The Candy Caper Case Read online

  Welcome to ALADDIN QUIX!

  If you are looking for fast, fun-to-read stories with colorful characters, lots of kid-friendly humor, easy-to-follow action, entertaining story lines, and lively illustrations, then ALADDIN QUIX is for you!

  But wait, there’s more!

  If you’re also looking for stories with tables of contents; word lists; about-the-book questions; 64, 80, or 96 pages; short chapters; short paragraphs; and large fonts, then ALADDIN QUIX is definitely for you!

  ALADDIN QUIX: The next step between ready to reads and longer, more challenging chapter books, for readers five to eight years old.

  For Nancy, always a sweetheart

  Cast of Characters

  Mack Rhino, Private Eye: a detective

  Redd Oxpeck: Mack’s trusted assistant

  Skunks McGee: a skunk who’s up to no good

  Shelly: director of the Beach Street Museum

  Candy Cat: a new cat in town; a candy seller

  A sweet lady: customer at the museum, bank, and jewelry shop

  Terry Berry: Mack and Redd’s friend; owner of Terry Berry’s Smoothie Shack

  Penny: new manager of the Beach Street Savings Bank

  Queenie Zee: Mack and Redd’s friend; owner of Queenie’s Cupcakes

  Gino: owner of Gino’s Gems and Jewels

  1 Spilled Milk

  Snug in his office at Number 21 Beach Street, Mack Rhino, Private Eye, rolled up the blinds and rolled up his sleeves.

  For cases big or small, Mack Rhino, Private Eye, was your guy.

  Or… rhino.

  Mack poured himself a mug of chocolate milk. He took out his notebook. He reviewed his list.

  Blinds √

  Sleeves √

  Chocolate milk √

  Mack could now sit down to start his day.

  Oops!

  His rhino-size elbow bumped the cup. Chocolate milk spilled across the desk.

  Mack quickly stood up.

  Oops!

  His other rhino-size elbow knocked over the carton. Chocolate milk spilled onto the floor.

  Mack’s trusted assistant, Redd Oxpeck, fluttered over with a dish towel. “You need more elbow room!” He giggled.

  “Or smaller elbows,” said Mack.

  “Well, no use crying over spilled milk,” said Redd.

  Mack smiled. He wiped off his soggy notebook. He added this to his list:

  Get more chocolate milk.

  2 Say Cheese!

  Despite the spill, Mack was in a fine mood. He and Redd had recently solved their one hundredth case.

  Case #100—The Big Race Lace Case—had tied them up in knots.

  A lot was on the line… the finish line, that is. The Big Race was the biggest event of the year in Coral Cove.

  The sneaky Skunks McGee had hired the Ant Hill Gang to take everyone’s shoelaces. Luckily, Mack and Redd untangled the plot just in time.

  But ever since, business had been quiet. Not a single call on the phone. Not a single knock at the door.

  “So what’s the plan for today, Boss?” Redd asked Mack.

  “First stop,” said Mack. “The corner store. We need more chocolate milk. After that, I’m not sure. Business has been…”

  “Quiet?” said Redd.

  “Exactly,” said Mack.

  “At least it’s Friday,” said Redd. “Yahoo! Bowling night! Plus, I have a surprise for you.”

  “A surprise?” asked Mack.

  Redd held up a gleaming new camera. “Say cheese!”

  Click! Flash!

  “I thought it would come in handy for our next case,” said Redd.

  “Good thinking,” said Mack.

  Mack and Redd looked down at the screen. Mack took out his magnifying glass. Only half of his face was in the picture.

  “At least you got my good side,” said Mack.

  Ring-ring. Ring-ring.

  That was a sound they hadn’t heard in a while.

  Mack picked up the phone. “Mack Rhino, Private Eye. For cases big or small, I’m your guy. Or… rhino.”

  But all Mack heard was a high-pitched noise.

  Wee-oh! Wee-oh! Wee-oh!

  It was so loud that Mack had to hold the phone away from his ear.

  “Hello?” he shouted.

  “Mack?” a voice yelled. “Is that you?”

  “Yes, it’s me!” Mack shouted at the phone. “Who is this?”

  “It’s Shelly from the Beach Street Museum.”

  The Beach Street Museum was one of Coral Cove’s most popular attractions. There was currently a special exhibit of rare and remarkable seashells.

  “I have a mystery for you!” yelled Shelly.

  “We’ll be right there!” Mack shouted.

  He hung up the phone. He tucked his notebook into his pocket.

  “What is it, Boss?” asked Redd.

  “I’m not sure,” said Mack. “But it could be the start of Case #101!”

  3 Shell Game

  Mack and Redd hurried down Beach Street.

  On the way, they passed a cat standing beside a fancy pushcart. In brightly painted letters, a sign read: CANDY CAT’S FAMOUS CONFECTIONS! IN TOWN FOR ONE DAY ONLY!

  A curious crowd had gathered around.

  The cart held sweets of every stripe—hard candies, soft candies, sweet candies, sour candies, and chocolates in all shapes and sizes.

  “Hey, Boss,” said Redd. “Candy! Can we stop?”

  “Maybe later,” said Mack. “Shelly needs us!”

  Mack and Redd hurried along. As they got close to the museum, the piercing noise got louder.

  Wee-oh! Wee-oh! Wee-oh!

  Mack and Redd rushed inside. Rare and remarkable seashells filled the display cases. Some were large. Some were small. Some were smooth, others spiky.

  Wee-oh! Wee—

  The noise went silent.

  “Shelly?” Mack called. “Are you here?”

  Shelly hurried out of the office. “I finally managed to turn off that burglar alarm,” she said.

  “Burglar alarm?” asked Redd.

  “What was stolen?” asked Mack.

  “That’s the mystery,” said Shelly. “Nothing was stolen. I don’t know why the alarm went off.”

  “Did you notice anything unusual?” asked Mack.

  “No,” said Shelly. “In fact, the museum has been quiet today… at least until the alarm went off.”

  “Even with the special exhibit?” asked Redd.

  “Yes, the only visitors have been the two of you, plus a sweet lady who was here earlier,” said Shelly.

  “Can we take a look around?” asked Mack.

  “Please do,” said Shelly.

  Mack and Redd inspected the museum.

  Mack took out his magnifying glass. He jotted down notes in his notebook. Redd took photos with his new camera.

  Everything seemed to be in order.

  But Mack knew things weren’t always what they seemed. Something just didn’t feel right.

  An empty museum?

  A false alarm?

  Mack needed to think. And Mack Rhino, Private Eye, did his best thinking sipping a Banana Supreme smoothie.

  “Next stop…,” he said.

  “Candy Cat’s Famous Confections?” asked Redd hopefully.

  “Soon,” said Mack. “First, let’s swing by Terry Berry’s Smoothie Shack.”

  4 Bank Notes

  Mack and Redd stepped up to the counter at Terry Berry’s Smoothie Shack.

  “What can I get you?” asked Terry.

  “We’ll have the usual,” said Mack.

  “Two Banana Supremes, coming right up!” said Terry. “One jumbo. One mini.”

 
“Ready for bowling tonight, Terry?” asked Redd.

  “You bet!” said Terry, handing Mack and Redd their drinks.

  Mack looked around. Terry Berry’s Smoothie Shack was usually buzzing with activity. Today, you could hear a pin drop.

  “It sure is quiet,” said Mack.

  “Where is everybody?” asked Redd.

  “I hear they’re all at the new candy cart,” said Terry. “Lucky for me, it’s only in town for one day.”

  Just then someone tapped Mack on the shoulder.

  “Excuse me,” she said. “I’m looking for Mack Rhino.”

  “That’s me,” said Mack. “And this is my trusted assistant, Redd Oxpeck.”

  “I’m Penny, the new manager at the Beach Street bank,” she said. “I wonder if you can help me.”

  “What seems to be the problem?” asked Mack.

  “Our alarm went haywire this morning,” explained Penny. “And I don’t know why.”

  “Is that so?” asked Mack.

  “Another false alarm?” chirped Redd.

  Mack and Redd finished their smoothies and followed Penny to the bank.

  Again, they passed Candy Cat. Even more customers had lined up. He sure was doing a brisk business.

  Mack, Redd, and Penny continued down Beach Street.

  Number 12 was Queenie’s Cupcakes. Number 11 was Gino’s Gems and Jewels. And Number 10 was the Beach Street Savings Bank.

  Penny unlocked the front door.

  “I’ve only had one customer today,” she said. “The bank has been…”

  “Quiet?” said Redd.

  “Precisely,” said Penny. “That is, until the alarm went off.”

  Mack and Redd inspected the bank. Mack jotted down notes in his notebook. Redd took photos with his camera.

  Behind the counter, the dollar bills were wrapped and stacked. The coins were neatly organized in their tray. Everything appeared to be in order.

  But what was that smell? Mack sniffed the air.

  It smelled familiar.

  And… delicious.

  Something didn’t add up. Mack needed more information.

  And nobody knew more about what happened on Beach Street than his good friend Queenie Zee, owner of Queenie’s Cupcakes.

  “Next stop…,” he said.

  “Candy Cat?” asked Redd.

  “Soon,” said Mack. “First, let’s go have a chat with Queenie.”

  5 A Photo Finish

  Mack and Redd walked down the street to Queenie’s Cupcakes.

  “I think I’ll wait out here, Boss,” said Redd. He held up his camera. “I’d like to snap a few outdoor shots.”

  Mack nodded and went inside the shop.

  “Hi, Mack,” Queenie called.

  “Hi, Queenie,” said Mack. He looked around.

  The popular Beach Street bakery was usually humming with customers. Today it was empty.

  “Sure is quiet in here today,” said Mack.

  “It’s the new cat in town,” said Queenie. “It seems everyone is sweet on his sweets.”

  “But nothing beats a Queenie cupcake,” said Mack.

  Queenie smiled. “And you, my friend, are just in time.” She held up a tray of freshly baked cupcakes.

  The smell was familiar.

  And… delicious.

  Chocolate!

  It was the same smell from the bank.

  But why on earth would a bank smell like chocolate?

  Wee-oh! Wee-oh! Wee-oh!

  A loud noise cut short Mack’s thoughts.

  “Another alarm?” he said.

  “It sounds like it’s coming from Gino’s Gems and Jewels,” said Queenie.

  Mack charged out of the cupcake shop. He nearly bumped into a sweet lady making her way down the sidewalk with a cane.

  “Pardon me, ma’am,” said Mack.

  “That’s quite all right, dearie,” said the lady.

  Mack tipped his hat.

  “C’mon, Redd,” he called. Then he and Redd rushed into Gino’s.

  Wee-oh! Wee-oh! Wee-oh!

  “Hello?” Mack shouted over the loud noise.

  “Just a minute,” called Gino. “I need to turn off this alarm.”

  Wee-oh! Wee—

  Gino appeared from the back room.

  “Mack Rhino and Redd Oxpeck? What are you two doing here?” he asked, puzzled. “And what happened to my customer?”

  “Customer?” asked Mack.

  “The only customer I’ve had all day,” said Gino. “Things have been…”

  “Quiet?” said Redd.

  “Exactly,” said Gino. “Until the burglar alarm went off.”

  “Is anything missing?” asked Mack.

  The display cases were filled with sparkling rings in a rainbow of colors. There were dazzling bracelets and necklaces, too.

  Gino examined the cases and said, “No, nothing is missing. I guess it’s a false alarm.”

  Redd looked at Mack. “Three false alarms in one day, Boss? What are the chances?”

  Mack took out his notebook. He reviewed his notes.

  Quiet museum.

  Quiet bank.

  Quiet store.

  Three loud alarms.

  Mack thought for a moment.

  “Hey, Redd,” he said. “Can we take a look at your photos? Maybe we missed something.”

  Redd scrolled through the photos on the screen. Mack took out his magnifying glass to look.

  There were pictures from the sidewalk outside Queenie’s.

  There were pictures from the bank.

  There were pictures from the museum.

  “Wait a minute!” said Redd, pointing. “This seashell looks a bit odd.”

  “Can you zoom in closer?” asked Mack.

  Redd pressed a button.

  The seashell closest to the bright display light was misshapen.

  “Is that shell… melting?” asked Redd.

  A melting shell? A bank that smelled like chocolate?

  Mack suddenly had a hunch!

  “Gino,” he said, “could I try on one of your rings?”

  “But of course,” said Gino.

  “Is now really the time for shopping, Boss?” asked Redd.

  Mack picked up a ring with a gleaming red stone.

  “That’s one of my most expensive pieces,” said Gino. “You, Mack Rhino, have excellent taste.”

  “And so does this ring,” said Mack. He took a big lick. “Just as I suspected. Cherry!”

  “I’m very confused,” said Gino.

  “Oh, I get it, Boss,” chirped Redd. He picked up a bracelet. He took a big bite. “Delicious!”

  Gino gasped.

  “We’ll explain in a minute,” said Mack. “For now, follow us.”

  6 Partners in Crime

  Mack, Redd, and Gino hurried out of the jewelry shop and over to the bank.

  Penny was surprised to see them. She was even more surprised when Mack unwrapped a stack of dollar bills and started nibbling.

  “Just as I suspected,” said Mack. “Milk chocolate! That’s why the bank smelled familiar.”

  “Chocolate?” said Penny.

  Redd unwrapped a coin. “Yummy!” he said. “These are mint chocolate.”

  “I’m very confused,” said Penny.

  “We’ll explain soon,” said Mack. “Follow us!”

  They all hurried to the museum.

  Shelly was surprised to see them. She was even more surprised when Mack popped a rare shell into his mouth.

  “Just as I suspected,” he said. “White chocolate!”

  “And this one is sea salt caramel!” added Redd.

  “I’m very confused,” said Shelly.

  “Well, we’ve finally licked this case,” said Redd, licking his lips… or beak.

  “You have?” asked Shelly.

  “Yes,” said Mack. “Someone with sticky fingers has been stealing valuables and replacing them with candy copies!”

  “Candy copies?” said Shelly.


  “But who would have that much candy?” asked Penny.

  “You’d need a cart to carry it all,” said Gino.

  “Exactly!” said Mack. “Candy Cat’s Famous Confections! Something tells me he’s not as sweet as he appears.”

  “Except…,” said Redd.

  “Except what?” asked Mack.

  “Except Candy Cat has been out there selling candy all day,” said Redd. “How could he be in two places at once?”

  Redd was right. They had been up and down Beach Street. And each time they passed, Candy Cat was busy with customers.

  Could Mack have it all wrong?

  He took out his notebook. He reviewed his notes.

  Then, suddenly, the whole picture came into focus.

  Candy Cat couldn’t be in two places at once.

  “Didn’t you each have a customer when the alarm went off?” asked Mack. “I’ll bet Candy Cat has a partner in crime!”

  “Oh, it couldn’t have been my customer helping Candy Cat,” said Shelly. “She was a very sweet lady.”

  “My customer was a sweet lady, too,” said Penny. “She did ask a lot of questions though.”

  “That sounds just like my customer,” said Gino. “In fact, I had to leave her alone to look for the answers in my office.”

  “Me too!” said Penny and Shelly, both at the same time.

  “Is that so?” said Mack. “Could you describe her?”

  “Well, she had puffy white hair,” said Shelly.

  “She carried a large handbag,” said Penny.

  “She walked with a cane,” added Gino.

  “Hang on,” said Redd, quickly scrolling through his photos. He held up his camera. “Is this her?”

  It was a photo of the lady Mack had nearly bumped into on the sidewalk.

  She had white hair.

  She had a large handbag.

  She had a red and white striped cane.

  “That’s her!” they all said at once.

  Redd zoomed in. “And that’s not just any cane, Boss,” he said.