The Mystery in Washington, D.C.

  Mrs. Parsons smiled. “The kitchen pantry.”

  Later that morning, the Aldens were back at the Museum of Natural History, looking at the Minerals and Gems collection.

  “Wow!” Benny said, looking at a cube of pyrite. “It looks just like solid gold.”

  “It’s called fool’s gold, Benny,” Violet explained. “It looks like the real thing. But I like amethyst the best.” Violet was admiring a giant block of lavender crystals. The glass display case was dark, except for the glowing stones, and Violet could see Amira and Benny moving behind her. It’s just like a mirror, she thought to herself. I can see everything that’s going on behind me. I’ve been in this situation before, she realized. This reminds me of something … but what?

  The Aldens spent the rest of the day at the Smithsonian, and ate a late supper that night at the B and B. Violet noticed that the pewter candlesticks were missing from the dining room, and she was glad that Mrs. Parsons had decided to move them to a safe place.

  Jessie was quiet at dinner, and stared at the guests gathered around the dining room table. Mr. and Mrs. Cooley, Mrs. Wentworth, John Sudderth, Peter Marshall … was it really possible that one of them was a thief? When she passed Amira a slice of apple pie, their eyes met for a moment. Could Amira, their own friend, be a thief? Never! she thought loyally.

  Violet woke up suddenly that night, her heart pounding. She glanced over at Jessie, who was sitting straight up in bed. The room was dark, and the bedside clock said 2:00 A.M. “Jessie, what’s wrong?” she hissed.

  Jessie put her finger to her lips and padded quietly over to her sister. “Didn’t you hear that noise? Someone’s rummaging around downstairs. I think we should tell the boys.”

  Violet pulled her robe around her and followed her sister down the hall to the boys’ room. Henry had already turned on his lamp, and Benny was perched on the edge of his bed. “You heard the noises, too?” Henry asked when he saw the girls.

  Jessie nodded, and put her arm around Benny as the four Aldens made their way softly to the door of the room. They stood there listening to the noise from below. The entire house was dark. “What should we do?” Benny asked.

  “Should we wake Mrs. Parsons?” suggested Violet.

  As they peered down the hall, something soft and furry wound itself around Violet’s leg! “Oh!” she gasped.

  She heard Jessie giggle behind her. “It’s only Farrah, the cat,” she whispered.

  Just then a shadowy figure rushed by, and they heard a door shut somewhere down the hall. Who was it?

  A moment later, Henry and Benny burst through the sliding door that led to the kitchen. “They got away, didn’t they?” Henry said, flipping on the light switch. Violet nodded.

  “There was someone down here all right,” Jessie said. “But we couldn’t get a look at them.”

  “Do you know whether it was a man or a woman?” they asked.

  Violet shook her head. “It was impossible to tell.”

  Benny moved closer to his sister. “What do we do now?”

  “In the morning we’ll tell Mrs. Parsons. But let’s try to get some sleep now,” Jessie said. “Tomorrow’s our last full day in Washington.”

  “You mean today,” Violet pointed out. “The sun will be up in a couple of hours.”

  At breakfast, they told Mrs. Parsons what had happened. “I’m not a bit surprised,” she said.

  “Was something else stolen?” Henry asked.

  “No, but the lock on the pantry was broken. Someone was after the candlesticks. Luckily, I changed my mind and hid them in the laundry room!”

  That morning, the Aldens were looking at a collection of antique clocks in the Museum of American History. Benny was fascinated by an old-fashioned wooden school clock.

  “Doesn’t that look just like the one in Mrs. Parsons’ kitchen?” he asked.

  Jessie leaned over the railing to read the plaque. “It sure does,” she said, peering at the clock. “It’s very rare. There were only a hundred or so clocks made like that one.”

  “And it’s very expensive,” Amira pointed out. “Do you think the one in Mrs. Parsons kitchen is a copy?”

  “I don’t know,” Henry said. “But I think we should tell her as soon as we get back.”

  After seeing so many museums, the children decided to spend the afternoon at the National Zoo. There they saw all their favorite animals, and even a pair of extra special ones — pandas!

  “They look like they’re wearing black masks,” said Benny.

  “These pandas are from China,” said Jessie.

  “China’s right next to Korea, where Soo Lee is from,” Violet pointed out.

  “That’s right,” said Henry.

  As they strolled around the zoo, Violet suddenly realized what had been troubling her in the Minerals and Gems exhibit. She had been staring into the darkened glass and could see what was going on behind her. Now it came to her! It was exactly like the time she had sat down at Mrs. Parsons’ desk to make a phone call. She had glanced up into the “security mirror” and could see what was behind her — the wall safe! Whoever sat in that chair had a perfect view of the safe … was that why Peter Marshall had been so furious with her? Had he sat in that chair and watched as Mrs. Parsons twisted the combination lock and opened the door? Was he the thief? Was he afraid that she would guess the truth?

  Violet waited until they were alone after dinner that night to talk it over with Jessie, Henry, and Benny. Amira was downstairs helping Mrs. Parsons, and the Aldens were gathered in the boys’ room.

  “Do you really think it could be Peter?” Jessie asked. “He seems so nice.”

  “I think it’s a possibility,” Henry said slowly. “Everyone likes him, but still … he has the perfect opportunity.”

  “And the thefts started a year ago,” Violet said. “Right around the time he moved in here.”

  “I think we should talk to Mrs. Parsons in the morning,” Henry said. And then they all went to bed.

  It was shortly after midnight when Violet heard the noise. She tried to blot it out by burying her head in the pillow, but it was no use — someone was downstairs!

  “Jessie, wake up!” She shook her sister lightly, still listening intently. She was positive she heard people talking.

  “What’s wrong?” Jessie asked groggily.

  “The burglar’s back,” Violet whispered, heading towards the door.

  The girls ran into Henry and Benny’s room. “We heard it too,” Henry whispered. “This time, let’s put the light on in the hall. That way, we’ll see them when they try to sneak back upstairs.” No lights were on downstairs, which meant whoever it was was poking around in the dark. Violet’s heart pounded as they waited, huddled in the doorway. At last they heard footsteps padding up the stairs. The footsteps came down the hallway, closer, closer … at last they reached the door. It was the Cooleys!

  Henry stepped into the hall.

  “Oh, you scared us!” Mrs. Cooley cried. She was dressed in a bathrobe.

  “What were you doing down there?” Henry demanded.

  “Well, we … went down to get a snack,” Mrs. Cooley said. She quickly shoved a small camera into the pocket of her robe.

  “In the dark?” Henry persisted.

  “We couldn’t find the light switch,” Mr. Cooley spoke up. He was holding a flashlight. “We thought we’d just make a quick sandwich and go back upstairs.” He exchanged a look with Mrs. Cooley.

  Mrs. Cooley managed a weak smile. “I wasn’t really hungry, after all. I’m just going to turn in.” She turned to the Aldens and yawned. “Have a good sleep, now.” She and Mr. Cooley hurried to their room, leaving the Aldens more puzzled than ever.

  “What were they really up to?” Violet asked.

  “I don’t know,” Henry replied. There was nothing else the children could do but go back to bed.

  CHAPTER 10

  The Mystery Is Solved

  The following morning Amira joined the Aldens in
Benny and Henry’s room after breakfast.

  Jessie filled Amira in on what had happened the night before.

  “Do you think the Cooleys are thieves?” asked Amira. “If not, what were they doing in the kitchen last night? We know they weren’t there for a snack!”

  “And they claimed to be photographers, but they didn’t know how to put film in my camera,” Violet added.

  “You’re right,” Amira said. “They’re not photographers at all. I talked to them last night at dinner. They’re antique dealers, and they travel all over the country looking for unusual items. They noticed that school clock in Mrs. Parsons’s kitchen and were planning to take a picture of it. They thought one of their customers might like to buy it.”

  “But why didn’t they do it in the daytime?” Benny asked.

  “Probably because they didn’t want Mrs. Parsons to know it was valuable,” Amira explained. “This way, they could buy it from her at a much better price.”

  “Well, that explains that,” said Henry.

  “And I figured out the truth about Mrs. Wentworth,” Benny said suddenly.

  “You did?” Violet and Jessie chorused.

  “She’s going to open her own B and B. She told me at breakfast!” Benny looked very pleased with himself.

  “So that’s why she was so nosy,” Henry said. “And why she said someone could make a pretty penny out of Mrs. Parsons’ place.”

  “What about John Sudderth?” Jessie said. “Remember when you saw him standing in room six?”

  “I asked him about that this morning,” Violet explained. “He was just admiring the view of the Washington skyline. He wants to use it on a series of billboards he’s designing.”

  “Billboards?” Henry asked.

  Violet nodded. “He’s a commercial artist.” She grinned. “That explains why he didn’t know that much about fine art that day in the museum.”

  “That only leaves Peter Marshall,” said Henry.

  “I wish there was some other explanation,” Violet said sadly. She liked Peter, and hated to think that he was involved in the thefts.

  Henry took a deep breath. “I think we should talk to Mrs. Parsons right now. Peter’s almost finished serving breakfast, and we need to catch him before he dashes off to class.”

  “I think you’re right.” Jessie led the way downstairs.

  “This is hard to believe,” Mrs. Parsons said a few minutes later in the kitchen. Henry had just told her about Peter and the security mirror, and she glanced at the swinging door to the dining room. “What will I say to him? How can I accuse him?”

  Just then, Peter appeared carrying an empty platter. “We’re running a little short on waffles,” he said cheerfully. “Shall I make some more batter?” He noticed the Aldens standing by the stove. “Why aren’t you in the dining room? Aren’t you hungry?”

  “Sit down, Peter,” Mrs. Parsons said. Her voice was surprisingly strong. While the Aldens stood silently by, she told him exactly what they had just told her. When she finished, Peter looked pale and shaken.

  “I wish … I didn’t think — ” he began and then stopped.

  “Peter, just tell me the truth,” Mrs. Parsons urged him. She rested her hand on his arm for a moment. “Are you the one who’s been taking things from the house?”

  There was a long silence while Peter tried to compose himself. “Yes,” he said. “I’m afraid so.”

  “Oh, Peter,” Mrs. Parsons said softly. “Why? Why did you do it?”

  “It’s hard to explain,” he began. He looked miserable. “I never thought you’d notice …”

  “You didn’t think I’d notice money missing from the safe? Or my good Jefferson plate?”

  “I thought I could replace the money before you looked in the safe,” he said. “And the Jefferson plate isn’t gone forever. It’s at the pawn shop. I was going to get it back for you, just as soon as I had the money.”

  “But why did you do it?” Mrs. Parsons looked bewildered. “Why would you steal from me?”

  “There’s no excuse for what I did,” Peter said flatly. “None at all.” He paused. “But I honestly never meant to hurt you. I didn’t have enough money to pay my tuition this semester, and I didn’t know what else to do. I was so desperate, I even took a roll of stamps out of your desk.”

  “Peter, I would have loaned you the money. Gladly.”

  Peter gave a sad smile. “I realize that now. I should have come to you right away. I can’t believe I did such a stupid thing.”

  Mrs. Parsons thought for a moment. “You didn’t just steal from me, you know. What about Mrs. Wentworth’s brooch, and that young couple’s travelers checks?”

  “The brooch is at the pawn shop.” He looked embarrassed. “I took the travelers checks, and then I felt so guilty, I put them back behind the dresser.”

  “Peter, I just can’t believe you did this.” Mrs. Parsons looked like she was ready to cry.

  “It was a mistake,” he said earnestly. “A terrible mistake. You’ve been so kind to me, and I let you down.”

  Mrs. Parsons stood up. “Well, we have to figure out how to straighten out this mess. I think the first thing you need to do is apologize to Mrs. Wentworth. I’ll loan you the money to get her brooch back from the pawn shop.”

  “You will?” Peter stood up, too. “Aren’t you going to call the police?”

  Mrs. Parsons patted him on the shoulder. “I don’t know, Peter. You’ve made a bad mistake. Perhaps you could make it up by working extra hours. In the meantime, this afternoon, let’s sit down together and see how much money you need for the rest of your schooling. We can work out a loan from the bank.”

  “Thank you, thank you,” he said, squeezing her hand. “I won’t let you down again — I promise.”

  After a busy day of sightseeing, Amira and the Aldens made their way back to Mrs. Parsons’s. “At least the mystery has been solved,” said Jessie.

  “Yes, but …” Amira began. “I have a confession to make, too.” They turned the corner onto the Parsons’ tree-lined street.

  “You do?” Violet stared at her. “But Peter Marshall confessed to the thefts!”

  Amira laughed. “Oh, I didn’t steal anything. But I haven’t been completely honest with you.”

  “I knew there was something funny about you,” Benny said. “You couldn’t tell fish sticks from french fries!”

  “You’re right, Benny,” Amira admitted. “That’s because I had never seen them before.”

  “Wow!” Benny said softly. “Where are you from?” He couldn’t imagine a place without fish sticks and french fries.

  “I’m from Egypt — very far from here, Benny,” Amira explained.

  “We have a cousin, Soo Lee, who’s from faraway, too,” said Benny.

  “But why didn’t you tell us?” Violet asked. She felt hurt that her friend had lied to her.

  “I wanted to see what it was like to live a normal life for a couple of weeks. My father works for the embassy, and I’ve always been very protected. I’ve never been able to come and go as I want, so I asked my father if I could be on my own for a few days. He agreed, but only if I had security guards.”

  “The men in sunglasses!” Benny exclaimed.

  “Yes, they were hired by my father to look after me. I’m sorry they frightened you.” She touched Violet’s arm. “I wanted to tell you not to be afraid of them, but then you would have known my secret.”

  “Did you enjoy your freedom?” Henry asked teasingly.

  “I loved every minute of it,” Amira said. “Especially going sightseeing with my new friends. I’ll always remember you when I think of Washington, DC.”

  “Look, there’s the limousine!” Benny cried. “It’s right in front of Mrs. Parson’s.”

  “That’s my father,” Amira said, walking more quickly. “He’s come by to pick me up. I want you to meet him.”

  A few minutes later, all the Aldens met Amira’s father, a friendly man with dark hair and flashi
ng eyes.

  “Thank you for taking such good care of my daughter,” he said solemnly. “I’m afraid we must leave now. Your suitcases are in the trunk, Amira.”

  “We’re going to miss you,” Violet said impulsively. She scribbled her address on a piece of paper, and handed it to Amira, who was getting into the back seat. There were two men in sunglasses in the front seat.

  Amira looked at the note and smiled. “I’ll write to you!” she promised.

  “There’s Grandfather!” Benny shouted just then. He pointed to a familiar car that turned the corner and pulled up to the curb.

  “Grandfather! It’s so good so see you!” Jessie and Benny hugged their grandfather before he was even out of the car.

  “I hope everyone had a good time,” Mr. Alden said, climbing out and embracing Violet and Henry.

  “We did, we did!” Benny chanted. “And we solved two mysteries.”

  “Two mysteries?” Grandfather asked. “I’m really impressed.”

  “We didn’t really solve the mystery about Amira,” Violet pointed out. “She explained it to us.”

  “It still counts,” Benny insisted. “Doesn’t it, Grandfather?”

  “Well, I’m not sure,” Grandfather said, walking up the steps. He smiled. “But I can’t wait to hear about it …”

  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.