On Monday morning, the Aldens put on their old clothes again and biked over to the Crossroads Mall. They were planning to do some more work on the mural.
“Hey, the sign is blank today,” Violet said as they rode into the mall parking lot.
“That’s strange,” Jessie said. “I wonder if someone took all the letters this time or if there just wasn’t a message on the sign this morning.”
The children locked their bikes at the bike rack, then headed over to the Game Spot.
A van that said SILVER’S SAFES on the side was parked in front of Lake’s Jewelry Store next to the Game Spot.
“I wonder if they’re getting a new safe at the jewelry store?” Violet said.
“I wouldn’t be surprised,” Jessie said, opening the door. “Now that there have been two robberies in this mall, other store owners are probably getting worried. They want to make sure their safes are secure.”
When the children stepped inside the store they found Queenie and Carter in the middle of a serious conversation with George Berber, the mall owner. The three of them were seated around the table.
The Aldens didn’t want to intrude, but they didn’t want to start on the mural without permission from Queenie, either. So they lingered over by the model train set.
“You’re the store owner, Queenie,” George was saying. “You tell me what you want that sign to say. As long as I’ve got the letters, you can say whatever you want to say.
Queenie glanced at Carter. “I don’t know. I like STOP IN AND SEE GREENFIELD’S NEWEST GAME STORE. I don’t need my name up there on that sign for the whole world to see.”
“Yes, but you’re trying to project an image of small-town friendliness,” Carter said. “I think STOP IN AND SAY HELLO TO QUEENIE AT THE GAME SPOT sounds so much nicer. And it’ll be good for business.”
Queenie thought about it for a moment. “Well, if you really think it’s a good idea, Carter,” she said finally. She turned to George. “Okay, go ahead and write STOP IN AND SAY HELLO TO QUEENIE AT THE GAME SPOT.”
“I’ll have to see if I’ve got enough Es left for that whole message,” George said as he rifled through his letters. “Let’s see—one, two, three, four, five, six. You’re in luck. I have just enough.”
“Oh good,” Queenie said.
George and Queenie both stood up. “I’ll get your message up right away. I just hope the letters don’t go missing as soon as the message is put up.”
Queenie said good bye to George, then walked over to the Aldens. She looked tired today.
“Hello, kids,” she said. “I’m afraid what with all the commotion yesterday I haven’t been able to get out and get you some more paint.”
“Oh, that’s okay,” Jessie said. “Would you like us to come back another time?”
“Would you mind?” Queenie asked. “Perhaps I could leave Raina in charge of the store and go out later this afternoon?”
“Would you like us to stick around in case Raina needs help while you’re gone?” Violet offered.
“Oh no,” Queenie replied. “That won’t be necessary. Raina can handle things just fine. And if for some reason she can’t, Carter should be here, too.”
“What can I handle?” Raina asked as she came up behind them with a stack of games in her hands. A pretty sapphire necklace lay against her throat.
Queenie jumped. “Oh, Raina. I didn’t see you there. I was just telling the Aldens that I’m going to try and get to the paint store this afternoon. You can handle things by yourself, can’t you?”
“Certainly,” Raina replied. She set the games on the shelf behind her.
“Good,” Queenie said. “Because I’d like to get that Kids’ Korner finished by this weekend. Do you suppose your grandfather would let you come to paint this evening while the store is closed?”
The children all glanced at one another. “I’m sure he will,” Henry said.
“Good.” Queenie smiled. “Then I’ll see you all tonight. Shall we say seven o’clock?”
“Seven o’clock it is,” Jessie said.
As the children were leaving, they noticed Raina twisting her finger around her necklace while she spoke to Carter.
“That’s a beautiful necklace, Raina,” Carter said. “Where did you get it?”
“At Lake’s Jewelry Store next door,” Raina replied with a sheepish smile. “I really don’t have the money to be buying myself jewelry. But I saw it in the window this morning. And it was on sale, so I just couldn’t resist.”
Carter glanced over his shoulder nervously. “Do they have a lot of nice things?” he asked in a low voice. “I’ve never been in there.”
“Oh, yes,” Raina said enthusiastically. “Lots of nice things. You should stop in sometime.”
“Maybe I’ll stop in there right now,” Carter said. “Thanks, Raina.” He turned to Queenie and said, “I’m going to step out for a few minutes, okay?”
“Sure, Carter,” Queenie replied. “When you get back, I think I’ll go over to the paint store.”
The Aldens followed Carter out. They watched as he went into the jewelry store next door. Tony’s truck was gone.
“I wonder where Raina got the money for that necklace?” Jessie said. “She was pretty low on money last Friday.”
“Well, she told the person she was talking to on the phone that she was going to get paid today. Maybe Queenie gave her a paycheck early,” Henry suggested.
“Maybe,” Jessie said.
“Hey, George is still here!” Henry pointed across the parking lot to where the mall owner was placing letters on the sign. “This is a good time to talk to him.”
By the time the Aldens got across the parking lot, George was almost finished.
“Hey, kids,” George said as he closed up his book of plastic letters.
“It’s too bad someone keeps stealing the letters from your sign,” Violet said.
“Yes, it is,” George agreed. “These are the last Es I have. If they disappear, too, I don’t know what I’ll do.”
“It’s too bad about the safe robberies, too,” Henry said. “Do the police have any leads?”
“None at all,” George said with a heavy sigh. “And that’s bad news, too. People hear about the robberies and they don’t want to rent space in this mall. Look at all the storefronts that are still empty.” He gestured toward the mall.
“There have to be some clues somewhere,” Jessie said. “Someone had a key to both the Java Café and the Game Spot and someone knew the combinations to both safes. It shouldn’t be so hard to find out who that could be.”
“Chip Douglas and Raina Holt were the only people who had keys to the Java Café, and they were the only people who knew the combination to that safe. And Queenie Polk, Carter Malone and Raina Holt were the only people who had keys to the Game Spot and the only people who knew the combination to the safe there.”
“Everything seems to be pointing to Raina,” Jessie noted.
“But Queenie has known Raina since she was a little girl,” Violet pointed out. “She’s sure Raina isn’t guilty.”
“The police don’t think she’s involved, either,” George said as he stopped in front of a white jeep. “They checked out her story. Apparently she really was out of town when this last robbery occurred.”
“What about you?” Benny asked boldly. “Don’t you have a key to both stores and don’t you know the combinations to both safes?”
“Benny!” Jessie exclaimed. It sounded like Benny was accusing George of something.
But George just smiled good-naturedly. “That’s okay, Jessie. I have nothing to hide. I do have a key to both stores. In fact, I have a key to all the stores here. I need to be able to get in in case there’s an emergency. But I don’t know the combinations to any of the safes.”
“I hope you don’t think we were accusing you,” Jessie said. “We’re just trying to gather information.”
“I know,” George said. “And I appreciate that you kids are trying to find our robber.”
“I just wish we were having better luck,” Henry said.
That night the Aldens returned to the Game Spot at seven o’clock as planned. Queenie had gotten to the paint store and picked up all the colors they had requested. She had also bought a wooden table and four chairs for the Kids’ Korner.
“I couldn’t find tables and chairs in bright colors,” Queenie explained. “Are you still willing to paint these?”
“Absolutely,” Violet said. “We can use the tables and chairs to bring out the colors in the mural.”
“That’s a wonderful idea,” Queenie said. “I’m really pleased with the job you kids are doing.”
“Thanks,” Violet replied. “We’re having fun, too.”
“Well, I can see you don’t need me, so if you don’t mind, I’ll be working in the backroom,” Queenie said.
“Okay,” Jessie said.
The children got their paint and supplies. They spread out dropcloths below where they were working. Then they got busy. Jessie and Violet did some small brush work around the mural. Benny and Henry worked on the table.
“What do you think, Benny?” Henry asked. “Red or yellow?”
“Yellow,” Benny replied. “With a blue lightning strike down the middle.”
“That sounds good!” Henry said. He opened a can of yellow paint and started stirring.
It was so quiet in the store that night that Queenie had put on a radio for background noise. Every now and then the children would sing along with a song they recognized. But other than that, they worked straight for the next hour.
“Whew!” Jessie wiped the back of her hand across her forehead. “I’m ready for a break.”
“Me, too,” Henry said. He and Benny had just finished painting the table yellow. They’d need to let the paint dry before adding the blue lightning strike.
It was starting to get dark outside. The streetlights in the parking lot had come on.
“Shall we go wash our hands and get a snack?” Jessie asked. Mrs. McGregor had packed them some cheese and crackers and lemonade in case they got hungry while they were working.
“Sure,” Violet said.
One by one, the children took turns washing up in the small bathroom in the back, then they went to sit down at the large table in the front of the store.
“The mural is almost done,” Violet said. “And I don’t think it’ll take very long to paint those chairs. We’ll probably just need to come in one more time to finish all that up.”
“Hooray!” Benny said. “I can’t wait until the Kids’ Korner is done!”
“I bet Jessie can’t, either,” Henry said. “She’ll be in here all the time playing Word Master.”
Violet and Benny nodded their agreement.
But Jessie didn’t seem to be paying much attention to what they were saying. She was staring at something out the window.
“What are you looking at, Jessie?” Violet asked. It was getting dark outside, so it was hard to see anything.
“I don’t know,” Jessie replied, her forehead pressed against the glass. “I thought I saw someone moving around in the bushes in front of that sign out there, but I’m not seeing anything now. Maybe I was mistaken.”
The others all pressed their hands to the window and peered out into the darkness, too.
“I just saw something, too,” Henry said.
“So did I,” Benny said. “It looks like there’s someone hiding in the rose bushes. I think they’re reaching up and taking letters off the sign.”
“Let’s go!” Henry leaped to his feet. “Maybe we can catch our letter thief in the act.”