“Mr. Jackson doesn’t think girls should play baseball,” Benny piped up.
“And Mrs. Sealy thinks Susan is wasting her time playing with us,” Nicole offered. “She thinks she could be painting pictures.”
“What about Chuck?” Benny asked.
Henry shrugged. “Maybe Chuck is secretly rooting for the other team because he has a friend — that little boy — who plays for them.”
There was a long silence. “I think we have a long way to go before we solve this mystery,” Jessie said.
“You’re right,” Violet told her. “But let’s do it before anything else gets stolen.”
CHAPTER 8
Henry Has an Idea
On Saturday morning, the Aldens trooped into the kitchen for an early breakfast. “I made waffles,” Mrs. McGregor said as they settled around the oak table. “I know you want to get an early start for the fairgrounds.” It was the day of the annual Greenfield flea market, and the children had invited Michael and Nicole to join them.
“What’s a flea market, anyway?” Benny asked, pouring a tall glass of orange juice.
“It’s like a giant yard sale,” Jessie told him.
“People come from all over town and set up booths to sell things.”
“What kind of things?”
“Just about everything. Furniture and dolls and antiques . . . ”
“Oh.” Benny looked disappointed.
“Cheer up, Benny,” Violet said teasingly. “There will be lots of good things to eat, like homemade cookies and cakes and doughnuts.”
“Oh, good!”Benny said, polishing off a waffle and reaching for another. “Then I know I’ll like it.”
Half an hour later, they met Michael and Nicole and headed for the fairgrounds. “This is going to be fun,” Nicole said. “I can hardly wait to get there.”
“And guess what,” Michael spoke up. “Did you see the notice in today’s paper? Someone’s selling baseball cards and autographs!”
“Let’s head there first,” Henry said.
The fairgrounds were crowded when the children arrived. Everyone was excited by a display of gingerbread houses. “Oh, they’re pretty,” Nicole said. “They look just like something out of Hansel and Gretel.”
“But I bet they’re really expensive,” Violet said. She had brought her allowance money with her in case she wanted to buy something.
“Maybe we can learn to make them ourselves,” Jessie suggested. The Aldens always loved to figure out how to do things on their own.
Benny asked the woman behind the booth, “Can you eat the houses?”
She laughed. “I certainly hope not. Each one of them took almost a whole week to decorate.”
“C’mon,” Henry said, putting his arm around his younger brother’s shoulders. “Let’s take a look at those baseball cards.”
A large group was gathered around the baseball card vendor’s booth, and Michael recognized a familiar face. “See that woman in the red dress?” he whispered to the others. “Isn’t that Susan’s aunt — the one who’s always hanging around the field?”
Nicole watched as a dark-haired woman backed out of the crowd and headed toward another booth. “That’s her, all right. I wonder what she was doing at this booth?”
“It can’t be because she likes baseball,” Jessie said. “She thinks it’s a waste of time.”
“Well, I think it’s the most fun game in the whole world,” Benny said loudly.
“You’re right,” Henry said, laughing. “Now let’s see the cards for ourselves.”
They had been sorting through bins of cards for a few minutes when Benny suddenly grabbed Jessie’s arm. “That’s it!” he said hoarsely.
“That’s what?” Jessie said blankly. She was looking at a baseball card that pictured Hank Aaron and listed his 733 home runs.
“Your glove!” Benny said, continuing to tug at her. “The one Aunt Jane gave you.”
“What — where?” Now he had her full attention.
Benny pointed silently to a slightly battered glove just out of reach on a display shelf. The autograph was clearly visible — Hank Aaron.
“Can I see that glove — the one on the left?” Jessie asked the man running the booth. She was so excited her hands were trembling. How in the world had her glove ended up here? Had someone stolen it from the dugout and sold it?
“This is a nice glove. I can give you a good price on it.”
Jessie turned it over thoughtfully in her hands. It certainly looked like her glove! But she wasn’t sure what to say. She couldn’t accuse the man of stealing it! “I . . . I had a glove just like this one,” she said finally. “My aunt gave it to me.”
“You mean you had a glove signed by Hank Aaron,” the man said in a friendly voice.
“That’s right!” Jessie said.
“So do lots of people,” he replied, arranging a stack of baseball caps.
Jessie was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
“The big-name players sign lots of gloves. Everybody knows that.”
“I didn’t,” Jessie said softly. She slipped her hand inside the glove. There was a little rough spot inside that rubbed against her knuckle — just like her glove. Was it hers? And anyway what could she do? Even if it was, there was no way she could prove it.
“How much is it?” Henry asked. He had seen the look on his sister’s face, and he was determined to buy the glove for her.
But when the man told them the price, it was very high.
“Oh, no,” Violet said softly. “Mine was stolen.” She knew there was no way they could afford that. “Maybe if we all saved for it,” she began doubtfully.
“You say you had a glove that was stolen?” the man asked Jessie. When she nodded, he went on, “That’s really a shame. Tell you what I can do. I’ll set this one aside until you’ve earned the money.”
“Really?” Jessie asked, her face lighting up. “Thank you.”
Later that afternoon, the children visited a booth filled with beautiful leather belts and handbags. Violet ran her hand over a tan belt, so soft it felt almost buttery. A young girl with a ponytail sitting on a stool said proudly, “I made that one myself.”
“It’s so pretty,” Violet said. “Look, Benny, it has a cowboy design carved into it.”
Benny touched the belt. “It’s nice. How did you get it so smooth?”
“I have a secret ingredient,” the girl told him smilingly. She reached for a saltshaker on the countertop. “Salt.”
“Salt?” Violet and Benny said together.
The girl nodded and stood up. “When you want to soften leather, you soak it for awhile and then rub salt into it. Instead of being hard and stiff, it makes the leather soft, as if you’ve been wearing the belt for awhile.”
Benny stood silently for a moment, thinking. That was what Michael had said when they’d found traces of salt on Jessie’s glove — the fake one that someone had put in her locker. And Mr. Jackson always kept a saltshaker in the dugout. Was he the guilty one?
Toward the end of the day, the children ate hot dogs in the shade.
“Do you think that was really your glove?” Nicole asked her.
Jessie shrugged. “I’m not sure. It certainly looked like it and felt like it.”
“But that still doesn’t explain how it got here,” Violet pointed out.
“We’re never going to figure that part out,” Michael said. “At least not until we catch the thief.” He sipped some apple juice through a straw.
“I’ve been thinking about that.” Henry leaned forward. “Maybe we shouldn’t just sit back and wait for the thief to strike again.”
“But what can we do?” Violet asked. “We can’t catch him until he commits another crime.”
Henry snapped his fingers. “That’s it, exactly. And you know what? We can set him up so he has to commit another crime. He just won’t be able to resist.”
Michael looked interested. “You mean we offer him something, and once
he grabs it — ”
“We grab him!” Nicole finished for him.
“A trap!” Henry said. “You’ve got it.” He looked at the other children. “So what do you think?”
“What could we offer him?” Jessie asked. “It would have to be something he’d really like to have.”
“He already has my teddy bear,” Benny said sadly.
Jessie put her arm around him. “I have a feeling we’ll get Stockings back for you, Benny, even though I can’t promise.” She paused. “I think we have to offer him something to do with baseball. After all, look what he’s stolen — a bat, a glove, and a mascot.”
“And there’s more than that going on,” Nicole pointed out. “He took the keys to the van, cut the battery cables, and almost made us miss our game with the Pirates.”
“You keep saying ‘he,’ ” Michael reminded her. “We don’t know that for sure. It could be a she.”
“That’s true,” Violet agreed. “But there’s one thing we’re sure of. Everything is somehow connected to baseball.”
“And that’s exactly the way we trap him or her,” Henry said. “We offer the thief some kind of baseball trophy, or autograph. Something that he just can’t pass up.”
“I know,” said Jessie. “Something we saw back there.” She jerked her thumb toward the row of booths.
“What’s that?” Benny asked.
Jessie smiled. “Something small, something easy to hide, something easy to steal. And something the thief would really like to have if he likes baseball.”
Benny scrunched his forehead. What was Jessie getting at? “I got it!” he said suddenly. “A baseball card. We’re going to catch him with a baseball card.”
“You’re right, Benny,” Jessie said eagerly. She scrambled to her feet and threw her napkin in the trash. “Who wants to help me pick one out?”
“I do,” Benny said, jumping up. He was happy they had a plan. He could hardly wait to catch the thief. Whoever stole the glove and the bat had taken Stockings. Benny was sure of that. And when Benny caught up with him — or her — there would be a lot of explaining to do!
CHAPTER 9
Setting a Trap
Half an hour later, they had made their choice. Benny picked out a baseball card with a picture of a famous player, Joe DiMaggio.
“I hope the thief falls for this,” he whispered as Henry paid for the card.
“He will if we lay our trap carefully.” Henry tucked the card into his jacket pocket.
“What are we going to do exactly?” Nicole asked. They moved away from the booth. She and Jessie were sharing a lemon ice, and it was melting quickly in the hot sun.
“We’re going to pretend this is a birthday present for Coach Warren,” Henry explained. “A surprise birthday present.”
“And we’ll make sure everyone on the team knows about the card,” Jessie said, her face lighting up. “Then the thief will have a chance to steal it.”
“We’ll hide it someplace really obvious,” Henry continued.
“And when the thief shows up, we’ll be waiting,” Violet finished.
“So he’ll be the one who’s in for a surprise!” Benny said.
“You said everyone on the team will know,” Nicole pointed out. “What about Chuck?”
“We’ll make sure he knows, too,” Henry promised.
“I bet someone will come forward,” Nicole offered.
Henry patted his pocket. “I think so, too. This card will lure them.”
The Aldens spent a quiet Sunday with Grandfather, and returned to practice early on Monday morning. They were scheduled to play the Pirates the very next day.
“Remember to catch the ball with two hands, Violet,” Chuck shouted as he crossed the field. “And Jessie, let’s see some power when you swing the bat!”
Henry was hitting fly balls to Nicole. Chuck stood watching them for a few minutes. “That’s much better, Nicole,” he said.
“I’ve really been working hard on it,” she answered. She knew she didn’t dare take her eyes off the ball. Henry hit one to her again, and she made a perfect catch. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and grinned when Chuck applauded.
“Nice work, Nicole!”
“Thanks!” She knew she had played well, and she felt good.
As the day passed, the Aldens spread the word to everyone about the present they had bought for Coach Warren.
“It’s a surprise,” Benny said to Susan Miller at lunchtime, putting his finger over his lips.
“Don’t worry, Benny,” she told him. “I can keep a secret.”
“Joe DiMaggio,” Violet mouthed to Ann in the middle of practice as the two girls waited their turn at bat. Ann looked impressed.
“Don’t drag your right foot, Jessie!” Coach Warren yelled. “Remember to plant it.”
Ann waited until Jessie hit the ball with a sharp crack, and whispered back, “He’s going to love it. When are you going to give it to him?”
“Right after tomorrow’s game.”
“I hope it’s someplace safe,” Ann said.
“It is,” Violet assured her. “It’s in the glove compartment of the van . . . ”
Late that afternoon, the Aldens gathered on Grandfather’s front porch with Michael and Nicole. Mrs. McGregor had made lemonade for everyone, and Benny was dangling his legs off the porch swing.
“How do you feel about tomorrow?” Michael asked Violet. “Any butterflies?”
Violet shook her head. “Not yet. I may get a few tomorrow morning though, when we get to the field.” She rubbed her arm. It was tired from throwing. “Right now, I can’t even think about playing a single inning.”
“I feel the same way,” Jessie said. “I can’t worry about the game right now. I’m still thinking about the baseball card that Henry planted in the glove compartment.”
“You mean you’re wondering who’s going to steal it,” Nicole offered.
Jessie nodded. “It’s so hard to believe that the thief is someone on the team.”
“It’s even harder to believe that it could be Chuck,” Violet said. She liked the friendly young man who had tried so hard to help her with her throwing. “I still can’t figure out why he would want to hurt the Bears.”
“We saw him with one of the Pirates team members in the store that day,” Henry reminded her.
“That’s true,” Violet admitted.
“And he said that Hank Aaron was one of his favorite players,” Michael suggested. “So he’d have a good reason for taking Jessie’s glove.”
“A lot of people would like to have that glove,” Henry said. He looked at Benny. “Has Mr. Jackson ever said anything that sounded suspicious to you?”
Benny shook his head. “Just that he doesn’t think girls should play baseball.”
Nicole, Violet, and Jessie groaned. “There’s something else funny about him,” Benny said. “Remember the saltshaker on his workbench? He might have used that to make the new glove look old.”
Everyone was quiet for a moment, lost in thought.
“He was fooling around with the lockers, too,” Benny added. “He said that he was thinking of painting them, but they don’t need it. Honest!”
“Why would he lie?” Violet asked softly.
“Unless he has something to hide,” Jessie answered.
“Mrs. Sealy doesn’t tell the truth either,” Violet pointed out. “Remember that day we saw her in the store? She said she hadn’t been to the dugout, but I don’t think that’s true. She had red mud all over her shoes.”
“And she was on the field the day someone cut the cables on the van,” Henry pointed out. “She brought brownies for Susan to pass around.”
Benny nodded. “I remember them. They were good!”
Violet laughed and tousled her brother’s hair. “You would remember something like that!”
“It sounded like she was plotting something with Mr. Jackson,” Jessie said. “Remember when she said that the coach was going to get
the ‘surprise of his life’?”
“Well, there’s nothing we can do but wait until tomorrow,” Henry said. He leaned back in the white wicker chair. “If everything goes the way I think it will, we’ll have our thief.”
CHAPTER 10
Plenty of Surprises
“I think we have a shot at it,” Jessie whispered to Violet the next day. “I think we can actually beat them!” They were playing against the Pirates on their own turf, and the Bears were in the lead.
Violet nodded, a little dazed. She couldn’t believe how well everyone on the team was playing! She had surprised herself and made some good hits. All the long hours of practice had paid off, just as Chuck had said they would.
Benny was beaming as he rushed to bring cold drinks to the players. It was so much fun being part of the team! It was nearly the end of the fifth inning, and the Bears were leading six to five. “We’re going to win,” he said under his breath. “We’re the best!”
Michael took a big gulp of cool water and splashed some on his face. He felt hot, tired, and dirty, but he was having the time of his life. He was really happy that he and Nicole had met the Aldens. They had found such great friends.
“All we have to do is hold the lead,” Coach Warren said to Henry and Chuck a little later. It was a close game, and Henry hoped the Bears would win.
The last inning passed in a blur, and when Nicole caught a fly ball for the last out, the Bears cheered. The Bears had won, eight to seven. “Hooray!” Jessie and Violet ran over to Nicole and threw their arms around her, jumping up and down. “Great catch!” Violet said.
Nicole beamed. “We really did it, didn’t we?” She felt breathless and a little dizzy.
“We sure did!” Jessie cried.
Soon the rest of the team ran over, jumping up and down and cheering. They were very pleased with themselves. As they walked off the field, Benny said, “You should see Chuck. He’s smiling from ear to ear!”
“So’s Coach Warren,” Michael offered. He lowered his voice. “When are we going to spring the trap?”