“Oh, how wonderful!” she said, carrying a little basket of toiletries out of the bathroom. “Look at all these goodies.” Jessie and Violet poked through the basket, taking out each tiny bottle of shampoo and lotion and bar of soap. Each one was wrapped in pretty yellow paper with a label that said THE PLYMOUTH HOTEL.
“Look what I found!” Benny cried, walking into the girls’ room with a chocolate bar in his hand. “There’s a little refrigerator in the kitchen, and it’s filled with chocolates, and nuts, and juice, and soda — ”
“You’re not going to eat that before dinner, are you?” asked Grandfather, who had poked his head into the room. “I’ve made a reservation at one of my favorite restaurants.”
“Then let’s go!” said Benny, putting the chocolate bar down.
As the Aldens were leaving, they met a couple with a boy about Benny’s age standing outside room 501, next door. The man had a garment bag and a large suitcase in one hand, and with his other hand he was digging in his pocket for the room key.
“May I help you?” Grandfather asked.
“No, but thank you,” the man said, finding the key at last. “They couldn’t find a bellhop, so we had to carry all our things up ourselves.”
“Well, it looks like we’re going to be neighbors,” Grandfather said, putting out his hand. “James Alden.”
“Edward Grant. Pleased to meet you,” Mr. Grant responded, shaking Grandfather’s hand. Then he introduced his wife, Laura, and his son, Bobby. Mr. Alden introduced his grandchildren.
“We’ve just come in from Massachusetts. Where are you all from?” Grandfather asked.
“Chicago,” said Mrs. Grant. “But we used to live here. We thought it would be fun to come back and visit the Big Apple.”
“I wish I had a big apple right now. I’m hungry!” Benny chimed in, and everyone laughed.
“ ‘The Big Apple’ is a nickname for New York City, Benny,” Grandfather explained. “Well, we were just on our way to dinner, and I guess we’d better get going. I wouldn’t want my grandson to starve. Nice meeting you.”
“Enjoy your dinner,” Mr. Grant said.
“See you later,” Violet called out, as they headed down the hallway.
When they got to the elevator, Jessie turned to her grandfather. “We had to carry our own luggage, too. Isn’t it strange that they still haven’t found any bellhops?”
“Yes, it is,” Grandfather said. “This used to be a really first-class hotel. That sort of thing would never have happened.”
“Do you think something is wrong?” Jessie asked.
“Like what?” Henry said.
Jessie answered, “I don’t know. But where are all the bellhops, and why was our reservation cancelled?”
“I told you there would be a mystery,” Benny said.
Grandfather laughed. “I’m sure nothing is wrong. You children are always looking for mysteries.”
CHAPTER 3
The Purple Pool
The Aldens ate in a fancy restaurant that had long white tablecloths, candlesticks on every table, and music playing softly.
Afterwards they went to the line of horse-drawn carriages for a ride. The children were surprised to see that, like the horses, which were different shades of brown, gray, and black, the carriages were each a little different, too. And so were the drivers. Some had on elegant top hats and tails, and others had clownish, colorful clothes.
The Aldens picked out a white carriage with a heart-shaped window in the back. The driver, a pretty young woman, told them funny stories about the city and pointed out the sights as they rode through the park. The bright lights, and all the activity in the city, even though it was nighttime, excited the Aldens. They listened carefully to everything the driver said.
The next morning, the children woke up bright and early, eager to explore all the places they’d read about in their guidebooks. Even Jessie, who liked to sleep late, was ready to get going.
“I have some phone calls to make before breakfast,” Grandfather said. “But maybe you children would like to try out the swimming pool on the roof.”
“A swimming pool on the roof?” Benny asked.
“There’s a glass-enclosed deck up there,” Grandfather explained. “And the pool’s heated, so it’s nice and warm.”
“Great idea, Grandfather,” Henry said.
“We’ll meet in the coffee shop for breakfast at nine o’clock. That will give you enough time for your swim,” Mr. Alden suggested.
The children put on their bathing suits, with T-shirts and shorts over them. The hallway was silent, and it seemed that no one else was awake yet.
But when they reached the top floor, they were startled to see that someone else was awake. Waiting at the elevator doors was the same mysterious man they’d seen in the lobby when they’d arrived. He was wearing a blue terrycloth robe and the same dark sunglasses he’d had on the day before. His silvery hair was wet.
“Hello!” Benny said as the children got off the elevator. “Did you just go for a swim? How was — ”
Before Benny could finish his question, the man pushed past the Aldens into the elevator. It was as if he hadn’t even seen or heard them. The children stared as the doors closed behind him.
“What a strange man,” Jessie commented.
“He’s not very friendly,” said Benny.
“Maybe he’s just shy,” suggested Violet, who was a little shy herself.
“I don’t think so,” Henry said. “Just like yesterday, he seemed to be in a big hurry to get somewhere.”
“It’s almost as if he doesn’t want anyone to see him. Maybe he’s got something to hide,” Jessie said.
“Come on!” Benny called, impatient to go swimming. He ran ahead toward the big, frosted-glass doors with the word POOL painted on them.
In front of the doors, a young man was seated at a desk. He had blond hair and was wearing a white T-shirt that said THE PLYMOUTH HOTEL on it. On the desk was a clipboard and a pile of fluffy white towels.
“Hi. Here to swim?” the man asked.
“Absolutely!” cried Benny.
“Great. My name’s Mike. I’m in charge of the pool. I just need you to sign in.” He handed the clipboard to Henry, who noticed that there was one other name on the sign-in sheet — Mr. John Smith. He figured that must be the mysterious man. Henry wrote down his name, and then handed the clipboard to the others.
When they’d all signed in, Mike glanced at the signatures. “So,” he said, pointing to Violet. “You must be … Benny?”
“No, that’s me!” Benny said.
“Oh! Then you must be … Henry?” he asked Violet.
She giggled. “No, I’m Violet.”
“I’m Henry,” said Henry.
“Then this must be … Jessie.” Mike turned toward Jessie. “Is that short for Jessica?”
To the surprise of her sister and brothers, Jessie just smiled and looked down, not saying a word. Usually it was Violet who was shy, and Jessie who was friendly and outgoing. When Jessie looked up, the children could see that her cheeks were red.
Mike smiled. “Let me give you a quick tour. In here is our exercise room.” He motioned through a doorway on their right to a large room filled with all kinds of equipment: stationary bicycles, rowing machines, and weights. “There are locker rooms if you need to change into your suits — ”
“Nope! We’ve already got ours on,” Benny said.
“Well, I can see Benny is ready to hit the pool,” Mike said. “Take a towel, and go right ahead.”
Benny eagerly grabbed a towel and pushed through the doors to the pool. The others were about to follow him, when suddenly he burst back through the doors. “Wow! Wait till you see this!” he cried.
“Yeah, I bet you’ve never seen a pool on top of a building before,” Mike said.
“And I’ve never seen one with purple water!” said Benny.
“Purple water?” Mike said, smiling. “I see you like to kid around, Benny.”
&nb
sp; “I’m not kidding!” Benny replied.
Mike looked at Benny curiously, then pushed open the door to the pool and looked in. “What?” they heard him say, and then he quickly disappeared inside. The Aldens ran after him.
The pool room had windows on three sides. Even the ceiling was made of glass, and the sunlight streamed in. There were rows of deck chairs, and on one side there was a small round whirlpool with steaming hot water. In the center of the room was a large rectangular swimming pool — filled with bright purple water!
Mike was kneeling at the edge of the pool. “What is going on?” he was saying to himself.
“The water isn’t supposed to be purple, is it?” Henry asked.
“No — it’s definitely not,” Mike said. “I can’t imagine what’s happened.”
“Look,” Jessie said, picking up an empty box that was underneath one of the deck chairs. “Purple dye,” she said, reading the label. She handed the box to Mike. “Why would anyone want the water in the pool to be purple?”
“That’s exactly what I’d like to know,” Mike said. “Listen, I’d better call the manager. If you kids want to, you can use the whirlpool over there. It’s not purple, too, is it?”
“No, it looks fine,” said Henry. “Is there anything we can do to help?”
“No, thanks,” Mike answered. “I’ll take care of it. But I’m glad you found this box of dye, Jessie. Who knows, it might be an important clue.” He smiled at her as he left the pool room.
Again, Jessie blushed, and gazed after Mike.
The Aldens slipped out of their T-shirts and shorts, and placed them with their towels on a deck chair next to the whirlpool. Benny was the first to dip his foot in the water. “Gosh!” he said, pulling it out quickly. “This is really hot!”
“Yes,” Henry said. “It’s not for swimming. It’s just for relaxing.”
One by one, the Aldens stepped cautiously into the steaming water and sat down on the ledge around the whirlpool. The water was shooting out of little jets in the sides of the pool, swirling and bubbling all around them.
“I think Jessie has a crush on Mike …” Henry teased, after a moment.
Jessie’s face, which was already flushed from the steaming water, turned even redder. “Oh, Henry, I do not,” she said. “He’s just … nice, that’s all.”
“I think he’s very cute,” Violet said.
“Anyway, we’ve got more important things to talk about,” said Jessie, quickly changing the subject. “Like who would dye a swimming pool purple?”
“If I didn’t know better, I’d think it was Violet,” Henry said with a smile. “After all, purple is your favorite color, isn’t it?” he asked his sister.
“Yes, but not for a swimming pool!” Violet said, grinning.
“What about that mysterious man? He was up here before us,” Jessie said. “He might have dumped the dye in.”
“He did seem in an awful hurry to leave,” Henry pointed out.
Just then, Mike and Don Parker burst through the doors. “Oh, my goodness!” Mr. Parker said when he saw the pool. “It really is purple! How could this have happened?”
The children couldn’t hear everything the two men were saying, but they saw Mike showing Mr. Parker the empty box of dye that Jessie had found.
“I’m getting too hot,” Benny complained. “Isn’t it time for breakfast?”
“It’s almost nine o’clock. Let’s go meet Grandfather in the coffee shop,” Jessie suggested.
The Aldens dried off and gathered up their clothes. Walking past Mr. Parker, they overheard him telling Mike, “We’ll just have to drain the pool, clean it, and refill it. But I’m going to find out who did this, and why. I’ll get to the bottom of this.”
The children went to their rooms to change, and then took the elevator down to the lobby. Grandfather was standing in front of the coffee shop, chatting with a dark-haired woman.
“Look, Jessie,” Violet whispered, grabbing her sister’s arm. “That’s the same woman we saw last night, peeking out of her door.”
“Yes, it is,” Jessie agreed.
“These are my grandchildren,” Grandfather said. “This is Karen Walsh. Her room is a few doors down the hall from ours.”
Karen wasn’t any friendlier than she’d seemed the night before. “Yes, I saw you all coming in last night, and I was a bit worried. Children can be so noisy sometimes.”
“We’re not,” said Henry, a bit offended by her remark.
“My grandchildren are very grown-up,” said Mr. Alden, but Karen looked unconvinced. She stood with her arms crossed and her lips pressed tightly together. “How was your swim?” Grandfather asked the children.
“You were up at the pool this morning?” Karen said. Suddenly she seemed very interested in the Aldens. “How was the water?”
“It was purple!” Benny blurted out.
“Purple?” Grandfather repeated.
“What do you mean?” Karen asked.
“The water was bright purple,” Henry explained. “Someone had dyed it.”
“Why?” Grandfather asked.
“No one knows,” Benny replied.
“They’re going to drain the pool and clean it out,” Violet explained.
“Do they know who did it?” Karen asked.
“No, but we did find an empty box of dye,” Jessie said. “Mike thought that was an important clue.” She blushed slightly.
“Who’s Mike?” Grandfather asked.
“Oh — he’s just the pool attendant,” Jessie said, blushing a deeper shade of red.
“You found a box of dye?” Karen said. “What are they going to do about it?”
“We heard Mr. Parker say he’d get to the bottom of it,” Benny offered.
“He did? Excuse me, I’m afraid I have to run,” Karen said.
“Aren’t you going to have breakfast?” Grandfather asked.
“Oh, yes, well … I’m not very hungry after all. There’s something I must take care of first,” Karen said, and she hurried back to the elevator.
“What an odd woman,” Henry said.
“Yes, it seems like there are a lot of strange people here,” Jessie said, “and one of them put purple dye in the pool. The question is, who?”
“And why?” added Henry.
CHAPTER 4
The Switch
“Aren’t we going to eat breakfast?” Benny asked. “I’m hungry!”
“Well, that’s no surprise,” Henry said with a laugh.
“Let’s go on in,” Grandfather said, leading the way into the coffee shop. The hostess brought the Aldens to a large round table in the center of the room and gave each of them a menu.
“Everything looks good!” Jessie said as she read the list of delicious breakfast specials.
When the waitress came and took their orders she said, “I’m Jane. I’ll be as fast as I can.”
But the wait for their food seemed endless. Each time Jane came from the kitchen with a tray of food, Benny said, “Is that ours?”
At last, Jane came to their table, carrying an extra-large tray loaded with food.
“Benny, your blueberry pancakes look delicious,” Grandfather said. He stirred sugar into his steaming cup of coffee.
“I’ll give you a taste if you’d like, Grandfather,” Benny said, pouring a thick stream of syrup over the top of his stack of blue-flecked pancakes. “Want some syrup, Jessie?” he asked.
“No, thanks. I’m going to put sugar on my waffles and fruit,” Jessie said.
Violet had already started eating her cereal. “What’s wrong?” Grandfather asked when he noticed the strange look on her face.
“This tastes awful,” Violet said.
“Is the milk sour?” Grandfather asked.
“No,” Violet said, “it’s not that. The cereal tastes funny … sort of salty.”
“Yuck!” Jessie said after taking a big bite of waffle. “My waffle tastes salty, too!”
“My pancakes are great!”
Benny said, munching happily.
“How about you, Henry. How are your scrambled eggs?” Grandfather asked.
Henry took a bite of his eggs and made a face. “My eggs taste sweet!”
“I wonder …” Jessie said thoughtfully. “Hand me the salt and sugar, please.” Henry passed them to her, and Jessie sprinkled a little from the saltshaker onto a finger. She took a taste. “This tastes sweet.” Then she spooned out a little from the sugar bowl and took a taste of that. “Salty!” she cried. “The salt and sugar are mixed up!”
“That’s why all of our food tastes funny!” Henry said.
“Not mine,” Benny said. He had already eaten half of his pancakes. “Mine tastes good! I’m glad I only used syrup!”
“I’ll speak to Jane and see if we can get this straightened out,” Grandfather said. But try as he might, he couldn’t get her attention. Suddenly, it seemed as if everyone in the coffee shop needed something, and all the waiters and waitresses were running from table to table.
“Yes, I’ll get you a fresh omelette,” the Aldens heard Jane saying to one table. “Certainly I can bring you another bowl of oatmeal,” she said to another. “I just can’t understand what’s happening this morning,” she muttered to herself.
At last she came to the Aldens’ table. “I believe the salt and sugar have gotten mixed up,” Grandfather told her.
“What?” the weary-looking waitress said.
“We noticed that all our food tasted funny,” Jessie explained, “and so I checked the salt and sugar. They’ve been switched.”
“Really! How did that happen?” Jane said. “I’ll bring you a new order right away. But I wonder …” She paused.
“What are you wondering?” Henry asked.
“Well, everyone’s had some kind of complaint this morning about their food,” she explained.
“Not me!” said Benny, gobbling up the last bite of his pancakes.
Jane smiled at Benny. “I wonder if the salt and sugar were switched at other tables, too.” She walked over to the table next to the Aldens’. “Could I borrow your salt and sugar?” she asked.
“Sure,” the man sitting there said gruffly. “I’m not eating another thing until you bring me some fresh coffee. This tastes terrible! I keep putting more sugar in it, and it just gets worse.”