儿童英语读物 The Mystery in the Fortune Cookie CHAPTER 9 Spies Everywhere!

The next afternoon, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny took a break from puzzling over the rebus 1 clue. After swimming in the pond near their aunt’s house, they sat in their bathing suits near the water’s edge and talked about the mystery “You really think Martin’s the famous author?” Benny was saying. He held out his cracked pink cup while Violet poured lemonade from a big thermos 2.



“I don’t really know, Benny,” Violet said. “It’s just a guess.”



“That would explain why Martin got so upset at the bookstore,” Henry said. “You know, when the customer said Drum Keller’s mysteries weren’t worth the paper they’re printed on.”



Violet nodded. “It would also explain Martin’s comment at the coffee shop. When he was on the phone, I mean.”



“What did he say again?” Benny looked confused.



Violet smiled at her little brother. “He said, ‘Don’t forget, you’re dealing 3 with Drum Keller.’ ”



Benny nodded. “Now I remember.” He paused and frowned. “I wonder who was on the other end of the phone.”



“I haven’t the slightest idea.” Violet tucked the thermos into her backpack. “This whole Drum Keller mystery is very odd.”



Jessie sat quietly, thinking hard. She wrapped her arms around her knees. Something about the name Drum Keller was still bothering her, but she couldn’t figure out what.



Benny took a big gulp 4, polishing off his lemonade. “If Martin is Drum Keller, why is he leaving these fortunes for Dottie?”



Henry dipped his toes into the cool water. “Maybe to keep her busy,” he guessed. “You know, distract her so she won’t notice that he’s trying to steal her half of the bookstore.”



Benny nodded as he crunched 5 into an apple.



Henry continued with his theory. “People think Drum Keller disappeared because of money,” he reminded them. “If Martin is Drum Keller, then money’s very important to him.”



“So Martin, also known as Drum Keller, is trying to steal Dottie’s half of the bookstore so he can make more money?” Violet asked. “But ... why is Auntie Two helping 6 him?”



The Aldens were silent. No one had an answer.



Jessie spoke 7 up. “There’s another possibility.”



Benny was instantly curious. “What is it, Jessie?”



“Maybe there is somebody else who knows the truth about Martin,” she said. “Somebody who’s trying to warn Dottie.” Jessie pushed her damp hair behind her ears. “Maybe that person is leaving the strange messages.”



“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that,” Violet exclaimed.



It made sense. What better way to hint at Martin’s secret identity than by hiding a mystery in a fortune cookie? After all, Drum Keller wrote a whole series of fortune cookie mysteries, didn’t he?



“Then it’s got to be Lucy who left those messages,” put in Benny, who was still convinced the waitress was behind everything. “She was talking to Angela at the ice cream parlor 8 about somebody’s secret identity. Remember? Maybe Lucy and Auntie Two are trying to warn Dottie about Martin.”



“I have a hunch 9 we won’t know what’s really going on,” Jessie said, “until we figure out the rebus puzzle.” Reaching for her backpack, she dug into a zippered 10 pocket and pulled out the little white slip of paper.



“Maybe it’ll make sense this time,” Benny said hopefully.



They took turns studying the fortune again — first Violet, then Benny, then Henry, and finally Jessie. On the second time around, Violet noticed something. “I’m no expert,” she said, “but I think the bird in this drawing is supposed to be a loon 11.”



The others crowded around to take another look. “What makes you think so, Violet?” asked Jessie.



“Well, for one thing, check out the bill — it’s dark and pointed 12.” Violet had an artist’s eye for detail. “And look at the white stripes on the neck.”



“Good detective work, Violet,” said Henry.



“But how does a loon fit in with the other drawings?” Benny wanted to know.



“I think I have that figured out,” Jessie said with a big smile. “If you put the pictures of the cow and the loon together, you get — ”



“Kowloon!” everyone cried out in unison 13.



The children looked at one another, their faces glowing with excitement. Then Benny suddenly caught his breath. “Auntie Two!” he cried. “I bet that’s what the drawing of the two ants is all about.”



“Good thinking, Benny.” Henry gave his little brother a pat on the back. “Looks like the rebus is telling us something about Auntie Two Kowloon.”



“But ... what?” Violet wondered.



“Let’s take it one drawing at a time,” Henry suggested. “We figured out the first part of the rebus. Now let’s study the rest of it.”



Jessie frowned a moment. “The barbells come next.” She pointed to the miniature drawing.



“And then the number 4,” added Benny. “And the letter U.”



Violet grinned. “That’s the easy part, Benny,” she told him. “4U means for you.”



Benny gave his forehead a smack 14. “Why didn’t I think of that?”



“But what about the barbells?” wondered Jessie.



“Hmm.” Henry tapped his chin thoughtfully. “People lift weights to build muscles.”



“Oh, Henry!” cried Violet. “That’s it!”



“What?”



“The rebus is saying, ‘Auntie Two Kowloon waits for you’!”



The Aldens sat in stunned 15 silence for a moment. Had they come full circle? Were the clues leading them back to the Kowloon Restaurant, where the mystery had started?



“What now?” Benny asked the others.



There was a long silence. Finally, Henry spoke up.



“Let’s find out what this is all about,” he said, pulling himself to his feet.



“How will we find out?” asked Benny.



“I think it’s time to ask Auntie Two a few questions.”



Everyone agreed Henry’s idea was a good one. “Aunt Jane has some errands to run in town,” Jessie remembered. “I’m sure she won’t mind if we tag along.”



Aunt Jane didn’t mind at all. After an early dinner of cold chicken, corn on the cob, and leftover 16 potato salad, they set off for Elmford. “Maybe the solution to this mystery is very simple,” Aunt Jane suggested as they turned onto the highway. “Maybe it’s just a game. You know, a way to entertain customers.”



“You mean a sales gimmick 17?” Benny asked.



“Exactly,” said Aunt Jane, looking surprised that Benny knew about sales gimmicks 18. “Maybe it’s just a way for Auntie Two to attract customers.”



The Aldens were quiet for a while as they considered this. Finally, Henry said, “No, this isn’t just a sales gimmick, Aunt Jane. There’s more to it than that.” He sounded very sure.



Aunt Jane slowed the car to a stop in the parking lot.



“Don’t worry, Aunt Jane,” Benny said, scrambling 19 out of the car. “We’ll get to the bottom of this mystery. Right, Henry?”



“You bet,” Henry said. Then he added honestly, “At least, we’ll do our best.”



Aunt Jane glanced at her watch. “I’ll get my errands done, then join you at the Kowloon Restaurant,” she said, then hurried away in the opposite direction. The children quickly made their way to Main Street.



While they waited at the corner for the light to change, Benny asked the others, “What do you think the fortune means about an answer to a rhyme?”



Jessie threw up her hands. “That’s a good question, Benny.”



Violet recited the words on the fortune aloud. “For an answer to a rhyme,/ Friday evening is the time.”



“Well, it’s Friday evening,” Henry pointed out as they drew near the Kowloon Restaurant. “Maybe the answer isn’t far away.”



Jessie nodded. “I have a feeling Drum Keller isn’t far away, either.” They all went inside.



At the doorway 20 to the crowded dining room, the Aldens stopped in surprise. “Isn’t that Dottie and Martin?” asked Benny. His brother and sisters nodded.



Sure enough, the owners of The Underground were sitting at a table in the corner. The children quickly stepped out of sight. “Don’t you think that’s strange?” Benny demanded, his hands on his hips 21. “They were just here a few nights ago.”



“Well, it is Dottie’s favorite restaurant,” Violet pointed out. “And isn’t this the night of the concert? Maybe Dottie and Martin stopped in for a bite to eat first.”



Jessie peeked 22 around the doorway again, trying not to stare. She didn’t like the idea of spying on anyone. In this case, though, she felt they were doing it for a good cause. “Look at Auntie Two over there. She’s watching Dottie and Martin from behind that potted plant.” Everyone looked.



Violet’s eyebrows 23 shot up. “What’s that all about?”



“I don’t know,” said Benny. “But she’s close enough to hear everything they’re saying.”



“If you think that’s odd,” Jessie added in a hushed voice, “Lucy seems to be keeping a close eye on them, too.”



They all looked over to where the young woman in the white apron 24 was dashing from table to table, taking orders and refilling water glasses. Every few seconds she would glance at the table in the corner where Dottie and Martin were deep in conversation.



The Aldens turned to one another in bewilderment. It seemed as if the more they watched, the more confusing it became. Before they could begin to figure out what was happening, Violet said, “Look! Martin just signaled to Auntie Two.”



The children stared at Auntie Two as she stepped out from behind the potted plant and walked straight to the table in the corner. The owner of the Kowloon Restaurant held out a small plate with a fortune cookie on it. Smiling, Dottie reached out, broke the fortune cookie in half, and removed the little white slip of paper.



Benny grabbed Jessie’s hand when Dottie cried out, “Oh — oh, my!”