Midnight Mystery (9 page)

Isabel still looked confused. “I’m sorry that the riddle book was left at our family’s house, Martha. Of course, you may take it. But what does this explain?”

Martha stared at Isabel. “What it explains is that your family hid the missing plan book. You hid it because it proves that Alice Putter didn’t design all the inventions she got credit for. My grandfather — ”

Mr. Marshall coughed several times, interrupting Martha. “Now, look here, Martha. Without the missing plan book, you can’t prove that. Alice Putter was a very talented inventor. She and your grandfather had a great friendship. Let’s not taint that with those accusations.”

Martha glared. “If we had the plan book, I could prove them.”

Before Isabel had a chance to say anything, another judge ran over to Mr. Marshall. “Robert!” the woman said. “I’ve been looking all over for you. You must come over to the displays right away. You won’t believe your eyes! At the last minute, a young man just dropped off the most remarkable clock. Wait until you see it.”

Mr. Marshall followed the other judge to the canopy the Aldens had set up near the garden. Isabel, Martha, and the Aldens followed along, too. A big crowd had formed around one of the display tables.

“What’s all this?” Mr. Marshall asked as he made his way under the canopy to see what the commotion was all about. He had to show his judge’s badge so people would step aside to let him through along with the Aldens, Isabel, and Martha.

Mr. Percy and Brad were standing in the center of the crowd. Brad was smiling and answering questions different onlookers asked him. Mr. Percy raised his hand to ask Brad a question as well, but the young man ignored him.

“Well, what’s all the fuss ...oh, my ...” Mr. Marshall stopped and stared up at a magnificent wooden clock hanging from the canopy pole.

The other judge was staring up at the clock, too. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say that looks like an original Alice Putter clock. It’s so similar to the garden clock that a donor lent us. Except ...”

“It’s a clock
and
an outdoor birdhouse and feeder,” Brad said proudly. His smile faded a bit. “Of course, I’m not quite finished. I haven’t painted it. And there’s still a bit of tinkering to do before it ... works.”

“Well, I must say, working or not working, this clock is charming,” Isabel told Brad.

The second judge nodded in agreement. “I haven’t seen anything like it since ... well, since Alice Putter.”

Jessie stepped in front of Brad. “Where did you get the idea?”

“I guess you could say the inspiration struck at midnight,” he answered smugly.

Suddenly, Benny had the answer. “So
that’s
why you needed the plan book!” Benny said, putting the pieces together.

Brad’s face went white. “What are you talking about?” he said.

Jessie’s eyes widened as she realized what Benny was saying. She stared at Brad. “Your clock is as great as an Alice Putter clock because it
is
an Alice Putter clock!” she said.

Henry glanced at his watch. “And in three minutes we can prove it.”

“Just follow us to the house,” Benny told the crowd, then took off running. The confused bystanders followed behind.

As everyone crammed into the entryway of the house, the clocks struck noon. A symphony of clock sounds surrounded them.

Benny bent down and carefully pulled on the grandfather clock’s wooden panel. It sprang open immediately. Isabel gasped.

Benny switched on his flashlight hat, then looked inside the clock. He pulled out a notebook with a black leather cover and handed it to Isabel. “This is where Brad got the idea for the clock.”

“Grandma Alice’s plan book!” Isabel said. She opened the inside cover. “It’s number nine!” She turned to Brad. “How did you know my grandmother hid the plan book in there?”

Everyone stared at Brad, waiting for his answer.

He turned away from all the curious faces. “From Martha,” he mumbled. “I overheard her reading a riddle from a book. I’ve worked in this house for a few years now. Some of the old-timers who did work around here, too, told me stories about finding all kinds of crazy things hidden behind paintings, inside statues. One worker discovered a riddle under a windowsill he was painting. When he figured it out, it led him to a toy fire truck hidden in the broom closet.”

“That sounds exactly like something Grandma Alice would do,” Isabel said with a faint smile on her face. “And probably Martha’s grandfather, too. I remember so many times the two of them sent us off on treasure hunts with just a riddle or puzzle to go by.”

Martha stepped forward. “Take a look at it, Mr. Marshall.”

Mr. Marshall took the plan book. No one spoke while he slowly flipped through the pages. At last, he shut the book. “This is Alice Putter’s plan book all right,” he finally declared. “But it’s not hers alone. Many of the inventions in this plan book, including Brad’s birdhouse clock and this grandfather clock, were planned by Alice Putter
with
Otis Carver. That’s his handwriting detailing all the colors to use on nearly every single object. It looks like Alice designed the clocks and Otis painted them. The silly riddles written in the margins appear to have been invented by both of them. Of course, most of the clocks in this plan book were never actually made. I guess that’s why you thought you could get away with this, Brad.”

Brad looked away.

“So Grandma Alice and Otis created the inventions and artworks together,” Isabel said, letting out a deep breath. She turned to Martha. “Is that what you were trying to prove?”

“Not exactly” Martha said. “I heard my grandfather tell stories about all the fantastic clocks and other inventions he came up with in this house. I just thought Alice Putter took credit for them. And I thought you hid the missing plan book so there would be no proof. I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, Isabel.” Martha looked sad. “We used to be such good friends and here I’ve been, sneaking around and trying to prove you had something to hide. I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry, Martha,” Isabel said, hugging her. “If we had worked together like the Aldens did, we might have solved the clues our grandparents left us and discovered the plan book long ago. Grandma Alice and Granddad Otis would want us to be friends again.”

“And we are,” said Martha, hugging Isabel back.

Isabel went over to Brad. “But I don’t think you and I can be friends any longer, Brad. You tried to pass off Grandma Alice’s and Otis’s invention as your own. I’m afraid I can no longer trust you to work here.”

Brad looked embarrassed. “I’m really sorry. I know what I did was wrong.” He looked at the two judges. “I guess I’m disqualified from the competition, huh?”

Mr. Marshall nodded sternly.

As Brad walked out of the house, the grandfather clock chimed the half hour. Mr. Marshall smiled at the sound of it. “I guess it’s time to begin the judging,” he said. “I haven’t looked at all the other Junior Division entries yet, but I’d like to award Benny a special prize right now.”

Benny looked up at Mr. Marshall and practically blinded him with the flashlight. “For what?”

“For solving the mystery of the grandfather clock — and looking inside it with your very useful hat.”

“Here, here!” someone cried.

Benny took off his flashlight hat and waved it over his head. “Hats off!” he shouted. Then he walked over to Henry and put his hat on his older brother’s head.

“Finally!” Henry said.

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 the 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
YSTERY

T
HE
D
ESERTED
L
IBRARY
M
YSTERY

T
HE
A
NIMAL
S
HELTER
M
YSTERY

T
HE
O
LD
M
OTEL
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY OF THE
H
IDDEN
P
AINTING

T
HE
A
MUSEMENT
P
ARK
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY OF THE
M
IXED
-U
P
Z
OO

T
HE
C
AMP
-O
UT
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY
G
IRL

T
HE
M
YSTERY
C
RUISE

T
HE
D
ISAPPEARING
F
RIEND
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY OF THE
S
INGING
G
HOST

M
YSTERY IN THE
S
NOW

T
HE
P
IZZA
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY
H
ORSE

T
HE
M
YSTERY AT THE
D
OG
S
HOW

T
HE
C
ASTLE
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY OF THE
L
OST
V
ILLAGE

T
HE
M
YSTERY ON THE
I
CE

T
HE
M
YSTERY OF THE
P
URPLE
P
OOL

T
HE
G
HOST
S
HIP
M
YSTERY

T
HE
M
YSTERY IN
W
ASHINGTON
, DC

T
HE
C
ANOE
T
RIP
M
YSTERY