Now the man was almost shouting. “We agreed to see this mystery through to the end! I expect you to keep your word.” The man suddenly hung up the phone, then turned and walked away, looking upset.
After peering all around, Benny said, “I think the coast is clear.”
Jessie turned to Henry as they came out from their hiding place. “That was the same man I saw across from Sam’s house, and then again at the library.”
Henry looked at Jessie in surprise. “Maybe something is going on.”
“Who is he?” Benny wanted to know.
“I don’t have a clue who that man is,” Jessie answered. “But I know he’s up to something.”
“He mentioned a mystery,” Violet pointed out. “Do you think he was talking about the mystery of the Spider’s Clue?”
“I’m sure of it,” answered Jessie.
Henry frowned. “That can only mean one thing.”
Jessie looked at him. “What?”
“That he got an invitation in the mail, too.”
“Do you really think so?”
Henry nodded. “Why else would he be talking about the mystery?”
Jessie was certain Henry was right. “That would explain his interest in Sam,” she said thoughtfully. “And maybe it explains his interest in us, too. He’s probably trying to find out how much we know.”
Violet walked her bike beside Jessie. “I bet he’s hoping we’ll lead him right to the code word.”
“We’d better keep an eye on him from now on,” suggested Henry.
“And we’d better find the code word fast!” Benny added.
When they arrived at the corner of Blue Street and Ice Pond Road, the children made a careful search of the area. But once again, they found nothing that would help.
“Looks like we struck out again,” Henry said.
Jessie looked at her watch. “It’s almost noon,” she pointed out. “Why don’t we talk about this over lunch?”
The children decided to eat at the restaurant on the corner of Blue Street and Ice Pond Road. They waited for the light to change, then crossed the street. After leaving their bikes under the pink awning by the window, they went inside.
The restaurant was bright and cheery. It had a pink-and-white-tiled floor. There were pink leather booths along one side of the room and wooden stools with comfortable pink cushions at a counter on the other side. Pink roses in pretty vases had been placed on every table. And a collection of plants in pink ceramic pots hung in the window of a sunny little alcove.
“Somebody sure likes pink,” Benny remarked as he looked around. Suddenly he spotted a familiar face. “Look! Isn’t that Thomas?”
Sure enough, Thomas Paintner was sitting at a booth in the corner. There was a young woman in a pale yellow business suit sitting with him. She was wearing reading glasses, and her dark hair was pulled back from her face with a shiny gold clip.
When Thomas saw the Aldens, he waved them over. “It’s good to see you again!” he said with a friendly smile. Then he introduced them to his legal assistant, Melissa Campbell.
The children nodded politely and said hello, but the young woman barely looked at them. She was busy making notes in the margins of some papers.
“Any luck with Sam’s mystery?” Thomas wanted to know.
His legal assistant suddenly glanced up.
“No luck yet,” said Henry.
“Oh,” said Thomas. “Too bad.” He sounded disappointed.
“But we’ll figure it out,” put in Benny. “Just wait and see.”
Melissa Campbell smiled with amusement. “Pretending to be detectives, are you?”
“We’re not pretending!” Benny said indignantly. “We’ve solved lots of mysteries!”
Melissa gave the Aldens a sharp look. “Oh, I’m sure you’ve solved hundreds of them.”
Benny could feel his face turning bright red. He wasn’t used to anyone making fun of him. “We haven’t solved hundreds,” he said, “but . . . but . . .” His voice trailed away. He didn’t know what to say.
Henry squared his shoulders. “We have solved quite a few,” he said, looking Melissa straight in the eye.
Thomas spoke up. “Actually, these kids are real pros,” he told his assistant. “They have a real talent for figuring out clues.”
Melissa rolled her eyes. “I bet they even have their own office with a big sign out front.”
Jessie was ready with an answer. “Our boxcar is all the office we need.”
“We found it in the woods,” Benny added proudly. “And now the boxcar’s in our backyard.”
“How very . . . unusual,” said Melissa. Then she turned away and went back to her paperwork.
“Feel free to stop by my office anytime.” Thomas handed his business card to Henry. “I’m on Elm Street,” he added. “And I’m never too busy for a visit from the Aldens.”
Henry tucked the card into his shirt pocket as everyone said good-bye.
“That lady wasn’t very nice,” whispered Benny as the children made their way toward an empty booth. “Why doesn’t she believe we solve mysteries?”
“Some grown-ups are like that,” Henry said as they settled into a booth. “They don’t realize kids can figure things out for themselves.”
“Did you notice how Melissa ignored us at first?” Violet said after a moment’s thought. “Until Thomas mentioned the mystery, that is. Then she was suddenly very interested.” Violet frowned. “Don’t you think that was odd?”
Henry shrugged. “I guess she thought it was funny.”
But Violet thought there was more to it than that. She had a hunch Melissa Campbell had taken a special interest in them for some reason. But why?
As they looked over the menus carefully, they forgot all about Thomas and his assistant. Before long, an older woman in high heels came over to take their orders. Henry asked for a grilled cheese sandwich with coleslaw and milk. So did everyone else.
The waitress suddenly let out a long sigh. “These high-heeled shoes are killing me,” she confided. “It’s impossible to walk in these things.”
The Aldens looked over at her. The waitress was dressed all in pink. There were even pink bows on her high-heeled shoes, and her long fingernails flashed with pink nail polish.
Although Benny was trying not to stare, the waitress caught his look.
“It makes me feel cheery to wear pink,” she said, smiling. “Pink’s my favorite color.”
Violet spoke up shyly. “Purple’s my favorite color.”
A warm smile spread across the woman’s face. “That must be why you’re wearing a purple ribbon in your hair!” She looked thoughtfully at the Aldens. “You’re friends of Sam Snow, aren’t you?” When the children stared at her in surprise, she gave them a wink. “I heard you mention Sam. I’m afraid you can’t help overhearing things when you’re a waitress. It goes with the territory.”
“Are you a friend of Sam’s, too?” Violet asked.
“Yes, Sam and I have known each other for years.” The waitress held out her hand. “My name’s Rose Hill. I own this little restaurant.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” said Violet, shaking hands. “I’m Violet Alden. And this is my sister, Jessie, and my brothers, Henry and Benny.”
As everyone shook hands, Rose said, “Welcome to the Hollow Tree!”
The Aldens all looked at one another in disbelief. “Did . . . did you just call this place the ‘Hollow Tree’?” Benny asked, astonished.
“That’s right,” replied Rose. Then she sighed. “I’m not surprised you didn’t know the name of my restaurant. The sign on the awning out front is badly faded.” She tucked her notepad into her apron pocket. “I’m hoping to have some money soon to fix up this old place. By the way, if you see Sam,” she added, “tell him I’ll be taking him out for lunch tomorrow. And I won’t be taking no for an answer!” With that, she teetered away in her high heels.
The children were still so shocked by what they’d heard,
they couldn’t speak for a moment. Then Jessie said, “I can’t believe it! We’re actually sitting in the Hollow Tree.”
Henry nodded. “Good thing we decided to stop for a bite to eat!”
“So,” reasoned Violet, “if this place is the Hollow Tree, then the Spider’s Clue must be around here somewhere.”
“But where?” Benny said thoughtfully.
The children kept craning their necks and peering around the room over lunch. But they weren’t sure what they were looking for. What kind of clue was the Spider’s Clue?
“What do we do now?” asked Benny as he finished the last bite of his sandwich.
“Wash windows,” answered Henry. He wiped his mouth with a napkin. “We promised Mr. Arnold, remember?”
The four Aldens were anxious to work on the mystery, but they didn’t want to break a promise. Mr. Arnold was one of the senior citizens on Sam’s list.
Violet borrowed Jessie’s notebook. She made a quick sketch of the room to study later. Then the children paid their bill and hurried away.
Nobody noticed that though Thomas Paintner had left the restaurant, Melissa Campbell still sat at the table, waiting and watching the Aldens through narrowed eyes.
CHAPTER 7
Along Came a Spider!
“Why don’t we visit Sam on our way home,” suggested Henry.
The four Aldens had worked hard all afternoon washing the windows of Mr. Arnold’s red brick house. Now they were pedaling back along the streets of Greenfield, with buckets hung over their handlebars.
Benny was quick to agree with his older brother. “Sam sure will be surprised when we tell him about the Hollow Tree Restaurant.”
“Speaking of Sam,” said Violet, who was riding right beside Benny, “why don’t we stop at the nursery on our way and get him a plant.”
Jessie nodded. “It would be a nice surprise.”
“That’s a great idea, Violet,” said Henry, and the others agreed.
Benny was all smiles. “Sam will have two surprises in one day!”
The Greenfield Nursery was overflowing with plants. There were plants in hanging baskets and in flower boxes and in colorful ceramic pots. The children had trouble making up their minds.
“Don’t forget,” Benny reminded them, “Sam doesn’t have much room. His tables are covered with get-well cards.”
“Good point,” said Jessie. “Maybe we should get him a plant in a hanging basket.”
Violet tilted her head back and looked up. “What about this one?”
The others followed her gaze to a plant in a pretty wicker basket. Beautiful green leaves billowed over the sides of the basket, with several wiry stems dangling low. Along the ends of the stems, smaller plants were growing.
Henry nodded. “I like it,” he said simply.
“Me, too,” added Benny.
Jessie smiled. “It’s different from all the others. I think it’s just right for Sam.”
“It’s hard to choose, isn’t it?” said a voice behind them, and the children turned around quickly in surprise.
A woman with gray streaks in her dark hair smiled at them. She was wearing blue overalls with the words GREENFIELD NURSERY embroidered across the front.
“Hi, Adella!” cried Benny. “Remember us?”
“Of course! You’re the children who bought the Japanese maple tree.”
Jessie nodded. “You have a good memory.” For their grandfather’s birthday, the Aldens had given him a tree with beautiful red leaves.
“Now we’re getting a present for somebody else,” put in Benny. “This time, it’s for Sam the Window Man.”
“Oh!” Adella smiled more broadly. “Well, in that case, it’s half price. Anything in the nursery!”
“Thank you,” said Henry. Then he pointed. “That’s the one we want.”
Adella nodded. “Ah, you like the Chlorophytum, do you?”
Benny made a face. “The Chloro-what?”
Adella laughed. “Chlorophytum,” she said again. “At least that’s the scientific name for it.”
Jessie pulled her notebook and pencil from her back pocket. She quickly scribbled down the name of the plant and the instructions for its care. She wanted Sam to have all the right information.
“Of course, you’ll need a hook to hang it on,” added Adella. “We have a nice selection here.” She gestured to an assortment of hooks and then moved away to help another customer.
“Even Adella knows Sam,” Benny remarked. “No wonder he got so many get-well cards. Right, Violet?”
But Violet didn’t answer. Something had caught her attention.
Benny followed her gaze to where a young man with sandy-colored hair was watering some plants. He was wearing overalls just like Adella’s, and he was having a heated discussion with a woman dressed in pale yellow.
“Isn’t that Melissa Campbell?” Violet whispered.
Benny wasn’t too sure about that. “Maybe,” he said, trying to keep his voice low. The woman was half hidden by a potted fir tree.
The children didn’t mean to eavesdrop. But from where they were standing, they couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of the conversation.
“I’m telling you, it won’t work.” The young man sounded upset.
“Oh, this is turning into a great day!” the woman shot back, though it was plain from her voice that it wasn’t turning into a great day at all. “I suppose I’ll have to do it myself!”
“Look, I just don’t think we can pull it off.”
The woman suddenly clicked her tongue. “Now listen to me, Ray! You want to get rid of your debts, don’t you? And I want to get as far away from this boring town as possible! This is our one big chance—and you’d better not mess it up!”
With that, the woman stomped away.
Violet and Benny watched closely until she disappeared out the door. There was no doubt about it. The woman was Melissa Campbell.
Benny’s eyes were wide. “Did you hear that?”
Just then, the sandy-haired man came storming down the aisle. He almost bumped right into Benny. Whirling around on his heel, he snapped at them, “You kids shouldn’t be underfoot! Don’t you have better things to do than stand around here?”
Then he stalked off.
“What was that all about?” Henry wanted to know.
Benny shrugged. “I didn’t mean to get underfoot,” he said in a small voice.
Jessie put an arm around him. “Don’t worry, Benny,” she said, trying to comfort him. “You didn’t do anything wrong.”
Henry frowned. “I wonder what Melissa meant about one big chance.”
“I think they’re up to no good,” said Benny.
“We can’t be sure, Benny,” Violet told him.
“Well, they’re up to something!” he insisted.
Henry nodded. “There seem to be a lot of strange things going on in Greenfield lately.”
“Thanks, kids. A plant is just what this room needs,” said Sam as Henry fastened the hook to the living room ceiling.
Jessie consulted her notebook. “It’s a Chlorophytum. And it needs lots of water.”
Sam thought for a moment. “I don’t know a whole lot about plants,” he admitted, “but I think there’s a more common name for that particular one.” He scratched his head. “I just can’t remember what it is.”
After making sure the hook was secure, Henry carefully hung the basket by the window.
Sam looked around gratefully at the Aldens. “I was just about to whip up something for dinner. I’d love a bit of company if you’d like to join me.”
“We would like to stay,” Jessie said, speaking for them all, “but why don’t you let us get dinner ready.”
Sam thought about this for a moment. “Well . . . if you’re certain it’s not too much trouble.”
The Aldens were eager to do whatever they could for Sam. “It’s no trouble at all,” said Henry.
While Sam relaxed, the children hurried off to the kitche
n. After letting Mrs. McGregor know about their change of plans, they washed their hands and set to work. They found leftover chicken in the refrigerator, along with fresh fruits and vegetables. There was a large box of rice in the cupboard.
“How about a stir-fry?” suggested Jessie, and the others agreed.
While she waited for the water to boil for the rice, Jessie cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Henry sliced up mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and celery. Violet and Benny chopped bananas and apples for a fruit salad.
The youngest Alden was still thinking about the mystery. He paused as he spooned fruit salad into bowls. “I wonder what kind of clue a spider would leave.”
Henry stirred the chicken and vegetables together in a pan on the stove. “That’s a good question, Benny.” He added a dash of soy sauce to the stir-fry. “One thing’s for sure: The Spider’s Clue is somewhere inside the Hollow Tree Restaurant.”
When they were all seated at the table, Sam took a bite of the stir-fry and nodded approvingly.
“Tastes just as good as it smells,” he said.
Violet looked relieved. “We were hoping you’d like it.”
Taking turns, the children told Sam all about their day. “The clues led us to the corner of Blue Street and Ice Pond Road,” said Jessie. She took a sip of milk. “We thought we’d struck out until we stopped for lunch at the—”
“Hollow Tree Restaurant!” finished Benny.
Sam shook his head in disbelief. “I should have thought of that myself. After all, I stop in there all the time. There really was a hollow tree there once, you know. In fact, that’s how the restaurant got its name.”
The Aldens looked at him in surprise.
“On that very spot?” asked Henry.
With a sweep of his hand, Sam said, “The whole Morningside area was just farmland back then. All open fields and meadows. When we were kids, my brother and I used to play hockey there with Thomas on a pond that would freeze over every winter.”
“No wonder it’s called Ice Pond Road,” Henry realized.
“My brother, Simon, would stash our lunches in the hollow tree. When we got hungry, we’d just skate over and grab something to eat. Guess that’s why I remember it so well.” Sam stopped talking and took a breath. “When I moved back to town years later, that whole area had been built up.” His voice suddenly wavered. “I knew things would never be the same again.”