “I’m going to be a goalie!”
“I thought you wanted to be a forward like Elena and score lots of goals,” Soo Lee teased her cousin.
“I’m going to do both,” declared Benny.
“I’m sure you will,” said Grandfather Alden as he approached.
“Keep up the good work, Henry,” said Gillian. “The whole team played wonderfully. I am very proud of you.” She applauded the team. Then the team applauded her. After that, everyone began to get ready to leave.
Craig came over. He shook hands with Gillian. “Good game, Coach,” he said.
“Thank you, Coach,” she said. “Why don’t we go get some breakfast? I was too nervous to eat this morning before the game.”
“Did you hear that?” whispered Benny. “Our coach was nervous!”
“Good idea,” said Craig. They smiled at each other. Then Craig said, “I’ll give you a ride. Then we can come back here and watch more soccer.”
The two coaches walked to Craig’s car, got in, and drove away just as Stan and Robert pulled into the parking lot. Craig and Gillian waved. Stan nodded. Robert stared straight ahead, ignoring them.
“He’s being a bad sport, Grandfather,” Benny said.
“He certainly is,” said Grandfather.
“I’m learning a lot about soccer,” Benny went on happily.
Grandfather Alden smiled and patted Benny’s arm. “You all are,” he said.
Just then Jessie, who had been staring across the parking lot, said, “I don’t believe it! The blue van is here.”
“Is the stranger in it?” asked Soo Lee. “Does he have binoculars?”
“I don’t see anyone in the van,” said Jessie. She looked around. “I don’t see the stranger anywhere.”
The others looked all around, too. They didn’t see him, either.
Grandfather Alden said, “The Perezes and I are going to go sit in the bleachers to watch the Bears play the Silver City Rockets.
“We’ll come sit with you,” said Henry. “But not right away.”
Their grandfather’s eyes twinkled. He knew that they were working on a mystery. But he only said, “Okay. See you soon.”
As Mr. Alden and the Perezes walked away, Violet said, “If no one is around the blue van, maybe this would be a good time to go look inside. We might find some clues.”
“Good idea, Violet,” said Henry.
“Wait until Robert and Stan leave the parking lot,” Soo Lee warned.
“Maybe we can look in Stan’s car, too,” said Jessie.
After the Post brothers had left the parking lot, the Aldens strolled over to the van. They kept a sharp watch for the stranger, but they didn’t see him anywhere.
At last they reached the van. Henry looked over his shoulder. “No one is in the parking lot,” he said. “No one has even noticed we’re here.”
“Good,” said Jessie. She led the way around to the other side of the van, so that no one could see them.
Looking inside, they could see that the van was neat and clean. A pair of binoculars was on the seat.
“Look,” said Soo Lee. She pointed to a small sticker in the lower right-hand corner of the windshield.
“It’s blue and gold,” said Benny. “U . . . N . . . I . . . What does it say?”
“University,” said Soo Lee. “It’s a parking sticker for the university.”
“Athletic Staff,” read Henry, leaning over to examine the parking sticker, too. “See? Athletic Staff Number one-two-three-four-five-seven.”
“Does the spy work for the university?” asked Benny.
“I don’t think he’s a spy, Benny,” said Violet.
Suddenly Jessie said, “Someone’s coming.”
“Hide,” said Henry. “Everybody duck down!”
They crouched low, so they couldn’t be seen near the van. Nobody moved.
Was it the stranger? Had he seen them at his van and come back? Was he about to catch them?
CHAPTER 9
Trapped!
Footsteps crossed the parking lot. For a moment it seemed as if they were heading toward the van. Then, nearby, the children heard a car door open.
It stayed open for what seemed like a very l
ong time. Then the car door shut and the footsteps moved away, back across the parking lot and out toward the soccer field.
Jessie let out a long, slow sigh of relief. She stood up so she could see through the van’s window.
Robert was walking back toward the soccer field carrying his gear bag.
“Whew,” said Henry. “It’s a good thing we weren’t looking in Stan’s car. Robert must have forgotten his gear bag.”
“Yes. And he would have caught us for sure,” said Jessie.
“Maybe we should go,” suggested Violet nervously. “There aren’t any clues here.”
The Aldens looked around the parking lot. But no one was there. In the distance, they could see Robert walking toward his team, still holding his gear bag.
The Aldens left the parking lot as fast as they could without running. They had just reached the far end of the soccer field where the Bears were going to play the Rockets, when Soo Lee said, “There he is.”
They all stopped and stared. The stranger was walking toward them. As he passed Robert, Robert spoke to the stranger.
The stranger stopped. He didn’t look pleased for a moment. Then he gave Robert a small smile and nodded.
“Look at that!” Violet gasped. “Robert is smiling! And it’s a nice smile. I’ve never seen him do that!”
“I don’t think anybody has,” said Henry.
The stranger walked on. He came straight toward the Aldens. They kept walking, too.
He barely glanced at them as he walked by. But Robert stayed where he was a moment longer, staring after the stranger. Then he turned and went to join his team.
“Wow,” breathed Jessie. “That really was a close call. If we had stayed much longer, the stranger would definitely have caught us.”
“Does Robert know him?” asked Benny. “Is Robert working with the spy? Is Robert a spy, too?”
“It’s a possibility, Benny,” said Henry. “But I still don’t know why. It doesn’t make sense.”
The Bears were standing on the sidelines. Robert straightened up as the Aldens and Soo Lee passed. Robert reached into his bag and pulled out his goalie gloves. He began putting them on.