The Mystery at the Calgary Stampede (5 page)

Violet finished chewing first. “We saw
Little Clay at the tractor pull this morning,”
she told Daisy. “Big Clay was there.”

“He said he saw you there,” replied Daisy.
“It’s weird that he happened to find a pin just
like mine, isn’t it?”

“Is that what he told you?” asked Jessie.

“Yes. He found it at a yard sale a few weeks
ago, but he’s been letting Little Clay wear it.
Then he heard me say that wearing the pin
would bring good luck to the performance,
and he wants to try it tonight. Especially
after—you know—what happened to me last
night. So Little Clay gave it back to him.

“I think Marian was a little jealous,” Daisy
continued. “She told me at rehearsal that
she wished she would have the sort of luck
to find a Young Canadian pin! She said her
grandfather collects all sorts of Stampede
memorabilia. She’s always looking for stuff
for him.”

“Did you look at Clay’s pin?” asked Jessie.

Daisy was surprised. “You don’t think…?”

“Are you
sure
it’s not yours?” Jessie asked.

“I don’t think Clay would take my pin. If
he did, why would he wear it in front of me?”
Daisy shook her head. “My aunt’s pin has her
name engraved on it so I’ll know it when I
find it.”

“Did you actually see Clay’s pin?” Violet
asked.

Daisy paused. “No,” she said finally. “I
didn’t see the pin close up.” She changed the
subject “Do you want to watch our rehearsal
this afternoon? I’d like to know you’re
watching. That might be good luck!”

“I’d like to watch,” Benny said.

Meanwhile Jessie was wondering about
Marian. She had seemed so embarrassed
the evening before when she and Henry
had found her in the dressing room. She
wondered why had Marian been hiding
in the closet. Daisy didn’t want to blame
anyone, but Jessie had a feeling that someone
had taken the pin.

They finished their smokies and made
their way toward the grandstand. At this time
of day, the stage was to the side of the rodeo
arena and quiet.

As they came closer, the backstage door
opened, and a woman dressed in cleaning
coveralls stepped out and placed a beat-up
box at the foot of the steps. Then she went
back in and brought out a smaller box. Both
were overflowing with old costumes and
other stuff.

“Is that garbage?” Jessie asked.

“That’s one of the cleaning crew,” Daisy
answered. “They were supposed to get rid
of that old stuff from last year before our
performances started this summer.”

A few moments later, Marian came out
from the same door. She hopped down the
steps to see what was in the boxes and started
to pull out something. But then she saw Daisy
and the Aldens approaching, and she stood up
as they passed. She even held open the door
for them.

Jessie had the feeling Marian didn’t want
them to see what she was doing.

“Can I watch the part of the rehearsal with
the wagon wheels now?” asked Benny as the
door closed behind them.

Daisy pulled out her schedule. “Clay is
one of the boys working with the wheels,
Benny,” she said. “They’re practicing next.
Why don’t you come with me?” She and
Benny went to watch.

“Let’s go back outside,” whispered Jessie to
Henry and Violet.

Henry opened the door a crack, and they
peered through and watched as Marian pulled
clothing out of the first box and papers out of
the second. She left the big box and put the
stuff she’d collected into the smaller one and
walked away in the direction of the river.

The Aldens waited a moment.

“Is it safe to follow her?” asked Violet.

“I think so,” said Henry. “But don’t let the
door slam.”

They eased out and closed the door
carefully. If Marian looked back she would
have seen them, but she didn’t. She continued
to walk toward the river while the Aldens
followed, sometimes taking cover behind
trees or bushes.

When Marian reached the river, the Aldens
could see her approach Mr. Sutton, who was
sitting on one of the large rocks by the river,
his cowboy hat on his head as always. Marian
sat next to her grandfather, and together they
looked through the box.

The Aldens could hear the old man exclaim
something. Even with his thick beard, they
could see that he was smiling, and he clapped
his hands together. He held up one of the
old costumes, and put it into the bag he kept
over his shoulder. Marian dug her hand into
her pocket and pulled out something that
fit in her hand. She held it out to him, and
he took a look at it, put it in his own pocket,
and clapped his hands again. He emptied the
remaining contents of the box into his bag
and put it back over his shoulder. He looked
very pleased.

Marian carried the empty box back to the
stage door while the Aldens stayed hidden
behind a tree. She didn’t spot them as she
passed and went back inside the grandstand.

Meanwhile, Mr. Sutton got to his feet and
headed in the direction of the fairgrounds
gates.

“Should we follow him?” Henry asked.

“I don’t know how we’ll get a chance to
look in that bag,” said Jessie. “It’s always on
his shoulder. We should probably talk to
Marian instead.”

When the Aldens let themselves back in
through the stage door, Marian was busily
organizing props and costume pieces on a
table, preparing for the evening performance.

“We saw you with your grandfather just
now,” Jessie began. “It looked like you were
giving him an old costume.”

Marian frowned. “The cleaning people
were just getting rid of some old stuff,
and the stage manager told me I could
look through it. She knows my Poppa is
a collector. That’s all you saw.” Her eyes
narrowed. “You still think I took the pin,
don’t you? What about that pin of Clay’s?
He
says
he bought it weeks ago. But don’t
you think it’s funny that he started wearing
it just after Daisy’s went missing? How do
you know he didn’t sand Judy Simon’s name
off the back and make up the story about a
yard sale?” She stared back at the Aldens,
and her face grew redder and redder, but
she didn’t take her eyes away until they all
heard a voice behind them.

“Violet? Henry? Jessie?” Grandfather had
just come in the stage door. “I’ve come to pick
you up for dinner,” he said just as Daisy and
Benny returned from watching rehearsal.

“We’ll leave Daisy and the Young Canadians
to prepare for their show,” Grandfather said,
smiling at Daisy. “I’m looking forward to it.”

Daisy tried to smile back, but her smile
seemed wobbly, Jessie thought, and she
blinked as if she might cry.

As the Aldens prepared to leave with
Grandfather, Jessie turned to look back at
Marian, whose face was still red.

“It was just some bits and pieces and an old
costume,” she said softly to Jessie. “Nothing
anyone else but my poppa wants.”

Jessie wished she could be sure of that.

“I
’d still like to know what Mr. Sutton put in
that bag of his,” Henry said, as they waited
in line for one of the many restaurants on
Stephens Avenue Walk. Benny had picked a
hamburger place when he’d seen the menu
posted by the front door. “They put cheese
and apples on one of their burgers!”

While the Aldens waited to be seated, they
talked about the mystery.

“I’d like to see the pin that Clay has. Do
you think it would look different if it had been
engraved and the engraving was removed?”
asked Jessie.

“I’d like to see what Marian had in her
hand when she handed something small to
her poppa,” said Violet.

“I’d like to have Aunt Judy with us so we
don’t have to wait in line,” said Benny.

The others laughed. “You really think
Aunt Judy never has to wait for anything?”
asked Henry.

“Yes,” said Benny.

“Where is Aunt Judy?” asked Violet.

“I don’t know,” Grandfather said. “She just
sent a message saying she’d meet up with us
later.”

“Boy, I hope she doesn’t go missing too,”
said Benny.

“I’m sure she’ll show up in time for the
Grandstand Show,” Grandfather said.

The restaurant host seated the Aldens at a
table on the patio, circled by a low wall made
up of bales of hay. Benny was excited to see
more wagon wheels leaning against the hay.
Jessie pointed out the Western skirts that
some girls walking down the sidewalk were
wearing. Henry admired the cowboy belts
other pedestrians wore. He wouldn’t mind a
fancy belt buckle for himself.

“Do people always dress like this here?” he
asked. “Or is it special, just for the Stampede?”

A man at the next table overheard his
question and gave a chuckle. “Boy,” he called,
“we like our cowboy hats here all year long.”

After dinner, the Aldens returned to the
Grandstand, where they took their seats.
There was no sign of Aunt Judy, though
Violet was sure the empty seat beside them
was hers. She tried not to feel worried.

“We didn’t get to sit out here last night!” said
Henry. “It’s going to be different watching
the show from out here in the stands.”

“The show doesn’t start for another hour.
What’s happening now?” asked Jessie.

A woman sitting just in front of them
turned to answer. “Every evening at this time
is the chuck wagon races. The chuck wagons
are my favorite part of the whole Stampede!
You’ll see!”

The rodeo arena was filling with brightly
painted covered wagons, each hitched with
four lively horses. One wagon had flames
painted on the sides, and another was yellow
with bold orange polka-dots. Violet cheered
for the one painted like a rainbow.

“How do they race in the arena?” asked
Henry. “It’s too small.”

“It is,” said the helpful spectator. She
pointed out how the chuck wagon course
went outside of the rodeo arena and around
a huge track that surrounded both the arena
and far seating. “We can watch all the action
on that!” She pointed to a huge screen set up
at one end of the rodeo arena. “The wagons
will circle back into the arena right in front
of us, coming down the straightaway to the
finish line.”

“Wow!” Henry said.

Four large white barrels were placed
across the arena to mark starting places for
each of the wagons. As the contestants and
their horses readied for the race, the Aldens
could feel excitement all around them. Many
spectators went to stand at the railing for a
closer view of the track.

The horses had been moving slowly,
pulling wagons into place, shaking their
beautiful necks, whinnying, but when the
horn sounded, suddenly they leapt into a run
in a burst of powerful energy.

“They’ve been waiting for this!” said Jessie.
“Look at them go!”

“Let’s get a better view too!” shouted
Grandfather over the noise. The Aldens
hurried down the grandstand aisle toward
the railing.

The horses pulled the wagons hard,
circling the barrels and sweeping up and
around the huge oval track. The overhead
screen showed the wagon teams racing
behind the stands, and the Aldens readied
themselves for the final straightaway in front
of them.

The cheering became even louder as the
horses reached the straightaway and came
barreling down. Jessie knew she was hollering
but she couldn’t even hear herself. Henry
was laughing at her and shouting something
too, and Violet and Benny were holding on
to her sleeves as if to keep her from flying
away with excitement.

All the wagon drivers were standing,
urging their horses to go faster and faster. The
driver of the lead wagon yelled the loudest
and his hat went flying. The ground shook as
the horses and wagons sped past. The wind
tangled the girls’ long hair over their faces.
Violet pushed hers out of her eyes, and Jessie
twisted hers back into a knot.

“I think some horse snot flew out and
landed on me,” yelled Benny.

A new group of four horse-and-wagon
teams prepared for the next race, and
Grandfather led the way back to their seats.
Violet kept looking over her shoulder. She
didn’t want to miss a second of it, even though
it scared her a bit too.

After six more groups of wagons and horses,
more thundering and shaking ground, and
more cheering and excitement, the chuck
wagon races were over for that evening.

Everyone watched as the stage was pulled
into the rodeo arena by an enormous tractor.
Soon the arena was ready for the evening
Grandstand Show. Then, with a blast of music
and lights, the Young Canadians took the stage.