Windy City Mystery (3 page)

Finally he said, “Maybe he didn't write it.”

“Then who did?”

“Jessie! Henry!” Benny called excitedly. “Hurry up!”

“We'll talk about this later,” Henry said, and he and Jessie caught up to the others.

Just ahead, looking like some kind of fairy castle, was the Water Tower.

“No wonder it survived the fire,” Henry said. “It's made of stone.”

They went inside.

“Oh, look at the floor!” Violet exclaimed.

Blues, greens, purples, and yellows in flowing patterns glittered beneath their feet.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” Chad said.

“What's it made of?” Henry asked.

“Broken glass and stones and shells.”

“I guess you can make art out of anything,” Benny said.

Chad laughed. “If you know what you're doing.”

They gathered information from the racks along the walls.

“Henry,” Jessie whispered. “Look for another clue.”

Henry didn't need to be told. He was already looking.

CHAPTER 3

No Clue

“T
hat should be enough,” Chad said. He led them outside and found a bench. “Let's sit here and look through the brochures.”

Jessie and Violet studied the leaflets. Benny looked at the colorful pictures. But Henry couldn't concentrate. He kept wondering about the clue. He was sure they had come to the right place: The Water Tower was certainly the solution to the puzzle. But where was the next clue? He stared up at the stone building. What secret was it keeping? He stood up and walked toward it.

“Where're you going, Henry?” Benny asked.

“To look at the building close up,” he said. He ran his hand along the rough stone walls and glanced down at the ground. Seeing something, he picked it up. But it was only a paper scrap. He went back inside the Water Tower.

“Did you find anything, Henry?” It was Jessie. She had come inside after him.

He shook his head. “If this is the place, there has to be another clue.”

But there was nothing out of place — nothing there to get the Aldens' attention.

“Maybe we're wrong,” Jessie continued. “Maybe this isn't the place.”

Violet was at the door. “Grandfather's here!”

They went back outside. Sure enough, Grandfather Alden was sitting beside Benny on the bench.

“Grandfather!” Jessie said. “What are you doing here?”

“Cob and I finished our business for the day,” Mr. Alden answered, “so I thought I'd join you.”

“How did you know we'd be here?” Henry asked.

“Well, I … uh …” Grandfather didn't seem to have an answer. Finally he said, “Chad told me. Didn't you, Chad?”

Chad looked confused. “Did I? I don't remember telling you.”

“You did say we'd pick up brochures and maps this morning,” Jessie reminded him.

“That's right,” Grandfather said. “And this is a visitors' center — just the place to do that.” Changing the subject, he asked, “What are your plans for the day?”

“We're still deciding,” Violet said.

“I have a suggestion,” Mr. Alden said. “How about a baseball game? The Cubs are in town.”

Benny jumped up and down. “Oh, good!” he said. “We can have lunch there!”

Grandfather stood up. “Chad, we'd like you to come along.”

“Thanks, I'd love to go, but I have some schoolwork to do,” Chad said. He added, “I'll see you in the morning,” and then he was gone.

“Jessie, I think you dropped something,” Grandfather said.

Jessie looked behind her. Several pamphlets lay on the ground.

“I'll get them,” Benny said.

Mr. Alden picked up a few leaflets that had blown some distance away. He handed them to Jessie. “Don't forget these.”

She stacked the papers and put them in her backpack.

“How are we getting to the ballpark, Grandfather?” Violet asked.

“You'll see,” Mr. Alden answered. “Just follow me.”

Benny laughed. “You made a rhyme, Grandfather! Just like the —” Henry poked him. Then Benny remembered they were not supposed to tell anyone about the mystery.

They walked west. Two blocks away, Mr. Alden led them down a broad staircase.

“We're going to the subway,” Henry observed.

“There's a lot happening underground in Chicago,” Grandfather said.

Downstairs, Grandfather Alden paid the woman in the ticket booth and, single file, they pushed through the metal turnstile. More stairs took them to the station platform where tracks ran along both sides.

Grandfather said, “We want to go north.”

Violet was the first to see the
NORTHBOUND
sign.

Before long, a train screeched to a stop. Doors slid open. They all hopped on.

After several stops, the train began to climb. It emerged from the tunnel into the sun. Up, up went the tracks until they were high above the street. The train screeched past the buildings lining the way.

“What do you think of the El, Benny?” Grandfather asked.

“El?” Benny said.

Henry looked at Grandfather Alden. “Is that short for
elevated
?”

“Right you are, Henry,” Mr. Alden answered.

Before long, a voice came over the public address system. “Wrigley Field, home of the Chicago Cubs!” it said.

The train squealed to a halt. The Aldens followed the crowd down the steep stairway.

“The game's going to be crowded,” Benny decided.

And he was right. Still, there was plenty of room. They found good seats.

“Is anybody hungry?” Grandfather asked.

Benny raised his hand. “I am!”

Laughing, the others raised their hands, too.

“Give me your orders,” Mr. Alden said. “Henry and I will go get lunch.”

They all wanted hot dogs and peanuts.

“That's easy to remember,” Henry said. He followed Grandfather out to the concession stands.

Jessie, Violet, and Benny watched the pregame action. All around them, people settled into seats, talking excitedly.

“Did you think more about the clue?” Violet asked Jessie.

“Henry and I thought the Water Tower was the place,” Jessie answered.

“You're right,” Violet said. “It fits the description.”

Benny was surprised. “You mean we solved that clue, and I didn't even know it?”

“We're not sure we solved it,” Jessie said.

Violet thought about that. Finally she asked, “If Chad wrote the clue, why didn't he let us figure it out?”

“But who else could have written it?” Benny asked.

“Henry and I asked both those questions, too,” Jessie answered. “And another thing: There was no clue at the Water Tower. There has to be another clue. Where is it?”

Just then, Henry appeared, carrying a box of drinks. “Grandfather has the food,” he said. He looked over his shoulder. Mr. Alden wasn't there. “That's funny. He was right behind me.”

Benny got to his feet. “Let's go find him. I'm hungry.” He and Henry trotted off.

“Where could he be?” asked Jessie.

“Look!” Violet said. “Up there!”

Jessie followed her sister's gaze.

High at the top of the bleachers, a man wearing bib overalls and a cap took a seat.

“Isn't that the man we saw this morning?” Violet asked.

“It's hard to tell,” Jessie answered.

“There's Grandfather!” Violet said. She stood up and waved.

“Where are Henry and Benny?” Grandfather asked as he approached.

“They went to look for you,” Jessie told him.

Just then, the boys scampered down the stairs to join them.

“What happened to you, Grandfather?” Henry asked. “You were right behind me and then you … disappeared.”

Grandfather handed the box of food to Jessie. “Sorry, I … uh … went back to get this.” He pulled a cap out of his pocket and put it on Benny's head. It was blue. On the front was a red letter: C. “Now you're a real Cubs fan,” he said.

Henry was puzzled. He had been with Grandfather when he bought the cap. Had Grandfather forgotten?

Benny passed out the food. “This smells so good,” he said.

A voice boomed out over the field. “Plaaaaay ball!”

The teams took their positions.

The game began!

The crack of the bat, the shouts of the umpires, and the roar of the crowd soon pushed the mystery to the back of the Aldens' minds.

During the seventh inning, Grandfather Alden went for more peanuts. “Be right back,” he said.

Watching him go, Violet saw someone else. “There's that man again,” she said.

The man in the overalls hurried past. He was definitely the same man they had seen speaking with the doorman, yet he looked different somehow.

Benny giggled. “His mustache is crooked!” he said.

This time, Grandfather returned with the peanuts quickly. The Aldens enjoyed the rest of the game, and best of all, the Cubs won!

CHAPTER 4

Another Clue

B
ack at their apartment building, Willard opened the door for them. “How'd you like the ball game?” he asked. “When those Cubbies are good, they are really good.”

Wide-eyed, Benny looked up at the man. “How'd you know we went to the game?”

Willard raised one eyebrow. “This is my building. I know all about the people in it.”

The Aldens laughed — except Benny. He was wondering if Willard could be the man behind the mysterious clue.

Upstairs, Grandfather said, “I think I'll take a nap. All that rooting for the home team wore me out.”

“You go ahead, Grandfather,” Jessie said. “We'll do the breakfast dishes.”

“If I'm not up, wake me in an hour,” Mr. Alden said as he closed his bedroom door.

Violet helped with the dishes. “Next time, it's your turn,” she said to her brothers.

After everything had been dried and put away, Jessie said, “We should decide where we want to go tomorrow with Chad.” She took the brochures out of her backpack and laid them on the table.

Benny leaned in close to the others. “I think Willard wrote the clue,” he whispered.

“Willard?” Henry said. “I doubt it.”

Violet disagreed. “Benny might be right,” she said. “Willard did give us the note, remember? And he never said it was from Chad.”

“We didn't ask him,” Henry said.

“That would explain why Chad took us to the Water Tower before we figured it out,” Jessie said. “He didn't know about the clue.”

“Willard did it,” Benny said. “How else did he know we went to the ball game?”

Henry, Jessie, and Violet exchanged amused glances.

“Benny, you're the clue to that,” Henry said.

Benny pointed to himself. “Me?”

Henry reached across the table and took the cap off Benny's head. “You're wearing a Cubs cap,” he said.

Benny put the cap back on his head. “Oh, I forgot,” he said.