Windy City Mystery Read online

  Chad smiled. “Violet’s very talented.”

  Violet blushed. She did not think she was an artist yet, but there was no doubt that she was on her way to becoming one.

  They strolled back to the apartment. Willard was not there. Another doorman greeted them.

  Upstairs, Henry couldn’t find the key. “I forgot to take it with us this morning,” he explained.

  “Knock on the door, Henry,” Jessie suggested. “Maybe Grandfather’s inside.”

  No one answered.

  “No problem,” Chad told them. “I have a key.” He dug a ring of keys out of his pocket, selected one, and opened the door. Then he looked at his watch.

  “You don’t have to stay,” Henry told him.

  “I do have some work to do,” he said.

  “Grandfather should be along soon,” Jessie said.

  Knowing they would be all right without him, Chad left.

  Henry took the new clue out of his pocket. “Violet, take a look at this,” he said.

  As Violet studied the picture, Benny explained it.

  “I don’t think the new fire engine is a mistake,” she said.

  “Neither do Henry and I,” Jessie said.

  “But what can it mean?” Violet asked.

  Before they had time to figure it out, Grandfather came in. “Is everybody ready for dinner?” he asked.

  Henry slipped the clue in with the maps and leaflets.

  “Is it dinnertime already?” Benny was surprised. He had been so engrossed in the clue that he had forgotten all about eating.

  Mr. Alden laughed. “Don’t tell me you’re not hungry, Benny!”

  “Oh, I am,” Benny answered. “I just didn’t know it.”

  Willard was back on duty, and he hailed a cab.

  “Where’re we going?” Violet asked as she slipped into the backseat.

  “To a very special place,” Mr. Alden said.

  The cab stopped before a brick building with striped awnings. People sat at white tables in the small front yard.

  “Let’s eat inside,” Grandfather said.

  They found a table by a bay window.

  Henry went over to a display case full of photographs and other souvenirs. “This is the birthplace of deep-dish pizza,” he told them when he returned.

  They ordered a large pizza with everything.

  “Numero uno,” the waiter said. “A good choice. Number one.”

  It was, indeed, a good choice. They had never eaten a better pizza.

  On the way out, Benny said, “They deserve all those plates.”

  They arrived back at the apartment tired and happy.

  “I think I’ll go to bed,” Jessie said.

  They all decided to do the same.

  It wasn’t long before they fell asleep.

  Later, the telephone woke everyone except Benny.

  Grandfather answered it. His voice was muffled. Still, they heard a part of the conversation.

  “No, no,” he kept saying. Other words and phrases drifted in to them less clearly. “Trouble?” he said, and, “I don’t want that. You’ll just have to wait.”

  “Violet?” Jessie whispered. “Did you hear that?”

  But Violet had drifted back to sleep.

  In the other room, Henry lay in the dark wondering what this was about. Grandfather sounded so … different. Was something wrong? Could he be in some kind of trouble?

  CHAPTER 7

  Old Stories and New Fire Engines

  “Grandfather,” Henry called softly. He tapped on Mr. Alden’s bedroom door.

  From the kitchen, Jessie said, “Tell him breakfast is ready.”

  Henry called again. He waited. No sound. He opened the door and took a few steps into the room. “Grandfather’s not here,” Henry told the others.

  “He’s probably downstairs getting the paper,” Benny said.

  Jessie sank to a chair. “I don’t think so,” she said. “He had a strange telephone call last night.”

  “I heard that call, too,” Henry said.

  Benny shot to his feet. “Let’s go find him!” He started for the door.

  “Benny, wait!” Jessie commanded. “The phone call might have been from Mr. Piper. Grandfather was probably talking to him about the paper business.”

  Benny wasn’t convinced. “I still think we should look—”

  A key turned in the lock. The door opened. Grandfather came in, carrying a newspaper.

  Smiling broadly, he said, “It’s a fine morning!”

  Benny rushed at him, arms outstretched. Laughing, Grandfather returned the hug.

  “What’s this?” he asked.

  “Oh, Grandfather, we missed you!” Benny answered.

  His eyes twinkled. “Perhaps I should go out more often,” he said.

  “We didn’t know where you were,” Henry said. He tried to keep the concern from his voice, but it seeped through.

  Grandfather grew serious. “I’m sorry if I worried you. I decided to take a walk this morning.”

  Jessie looked at Henry. Did the telephone call cause Grandfather to go out early this morning? she wondered. The look in Henry’s eye told her he was asking himself the same question.

  Benny put his hands on his hips. “You should have told us, Grandfather,” he said.

  Mr. Alden smiled and took Benny in his arms.

  Jessie said, “Let’s have breakfast.”

  Benny ran over to the table. “I forgot all about eating.”

  “We can’t let that happen,” Grandfather teased.

  Each poured cereal from the boxes Jessie had put on the table. They topped their choices with sliced bananas and strawberries.

  “I have good news,” Grandfather said. “I can be your guide today. Is there anything special you’d like to see?”

  They named some of the places they wanted to see. The Museum of Science and Industry was the first on everybody’s list.

  “There’s a real submarine there,” Benny said. “And a great big model train.”

  Grandfather nodded. “There’s so much to see and do, we could spend an entire day there.”

  Violet held up a leaflet. “I’d like to see the Shedd Aquarium,” she said.

  Henry was interested in the Field Museum of Natural History. “I’d like to see the dinosaur skeletons,” he said.

  “Me, too,” Benny agreed.

  “We’ll be here a few more days,” Grandfather said. “We can probably see it all.” He thumbed through the pile of Chicago information.

  Clue #3 was among those papers. Grandfather would surely find it. The Aldens held their breaths, wondering how they would explain it without telling him about the mystery.

  Mr. Alden put the folded clue aside without looking at it. The children relaxed. “You decide. I’m going to take a shower and change my clothes.”

  Henry and Benny cleared away the rest of the breakfast things and did the dishes.

  Jessie unfolded the latest clue. She studied the cow and the lantern and the burned city. It all fit together except for the modern fire engine. What did it mean? “Unless we visit the place where the fire started,” she said, “we’ll never solve this clue.”

  Violet opened Grandfather’s workbook to reread the section on the fire. “Cow or not, the fire started somewhere in or near Mrs. O’Leary’s barn.”

  Henry came in from the kitchen. “Then we have to find her barn.”

  At his heels, Benny said, “Didn’t it burn up?”

  “The barn’s gone,” Henry said, “but there might be something on the spot where it stood — a plaque or museum or something. Seeing it might help us figure out this clue.”

  Jessie looked at a map. “The barn was on De Koven Street.” She ran her finger along the map. “Here it is.” She showed the others.

  Henry put the clue in his back pocket. “That’s it, then, we have to go to De Koven Street.”

  “Good choice,” Grandfather said as he came into the living room.

  �
�Is there a museum or something there, Grandfather?” Violet asked.

  Grandfather shrugged. “Truth is, I’ve never been there. Never had the time. But I’ve always thought it would be interesting to see where the fire started.”

  Benny grabbed his Cubs cap and off they went.

  Willard was outside. “Your car awaits.” He pointed to a car at the curb and handed Mr. Alden the keys.

  The children were puzzled. How did Willard know they would need a car?

  Grandfather seemed to know what they were thinking. As he pulled into traffic, he said, “We could have taken public transportation, but Cob thought we might like to drive today.”

  Henry studied a map. “Do you know how to find De Koven Street, Grandfather? It’s only a block long.”

  Mr. Alden nodded. “Cob gave me directions,” he said.

  Henry, Jessie, and Violet thought nothing of that remark until Benny asked, “How did Mr. Piper know where we were going?” It was a good question. How could Mr. Piper know where they were going when they had just decided this morning? They waited expectantly for the answer.

  It never came.

  Instead, Grandfather directed their attention to the sights along the way. Before long, he pulled up to a glazed red brick building. High on one corner, white letters spelled out CHICAGO FIRE ACADEMY. Near the entrance was a giant gold sculpture of flames.

  “Is this a school for firemen?” Benny asked.

  Violet asked, “Is this where the Great Chicago Fire started?”

  “Let’s go inside and see,” Grandfather answered.

  An old red hose wagon was displayed in the lobby. Firefighters in small groups at the information desk and in the hall beyond smiled at them as they entered. One of them stepped forward. “Welcome,” he said. “Can I help you?”

  They asked him about Mrs. O’Leary.

  He led them to a plaque on the wall. A chain connected to two brass fire nozzles set it apart from other displays.

  Henry read the inscription. “On this site stood the home and barn of Mrs. O’Leary, where the Chicago fire of 1871 started. Although there are many versions of the story of its origin, the real cause of the fire has never been determined.”

  “The barn was right here,” the firefighter said. “The gold flame outside stands where her house was.”

  Jessie was impressed. “And now, on the same spot, people are trained to fight fires.”

  They wandered down the hall looking at the glass-covered wall displays of historical photos and drawings.

  Outside, Benny’s eyes grew wide. Shiny fire trucks of all kinds filled the yard. One of the firemen helped Benny and Violet climb inside.

  Henry pulled Jessie aside. “This is the place,” he said. He dug the clue out of his pocket. They both looked at it. There could be no doubt. Here, just as in the picture, the past and the present stood side by side.

  “Do you suppose the next clue is here?” Jessie asked.

  “Keep your eyes open,” Henry answered.

  Benny skipped over to them. “Did you see me in that fire engine?” he asked excitedly. “I’m going to be a firefighter when I grow up!”

  There was so much to see and do, they spent another hour touring the site. But they did not find the next clue.

  Back at the car, Grandfather said, “It’s early yet. How about visiting one of those places we talked about this morning?”

  The Alden children all spoke at once, each naming a favored place.

  Grandfather laughed. “I’ll choose.” He opened the car door and everyone got in.

  They cruised along the lake past a busy harbor and through a beautiful green park.

  “Who has a map?” Benny asked.

  Jessie pulled one out of her backpack.

  “Why do you want a map, Benny?” Henry wanted to know.

  “To see where we’re going,” Benny said. After a long silence, he said, “I figured it out!” Before he could say another word, Mr. Alden pulled into a big parking lot. “There it is!” Benny pointed straight ahead. “The Museum of Science and Industry!”

  They scooted out of the car and hurried across the parking lot. They dashed up the broad cement stairway, past huge round columns, through tall doors, into the vast building.

  They had so much fun they forgot about the mystery.

  But not for long!

  CHAPTER 8

  The Final Clue

  Grandfather pulled up in front of their apartment building. Willard was outside, talking to a man in a long raincoat and a broad-brimmed hat. Something striped was sticking out of his coat pocket.

  Willard waved and came to the curb. The other man hurried inside.

  Henry was the only one who noticed.

  Willard opened the car doors. “Welcome back,” he said.

  “Does that man live here?” Henry asked.

  Willard looked around. “What man?”

  “The man you were talking to.”

  Willard laughed. “I talk to everybody!”

  Grandfather came around from the driver’s side. “Will you see that this car gets back where it belongs?”

  Willard took the keys Mr. Alden held out to him. “Be happy to oblige,” he said.

  They met Chad inside. “I was looking for you,” he told them. “I wanted to talk to you about tomorrow — where you want to go.”

  “We can talk about it now,” Jessie said.

  Chad shook his head. “Sorry. I can’t. I have an appointment.” He stepped back toward the doors. “You talk it over. I’ll see you in the morning.”

  They headed toward the elevators.

  Grandfather stopped suddenly. “Why don’t you go on upstairs,” he said. “I want to get a newspaper.”

  “Do you have the key, Henry?” Violet asked.

  Henry patted his shirt pocket. “I remembered it today.”

  “Go along, then,” Grandfather said. “I’ll be up shortly.”

  While they were waiting for the elevator, Benny said, “It sure seems like Grandfather is reading a lot of newspapers.”

  “You’re right, Benny,” said Jessie. “He just bought one this morning.”

  On the way up to the twentieth floor, they talked about the museum.

  “Of all the things we saw, I liked the model train best,” Benny said. “It reminded me of our boxcar.”

  The elevator doors snapped open.

  As they approached 2004, Jessie saw something. One by one, the other Aldens saw it, too. Someone had put an envelope under their door. Part of it stuck out into the hall.

  Jessie picked it up. “This must be the fourth clue,” she said.

  Benny sighed. “We haven’t even solved the third one!”

  “Yes, we have, Benny,” Violet said. “It was the Fire Academy.” She looked at Henry and Jessie. “Right?”

  Henry nodded. “Had to be,” he said. He opened the door and they all went inside.

  Jessie slipped off her backpack and set it on a chair. Then, she examined the envelope.

  “Open it, Jessie,” Violet urged.

  Jessie opened the envelope. “It’s another collage,” she said.

  Benny stood up and leaned across the table. “Of what?”

  Jessie laid the paper on the table where they could all see.

  “It’s more like a map,” Henry said.

  Violet turned the paper toward her. “It’s a map and a collage!”

  She was right. The crudely drawn map was topped with cut-out pictures of all the places they had been. The Water Tower was at the top and the Museum of Science and Industry was at the bottom. In between were the Michigan Avenue Bridge, the Art Institute, Grant Park, the Fire Academy — even their apartment building and the pizza place!

  “How can this be a clue?” Henry wondered aloud. He held the map up.

  “There’s writing on the back, Henry,” Benny told him.

  Henry turned the paper over. “Here we go,” he said. “This says, ‘The Final Clue.’” He continued reading:

/>   Buried deep

  Beneath the rest

  Is the treasure

  I think best.

  Can you find

  A place like home

  Resting on

  A bed of stone?

  Henry stopped reading. No one said a word. He reread the clue to himself. Once, twice, three times. Finally he looked up. “Any ideas?” he asked the others.

  They stared at him with wide eyes. No one knew what the clue meant.

  “Who is doing this?” Jessie’s tone was full of frustration.

  “Chad was here when we got back,” Violet reminded them. “He could have slipped the clue under the door.”

  “But he has a key,” Henry said.

  “I think Willard did it,” Benny piped up.

  “Willard could have brought the envelope up here,” Henry said.

  “And he could have made the map and written the clue, too.”

  “Let’s go back over what we know.” Jessie took the first two clues out of her backpack.

  Henry removed the third clue from his back pocket and set it and the final clue beside the others. “Go back to the first day,” he said.

  “Willard gave us the clue about the Water Tower,” Benny said.

  Violet nodded. “We were waiting for Chad in the lobby.”

  “And Chad talked to Willard outside,” Jessie added. “Then Willard gave us the envelope.”

  “Don’t forget that other man,” Henry said. “He was talking to Willard, too.”

  The others hadn’t thought about the strange man. No one had ever suggested he had anything to do with this mystery.

  Thinking about the man always made Benny giggle. “The man with the big mustache,” he said. “How did it get so crooked?”

  “It wasn’t crooked the first time we saw him,” Jessie said.

  “That was later, Benny — at the ball game,” Violet reminded him. “Maybe he made a mistake trying to trim it.”

  “Did anyone notice that man with Willard today?” Henry asked.

  “The man in the raincoat?” Jessie said.

  Henry nodded. “Did anyone see his face?”

  No one had.

  “I thought he might be the man with the mustache,” Henry continued. “When we pulled up, he hurried away. It was as if he didn’t want us to see him.”

  None of the others had noticed that.