The Mystery of the Purple Pool Read online

  “Me, too!” cried Benny.

  “Have fun!” Mrs. Grant called as the children left.

  The bus stop was just a block from the hotel, and the children didn’t have to wait long before a bus arrived. Grandfather had given them tokens, and they each slipped their tokens into the fare box as they got on the bus. There were three seats together in the middle of the bus, so Benny, Bobby, and Violet sat down, and Jessie and Henry stood, holding on to the metal rail over their heads.

  When they reached Thirty-fourth Street, Henry rang the bell, and the bus stopped right in front of the Empire State Building. They got off the bus and then stood on the sidewalk, staring up at one of the tallest and most famous buildings in the world. Standing right below it, they couldn’t even see the top.

  “I thought a lot of the buildings here in New York were tall,” Benny said, his eyes wide. “But this one is really tall.”

  “Sure is,” Bobby said. “I can’t wait to get to the top!”

  “Let’s go!” said Benny eagerly.

  The older children smiled at the two excited boys. Henry led the way inside.

  The lobby was quite large, and the walls and floor were covered with marble. There were lots of elevators and shops, and at first the Aldens weren’t sure which way to go.

  “ ‘To the Ob … observ …’ ” Benny tried to sound out the sign on the wall, but it was too difficult.

  “Good try,” said Jessie. “ ‘To the Observation Deck’.”

  A short line of people curved back from a ticket booth, and the children went to wait at the end.

  The line moved quickly. After they had bought their tickets and picked up some pamphlets with information, the children followed the people ahead of them to an elevator.

  Soon they were shooting up to the top of the building. The elevator went so quickly that the lighted sign over the door counted off the floors they passed by tens: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 …

  “Hey!” Benny said. “My ears are popping like they do in an airplane.”

  “That’s because we’re going up so high so quickly,” Jessie explained.

  60, 70, 80 …

  At last the elevator doors opened, and they were on the 86th floor. Benny and Bobby were the first out onto the observation deck, which ran all the way around the building.

  “This is great!” Benny said. It was a clear, sunny day, and they could see for miles in every direction. The city lay spread out before them: rows of small buildings looked like toys, and tiny buses and cars moved along the streets. People were so small, the children could hardly see them.

  “We’re facing north,” Jessie said. “See, there’s Central Park. I think I can see our hotel.”

  “What’s that building over there?” Benny asked, pointing to a tall, beautiful building.

  “That’s the Chrysler building,” Henry said, checking his pamphlet.

  Off to the west, the children could see the Hudson River, alongside which they had driven into New York, with New Jersey stretching out on the other side. On the east they could see another river, the East River, with several bridges stretching across it.

  “That’s Brooklyn over there,” Jessie said. “And look! There’s a plane taking off at the airport!” Beyond Brooklyn they could see the ocean.

  To the south, they could see the tip of the island of Manhattan and lots of skyscrapers in an area Henry said was called Wall Street. “Those two really tall buildings are the World Trade Center — the Twin Towers. They’re even taller than the Empire State Building.”

  “Wow!” Benny said. He could hardly believe it.

  Jessie pointed out the Statue of Liberty, in the harbor beyond the Twin Towers. It looked very tiny.

  The children walked around the observation deck, looking out at the city from all sides. There were even telescopes that you could look through for a quarter, and each of the children took a quick peek.

  When they had seen all they wanted to, the children went inside and took another elevator up to the very top — the 102nd floor. Emerging from the elevator, they found themselves in a tiny room. There was no outside deck here, but they peered out the windows at the city below, now even tinier.

  When they returned to the 86th floor, Benny said, “May we get a souvenir?”

  “Sure,” said Jessie. The Aldens selected a small model of the Empire State Building and a postcard to send to Mrs. McGregor. Bobby bought a pencil sharpener and eraser shaped like the tall, pointed building.

  “Should we take a bus back?” Jessie asked when they were back down in the lobby.

  “Let’s walk for a little while and look around,” Violet suggested. “When we get tired, we can get on the bus.”

  “Good idea,” Henry said.

  “What about if we get hungry?” Bobby asked.

  “I think you and Benny are going to be good friends,” Jessie said with a laugh.

  “I’m hungry already,” said Benny.

  “How about a hot dog?” Henry suggested. “There’s a vendor on the corner.”

  The man selling hot dogs was wearing a bright blue apron. He stood behind a metal cart topped by a blue-and-yellow striped umbrella. His cart held a steaming pile of large, soft pretzels covered with salt. There was also a pan of roasted chestnuts, which the man stirred with a long spoon, turning over the nuts as they browned. Hot dogs were cooking on a small barbecue. Bobby and Benny decided to share a hot dog with lots of mustard and ketchup. Henry got a hot pretzel with mustard, and Jessie and Violet each had a packet of roasted chestnuts. They walked as they ate, enjoying their snacks.

  “Be careful not to drip mustard on your clothes,” Henry told Benny and Bobby. But the boys were having too much fun eating and talking to listen.

  CHAPTER 7

  Stuck!

  Back at the hotel, Jessie suggested that they go for a swim.

  “You want to see Mike, don’t you?” Henry teased.

  “No,” Jessie insisted. “I just thought it might be fun.”

  “I wonder if the pool has been cleaned yet,” Violet said.

  “There’s only one way to find out,” said Benny.

  “Yeah, let’s go see!” Ever since Bobby had heard about the purple pool up on the roof, he couldn’t wait to see it for himself.

  In the elevator, Jessie pushed P for pool. The doors closed, and the children felt the elevator start to rise.

  “Look,” Benny said to Bobby, pointing up to the mirror on the ceiling. He made a funny face at Bobby, who made a funny face back. The two boys were laughing when suddenly the elevator stopped. It sat perfectly still for several seconds, but the doors didn’t open.

  The children looked at each other, curiously. Two lights were lit up on the dial over the door — 8 and 9.

  “What’s happening?” Violet asked nervously.

  “It looks like we’ve stopped between the eighth and ninth floors,” Henry said. “I’m sure we’ll be moving again in no time.”

  “Yes,” Jessie said, trying to sound more sure than she felt. “This probably happens a lot in elevators.”

  “I live in a really tall building in Chicago,” Bobby said. “And once the elevator just got stuck.”

  “Got stuck?” Benny echoed, his eyes wide.

  “What do you mean, ‘got stuck’?” Violet asked in a small voice.

  The silence in the elevator was beginning to make them all feel a little uncomfortable.

  “I don’t really know for sure,” Bobby said slowly. “I think something had gone wrong with the way the elevator works.”

  “What happened?” asked Jessie. She was trying to stay calm so the others wouldn’t be scared.

  “The people in the elevator called the superintendent, and he fixed it,” Bobby explained.

  “But we don’t have a telephone,” Benny said, his voice trembling a little.

  “Sure we do,” Bobby said with a reassuring smile. He walked over to a small door built into the panel of buttons. Bobby opened it and pulled out a telephone that
had been hidden inside. “It’s for emergencies,” he explained. “The elevator at home is just like this, and my parents showed me how to call for help.”

  “I’m glad you’re here!” Benny said, looking very relieved.

  “We all are,” said Jessie.

  “Hello, this is Bobby Grant, and I’m stuck in the elevator,” Bobby said into the phone. “Which elevator? I don’t know … oh, okay. I’ll check.” Bobby turned to the Aldens. “Do you see a number anywhere?”

  “There it is,” Jessie said, pointing over the door. “Elevator number three.”

  Bobby told the person on the other end, then he hung up the phone. “That was Mr. Parker. He said not to worry, they’d fix it as quickly as they could.”

  “Who’s worried?” asked Benny. He felt much happier now that he knew someone was going to help them.

  “I just hope it doesn’t take too long,” Violet said.

  “Why don’t we play a game to keep busy?” Henry offered.

  Jessie smiled at her brother. “Good idea.”

  “What kind of game can we play in an elevator?” asked Benny, doubtfully.

  “Well, how about Twenty Questions,” suggested Jessie.

  “Hooray! My favorite!” cried Bobby.

  “I forget how to play,” Benny said.

  “Let’s all sit down on the floor, and I’ll explain,” Jessie said. The children sat in a small circle with their legs crossed. Jessie leaned back against the wall of the elevator. “Each one of us takes a turn. Let’s say it’s my turn first,” she began. “I’ll think of a person, a place, or a thing.”

  “Like the president,” offered Violet.

  “Or the moon,” said Henry.

  “Or a peanut butter sandwich!” Bobby said. Even after the hot dog, he was still hungry.

  “Yes,” Henry said. “Or a peanut butter sandwich.”

  Violet went on, “We have to guess who or what it is by asking questions. If it takes us more than twenty questions to figure it out …”

  “Then I win!” said Jessie.

  “I remember now,” Benny said.

  “I’ll go first.” Jessie thought for a moment and then smiled, “Okay, I’m ready — it’s a person. Violet, why don’t you ask the first question?”

  Violet was looking around the elevator nervously, her face pale. Her sister knew that thinking of a question would be a good distraction.

  “Let’s see,” Violet said. “Is it a real person or make believe?”

  “Real,” said Jessie.

  “I’ll go next,” cried Benny. “Boy or girl?”

  “Boy,” Jessie said.

  Henry took the next turn. “Have we ever met him?”

  Jessie burst out laughing. “Yes, you’ve definitely met him!”

  Now all the children were concentrating on the game and had forgotten they were sitting on the floor in an elevator. “Why don’t you ask a question, Bobby?” suggested Jessie.

  After thinking for a moment, Bobby asked, “Is he young or old?”

  “Young,” said Jessie.

  “Tall or short?” Benny asked.

  “Short,” said Jessie. “But medium for his age.”

  “Is he thin or fat?” Violet asked.

  “Medium,” said Jessie, and then she couldn’t resist adding, “but he loves to eat.”

  Henry laughed. “Is he stuck in this elevator with us?”

  “Why, yes,” replied Jessie, beginning to giggle.

  “Is it Benny?” Henry asked.

  Before Jessie could respond, Benny said, “Wait a minute, it’s my turn!” Then he thought for a brief moment and grinned. “Is it me?”

  “Yes, it is,” said Jessie, smiling broadly. The children all laughed. A second later they heard a noise, and finally the elevator began to move.

  “Hooray!” Violet cheered.

  The elevator went back down to the lobby. When the doors opened, the children were surprised to see that a crowd had gathered. The people clapped their hands as the Aldens and Bobby got off. Benny smiled and bowed deeply.

  Mr. Parker pushed his way to the front of the group. “Are you children all right?” he asked. “Someone switched off that elevator, although I can’t imagine why. I’m glad you knew how to use the emergency phone.”

  “We wouldn’t have, if it hadn’t been for Bobby,” Henry said. “He saved the day.” Bobby beamed proudly.

  “So what was wrong with the elevator?” Violet asked.

  “As it turns out, nothing,” Don Parker said. “It took me a little while to find someone in our maintenance department, but when he checked, he said someone had just switched off the power for that elevator. I hope you weren’t nervous being in there so long.”

  “So long?” Benny said. “It didn’t seem like very long.”

  “We were having a good time playing a game,” Jessie explained.

  “Is the elevator still broken?” a man in the crowd asked.

  “No, it wasn’t broken, just turned off temporarily,” Mr. Parker explained. “It’s fine now.”

  “What do you mean someone turned it off?” Henry asked.

  “Just what I said,” Don Parker answered. “I don’t know who did it, or why. But I’m going to find out.” With that, he turned and walked away.

  “Sounds like another piece of the mystery,” Violet said.

  “It sure does,” Jessie agreed. “I think it’s about time we figured out what’s going on here.”

  “Let’s go back to our suite,” Henry suggested.

  “I think I might take the stairs,” Violet said quietly.

  “Violet,” Jessie said gently but firmly to her sister, “Mr. Parker said the elevator was fixed. And you know what they say: When you fall off a horse — ”

  “I know, you get right back on,” Violet said quietly. “I guess you’re right.” She followed the others back into the elevator. And this time, it worked fine. In a few seconds, they were on the fifth floor.

  CHAPTER 8

  Who Did It?

  The Aldens dropped Bobby off at his room. He couldn’t wait to tell his parents all about his trip to the Empire State Building — and the adventure in the elevator, too.

  After waving good-bye to his new friend, Benny turned to his brother and sisters. “So, are we still going to the pool?”

  “Sure,” said Henry. “Why don’t we have lunch first, and then we’ll go up to the pool.”

  The children had put the leftovers from the day before in the refrigerator, and there was enough for lunch. When they had finished eating, they went up to the roof deck, dressed in T-shirts and shorts with their bathing suits underneath.

  “Hello!” called Mike as the Aldens approached his desk.

  “We’re here to swim!” called Benny. “What color is the pool today?”

  “I’m sorry. You can’t swim in it just yet. We had to drain it and scrub it, and it hasn’t been refilled. But maybe you’d like to try out our exercise room,” Mike suggested.

  “That sounds like fun,” said Violet.

  In the exercise room, there was something for everyone.

  Henry went over to look at the rack of loose weights. Selecting one small barbell for each hand, he began curling his arms up and down.

  Meanwhile, Benny had wandered over to a machine that had a sort of television screen on it. “What’s this?” he asked.

  “That’s a rowing machine,” Mike said. “I’ll be over there to help you in a second. Let me just get your sisters started.”

  Jessie and Violet had gotten on the exercise bicycles.

  “Do you girls like to ride?” Mike asked.

  “Yes,” said Jessie quietly. Being around Mike seemed to make her nervous.

  “We go all over Greenfield on our bicycles,” Violet added. “I wish we could have brought them with us — but I’d be scared to ride my bicycle around New York City.”

  “A lot of people do it,” Mike said. “But it can be pretty dangerous with all the cars. You’ll like these bike
s — you don’t have to worry about traffic.” Mike grinned. “And you can make it easier or harder to pedal just by pushing this button, depending on how hard a workout you want. First, you have to start pedaling.”

  Jessie began pedaling, and Mike pushed a button on the panel at the front of her bike. “There, try that,” Mike said. “That’s like riding on flat ground.”

  Jessie pedaled very fast.

  “Too easy?” he asked. He pushed another button. “How about hilly countryside?”

  Jessie pedaled harder.

  “Still too easy?” Mike pushed another button. “This is mountain terrain.”

  By now Jessie was getting out of breath. “Okay, okay!” she said, laughing. “How do you stop this thing?”

  Mike laughed, too, and pushed another button. “Better?” he asked.

  “Yes,” Jessie said. Now she was pedaling at a slow, easy pace, as if she were riding along the roads of Greenfield. “Thank you.”

  “Glad to help you,” Mike said with a smile, adjusting Violet’s bike to the same level.

  As he walked away, Violet turned to her older sister. “I think he likes you,” she whispered with a big smile.

  Jessie looked straight ahead, as if she was concentrating on pedaling. But Violet thought she could see a small smile tugging at the corners of her sister’s mouth, and she was sure her cheeks weren’t pink just from riding.

  Meanwhile, Mike was helping Benny with the rowing machine. “Sit in the little seat,” he told Benny. The seat was on the ground, facing what looked like a TV screen. Mike strapped Benny’s feet securely into place, so that his legs were bent up in front of him. Then Mike showed Benny how to “row” by pulling a small bar toward him while pushing back with his legs.

  “This is hard to pull,” Benny said.

  Mike pushed some buttons on the side of the machine. “There, that ought to be easier.”

  As Benny pushed with his legs, the seat slid backward. When he had pushed the seat nearly all the way back, his legs were straight out in front of him. Then he bent his legs and let the tension on the bar pull him forward again.

  “Now pull on the bar and push back with your legs again,” Mike explained. “Back and forth. You can watch the little boat moving across the screen to see how fast you’re going.”