Mystery at the Crooked House (6 page)

“Look again, Jessie. I saw Mrs. McGregor put the note in there.”

“Aaah-chooo!” The dust was making Benny sneeze.

Violet handed Benny a tissue, while Jessie rummaged through the old mementos one more time.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Jessie said at last. “The note’s gone!”

“I can’t believe it!” Violet said a little later as they sat by the fire. Her eyes were wide with worry. “Who could have taken Mrs. McGregor’s note?”

Benny had an opinion about this. “A thief. That’s who!”

Henry threw another log on the fire. “Someone else must be looking for the hidden treasure, too!”

“That means there really
is
a treasure,” Benny said. “And it must be a lot more than just a coin or an old toy. I bet it’s Nola Rawlings who’s looking for it!”

Violet had been thinking the same thing. She told them, “I had a feeling someone was eavesdropping that first night. It’s possible Nola Rawlings heard everything Mrs. McGregor said about the hidden treasure.”

“Nola
is
very mysterious,” agreed Henry. “But we have no proof that it was her.”

“I just know it was!” insisted Benny.

Jessie remembered something. “What if Clarissa overheard us talking by the lake? If she did, then she would have known about the treasure, too.”

“Clarissa
did
leave in a big hurry,” said Henry. “And Madeline said she stopped in for a visit right after seeing us. She could have taken the note before Mrs. McGregor had a chance to put the shoe box back in the attic.”

Violet wasn’t too sure about this. “Maybe,” she said in a hesitating voice. “That
was
strange that she had time to visit when she was in such a hurry. But why would Clarissa do something so mean?”

Henry shrugged. “She doesn’t seem to have a reason.”

Jessie reminded them, “We have to look at
every
possibility.”

“Maybe we should add someone else to our list of suspects,” declared Henry after a moment’s thought.

“Like who?” Benny wanted to know.

“Like Madeline.”

They were all so surprised by Henry’s words, they were speechless.

“Well, she wasn’t exactly happy about us looking for the treasure,” Henry explained.

Jessie thought about that. “She just doesn’t want us to get our hopes up. Don’t forget, Madeline doesn’t even believe there
is
a treasure.”

“Maybe she wants us to
think
there isn’t a treasure,” argued Henry. “Maybe she’s afraid the treasure might be worth enough to save the Crooked House.”

Violet looked confused. “I don’t understand. Madeline
wants
to save the Crooked House. Doesn’t she?”

Henry shrugged. “Maybe not. Mrs. McGregor told us that Madeline wanted to sell the house years ago.”

Violet nodded, looking less puzzled. “She wanted to do some traveling. Do you think that’s what she
still
wants? Is that what you mean, Henry?”

Henry nodded. “She might have taken the note without realizing that Jessie had made a copy of it.”

Benny’s eyes grew wide. “This is getting more and more mysterious!” he whispered.

“Maybe Mrs. McGregor decided to put the note somewhere else,” suggested Violet. “You know, for safekeeping. We can ask when she gets home.”

Henry agreed. “I guess we shouldn’t suspect people until we’re certain it was actually stolen.”

“And no matter what,” declared Benny, “I’m
not
going to fall asleep by the fire tonight!” This was immediately followed by a huge yawn.

Violet smiled at her younger brother. “I have an idea. Why don’t we all go outside and hang the cranberry and popcorn strings for the birds? The fresh air will keep us awake!”

Benny didn’t need to be coaxed. They quickly bundled up and went outside.

“What’s the matter, Benny?” asked Jessie, when she heard her younger brother’s sigh.

Benny was standing in the middle of the front yard with his hands on his hips. “Our crooked snowman looks lonely out here in the dark.”

“I know just the thing!” replied Violet. And she proceeded to tie a string of cranberries around the neck of the snowman.

Benny grinned. “Now he looks as if he doesn’t have a care in the world!”

“Our snowman
doesn’t
have a care in the world,” agreed Henry. “He knows it won’t be long before the birds arrive. Then he’ll have lots of company.”

They were busy looping a string of popcorn around a fir tree when a car pulled into Madeline’s driveway.

“I bet that’s Mrs. McGregor!” Benny stepped out from the shadows. Then he quickly jumped back again, shaking his head. “It’s Nola Rawlings.”

Madeline’s houseguest was so unfriendly, the Aldens preferred to keep out of her way. They were surprised when Nola got out of her car and headed straight for the Spencers’ house without noticing the children in the shadows behind the fir tree.

“What’s she doing?” Benny whispered.

Violet shrugged. “I don’t know.”

They watched as Nola knocked on the door. The children didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but they were standing very close to the Spencers’ house. They couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of the conversation.

Nick looked surprised when he opened the door. “What are
you
doing here?”

Nola didn’t answer right away. She was too busy glancing nervously over her shoulder. When she turned to face Nick, her back was to the Aldens. They couldn’t make out what she said. But then Nick nodded and replied, “Sure thing. After all, we
are
partners in crime.”

Jessie and Benny looked at each other, horrified.

“Did you hear that?” Benny gasped, forgetting to lower his voice.

Violet put a finger to her lips. But it was too late. Nola had already whirled around. The children stood perfectly still, holding their breath. Then Nick said, “Come on in, Rebecca.”

Benny’s big eyes got even bigger. Had Nick just referred to Nola as
Rebecca?

The moment the door closed, Violet grabbed Benny’s hand, and the Aldens raced across the yard to the Crooked House.

As they sat by the fire, they discussed everything they’d overheard.

“She’s just pretending to be Nola Rawlings!” said Benny. “Her
real
name is Rebecca!”

Violet nodded. “Rebecca Flagg. That was the name on the book I found. The one about Amelia Quigley Adams.”

“That means Nick isn’t the nice person we thought he was,” Jessie said sadly. She could hardly believe that Nick was
anybody’s
partner in crime.

Violet was frowning. “What I can’t figure out is why Nola—I mean, Rebecca—was reading all about Amelia Quigley Adams.”

“And why did she make such a secret of it?” demanded Benny.

Violet said in a quiet voice, “It’s the oddest thing.”

Henry had been thinking. “Unless ...”

“Unless what, Henry?” Jessie wanted to know.

It took Henry a few moments to answer. “Unless the Mystery Lady wasn’t tricking Mrs. McGregor, after all,” he finally said. “Maybe Amelia Quigley Adams really
did
sign that mystery book.”

Benny said, “But Jessie said the handwriting was just like the Mystery Lady’s!”

“What if it looks the same because—” began Henry.

Jessie’s eyes widened as she caught Henry’s meaning. She finished her brother’s sentence for him. “Because the Mystery Lady was none other than Amelia Quigley Adams herself!”

“You think the famous
author
hid the treasure?” asked Benny in amazement.

Henry nodded. “And I’m almost certain that Rebecca Flagg and Nick Spencer are looking for it, too!”

They all thought Henry might be right. “That
would
explain Rebecca Flagg’s interest in Amelia Quigley Adams,” admitted Violet.

“But we can’t be sure that the Mystery Lady really
was
Amelia Quigley Adams,” Benny pointed out.

Henry couldn’t argue. “Mrs. McGregor just has the one photograph of the Mystery Lady,” he said. “And her face is hidden under that big hat.”

Jessie stared at Henry. Then her mouth dropped open.

“What’s wrong?” Violet asked her sister.

Jessie spoke up. “A hat gives shade from the sun!”

“And it hangs on a tree,” added Violet in surprise. “A hat tree!”

Benny almost shouted with excitement, “Then the answer to the riddle is ...”

“A
hat!”
the Aldens all cried out at once.

“Of course!” said Henry. “Mrs. McGregor told us that the Mystery Lady never went anywhere without a hat to keep her face shaded from the sun!”

“That’s true,” observed Jessie. “And remember what else Mrs. McGregor said? Her hat was packed away in its hatbox and taken up to the attic!”

“What are we waiting for?” cried Benny. “Let’s go up and take a look!”

So once again, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny climbed the creaky stairs to the cold, dark attic. It took them a while, but they finally found the hatbox tucked away behind a standing mirror. Inside was the same wide-brimmed hat that the Mystery Lady had been wearing in the photo. Except for the hat, though, there was absolutely nothing else in the box.

“I don’t get it,” said Benny. “An old straw hat isn’t much of a treasure!”

“But the riddles have led us right here,” Jessie pointed out.

“What do we do now?” asked Violet.

Henry shrugged. “It’s a mystery, that’s for sure!”

“There
must
be something else here,” said Jessie. “Something we’re not seeing.”

This got Henry thinking. Reaching into the hatbox, he patted all around. Finally, he pulled up gently on the flowery paper that lined the bottom. “I think there’s something here!”

“What is it?” Violet asked in a hushed voice.

Henry lifted the lining away and shone the light into the box. “It looks like a story.”

“A very old manuscript,” added Jessie. “It’s all yellowed with age. Just like the note.”

“What’s a manuscript?” asked Benny.

“A story that’s ready to send to a publisher,” explained Jessie.

Henry peered closely at the top page. “This one’s called
The Crooked House Mystery.
”

“And look!” Violet was glancing over Henry’s shoulder. “It says it was written by Amelia Quigley Adams.”

“Wow!” cried Benny. “You mean Amelia Quigley Adams wrote a mystery about Mrs. McGregor’s family home? But ... I’ve never seen
The Crooked House Mystery
in the Greenfield Library.”

“Neither have I,” said Jessie thoughtfully. “I don’t think it was ever published.”

The attic stairs suddenly gave a loud creak.

“Who’s that?” asked Violet in alarm.

Jessie put a protective arm around Benny as Henry clicked off the flashlight.

“I don’t know,” whispered Henry. He peeked out from behind the mirror just as a shadow appeared in the doorway.

The inky outline began to move slowly into the deeper darkness of the attic, with its own beam from a flashlight leading the way.

Benny tried to stay very still and quiet. But the dust was tickling his nose. There was nothing he could do! His nose started to twitch, and then suddenly a sneeze escaped!
“Aaah-chooo!”

“Who’s there?”

It was Rebecca Flagg! The Aldens recognized her voice immediately. Loud thumping and bumping noises began as Rebecca tried to make her way through the maze of boxes and trunks. Then there was a terrible
thud!

Henry beamed the light to where Rebecca had tripped and fallen.

Concerned, Violet rushed out from behind the mirror. “Are you all right?”

“I am most certainly
not
all right!” Rebecca pulled away when Violet tried to give her a hand. “You scared me half to death! I should have known the Aldens would be up here. Snooping around as usual.”

“We weren’t snooping!” Benny said indignantly as Rebecca got slowly to her feet.

Just then, they heard the thundering sounds of someone racing up the stairs. Then Nick was standing in the doorway with Clarissa at his elbow.

“What’s going on in here?” Nick held up a hand to shield his eyes from Henry’s flashlight. “I thought the roof was falling in!”