Giant Yo-Yo Mystery (7 page)

“That’s right,” Gary nodded. “You have to prove you really broke the record. Are you saying Jeff had a recording of what he’d done so far, but the recording is now missing?”

“Yes,” Violet said.

Gary scratched his neck. “I admit I took the plans, but I didn’t take anything out of his camera. And I didn’t vandalize the yo-yo, either. I wouldn’t do something like that. I was hurt that Jeff ever even thought I would. The police came to talk to me, you know.”

“Yes, we know,” Henry said. “But they said there was no forced entry that night, so they wanted to talk to everyone who had a key to Jeff’s shop.”

“Jeff told the police that even though you’d had a falling out, he didn’t think you’d really come in and damage the yo-yo like that.”

“He did?” Gary seemed surprised.

“Yes,” the children answered in unison.

“What did you think of Jeff’s plans for the yo-yo?” Henry asked. “Were they pretty similar to what you two had planned together?”

“Yes and no,” Gary replied. “It looks to me as though he used our original plans to start with, but he’s also made some modifications.” Gary walked over to a small writing desk across the room. He opened the top drawer and brought out some papers. The plans for the yo-yo!

He came back and spread them out on the coffee table in front of the children. “See here?” he pointed at one of the sketches of a yo-yo half. “It was my idea to build it in layers like this. I told Jeff that was the only way to keep the yo-yo light enough for us for us manage.”

Gary pointed to one of the other drawings. “But these layers here are different. I don’t know why Jeff would build the thirteenth and fourteenth layers like this.”

“Is there something wrong with the way he’s doing it?” Violet asked.

“Is it unsafe?” Benny asked.

“Well, his way is going to make the yo-yo heavier,” Gary said as he sat back down. “He’s using some of the strongest cable available for the string, so it should still be fine. But I don’t know why he wouldn’t want to build the yo-yo as light as possible. Lighter is always better.”

“Have you asked Jeff why he is doing it this way?” Violet asked.

“Oh no,” Gary shook his head. “Like I said, we had a falling out. We haven’t spoken in more than six months.”

“Would you like to speak again?” Benny asked. “Would you like to make up?”

Gary sighed. “Sure, I’d like to. But I don’t think Jeff wants that.”

“How do you know?” Violet asked.

“Have you asked him?”

“Well, no. But …” Gary’s voice trailed off.

“But what?” Henry asked.

Gary shrugged. He didn’t say anything more.

The Aldens all glanced at one another. Jeff always seemed a little sad when he talked about Gary. And now Gary had come right out and said he’d like to make up with Jeff. There had to be a way to get the two of them together.

“Did you know that Emily, the woman you saw at Jeff’s shop, is quitting?” Jessie asked suddenly.

“No, I didn’t,” Gary said.

“I wonder what would happen if you went to Jeff and asked for your old job back?” Jessie asked.

“Oh, I couldn’t do that,” Gary said right away.

“Why not?” the children asked.

At first Gary didn’t say anything. He just looked from one Alden to the next. “Do you all think I should go over there and talk to Jeff?”

“Yes. Of course. Absolutely,” the Aldens responded.

“You don’t think he’ll tell me to go away?” Gary looked worried.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out,” Jessie said. “You’re already not speaking to each other,” Henry pointed out. “So if he does send you away, you won’t be any worse off than you are now.”

“But I don’t think he’ll send you away,” Violet said.

“You’re right,” Gary said, slapping his legs and rising to his feet. “Let’s go.”

Jeff’s eyes narrowed when he saw Gary. “What are you doing here?”

“He came here to make up with you, Jeff,” Violet said right away.

“He wants his old job back,” Benny put in.

Jeff glanced curiously over at Gary. His expression softened. “Is that true?”

“Maybe,” Gary said carefully. “We have some things to work out first.”

Jeff nodded. “I’d like to do that. I’ve known you my whole life, Gary. So many times I’ve wanted to just pick up the phone and call you.”

“Me, too,” Gary said as the two of them walked over to a corner to talk.

“Do you think they’ll make up?” Violet asked.

“I think so,” Jessie said. “They’re talking, aren’t they?”

“Should we wait for them to finish or should we just go home?” Henry asked.

“I don’t want to interrupt them,” Jessie said. “And I don’t want to leave without saying goodbye. So let’s wait.”

“I’m glad Gary isn’t the one who damaged the yo-yo,” Violet said.

“I’m glad, too,” Benny said. “But if it wasn’t him, who was it?”

“It had to be someone who had a key to this shop,” Henry said. “But the only other person besides Jeff and Gary who has a key is Emily.”

“But why would Emily vandalize the yo-yo?” Jessie asked. “She’s helped work on it.”

“Maybe it wasn’t Emily. Maybe it was her boyfriend.” Benny suggested.

“Maybe,” Jessie agreed. “But why would he vandalize it?”

“I don’t know,” Violet said with a sigh. “It’s a mystery, all right.”

Everyone seemed to be lost in their own thoughts, so Benny took out his yo-yo to help pass the time.

“Hey, have you learned how to throw a sleeper yet, Benny?” Violet asked.

“Not yet,” Benny said. “But I have learned another trick. Watch this. This is called monkey on a string.”

Benny let out the string on the yo-yo, then held the string by left index finger so the yo-yo hung about three inches below his finger. He threaded the string into the side of the yo-yo, then pulled down with his right hand so the yo-yo moved up the string. When it got to the top, Benny slipped his left finger out and the yo-yo went back down to his right hand.

“Wow,” Jessie said.

Violet clapped her hands. “That was awesome, Benny!”

“Thanks,” Benny said. “But I still wish I could do a sleeper. Once I learn that, there are tons of other tricks I’ll be able to do.”

“You’ll get it,” Henry said. “If you just—”

“Keep practicing,”
Benny said along with Henry.

The others laughed.

“That’s what everybody always says,” Benny said. “But I’ve been practicing a lot. And I just can’t get it.”

Benny tried to practice his sleeper some more. He tried flicking his wrist the way Grandfather showed him, but it just didn’t work. Still, one way or another, Benny was determined to learn that trick.

“Hey, look!” Violet pointed. “Jeff and Gary are over by the yo-yo.”

It looked like their conversation was over. And it looked like they’d made up.

“I think we can still salvage some of this,” Gary was telling Jeff. “Most of the mess is confined to the top two layers here. If we pull those boards off, we can probably wipe up what’s spilled inside.”

Jeff walked slowly around the yo-yo, surveying the damage.

“Then all we have to do is rebuild these two layers,” Gary went on. “It shouldn’t take that long if we work together. And I’ll bet these kids would be willing to help.” He glanced up at the Aldens.

“Oh yes,” Jessie said eagerly. “We sure would.”

“I suppose it’s worth a try,” Jeff said.

He grabbed his electric screwdriver and started loosening the screws on one side of the yo-yo. Gary grabbed another screwdriver and started loosening screws on the other side of the yo-yo.

“Maybe you kids should grab some safety goggles,” Jeff said as he pulled out one of the damaged boards and tossed it in a barrel.

The children looked around. There were three pairs of safety goggles on the shelf above the coat rack, but they needed four.

“I see Emily’s work jacket hanging on a hook over there.” Jeff pointed. “Why don’t you check her pockets. Maybe she’s got some safety goggles in there?”

Jessie, Violet and Benny put on the safety goggles that they’d found. Henry reached inside Emily’s work jacket. There was indeed a pair of safety goggles in there. But there was also something else.

A tiny flash card. It was labeled simply “yo-yo.”

Jeff frowned. Then he picked up the phone and called Emily at home. “Could you please come down to the shop right now?” he asked. “Yes, I know today is your day off, but this is very important. There are some things I need to ask you and I want to ask them in person.”

Jeff listened for a few seconds then said, “Thank you, Emily. I’ll see you in half an hour.”

“I can’t believe Emily took the flash card,” Violet said. “She seemed so nice.”

“She
is
nice,” Jeff said. “I’ll be curious to hear what she has to say for herself.”

While they waited for Emily to arrive, the group continued to pull apart the damaged pieces of the yo-yo.

“See?” Gary said when they got a few layers lower into the yo-yo. “The rest of these pieces look fine.”

“I guess you’re right,” Jeff said.

The door opened and Emily walked in. She hung back by the door. “Y-you wanted me to stop by, Jeff?” she said nervously.

“Yes.” Jeff motioned for her to come closer. “I want to show you something.”

Emily moved as though her legs were pulling heavy weights.

“We needed an extra pair of safety goggles,” Jeff began. “So I told the children to check the pockets of your work jacket. They found my flash card in your pocket.” He reached into his own pocket and pulled out the flash card.

Emily looked down at the floor.

“Did you vandalize the yo-yo, too?” Jeff asked.

Emily sighed. “Todd and I did it together. I also canceled the order of the wood.

I knew you needed that wood, but I canceled it anyway. And Todd was the one who called and warned you to stop building the yo-yo.”

“Why, Emily?” Jessie asked. “Why would you and Todd do these things?”

Emily sat down on a metal stool. “It’s hard to explain. Todd and I have been nervous about all the attention you’ve been getting for this yo-yo. We were afraid with all the attention on you, it would be hard for us to make a name for ourselves with our own custom furniture shop. Everybody will want to keep going to the guy who built the giant yo-yo.”

“It takes time to build a reputation, Emily,” Gary said. “Surely you and Todd must realize that?”

“Yes, we do. Especially in this community where everyone already knows and respects Jeff,” Emily said. “But we started thinking that if for some reason you didn’t get the yo-yo built, then maybe we could build it. That’s why I asked you for a copy of your plans. Todd and I were hoping if we were the ones who built the world’s largest yo-yo, then people would want to hire us to build things for them instead of you. I’m really sorry, Jeff. You’ve been so nice to me these past two months and I’ve really learned a lot about the woodworking business. We should never have tried to stop you from building this yo-yo.”

“Well, my friend here thinks that some of our work can be salvaged,” Jeff said, nodding toward Gary. “We’re not going to have to start over.”

“I’m glad to hear that,” Emily said. “In fact, I’ve been rethinking my resignation. I’m not sure I want to go into business with Todd anymore. Maybe I should stay here and keep working with you, Jeff? That is, if you’ll still have me after what I’ve done.”

Jeff and Gary exchanged glances. “Well, I might’ve been inclined to give you another chance, Emily, but my old friend Gary has decided to come back to work,” Jeff said with a smile. He patted his old friend on the back. “So I’m afraid that job is no longer available.”

Emily shrugged. “I guess I can’t blame you for that,” she said. “But on the bright side, I’m glad the two of you are friends again. Whenever Jeff talked about you, Gary, I could tell how much he missed you.”

“You missed me?” Gary asked.

“Of course I missed you,” Jeff replied.

Gary smiled. “I missed you, too, old friend.”

The next day, Karl’s Lumber delivered another of load of boards. The Aldens helped Jeff and Gary with the yo-yo every day. They cut and measured each piece of wood, then pounded them all together. When they finished, they had two yo-yo halves. They coated each half with a drywall compound, then it was time to paint.

“Hmm. I don’t know what color we should paint the yo-yo,” Jeff said.

“How about purple?” Violet suggested. Purple was her favorite color.

“Purple is a great color for a yo-yo,” Gary said.

So they painted each half purple.

Then, all they needed to do was attach the two sides of the yo-yo to the axle and wind the rope. They brought Gary’s truck into the shop to help lift the pieces up on to their sides so they could be put together.

“Are you sure this cable is going to be strong enough?” Benny asked when Jeff attached the rope to the axle.

“It should be,” Gary said. “Come and look how thick it is.”

Benny could hardly stretch his hand around the rope. “Wow! That’s thick!” Benny said.

The Aldens watched as Jeff and Gary cranked the rope to the yo-yo. When they finished, they all stepped back to admire their work.