The Mystery of the Black Raven Read online

  Grandfather stopped at the corner of Broadway and Third Street in front of a building called the Golden North Hotel.

  “Here we are,” declared James Alden. “This is the oldest hotel in Alaska. Every year the Four Rock Miners met here. And this is where we hold part of our reunion.”

  A blast of cold air swept them all inside.

  Jessie gasped. Above her head arched a golden dome. The lobby was richly decorated with red velvet chairs and curved-back sofas. Antique mirrors with gilt frames hung on the walls. Heavy drapes covered the windows, but twinkling lamps in glass shades threw off an inviting glow.

  “Wow!” breathed Benny. “This is the fanciest place I’ve ever seen!”

  Grandfather laughed. “Yes, it is fancy. The hotel was built in 1898 during the Gilded Age, a very fancy time in our history.”

  “The Golden North has been restored to its original splendor,” added Miss Parker. “The antiques are authentic. And it even has a ghost!”

  “A ghost!” Benny exclaimed, looking around. “Where?”

  “Can we eat?” Mark broke in. “Or are we going to stand around all night?”

  “I believe our table is ready,” Grandfather said as the headwaiter came up to them.

  Their group was escorted to a large white-clothed table in the back, away from the other diners. The dining room was as grand as the lobby. Violet wished she had brought her sketchbook. She loved to draw interesting places.

  Menus were passed around.

  “Too expensive!” Earl Pittman complained loudly.

  “Well, we won’t have to eat here after tonight,” James Alden told the other man. “The original miners stayed here, you know. And this is where they ate dinner.”

  “They weren’t feeding a family of four,” Earl grumbled.

  “We should thank James for arranging this trip,” said Miss Parker. “Making the reservations at the Totem Lodge, having this special table here.”

  “The Totem Lodge is cold,” Edie Pittman argued. “I wish we were staying somewhere else.”

  “But we have the entire floor of that hotel,” Miss Parker said. “It’s perfect for a reunion.”

  Monique closed her menu with a disgusted sigh. “There isn’t one single thing on here I like!”

  Henry wondered why the Pittmans were so disagreeable. It seemed as if nothing pleased them. Henry certainly liked his food when it came—a delicious salmon burger.

  Over dessert, Grandfather explained more about the purpose of the reunion.

  “As I mentioned in my letters to all of you,” he began, “I’m the only one of us who has been attending the reunions for some years.”

  “My aunt used to come,” said Miss Parker. “But she’s too ill for such a long journey.”

  Grandfather nodded. “Our relatives who have been making the trip are either too elderly or have health problems. So you all are new to the tradition.”

  Steve and Jennifer Wilson held hands across the table. “I love it here,” said Jennifer. “It’s so romantic.”

  “Well, we decided the trip would be our vacation,” said Mrs. Pittman. “So far it hasn’t been much of a vacation.”

  “It’s dull here,” put in Mark, stirring the chocolate sauce of his brownie sundae into a mess.

  So what else is new? Jessie thought. She wondered why Mark ordered a sundae if he was only going to waste it.

  “You won’t be bored for long,” Grandfather told Mark. “We have lots of activities planned.”

  “I want to hunt for gold,” Benny said. “Just like Uncle Edward did.”

  Everyone laughed except the Pittmans.

  “You’ll have a chance to hunt for gold,” Grandfather said. “Though not exactly the way Uncle Edward did. For one thing, we won’t travel to the goldfields where the Four Rock Miners staked their claim. That’s in the Yukon Territory.”

  “We’ll learn more about the sourdoughs tomorrow when we take the guided tour,” Miss Parker said.

  Violet saw Monique elbow her brother and roll her eyes skyward. Violet suspected the two teenagers would complain all along the tour.

  “It’d better be interesting,” said Mrs. Pittman. “I didn’t come all this way to listen to a bunch of guides.”

  “Yeah,” said Monique. “I want to shop.”

  Grandfather tapped his spoon gently on his water glass to get everyone’s attention.

  “Ladies and gentlemen of the Four Rock Miners reunion. We have an important ceremony to perform. Ready, Miss Parker?”

  “Yes, indeed!” The teacher’s eyes were bright.

  She was certainly having a good time, Violet noted. She leaned forward to see what would happen next.

  Miss Parker brought her gray leather tote bag from under the table and put it on her lap. When she spoke, she reminded Violet of the mayor of Greenfield whenever he made the Fourth of July speech.

  “I hereby pass on the Four Rock Miners’ sacred mementos to this year’s caretaker.”

  Benny whispered to Jessie, “What did she say?”

  “It was just a little speech,” Jessie whispered back.

  Miss Parker drew two paper-wrapped bundles from her bag. One was flat and rectangular-shaped. The other was a rounded knobby lump.

  “What are those?” asked Benny.

  “You’ll see shortly,” Miss Parker answered, “since your grandfather is this year’s caretaker.” Her tone became serious again. “James Alden, do you hereby agree to accept and take excellent care of these items?”

  “I do,” Grandfather answered solemnly.

  Miss Parker handed him the wrapped bundles. “Enjoy!”

  Now everyone was curious, even Mark and Monique.

  “What’s in the packages?” asked Benny again. “Is it your birthday, Grandfather?”

  James Alden laughed. “No, it’s not my birthday.” He unwrapped the round, lumpy bundle first.

  It was a dark gray, nearly black, statue of a bird about five inches high. The bird had a large head and a thick beak. Wing feathers and other details were etched in stone.

  “What an ugly statue!” commented Mrs. Pittman.

  “It’s a raven,” replied Miss Parker. “A bird very important to the Native Americans who live up here. There are lots of raven stories in their culture.”

  “But why do you have it?” Mr. Pittman said to Grandfather. “Looks like a weird present, if you ask me.”

  “The other package will answer your questions,” said Grandfather. He opened the rectangular bundle.

  It was an old book bound in black leather. Holes had been punched in the cover. Black laces threaded through the holes held the pages.

  Grandfather carefully flipped back the cover to the first page. Beneath an old photograph was some fancy writing.

  Jessie, who was sitting next to him, read out loud, “‘Our Adventure in Alaska, by Edward J. Alden.’”

  “This is a scrapbook made by my great-uncle Edward Alden,” Grandfather told the group. “He took photos and kept a diary. When the miners left their claim, they bought this raven in Skagway as a souvenir. Then Edward made a scrapbook from his pictures and diary.”

  “So that’s what he did with the pictures he took,” said Violet. As the family photographer, she’d been curious.

  Miss Parker took up the story. “The first year when they met in this very hotel, Edward showed the others the scrapbook. They decided that each year one of them would keep the raven and the scrapbook, until the next reunion. Then the items would be passed on to another member.”

  “That is so neat,” said Jennifer Wilson, gently touching the raven.

  “When their relatives started coming to Skagway, they continued the tradition of passing on the scrapbook and raven,” said Grandfather. “This year, it’s my turn again.”

  “Whose turn is it next year?” asked Mr. Pittman.

  Grandfather checked a small notebook he carried in his jacket. “The Wilsons’.” Jennifer clapped her hands.

  “Might’ve known
we’d be last,” Earl said to his wife, one corner of his mouth pulled down.

  After passing around the scrapbook for everyone to see, it was time to return to the Totem Lodge.

  Back at the lodge, Grandfather went up to the front desk. In keeping with the old-fashioned ways of the frontier town, room keys were kept on hooks behind the front desk.

  Benny walked over to the large carved poles. The animals on it were funny, kind of squashed-looking. He saw a bird with a large head and a thick beak. Is that a raven? he wondered.

  Before he could ask anyone, Mr. Pittman started arguing with the clerk again.

  “Our room is too cold. And did you see about those extra towels yet?”

  The Wilsons were patiently waiting to retrieve their key while the harried clerk dealt with Mr. Pittman. Howie the bellhop was on duty at his station. He listened to the problems at the front desk but didn’t move until the annoyed clerk rang his bell.

  Grandfather had already received their room keys. The Aldens went up to the third floor.

  “See you in the morning,” Grandfather said to the children.

  Benny was almost too tired to undress. It had been a long day. Just before he fell asleep, he heard voices in the hallway outside.

  Jennifer and Steve Wilson were talking to someone else. Who? Then Benny knew. Howie, the bellhop. Howie was saying something about the totem poles downstairs…

  Then Benny drifted off to sleep.

  The next morning the boys were awakened by a loud knock. It was Jessie and Violet.

  “What happened?” Henry asked.

  “It’s Grandfather,” Jessie cried. “The scrapbook and raven statue have disappeared from his room!”

  “Wow!” exclaimed Henry. “Were they stolen?”

  “We don’t know,” Violet replied. “But Grandfather is very upset.”

  “I know what happened to them,” said Benny. “The ghost of that fancy hotel came and took them!”

  CHAPTER 3

  “One of Us Is a Thief!”

  Grandfather came out of his room. Worry lines creased his forehead, Violet noticed.

  Across the hall, Miss Parker’s door opened and she stepped out. She took one look at Grandfather and said, “What’s wrong, James?”

  “The scrapbook and raven are missing,” he replied. “I put them on my dresser last night. This morning when I got up, they were gone!”

  The children hurried over to join them.

  “I bet the ghost took them,” said Benny.

  Grandfather looked at him. “What ghost?”

  “The one that lives in the hotel we went to last night. Miss Parker told us about it. I think it followed us here and took your stuff,” Benny stated.

  “You don’t really believe in ghosts, do you?” Jessie asked him gently. “That’s just a story.”

  “Jessie’s right, Benny,” Miss Parker said. “Lots of old houses and buildings claim to have a ghost. It makes them seem more interesting.”

  Just then the Wilsons emerged from their room. Steve saw the group standing in the hall and asked, “What’s going on? You guys look glum.”

  “The scrapbook and raven are gone,” explained Violet.

  “Gone?” echoed Jennifer. “How could that happen?”

  Before Grandfather could answer, the door to the room where the Pittmans were staying flew open with a bang. The family was bickering about what to have for breakfast.

  Earl Pittman nearly bumped into the gathering in the hall. “Hope you’re not waiting for us. We plan to eat by ourselves this morning.” He seemed grumpier than usual.

  “That’s not it,” Miss Parker said to him. “The scrapbook and statue are missing from James’s room.”

  “How can they be missing?” asked Edie Pittman.

  Sighing, Mark and Monique leaned against the wall with annoyed looks on their faces.

  “We’ll never get to eat,” muttered Mark.

  “I put them on my dresser last night,” said Grandfather. “I was tired and didn’t look at them before going to bed. This morning they were gone. I searched my room from one end to the other. I can’t find them. Nothing else was taken. Just the scrapbook and the raven.”

  Mr. Pittman’s thick eyebrows drew together. “So what you’re saying, James, is that somebody broke into your room and took them!”

  “I didn’t hear a thing,” James Alden admitted. “Granted, I was sleepy from the long day, but I would have heard someone break into my room.”

  Miss Parker put her hand on Grandfather’s sleeve. “Why don’t we all go down and eat. I’m sure the children are hungry.”

  Benny was starving. In the dining room, he ordered sourdough pancakes, bacon, eggs, and milk. He thought the pancakes would taste sour like their name, but they were delicious, especially drenched in warm maple syrup.

  The discussion of the vanished scrapbook and statue continued.

  “Are you sure you locked your door?” Edie Pittman asked Grandfather. “These locks are pretty flimsy.”

  “Positive,” Grandfather replied. “Anyway, our reunion group is in all the rooms on the third floor. No one else.”

  Mr. Pittman’s tone became suspicious. “Are you accusing one of us of stealing those things?”

  “But why would any of us take them?” asked Henry. “Everyone gets to keep them for a year, anyway. Why steal them now?”

  “Who’d want those dumb old things?” Monique put in, pushing the remains of a pancake around on her plate. “I mean, that statue. Yuck!”

  Miss Parker spoke up. “Perhaps the person who took the items will return them later. The whole thing might be a mistake.”

  “That’s what I think, too,” agreed Grandfather. Henry knew his grandfather didn’t like to argue. “Instead of accusing one another, let’s get on with the reunion plans.”

  “You’re right, Mr. Alden,” said Jennifer. “Maybe the maid will find them when she cleans the rooms. Then everything will be all right.”

  “Let’s meet in the lobby in fifteen minutes,” said Miss Parker. “I want to see Alaska!”

  “Me, too,” Benny chimed in.

  The group went back upstairs to get ready for a day of sightseeing.

  The Alden children met briefly in Jessie and Violet’s room. Jessie made sure Benny was dressed warmly enough and that they all had coats and hats. Through the window, she could see the wind was still blowing.

  “Well,” Benny announced, “we’ve got another mystery to solve!”

  “We’ll have to keep our ears and eyes open for clues,” Violet stated. “Those things belong to Grandfather, at least for this year. He should have them.”

  “We’ll find them,” Benny said confidently. “We’re old hands at solving mysteries.”

  Jessie giggled. “Where did you hear that?”

  “From Grandfather, when he was talking to Miss Parker,” Benny replied.

  “I have a feeling this is going to be a tough one,” Henry predicted.

  Downstairs they found Grandfather reporting the theft to the desk clerk. The clerk wrote up a report, apologizing all the while.

  “I’m very sorry, sir,” he said. “If the maid finds those items, she’ll bring them to me immediately, and I’ll lock them up for safekeeping.”

  “I’m sure you’ll do your best,” Grandfather said.

  Henry was looking around for Howie. He didn’t see the bellhop. Last night Howie was hanging around the reunion group, listening to them. Maybe it was Howie’s day off.

  “Where to first?” asked Steve Wilson when they had all assembled by the totem poles. He had collected a handful of brochures from a rack by the dining room.

  “I want to go to the movies,” said Mark.

  “The movies!” exclaimed Jennifer. “You can go to the movies anytime. We’re in Alaska!”

  Mark shrugged. “So?”

  “I want to go shopping,” said Monique.

  “I’d like to take a tour first,” said Miss Parker. “To get the feel of old Alask
a.”

  Earl Pittman held up a hand. “Wait a minute! Have we all forgotten that one of us is a thief? I think we should stick together. That way, the thief won’t be able to slip off and mail the scrapbook and raven back home.”

  Everyone was silent.

  Then Steve said, “You know, Earl, the stolen items could be in any of our suitcases. Are we going to search one another’s luggage?”

  Mr. Pittman’s neck turned red.

  “I don’t believe that’s necessary,” Grandfather said quickly. “The items may turn up or be found by the housekeeper, as Jennifer suggested.”

  Jennifer nodded, adding, “I think Mr. Pittman has a good idea. About staying together, I mean. Instead of everyone running off in different directions, let’s be like the Four Rock Miners.”

  “That’s the spirit!” Grandfather said heartily, herding the group out the front door. “Let’s discover Skagway!”

  Their first stop was the granite City Hall building, where they gathered more information on day trips from the Visitors’ Bureau. The Trail of ’98 Museum was on the second floor. There they saw things such as scales for measuring gold, old photos, and Native American artifacts.

  “Look,” said Benny, always sharp-eyed. “There’s a raven almost like ours!”

  Miss Parker nodded. “You’ll find the raven symbol used a great deal among the various tribes up here. One story says that the raven created the world.”

  “How did he do that?” asked Benny, who loved stories.

  “The world was all darkness,” said Miss Parker. “The raven opened a box and flew out carrying light in his beak. That light is the sun.”

  Next the group went to the Eagles Hall.

  “You’re in luck,” said the young man at the ticket booth. “We only have two shows a day and the first one starts in ten minutes.”

  The auditorium was quickly filling up with cruise-ship passengers. The Four Rock Miners reunion party found seats in the second row.

  At ten o’clock on the dot, an announcer came out to tell them the history of Skagway.

  “The town didn’t even exist until 1898,” he began. “Some men found gold in the interior of Alaska, a part of the country along the Yukon River that also bordered Canada. When a ship carrying two tons of gold sailed into Seattle, word spread quickly.”