The Boxcar Children Spooky Special

  Violet looked at him. “Do you think it means something, Henry?”

  “I have the weirdest feeling that we’re close to figuring something out.” Henry paused for a moment to sort out his thoughts. “I just can’t quite put my finger on what it is.”

  CHAPTER 8

  A Purr-fect Solution

  Back at the resort, the Alden children found their grandfather sitting on the cabin porch with Abby.

  “How did you make out in town?” Grandfather asked.

  “We got everything we’ll need for the signs,” said Henry, handing Abby the change. “Sandpaper, brushes, and paint.”

  Violet nodded. “Wait till you see the great colors we chose!”

  “Well, those signs can use a bit of pizzazz. But are you sure you want to spend your time working?” asked Abby.

  Grandfather laughed. “You don’t know these children, Abby. There’s nothing they like better than hard work.”

  “Well, then it’s okay. Oh, by the way,” said Abby, “any luck with the riddle?”

  Jessie didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to get Abby’s hopes up, either. “We’re still working on it,” she said.

  “I wouldn’t spend too much time on it if I were you,” Abby advised. “I’m sure Rilla’s right. There probably isn’t any treasure at all.”

  But the Aldens weren’t convinced Rilla was right. They had a strong hunch there was a treasure. And it was a treasure just waiting to be found.

  After a swim in the lake and a game of horseshoes with Adam, they got to work on the signs. Sitting in the shade of an elm, they sanded the rough spots where the paint was chipped and peeling. Henry worked on the sign for THE OGOPOGO GIFT SHOP. Jessie tackled CABINS FOR RENT. And Violet and Benny worked on THE OGOPOGO RESORT.

  Jessie had just brought out a thermos of lemonade when she noticed something that made her frown. “That’s odd,” she said. “Didn’t Patch carve an Ogopogo for every porch?”

  “That’s right.” Henry said. “At least, that’s what Abby said.”

  Violet asked, “What’s odd about that?”

  Jessie gestured toward the line of cabins. “Take a look at the porch on the far right.”

  They all followed Jessie’s gaze. “Oh,” said Violet. “I see what you mean, Jessie. No carving.”

  “Maybe Abby sold it,” guessed Violet.

  “Everything Patch made sold like hot-cakes. Remember?” said Henry.

  “Still, it is kind of weird,” insisted Jessie. “I’m sure that carving was on the porch when we arrived.”

  “You know what I think?” added Benny. “I think the number seven is a clue.”

  “What makes you say that, Benny?” Henry questioned.

  “For one thing, Patch had seven cats,” Benny explained. “And for another thing, cats have seven lives.”

  “Nine,” Jessie corrected.

  “What?”

  “Cats have nine lives, Benny,” Jessie told him. “At least, that’s how the saying goes.”

  “Nine?” Benny scratched his head. “Are you sure?”

  Nodding, Jessie smiled at her little brother.

  “You know what, Benny?” said Henry. “I think you’re on to something with the number seven. After all, there are seven cats with seven names that begin with the letter C.”

  Benny nodded. “Clem, Chelsey, Custard, Charlie, Coco, Chad, and Crumpet.”

  “Very good, Benny!” praised Jessie.

  The youngest Alden beamed. “A detective always remembers stuff like that.”

  “You think it’s some kind of clue, Henry?” Violet wondered.

  “Got to be,” said Henry. “I just can’t shake the feeling those seven C’s must mean something.” Just then, he clapped a hand over his mouth, surprised by his own words.

  “What are you thinking, Henry?” asked Jessie.

  “I’m thinking we should check out Patch O’Brien’s boat,” answered Henry.

  “Why do you say that, Henry?” Violet asked.

  “Think about it.” Henry looked around at his brother and sisters. “What’s the name of Abby’s boat?”

  “The Seven Seas,” Jessie said, puzzled. Then her face brightened as she suddenly caught on. “The seven cats all have names that start with a C—the seven C’s!”

  “The cats are pointing the way to the boat!” Benny let out a cheer. Solving clues was always fun.

  “You think there’s something hidden on the Seven Seas?” Violet asked.

  “Let’s go find out.” Henry scrambled to his feet. “Max said we were welcome on the Seven Seas anytime. And there’s no time like right now,” he added.

  Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny put on life jackets and hurried down to the lake. They wasted no time climbing aboard the Seven Seas. As they began to look around, Jessie spoke up.

  “Remember,” she said, “anything that looks unusual can be a clue.”

  The others gave Jessie the thumbs-up. They were determined to check out every inch of the boat. But it wasn’t long before Benny found something.

  “Come look!” he called out.

  Henry, Jessie, and Benny hurried over.

  Benny had removed the life jackets stowed in the compartment under the bench seat. He was staring down into the empty bin.

  “What is it?” asked Henry.

  “I think I just found a clue!” Benny sounded excited.

  The others crowded around. Sure enough, a message had been carved into the wood at the bottom of the storage bin.

  “Benny, you’re an awesome detective!” Jessie said proudly.

  “I guess I am.” Benny grinned from ear to ear. “But … what does it say?”

  Jessie read the strange message aloud.

  Backwards or forwards,

  from left or from right,

  it’s always the same,

  by day or by night.

  “Patch sure made hard riddles,” said Benny.

  Jessie began to copy the riddle in her notebook. “I just hope we can figure this one out.”

  “What’s the same backwards or forwards?” Benny said, after a moment’s thought.

  Nobody had any ideas. It seemed like the more they looked for answers, the more questions they had.

  CHAPTER 9

  Getting Warmer

  “Abby told me about a family park nearby,” Grandfather said over breakfast the next morning. “They have bumper boats and go-karts and miniature golfing. Anybody interested in checking it out?”

  “That’d be great!” cried Benny, his eyes shining.

  Henry agreed. “That’s a super idea, Grandfather,” he said, every bit as excited as his little brother. “Besides, we could use a break from detective work.” The four Alden children had puzzled and puzzled over the latest riddle. But by the time they’d gone to bed, they still hadn’t come up with any answers.

  “I promised Abby I’d join her for a cup of coffee before we leave,” said Grandfather, taking the blueberry muffins that Violet passed to him. “But it won’t take long.”

  After breakfast, the four Alden children cleared the table and washed the dishes while Grandfather had coffee with Abby.

  “Let’s take your notebook with us, Jessie,” suggested Violet, who was giving the counters a once-over. “We can try to figure out the riddle on the drive.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” Henry agreed. “We really don’t have time to take a break from this mystery.”

  “I put the notebook in my backpack,” said Jessie, glancing around the room. “Now … where did I leave the backpack?”

  Violet looked around, too. “Maybe it’s outside. The last time I remember seeing it was when we were painting the signs.”

  Benny was already halfway to the door. “I bet we left it by that big tree.”

  The Aldens wasted no time checking it out. Sure enough, Jessie’s denim backpack was leaning up against the trunk of the old elm tree.

  “It’s right where we left—oh, no!” Benny exclaimed.
>
  “What in the world …?” Violet cried out at the same time.

  The four Aldens stared in astonishment. The words MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS—OR ELSE! had been painted in purple across one of the signboards.

  Henry gave a low whistle. “Somebody sure doesn’t want us looking for that treasure.”

  Benny’s eyes were huge. “Who do you think …?”

  “Could be anybody,” Jessie broke in as she fished through the denim backpack for her notebook.

  Henry used a stick to pry open the lid on the can of Goldenrod Yellow. “It’ll take more than a message in purple to get us to back off,” he said. Then he grabbed a paint brush and slapped a thick coat of Goldenrod Yellow over the words.

  “It’s gone!” Jessie suddenly cried out.

  Henry looked up. “What’s gone?”

  “Are you talking about your notebook, Jessie?” Violet wanted to know.

  Jessie shook her head. “My notebook is here, but … the photograph is gone!”

  “Are you positive you left it in your backpack?” Henry wanted to make sure.

  “Yes,” said Jessie. “It was right in this zippered pocket with the notebook.”

  “I don’t understand.” Violet frowned. “It couldn’t just disappear.”

  “It could if somebody stole it,” Benny said. “And I bet it was the same person who left that message.”

  “Oh, Benny!” Violet exclaimed. “Why would anyone steal an old photograph of cats?”

  “Unless,” Jessie remarked, “he—or she— knew the photo held a clue to the treasure.”

  “Uh-oh,” said Benny.

  Henry looked over at his little brother. “What is it, Benny?”

  “Rilla Washburn knew about the clue,” Benny said in a quiet voice. “I gave away top-secret information when we saw her in town. Remember?”

  “That’s okay, Benny,” Jessie assured him. “At least the thief didn’t take my notebook.”

  The children forgot all about the mystery for a while when they got to the amusement park. They rode the bumper boats and the go-karts and did some wall climbing. Even Grandfather joined them for a game of miniature golf. Everyone had a wonderful time—at least until they were heading back to the resort. When they stopped at a cafe for lunch, Grandfather told them the news.

  “It seems Abby’s made up her mind,” he said after the waitress had brought their food. They’d all ordered the special—cold turkey sandwiches, homemade potato chips, and root beer. “She’s decided to sell the Ogopogo Resort.”

  “What …?” Benny almost choked on a potato chip.

  “Oh, no!” Violet cried at the same time.

  “I’m afraid it’s true,” said Grandfather. As he took a sip of root beer, the ice cubes clinked in the glass. “She told me this morning.”

  The four Aldens looked at each other in dismay. They’d been so sure they’d find the treasure in time!

  Grandfather swallowed a bite of his sandwich. “She’s planning to put in a call to her real estate agent today.”

  “Today?” Henry winced.

  “Abby’s made up her mind,” said Grandfather. “I told her I’d look over the sales contract with her. It’s important to check out the small print.”

  Benny frowned. “But we were getting warmer.”

  Grandfather smiled at his youngest grandson. “I know you were hoping to save the day, Benny,” he said. “But things don’t always work out the way we plan.”

  Violet let out a sigh. “I just wish things weren’t working out the way Rilla planned.”

  “Abby hasn’t sold the resort yet, Violet,” Jessie reminded her, before crunching into a potato chip.

  “That’s true,” said Henry. “And we haven’t given up yet, have we?”

  “No!” the other Aldens almost shouted.

  True to their word, the moment they got back to the resort, the four children turned their attention once again to the latest riddle.

  To refresh their memories, Jessie pulled out her notebook and began to recite, Backwards or forwards, / from left or from right, / it’s always the same, / by day or by night.

  Nobody said anything. They were deep in thought as they continued to paint signs.

  “I still don’t get it,” Benny said, dipping his brush into the can of Lavender Mist. “What’s the same backwards or forwards?”

  Violet couldn’t help laughing when she looked over at her little brother. “Oh, Benny!” she said. “You look like you’ve been face-painting.”

  The youngest Alden had a smear of Goldenrod Yellow on his chin, a drop of Dragonfly Blue on the tip of his nose, and a splattering of Lavender Mist on his forehead.

  “Paint likes my face,” said Benny, making them all laugh.

  “I think paint likes your clothes, too,” Henry joked, making them laugh even harder.

  Just then, they heard the crunch of tires on gravel. They looked over to see Max getting out of his car. Smiling, he came across the grass, carrying a package under his arm.

  “Great job!” He looked down at the signs approvingly. “They’ll be real easy to spot now.”

  Benny gave him a half-hearted smile. “It won’t really matter.”

  “Yeah, I heard the news.” Max stopped smiling. “I kept hoping Abby wouldn’t sell, but …” His words trailed away.

  “We were all hoping Abby wouldn’t sell,” put in Jessie.

  “Listen,” said Max. He lowered his voice as if about to share a secret. “I could use your opinion on something.” Taking the package from under his arm, he tore away the wrapping. “What do you think?” he asked, holding up a painting in a wood frame.

  “That’s a picture of this place,” Benny realized. “And you can even see Ogopogo Lake in the background.”

  Max looked puzzled. “Ogopogo Lake?”

  “That’s what Benny calls Okanagan Lake,” Jessie explained.

  “It’s a beautiful painting,” said Violet, taking a closer look. The watercolor showed a row of cabins nestled amongst the trees, with a lake in the background. “Oh—look at the bottom corner!”

  “That’s Patch O’Brien’s signature.” Max was beaming.

  Henry gave Max a questioning look. “Abby’s friend painted that?”

  Max nodded. “I found it in our cabin—shoved in the back of a closet,” he said. “I got it framed to surprise Abby.”

  “She’ll love it,” Jessie said, and the others nodded.

  “You think the frame’s okay, then?” Max wanted to know.

  Violet said, “That dark wood is perfect for the painting.”

  “I thought so, too,” said Max, looking relieved. “At first, I thought a gold frame would be best. But then, on a hunch, I went with the dark wood.”

  The Aldens exchanged glances. A gold frame? That must have been the phone conversation they’d overheard.

  “I’ll give it to Abby tonight,” Max went on, “after Rilla Washburn leaves. I’m hoping this little surprise will cheer her up a bit.”

  Violet nodded in sudden understanding. That’s what Max had meant about keeping things hush-hush. He had wanted the painting to be a surprise.

  “Our lips are sealed,” Henry promised.

  “Looks like that’s one suspect we can cross off our list,” Jessie said when Max was out of earshot.

  Nodding, Violet smiled a little. She knew Max could never be Rilla’s partner in crime.

  “I’m almost finished here,” Henry said, dabbing his brush into Dragonfly Blue paint.

  “Me, too,” said Jessie.

  “Violet and I just have the letters for OGOPOGO left,” Benny put in. “We already did RESORT.”

  “How about this, Benny?” said Violet. “Ill paint the letters O—G—O at the beginning, and you paint the letters O—G—O at the end.”

  “Sure,” Benny agreed. “And we can both do the letter P in the middle.”

  Violet couldn’t help laughing. “Did you notice? OGOPOGO is spelled the same both ways.”

  Be
nny took another look. “Hey, you’re right, Violet!” he said in surprise. “That’s kind of funny, isn’t it?”

  “It’s called a palindrome,” said Jessie.

  “A palin-what?” Benny asked.

  “Palindrome,” Jessie repeated. “That’s a word that’s spelled the same backwards or—”

  “Forwards!” finished Henry, snapping his fingers. He sounded excited.

  Violet and Benny looked over at their older brother and sister, puzzled.

  “Remember the riddle?” Jessie explained, slapping Henry a high-five. “Backwards or forwards, / from left or from right, / it’s always the same, / by day or by night.”

  “Wait a minute,” cried Benny. “Ogopogo is the answer to the riddle? Is that what you mean, Jessie?”

  Jessie nodded. “That’s exactly what I mean, Benny.”

  “Yeah!” shouted the youngest Alden. So did the others.

  “But what does Ogopogo have to do with the treasure?” Violet wondered.

  Benny’s face lit up. “I bet the treasure’s hidden in one of Ogopogo’s underwater caves!”

  “Could be,” said Henry. “But I have a feeling it’s closer than that.”

  “Do you think it’s on the property somewhere, Henry?” Violet wanted to know.

  Henry didn’t seem to hear the question. He was busy fishing around in the can of purple paint. “That’s weird,” he said. “There’s something floating in here.”

  Curious, the other Aldens moved closer. Henry removed a small object from the can. It was dripping with paint.

  “What is that?” Benny wanted to know.

  “I’m not sure.” Henry reached for a rag to wipe away the paint. “Looks like jewelry.”

  “What’s jewelry doing in a can of purple paint?” Benny asked as Henry held up a long, dangly earring.

  “Wait a minute,” said Violet, leaning in closer. “Are those green stones?”

  Henry grabbed the rag and gave the earring another once-over. “Yeah, the stones are definitely green.”

  Jessie turned to her younger sister. “What are you thinking, Violet?”

  “It looks familiar,” Violet said. “I’ve seen that earring somewhere before.”

  Just then, another car pulled into the driveway. They watched as Rilla Washburn climbed out and made a beeline for the gift shop.