“I’ll help you carry those,” Jessie said to Benny as they crossed under a colorful balloon arch. But Benny refused to let go of the tray.
He wanted to bring it inside all by himself.
As they pressed through the crowd, Henry looked around. “I thought there were only nineteen names on Gretchen’s list.” Henry pointed a row of signs that hung above a long table. Each sign had a number. Benny’s number was nineteen. Benny set down his tray under his sign.
“So, Henry, how are we going to figure out which entry is the spicy chili one?” Violet asked her brother.
Henry had thought about this and had an answer ready. “We’ll have to get one cupcake from every entry and taste them ourselves.”
“There are so many people at the contest,” Violet said. “That’s a lot of cupcakes.”
Jessie glanced around the room. “It’s the only way to solve this mystery!”
Benny just grinned. “I’ll be happy to do the tasting part!”
“Hey look!” Jessie exclaimed.
Benny, Henry, and Violet turned to see Pauly heading towards them. He carried a large tray covered with foil.
“Hi,” Pauly said, as he set the tray under the sign for Contestant Number Twenty. “I see we are going to be neighbors today.”
“His name wasn’t on the list,” Jessie whispered to Violet, while Pauly got organized and peeled the foil off his treats. I’m sure of that!”
Henry said, “We didn’t know you were entering the BakeMart Bake-Off!”
“I wasn’t going to,” Pauly said. “But at the last minute, I decided to make a chocolate cupcake.” He glanced at Benny’s tray. “I see you made chocolate ones, too.”
“Mine have a surprise in the middle,” Benny said.
“That might help you score well, but really, you don’t have a chance,” Pauly said. “Mr. Kandinsky and the judges will like mine best.”
“Why?” Violet couldn’t help but ask. “What makes your cupcakes so special?”
“It runs in my family—remember, Mama Tova’s my aunt,” Pauly bragged. “That’s what I explained to Mr. Kandinsky when he told me it was too late to sign up. I said, ‘my last name is Tova,’ and he immediately agreed to give my cupcakes a try.”
“I need to go tell Mr. Kandinsky I’ve arrived,” Pauly said, after arranging his cupcakes neatly on the table. “Be right back.”
As soon as Pauly walked away, Violet said, “I think that Pauly is now our new number one suspect!” Violet stared at Pauly’s tray of treats. “He didn’t enter the contest before, but then, very suspiciously, right after Mama Tova’s ‘recipe’ was stolen, he joined up.”
“His frosting designs sure are pretty,” Jessie remarked. “And they look a lot like Mama Tova’s.”
“But so did Mrs. Waldman’s,” Henry reminded her. “Maybe Mama Tova is teaching Pauly how to decorate, too.”
“There’s only one way to find out if he took the fake recipe or not,” Benny said. He grabbed a cupcake off of Pauly’s tray and took a huge bite.
“Paulynnotthethuf,” he said, his mouth full.
“Chew and swallow,” Henry told his brother. “Then say it again.”
Benny finished his bite and then said, “Pauly isn’t the thief!” He thought for a moment, then added, “They’re good, but not as good as Mama Tova’s. But not spicy, either.”
“That means my thought about Pauly was wrong. He must have had chocolate under his fingernails,” Henry said. “Not dirt from Mama Tova’s planter.”
“And Pauly didn’t steal the recipe to sell it for baseball cards, either,” Benny said.
“One down, eighteen to go,” Violet announced.
“Eighteen?” Benny asked her. “But there are twenty entries.”
“We already know you didn’t take the recipe,” Violet told him. “So you don’t need to taste yours.”
“Oh yeah,” Benny said. He was a little sad he wasn’t going to eat twenty different cupcakes today.
His mood lightened when Henry brought over a cupcake from Contestant Number Fourteen. This would be his second tasting.
“Vanilla,” Benny said, excitedly sniffing the cake. “With lemon frosting.” He took a bite and made a face. “Not spicy, and not good either. This one tastes like scrambled eggs.” He didn’t bother to finish it.
Henry brought Benny four more cupcakes from contestants whose trays were nearby. All were yummy, but none were made from the fake recipe.
When Jessie came back from the sign-in area, she was carrying another two cupcakes behind. “I got these from Contestants Number One and Four,” she said, proudly handing them to Benny.
“No,” Benny said as he threw one away. “And no again,” he said, eating all of the other. “That one was tasty, though. The best so far.”
“Seven cupcakes down,” Violet said. “Loads more to go.”
That’s when Henry looked over at Benny.
“I think there’s a problem with this plan,” he said. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of it before! Nineteen cupcakes is way too many for Benny to taste. He’s already looking a little green.”
“I’m not green! I can do it!” Benny insisted, patting his tummy. “There’s plenty of room inside me.” He looked down the line where Gretchen was busy setting up as Contestant Six, and waved at her.
“Maybe you shouldn’t eat the whole thing each time,” Henry suggested. “One bite should be enough to tell if there’s chili powder inside or not.”
“I’ll only eat the yummy ones.” Benny took a cupcake that Violet had brought over from Eighteen. “And I’ll stop when I’m full,” he promised, adding, “or when we find the thief.”
Jessie made a list of numbers one through twenty in her notebook. Each time Benny tasted a cupcake, she crossed off that number if the cupcake didn’t taste like chili powder.
Henry and Violet were working fast to collect one of each contestant’s cupcakes before the judging began. It wasn’t long before they were collecting cupcakes faster than Benny could try them. When Henry and Violet had finished gathering a sample from everyone, Benny was four cupcakes behind.
“You better hurry,” Jessie said, looking down the table. “The judges are ready to start.”
“I’m going fast as I can.” Benny picked up the closest cupcake and took a big bite. “That was a bad one. Too gooey,” Benny said, wrinkling his nose.
“Number Seven is good though,” he reported after swallowing a bite of a different cupcake.
“What about Six?” Violet asked. “Did you eat that one already?”
“Six?” Benny looked at the last few cupcakes he needed to eat. “I’m about to taste it now.” He peeled back the cute pink paper around a chocolate fudgy looking cupcake and took a big bite.
“I need water,” Benny gasped.
Jessie handed him a bottle from her purse. “Was it spicy, Benny?” she asked as soon as Benny stopped coughing and sputtering.
“Tastes like chili,” Benny said wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “These are the cupcakes made from the fake recipe!” He didn’t throw away the cupcake, however. Instead, Benny took another bite, although a much smaller one, and said, “You know, they really aren’t all that bad. In fact, they are good in a different kind of way.”
“That solves it, then,” Jessie said, looking down into her notebook. “Now we know who stole the recipe!”
“Who?” Benny and Violet asked Jessie.
“Who made the fake recipe cupcakes?” Henry wanted to know.
Jessie looked down the table where the BakeMart judges were standing under the Number Six sign and declared, “Gretchen. Gretchen is the recipe thief.”
CHAPTER 9
Mystery Solved?
As soon as Mama Tova arrived at the tent with Grandfather, the Aldens told her what they had discovered. Together they walked over to the judging table.
“What are you doing here?” Mr. Kandinsky asked Mama Tova. “If you have changed your mind about sellin
g your cupcake recipe, it’s too late.” He pointed at the BakeMart judges who were talking amongst themselves in a corner. “My judges have tasted all the cupcakes and are going to announce a winner any minute now.”
“I have not changed my mind,” Mama Tova said, with her hands on her hips. “I am here on more important business.” She looked Mr. Kandinsky right in his eyes and said, “I am here to stop a thief. One of your contestants wanted to win so badly that they tried to steal my family cupcake recipe.”
Benny came to stand next to Mama Tova, saying, “We tricked the thief. She thought she was stealing Mama Tova’s secret recipe, but it was really a fake.”
Mr. Kandinsky’s face changed. Now he looked worried. “I can’t have a thief win my contest,” he said. “Do you know who stole the recipe?”
“We do!” Benny told him. “Follow us.”
Henry led the way across the tent. His siblings, Grandfather, Mama Tova, and Mr. Kandinsky followed. They all stopped underneath the Number Six sign.
Jessie stepped forward. “Gretchen,” she said. “We need to talk to you.”
Gretchen looked up at the group. She’d been talking to Contestant Number Five and laughing about something. When she saw the group standing in front of her, her grin turned to a frown. “What’s going on?” she asked.
“We know you stole Mama Tova’s recipe,” Henry said. He explained about the trap they’d set with the chili powder recipe.
Gretchen was confused. “Yes, there’s chili powder in my recipe, but I didn’t steal anything from Mama Tova.” She held up her hand and vowed, “I swear.”
“I tasted your cupcake and it was spicy!” Benny told her. “We invented the recipe with chili powder in it and you used it.”
“It is obvious that your cupcakes were made from the fake recipe,” Mama Tova said.
“My recipe is your fake recipe?” Gretchen said slowly. Then, “Oh no!” Gretchen said, lightly touching the letter A on the chain around her neck. “But I didn’t take it!” Gretchen said.
“Really?” Henry said, considering Gretchen’s statement. “You really didn’t take it?” he asked her.
“I didn’t,” Gretchen said. “I didn’t even know the recipe was stolen. I promise—I’m not a thief!”
“Then who is?” Mama Tova asked.
Before Gretchen could answer, Violet exclaimed, “I knew there was something funny about that necklace!” Her eyes grew big as the answer came clear.
Benny and Jessie suddenly understood, too.
“A … A … A …” Benny said, pointing at Gretchen’s neck.
Jessie announced, “The real thief’s name begins with the letter A.”
CHAPTER 10
Back at Mama Tova’s
“Alicia!” Henry said. “She’s the recipe thief.”
“Alicia? Alicia, who works for me at Sweets?” Mama Tova said, surprised.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Jessie said. “Alicia stole the recipe. We need to talk to her.”
“It should be easy to find her.” Mama Tova looked around. “Alicia told me that she’d be here today.” She looked at Gretchen. “Do you know where she is?”
Gretchen had not yet let go of her necklace and was looking very upset about everything. She shook her head then looked quickly toward the front of the tent.
“Oh, here she comes now,” Violet said, as Alicia headed their way.
“Hi!” Alicia came up to where the group was standing. “I’m late. Did I miss the announcement of the winner?”
“Not yet, “Jessie said, “But …”
“Look!” Benny said. He pointed his finger at the glittery letter G around Alicia’s neck. “Why’d you do it, Alicia?”
“Do what?” Alicia looked confused.
Benny stomped his foot. “I want to know why you tried to steal Mama Tova’s secret cupcake recipe!”
Henry looked straight at Alicia and said, “We all know it was you who took the recipe from Mama Tova’s garden.”
Jessie explained how she’d added chili powder to the recipe so they could find the thief.
Suddenly Alicia looked scared. “I—” she began, then stopped.
A tear rolled down her face. Alicia softly touched the gold letter G around her neck, then started over. “I didn’t mean to hurt anyone. Really. Gretchen can’t afford to go to college and I was trying to help her get the money she needs.” She paused to wipe away her tears.
“I was out of ideas when Mr. Kandinsky announced the contest and that there was going to be prize money.” Alicia stared at her feet as she went on. “I remembered hearing Mama Tova say that the recipe was ‘under the flower,’ and then I realized how I could help my friend. I knew it was wrong, but Mama Tova’s cupcakes are so good. Gretchen would win for sure with the recipe.”
“But I don’t understand why you left Sweets such a mess that first night. You could have cleaned up after you searched around for the recipe and no one would have ever known you were even looking,” Jessie said.
“I was going to clean up,” Alicia said. “But I didn’t have enough time because I was on my way to Gretchen’s birthday party and after Mrs. Waldman left, Gretchen called to say she was on her way to pick me up early.”
“What about the flower box?” Henry wondered, “I bet you weren’t really headed to the bookstore, were you?”
“No,” Alicia admitted. “I was using the shovel to dig when you all showed up. I didn’t know anyone would be coming to the shop so early. I thought I’d have enough time to search in the flowerbox and clean it up before anyone came to Sweets.”
Gretchen then turned to Alicia and said, “You told me the recipe was your mom’s. I would have never used it if I knew you’d stolen it!”
A fresh tear rolled down Alicia’s cheek. “I am so sorry I lied to you.”
Jessie shut her notebook, saying, “Stealing is a bad thing to do, even if you were doing it for a good reason, Alicia.”
“I know,” Alicia said, hanging her head. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make things right,” Alicia looked at Mama Tova through her tears.
While Mama Tova thought about what to do, Mr. Kandinsky spoke up.
“Jessie told me everything and I have an idea of how Alicia can make up for the trouble she’s caused,” he said. “Mama Tova, can I talk to you?” Mr. Kandinsky looked around at everyone and added, “In private?”
“I’d like to hear your idea,” Mama Tova said.
The two of them stepped aside and when they returned a few minutes later, Mama Tova announced, “Alicia can make up for the trouble she’s caused by helping Mr. Kandinsky with his new cupcake business.”
“Really?” Alicia asked, looking up at Mr. Kandinsky. “How?”
“It’s not going to be an easy job,” Mr. Kandinsky said. “You are going to clean up the factory every evening after the cupcakes are made. It seems the fairest punishment for the mess you made at Mama Tova’s.”
“You can’t work at Sweets again,” Mama Tova told Alicia. Then, she stepped closer to Mr. Kandinsky. “But I think working at the factory is a good idea.”
“I promise I’ll make the factory shine. I’ll be the hardest worker you ever had,” Alicia told Mr. Kandinsky, who smiled slightly, making the corners of his moustache rise.
“I don’t understand. Why are you letting Mr. Kandinsky decide Alicia’s punishment?” Jessie asked Mama Tova. “Aren’t you mad at him? He wanted to put you out of business.”
“From now on, Mama Tova and I are going to be friends. I want Mama Tova and her shop to stay just the way they are,” Mr. Kandinsky explained. “Instead of sweet dessert cupcakes, like Mama Tova’s, BakeMart is going to make spicy ones to be eaten with dinner!”
“Spicy?” Henry said.
Mr. Kandinsky pulled a blue first place ribbon out of his pocket and pinned it on Gretchen’s shirt. “Your unique cupcakes won the contest.”
He straightened the ribbon then added, “We are going to put a little less chili powder in the final
recipe, cut down the sugar, then I think that we can sell them to every restaurant in town. They’d be great with chicken, or steak, or Mexican food. The possibilities are endless.”
Gretchen took the ribbon off her shirt and handed it to Jessie saying, “Mr. Kandinsky, Jessie made up that recipe. I didn’t. The prize money should be hers.”
“No thanks,” Jessie gave the ribbon back to Gretchen. “Take the money. You need it. I have a long time before I’m going to college.”
“Really?” Gretchen asked. “You really mean it?” After Jessie nodded, Gretchen took back the first place bow and shook hands with Jessie. “Thanks.”
As the Alden children were preparing to leave the shop and head back home, Mr. Kandinsky stopped Benny. “How did you happen to taste Gretchen’s cupcake?” Mr. Kandinsky asked. “Only the judges were allowed to eat the cupcakes.”
Benny shrugged. “Honestly, I tasted them all.” He quickly added, “I had to. It was the only way we could find the thief.” Mr. Kandinsky nodded, asking “And?”
“And what?” Benny asked, a little afraid he was in trouble for sneaking cupcakes.
Mr. Kandinsky wasn’t upset. He broke into a slow smile, asking, “Which one did you like the best?” Mr. Kandinsky pressed. “Which would you pick? Would it have been yours?
Pauly’s? Which ones?”
Benny considered it a moment and said, “All the cupcakes at the contest are second place to Mama Tova’s.”
“That’s just what I thought, too,”
Mr. Kandinsky said, patting Benny on the head. “That’s why I decided it would be better to change the way we at BakeMart think about cupcakes.”
“Cupcakes for dinner,” Benny said, grinning big. “That’s the best idea I’ve ever heard!”
In the boxcar later that night, Benny had an important question to ask. “Jessie,” he said to his sister as she worked on her laptop.
“What’s sasparilla?”
“I’m not sure,” Jessie said. “I’ll look it up.” She opened up a new web page.