Old Motel Mystery (9 page)

Jessie smiled. “Yes, everyone.” She gave a sideways glance at Catherine.

“Not me!” Catherine said, her dark eyes sparkling with humor. “I wondered myself who it could be.” Catherine looked especially pretty tonight in a soft yellow dress.

Jessie gave an embarrassed little laugh. “I have to tell you, Catherine, that when we made up your bed I knocked a book to the floor and your map fell out.”

Catherine said, “And you saw the big red circle around Kay's motel, and the Adventure Hotel, right?”

“Yes,” Jessie said. “We wondered why.”

“Because,” Catherine explained simply, “this was the map I used to come to Florida. I marked Kay's motel and the hotel because I wasn't sure which one I'd stay at.”

“Oh,” Jessie said, laughing with relief.

“It's over now,” Kay said. “I've gone through the reservations, and my motel will be occupied most of the winter.”

Rolf reached over and covered Kay's hand with his big tanned one. “That's wonderful, Kay. I must admit I wanted you to sell because I thought your motel was making you unhappy. I can see now that it's just the opposite. But running a ten-unit motel will need a lot of work.” He gave her a lopsided smile. “And I'll be here to help.”

Benny poked Henry, grinning and motioning at Rolf.

“Won't your regular Snowbirds be surprised when they see the changes you've made?” Jessie asked.

“They'll be delighted!” Kay answered. “Excuse me,” she said, pushing back her chair and going into the kitchen.

Henry and Violet cleared the table.

Kay reentered with a large cake. On the frosting were four figures outlined in pink icing, and underneath were the names Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny. “This is to thank you for your work and to thank your Aunt Jane for bringing you to visit me.” She cut big slices for each one.

Benny's eyes grew big. “A chocolate cake!”

“Yes,” Kay said, putting the pieces on plates. “A chocolate cake with fudge filling.”

The night was one of happiness and laughter.

The next day as Rolf and Kay drove the Aldens and Aunt Jane to the airport they were all sad to say good-bye to Florida. Kay was sad to see them go. They were pleased, though, that Kay was happy with her motel and best of all that she had a good friend in Rolf. They would come back. Aunt Jane had promised. And they were happy another mystery had been solved.

About the Author

G
ERTRUDE
C
HANDLER
W
ARNER
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 each 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.

While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner's books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens' independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.

Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.

The Boxcar Children Mysteries

T
HE
B
OXCAR
C
HILDREN

S
URPRISE
I
SLAND

T
HE
Y
ELLOW
H
OUSE
M
YSTERY

M
YSTERY
R
ANCH

M
IKE'S
M
YSTERY

B
LUE
B
AY
M
YSTERY

T
HE
W
OODSHED
M
YSTERY

T
HE
L
IGHTHOUSE
M
YSTERY

M
OUNTAIN
T
OP
M
YSTERY

S
CHOOLHOUSE
M
YSTERY

C
ABOOSE
M
YSTERY

H
OUSEBOAT
M
YSTERY

S
NOWBOUND
M
YSTERY

T
REE
H
OUSE
M
YSTERY

B
ICYCLE
M
YSTERY

M
YSTERY IN THE
S
AND

M
YSTERY
B
EHIND THE
W
ALL

B
US
S
TATION
M
YSTERY

B
ENNY
U
NCOVERS A
M
YSTERY

T
HE
H
AUNTED
C
ABIN
M
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T
HE
D
ESERTED
L
IBRARY
M
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T
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A
NIMAL
S
HELTER
M
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T
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O
LD
M
OTEL
M
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T
HE
M
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H
IDDEN
P
AINTING

T
HE
A
MUSEMENT
P
ARK
M
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T
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M
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M
IXED
-U
P
Z
OO

T
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C
AMP
-O
UT
M
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T
HE
M
YSTERY
G
IRL

T
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M
YSTERY
C
RUISE

T
HE
D
ISAPPEARING
F
RIEND
M
YSTERY

T
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M
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INGING
G
HOST

M
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S
NOW

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P
IZZA
M
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M
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H
ORSE

T
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M
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D
OG
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HOW

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ASTLE
M
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M
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L
OST
V
ILLAGE

T
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M
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I
CE

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P
URPLE
P
OOL

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HOST
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HIP
M
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M
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W
ASHINGTON
, DC

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ANOE
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RIP
M
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EACH

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ISSING
C
AT

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S
NOWFLAKE
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NN

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TAGE

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TOLEN
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USIC

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ALL
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HOCOLATE
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UNDAE
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OT
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IR
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ALLOON

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OOKSTORE

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ILGRIM
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ILLAGE
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TOLEN
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OXCAR

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M
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C
AVE

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T
RAIN

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F
AIR

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INE

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UIDE
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ET
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HOP
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ESSAGE

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IREHOUSE
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RANCISCO

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ALLS
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LAMO

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UTER
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PACE
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OCCER
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LD
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TTIC

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ROWLING
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EAR
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AKE
M
ONSTER

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ALL

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INDY
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ITY
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LACK
P
EARL
M
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C
EREAL
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OX
M
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ANTHER
M
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T
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Q
UEEN'S
J
EWELS

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TOLEN
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WORD
M
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T
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B
ASKETBALL
M
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T
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M
OVIE
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TAR
M
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T
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M
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P
IRATE'S
M
AP

T
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HOST
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OWN
M
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T
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B
LACK
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AVEN

T
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M
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M
ALL

T
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ORK

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YMNASTICS
M
YSTERY

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ROG
M
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M
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MPTY
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OME
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UN
M
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T
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G
REAT
B
ICYCLE
R
ACE
M
YSTERY

T
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M
YSTERY OF THE
W
ILD
P
ONIES

T
HE
M
YSTERY IN THE
C
OMPUTER
G
AME

T
HE
M
YSTERY AT THE
C
ROOKED
H
OUSE