儿童英语读物 The Gymnastics Mystery CHAPTER 5 The Missing Music

Katya delicately pulled off a bite-sized piece of fried chicken with her fork. “This is the best thing I have ever eaten!” she exclaimed.



The Aldens were in the popular Chicken Lickin’ restaurant across from Greenfield Park. Because Katya and her teammates had performed their afternoon routines so well, their coach had let them go early. Grandfather thought their guest might enjoy a meal out as a treat.



“You can pick it up,” Benny said. “That’s the way we eat fried chicken.”



“But I’ll get my fingers all greasy 1!” Katya said.



“Lick ’em,” Benny told her. “Like the sign says!”



“Do you eat chicken in Russia?” asked Violet. Now that they wondered who Katya really was, they were more curious than ever about her background.



“Oh, yes,” Katya replied. “My grandmother makes chicken Kiev. It is wonderful.”



“I’ve had chicken Kiev,” Grandfather said. “It’s very tasty. A whole stick of butter is tucked inside the rolled chicken.”



“And when you poke 2 your fork into it, the butter squooshes out!” said Katya, laughing.



“Cool!” Benny said. “I like food that squooshes out.”



“As long as it lands on your plate,” added Jessie with a chuckle 3.



Katya seems much more at ease, Jessie thought. Inside the sports arena 4, Katya had been very tense. Maybe because she was away from other teams and reporters, Katya was loosening up. She was even telling them about her grandmother.



When the waitress refilled Grandfather’s coffee mug, she announced the dessert of the day. “Chocolate cake.”



Benny’s eyes lit up. “Can we, Grandfather?” he asked.



“Of course,” said James Alden. “I only wish I could eat as much as you do, Benny. Enjoy it while you can!”



But Katya shook her head regretfully. “I cannot eat too much before the competition.”



“Then we won’t have dessert, either,” Benny said loyally.



Grandfather paid the check. “When the competition is over, we’ll come back. Then, Katya, you may eat as much chocolate cake as you want.”



She smiled at him. “Thank you, Mr. Alden. I am so lucky to have such a nice host.” Then she looked away.



Violet wondered if Katya was feeling guilty about something.



“Can we go to the park now?” Benny asked.



“You bet,” said Grandfather. “I have some errands to take care of in the square. I’ll pick you up in an hour.”



It was early evening and hardly anyone was in the park. A few people sat on the benches. Two older men played chess.



The playground was empty. Benny ran over to the slide, scrambled 5 up the ladder, and shot down.



“Whee! Come on, Katya! This is fun!” he urged.



Katya climbed up the ladder with her gymnast’s grace and slid down, giggling 6. “This is fun. I forget what it is like to play sometimes.”



“Everybody needs to play,” Jessie said as she and Violet chose swings.



Benny ran over to the monkey bars. He was too short to reach the first bar, so Henry gave him a boost.



“Look at me!” he cried, pulling himself along.



“Very good,” said Katya.



Then she leaped onto the bars with a backward somersault. She swung from bar to bar, twisting her body in midair. When she dismounted, she arched her back, arms overhead, as if she had finished a routine for the judges.



Violet clapped. “You aren’t supposed to be working!”



“That was not work,” Katya said, her cheeks pink from the fresh air. “That was fun.”



Then all the children clambered onto the jungle gym and sat on top, enjoying the view.



Jessie dangled 7 her legs. It felt good to be high in the air. “There’s the fountain. The water isn’t turned on in the cold months, though.”



Just then a bright blue disk sailed into the playground.



A big golden dog burst through the bushes near the fountain. The dog grabbed the Frisbee 8 in his mouth, his plumy tail waving like a flag.



“Come here,” cried a voice from the trees. “You’re supposed to bring the Frisbee back to me, Ralph!” A young man with light hair stepped into the clearing. He wore blue sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt.



Ralph hopped 9 from side to side with the Frisbee still in his mouth.



The Aldens and Katya watched the scene, giggling. Clearly, Ralph wasn’t going to give the Frisbee to his owner.



The young man was annoyed. “All right, show-off!”



After trotting 10 in a perfect circle, Ralph dropped the Frisbee at his owner’s feet.



“Good dog,” Henry called down.



The young man looked at them for the first time, then drew back sharply in surprise. He picked up the Frisbee. “We’d better get along home, boy.”



“’Bye!” Benny said.



The young man did not look back at them or say good-bye.



Jessie stared as the pair left the park. “That man looks familiar. I know I’ve seen him before.”



“Maybe here at the park?” Violet said.



Jessie shook her head. “I don’t think so. But it wasn’t long ago.”



Henry swung down from the jungle gym. “Grandfather’s here. You probably saw that guy in the supermarket.”



Jessie hoped so. There were too many people to keep track of lately.



Denise, the American gymnast, was waiting for Katya the next morning at the Greenfield Sports Arena.



“Hi,” she said. “I missed you yesterday.”



“We finished practice early,” Katya said. “Denise, these are my friends. Henry, Violet, Benny, and Jessie, this is Denise Patterson.”



“Hi,” said Denise. She had snapping dark eyes and a pert ponytail tied with a red ribbon. Like Katya, she was small for her age. “Are any of you gymnasts?”



“Katya is teaching us,” Benny said. “But all I do is fall.”



Denise smiled at him, showing a dimple. “Keep at it. You’ll get it. We should go stretch, Katya.”



The two girls worked out on the mat.



Violet scanned the room. “I wonder where Denise’s mother is. She doesn’t like Katya and Denise to be together.”



“I don’t see her,” said Benny. “But there’s Lucas.”



Jessie couldn’t believe her eyes. Lucas Tripp was wearing blue sweatpants! Exactly like the ones the red-haired woman sitting in the bleachers had worn. And just like the sweatpants worn by the mysterious figure who had followed them in the town square, and the young man they had just seen in the park.



She gripped Henry’s arm, “Lucas is wearing blue sweatpants,” she told him. “Is he the guy who followed us last night? You were closer to him than any of us.”



“The guy—or girl—had on a coat,” Henry said. “I really couldn’t tell.”



Lucas walked straight over to the Aldens. “You kids are just who I need to talk to.”



“How can we help you?” Violet asked. Despite Lucas’s cheerful manner, she was wary 11 of the young reporter.



He pushed his glasses up on his nose and checked his spiral notebook. “I was watching Al Stockton yesterday. I don’t think he works for any newspaper. He doesn’t seem to be on deadline like the rest of us.”



“On deadline?” quizzed Benny.



“Yes,” Lucas answered. “Reporters and photographers have to have their stories and pictures finished and in by a certain time. Then the newspaper can print them. Most of us rush out of here by late afternoon. Not Al.”



“Why would he tell us he’s working for a newspaper if he isn’t?” asked Jessie.



“Good question,” said Lucas.



“Is he here today?” Violet asked.



“I haven’t seen him yet,” Lucas replied. “But I’ll keep an eye out for him. Maybe you should, too.” He glanced at his watch. “I’d better get back to work.” He hurried off to where a boys’ team was practicing on the parallel bars.



Henry thought of something. “Maybe Al Stockton is only pretending to work for a newspaper so he can get in the arena.” He pointed 12 to the press box.



Violet nodded. “Nobody questions why members of the press are here.”



“I just wish we could get all the sweatpants people sorted out!” Jessie said. “First that red-haired lady, then the person in the square, and then that guy in the park.”



“And now Lucas,” said Benny.



At that moment, a blond woman breezed past them. It was Denise’s mother, Mrs. Patterson.



Denise’s team and Katya’s team were both practicing on the vault 13. The two teams were lined up. Each girl ran, hit the board, and vaulted 14 over the horse.



Mrs. Patterson stood to one side, frowning at Katya. When it was Katya’s turn, Mrs. Patterson said loudly, “That girl’s hair is a mess.”



The Aldens heard her and so did Katya.



It wasn’t much of a remark, but it was enough to rattle 15 Katya’s concentration. Her double-twisting vault went well, but she stepped out of her landing.



Irina frowned. “Katya, I have told you, you must stick the landing,” Katya bit her lip.



Jessie turned to the others. “That wasn’t fair. Mrs. Patterson made Katya nervous.”



Katya’s next vault was perfect. So was Denise’s. The two girls seemed evenly matched in that event.



Benny wished he could sail over the padded horse. Gymnastics looked like so much fun! Then he saw a movement on the other side of the horse. A man was crouched 16 at the edge of the mat, snapping pictures.



“It’s him again, our mystery man!” he exclaimed.



Henry saw him next. “So Al Stockton is here. And he seems to be taking pictures only of Katya. She was right.”



“I hope he doesn’t make her mess up,” said Jessie.



Just then Katya gave a wail 17. The Aldens rushed over. Jessie thought Katya had fallen and hurt herself.



But Katya was standing 18 over her sports bag. Her warm-up suit spilled out of the zippered 19 opening.



Irina reached her first. “What is it?”



“My music,” Katya cried. “It is not in my bag.”



“Not to worry,” said Irina. “We will use my copy.” The coach searched her own bag, pulling out several cassette tapes. But not the right one.



“What’s going on?” Violet asked, concerned.



Now Katya was sobbing 20. “The music for my floor routine is gone from my bag!”



“And the backup copy I keep is missing as well,” said the coach. “How very strange.”



The Aldens stared at one another. Two cassette tapes kept in two different bags were missing. It wasn’t just strange. It was downright suspicious.