Old Motel Mystery (2 page)

“I'm sure he'll help as much as he can, but he has a job, remember?” Violet said.

“Oh, boy, he runs a barge boat.” Benny grinned. “I can't wait for our tour.”

Everyone laughed.

Suddenly a tall black girl, dressed in white shorts and top, appeared through the trees. When she spotted the Aldens, she halted, and her dark eyes glanced from one to the other. “You must be the Aldens,” she said with a dazzling smile.

“We are,” Henry said, introducing himself and the rest.

“Kay told me about you. I'm Catherine Wilson,” said the beautiful girl. “I'm an anthropology student at the University of Georgia.”

“An-thro-pol-ogy?” Benny said slowly with a puzzled look.

She laughed, a happy tinkling sound. “That's the ‘study of man.' In this case, I'm studying the Seminole Indians who live in the Everglades.”

“How thrilling!” Jessie said, unable to keep the excitement out of her voice.

“Yes, I'm just about finished with my paper,” Catherine said. “I'll go back to their camp several more times. I rented a car for the month and I go back and forth in that. I drive to the edge of the Everglades where Lacota, a Seminole Indian, meets me in his boat. He takes me to their camp.”

“Do you live here, Catherine?” Violet asked.

“Yes, I'm staying in unit number nine, next to Millicent.”

“Millicent?” Jessie questioned, unable to keep the admiration from shining in her eyes. Besides being a student, Jessie wondered if Catherine was also a model.

“Millicent Fair lives in the end unit number ten. She's a very nice older woman, who I'm sure you'll soon meet.” Catherine had a little smile on her face as if she knew Millicent's habits quite well.

“We're staying in unit number one,” Henry said. “Right now we're looking things over.”

“Next to you is the bike shed. You can take out a bike anytime you want to.” She smiled. “The bikes are in good condition, but everything else is pretty run-down.” Catherine shook her head. “I feel sorry for Kay. She's so sweet and works so hard.”

Catherine paused. “It's nice to meet you, but I'm in a bit of a hurry.” Waving, she moved toward the motel. “I have to change. I'm having supper in the Seminole camp.”

“Wow!” Benny said, his eyes wide. “What fun!”

“We'd better go, too.” Henry said.

“ 'Bye, Catherine,” Violet said. “We'll see you later.”

The children walked on, brushing through the thick untrimmed shrubs. When they reached the tennis court, they stopped, unable to take another step.

“Oh, no,” Jessie said, shaking her head. “The court is overgrown with vines and weeds.”

“We can pull weeds.” Violet said, a determined expression on her face.

“Yes, we can!” Benny shouted. “I'm a good weed puller.”

“I see we have our work cut out for us,” Henry said, glancing around at the run-down motel.

“Tomorrow we'll start on the swimming pool,” Jessie said.

“Oh, boy, the swimming pool,” Benny echoed. “That's a good idea.”

Once they were unpacked, they went back up the hill to have supper at Kay's. The dinner of roast lamb, mashed potatoes, and peas was delicious.

Aunt Jane passed the peas and said, “Kay, you have a lovely place here.”

“Yes, it is,” Kay agreed, “but it's so run-down that I've almost given up on it. In fact, I've had an offer from the Adventure Hotel chain. They are eager to buy the motel and I'm thinking of selling.”

“Oh, no,” Jessie said quickly, putting her fork down. “This place is too beautiful.”

Kay gave her a small smile. “I know, Jessie, but it's too much for me. The only help I can afford is Rolf. Maybe I'll take the hotel money and rent an apartment.”

“Kay!” Aunt Jane protested, “you can't do that. You wouldn't be happy in an apartment.”

“We could help in fixing your place up, Kay,” Violet said, eager as always to help someone in trouble.

Kay stood up. “I don't know,” she said doubtfully, setting a cherry pie on the table.

“We're good fixer-uppers,” Benny said.

“Yes, we are,” Violet agreed. “A little paint would help and so would new bedspreads.”

Kay sat down, cutting the pie into six pieces and placing a piece on each plate.

Jane helped pass the pie. “You know, Kay, I think you should think about the children's offer. I can help, too. I can sew and I can redecorate.”

Kay looked at the children's eager faces. “I don't know what to say. There's so much to be done.”

“Make a list,” Aunt Jane said practically, “and we'll take the work step by step. You'll see, it won't cost too much to do.”

“The motel needs a coat of paint,” Kay said thoughtfully. “And you kids could …” She stopped, hesitated, her eyes shining with hope.

“We could do whatever you want us to,” Henry added.

Smiling, Kay leaned forward. “I'll give it a try! It's worth putting some more money into it.”

Benny said, “We'll make your motel shine!”

But lying in bed that night, staring at the big Florida moon, Violet couldn't sleep. How could they possibly tackle all the work that the old motel needed!

CHAPTER 3

Millicent Fair

T
he second day the four Aldens scraped and scraped the green moss from the bottom of the pool. Fortunately, it wasn't a very large area. Kay was pleased at how clean the empty pool looked. So pleased that she promised to have it filled with water the next day, and to call the painters.

After cleaning the pool, the children biked to the small supermarket several blocks away. Grandfather had given them enough money to buy whatever they might need on their trip. Jessie took out the list which they'd all helped to write, and they went down the store aisles, filling the basket with green beans, peas, lettuce, tomatoes, fresh fruit, hamburger, chicken, ice cream, chocolate sauce, salad dressing, bread, butter, and milk. They also bought things for their breakfasts.

That evening, Jessie and Henry baked chicken for supper while Violet and Benny shelled peas and set the table.

After they had eaten fruit for dessert, they sat back and relaxed.

Benny asked, “Do you remember when we lived in the boxcar?”

“Do I!” Jessie exclaimed. “It was hard, but we had such good times, too.”

Benny leaped up and ran to the cupboard. “Here's my pink cup that I found in the dump. It's all chipped and cracked, but I'll never throw it away!”

“Violet,” Henry chimed in, taking his sister's hand, “if you hadn't become sick, Grandfather never would have found us.”

“We ran away because we expected Grandfather to be a mean old man,” Jessie said.

“And he was just the opposite,” Henry said with a chuckle.

“We didn't have a mother or father,” Benny said. “I'm glad Grandfather found us.”

“Me, too,” Henry replied. “I wonder how Grandfather is getting along without us.”

“Oh, fine, I'm sure,” Jessie said. “Mrs. McGregor will take good care of him!”

“And Watch will take care of himself,” Violet said with a laugh. “Our dog is smart.”

“I miss Watch,” Jessie said.

Just then a loud “meow” was heard.

“It's Willie,” Benny yelled, looking out the window. “He can take Watch's place while we're in Florida.” He hurried to fling open the door.

Jessie found a string and played with Willie, but soon the cat went to the door. Henry let Willie out into the warm night and watched as the cat dashed up the hill to Kay's house.

Weary but happy, the Aldens undressed for bed. The next morning, while they were eating a big breakfast of cereal, scrambled eggs, toast with grape jelly, and milk, someone tapped on the door.

Benny cracked open the door. A short plump woman peeked in. Her gray hair curled about her round face.

“Hello.” She smiled sweetly. “I'm Millicent Fair. Call me Millicent,” she said, stepping inside. “I want to say welcome.”

“Hello,” Jessie said pleasantly, “come in.”

“Looks like I
am
in,” Millicent said, hiding a giggle behind her hand. She bustled forward and dropped into a chair. “I heard you were visiting Kay.” Her bright blue eyes darted from one Alden to the other. “How long are you staying?”

“We're not sure,” Henry answered.

“I see you cleaned the swimming pool,” she said happily.

“Yes,” Jessie said. “We hope Rolf Jensen will fill it.”

“It was a big job,” Benny said, holding his palms outward. “See how red my hands are?”

“Why in the world are you doing all this?” Millicent Fair asked.

“We want to go swimming,” Benny said.

“All this work.” Millicent sighed. “Don't you know Kay plans to sell this place?”

“Kay's
not
going to sell,” Jessie said, shaking her head hard.

“She's not?” Millicent said with surprise, leaning forward. “You mean she's staying?”

“We hope she will,” Violet said softly. “And we're going to help all we can.”

“With a little repair we'll make the motel look like new,” Henry said. “Then Kay will stay for sure.”

Millicent sank back in her chair. “I declare,” she said. “And the Adventure Hotel chain made her such a splendid offer, too!”

“She told us,” Jessie said, smiling. “But this is such a lovely spot, surrounded by cypress trees. Compared to the tall hotels, this motel has a cozy warm feeling.”

“Wait until you see it when the painters are finished,” Violet said.

“Painters?” Millicent's small mouth formed a big O.

“Yes, they'll be here today,” Henry said. “Kay arranged for them last night.”

“Soon this ugly brown paint will be painted over,” Violet said.

“What color?” Millicent asked with interest.

“A glistening white,” Violet responded.

“Won't the motel be beautiful set against the green grass and trees?” Jessie said.

Millicent blew out a breath of air, then she stood up. “Yes, it will be beautiful,” she said. “I'm so glad!” Then she added, “I must go, but I'll see you soon.”

When the two painters arrived, they began removing all the old paint. They appeared to be brothers, for they were both tall, though one was skinnier than the other. Each of them wore loose-fitting white overalls and white-billed caps from which a fringe of yellow hair stuck out from all angles.

At the end of the day they lined up six cans of white paint against the motel's outside wall.

“Won't the motel look nice and clean?”

Benny asked, his brown eyes twinkling with excitement.

“Yes, it will once the paint is on,” Henry said.

Then Benny, his lower lip sticking out, said, “I'm hungry.”

Jessie laughed. “I'm hungry, too, Benny.”

They headed back to the motel, but this time they didn't hurry. They were too tired and their feet dragged.

That night they slept so deeply that they didn't hear a sound, not even the prowler outside their window.

In the morning, after breakfast, when Violet opened the door, her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh, no,” she whispered.

“What is it?” Jessie asked, hurrying to her sister's side. She, too, stopped and stared. Benny and Henry joined them. They were speechless.

Someone had taken the paint. The painters hadn't arrived yet, so they hadn't done it. In the grass were circles where the six cans of paint had been. Not one can remained.

CHAPTER 4

Alligators and Swamp Birds

A
fter one look at where the paint cans had been, Jessie hurried up the hill to get Kay.

Rolf, who was working at the house that morning, and Kay ran down to the motel, followed by Aunt Jane and Jessie.

Grimly, Kay surveyed the circles in the grass. “Six new cans of paint gone,” she groaned, brushing back a strand of hair from her forehead. “What am I going to do?”

Aunt Jane stopped, too upset to move. Sympathetically, she touched Kay's hand.

“The painters won't be here until nine,” Rolf said calmly, but he was also upset. He looked at Kay. “Do you want me to go into Lyndale and buy six more cans?”

Kay nodded. “I guess so.” But she seemed uncertain.

As Rolf left, Kay, a worried look on her face, turned to the four children. “I don't understand. Why would anyone steal paint?”

Henry shrugged his shoulders. “We didn't hear a sound,” he said.

“It's a good thing,” Aunt Jane said. “Whoever did this wouldn't want to be caught. Who knows how they might have reacted.”

Kay sighed and turned away. “Nothing can be done about the stolen paint.” But suddenly she smiled. “Come up to the house, children. Aunt Jane and I were just about to have a cup of tea.”