Read Online Boardwalk Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online
Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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said. “But remember that they both had red stains on their shoes, just like the red paint from the house of mirrors. And if the amusement pier fails, they would get to go back to Colorado to their old school and all their old friends.”
“And remember that I accidently overheard them talking in the hallway the other day.” Violet sprinkled cheese on her pasta. “Wendy said that they had a ‘plan.’ I wonder what that meant.”
Jessie had her notebook on the table and was looking through the clues she had written down. “And didn’t Will say that he had the bolt to the zombie in his pocket? How did he get it?”
“He could have found it on the floor in the haunted house,” Violet said.
Jessie tapped a pencil on her notebook. “What about Mrs. Reddy?”
“She spreads bad rumors,” Benny said.
“That’s right, Benny,” Henry said. “Mrs. Reddy seems like she would be happy if the amusement pier failed. I think she is sorry that she sold it. She wants to run it again. She does not like being retired.”
“But she did like the T-shirt we gave her. She said she would wear it.” Benny said.
“Don’t forget about Mr. Cooke,” Violet said. “He also would like to run the amusement pier.”
“That’s true,” Jessie said. “When he was arguing with Mrs. Reddy, he said that he wanted Mr. Hanson to fail. And someone with a black marker wrote on the walls of the house of mirrors. We found a marker with ‘Captain Cooke’s Amazing Amusement Pier’ written on the side.”
“But Mr. Cooke is right,” Violet said. “There are many markers like that on the boardwalk. Anyone could have used it. But I agree that he acts suspicious sometimes. Remember the other day when we saw him on the boardwalk? His pants and shoes looked very wet. And it was not raining. He hurried away when he saw us looking at him.”
“He might have been fixing a ride on his pier,” Henry said. “He does have a log flume and a boat ride.”
The children finished their meals and cleaned up the little table on the deck. Violet leaned on the rail. She stared out at the moonlight glinting off of the ocean. She wished she could take a photograph of the view and save it. She thought of Mrs. Mancini, the photographer who took so many pictures of Oceanside.
Suddenly, Violet stood up straight. She turned to her sister and brothers. “I have an idea,” she said. “I think I know how we might catch the people who are trying to ruin the pier.”
CHAPTER 10
An Accidental Confession
E arly the next morning, the children started their day at Dottie’s Pancake House. They wore the T-shirts that Violet had designed. Everyone in the small restaurant asked them about the free rides. The people seemed excited and made plans to visit Hanson’s Amusement Pier.
Dottie, the woman who owned the restaurant, stopped at the children’s table. “How is everything?” she asked.
Benny tried to answer, but his mouth was stuffed with pancakes.
Jessie was cutting up her French toast. She laughed. “I think you can see that our brother loves your pancakes. Everything here is wonderful.”
Dottie smiled. “Thank you. I noticed your T-shirts,” she said. “Everyone is talking about them. Are the rides really free tonight?”
“Yes, they are,” Jessie answered.
Dottie smiled. “Maybe I will stop by and check it out tonight.”
After breakfast the children visited a copy store. The night before, Violet had designed the flyer that would advertise the free night. It looked a lot like the design on the T-shirts. The man made the copies for the children right away.
Next to the copy store was the photographer’s shop. Violet gazed in the window at all the beautiful photographs. Ms. Mancini had many colorful pictures of sunsets over the bay, shore birds, and happy families posing on the beach. A sign on the door said, “Out taking photographs. Be back soon!”
As the children walked farther down the street, they saw a shop that rented
“And remember that I accidently overheard them talking in the hallway the other day.” Violet sprinkled cheese on her pasta. “Wendy said that they had a ‘plan.’ I wonder what that meant.”
Jessie had her notebook on the table and was looking through the clues she had written down. “And didn’t Will say that he had the bolt to the zombie in his pocket? How did he get it?”
“He could have found it on the floor in the haunted house,” Violet said.
Jessie tapped a pencil on her notebook. “What about Mrs. Reddy?”
“She spreads bad rumors,” Benny said.
“That’s right, Benny,” Henry said. “Mrs. Reddy seems like she would be happy if the amusement pier failed. I think she is sorry that she sold it. She wants to run it again. She does not like being retired.”
“But she did like the T-shirt we gave her. She said she would wear it.” Benny said.
“Don’t forget about Mr. Cooke,” Violet said. “He also would like to run the amusement pier.”
“That’s true,” Jessie said. “When he was arguing with Mrs. Reddy, he said that he wanted Mr. Hanson to fail. And someone with a black marker wrote on the walls of the house of mirrors. We found a marker with ‘Captain Cooke’s Amazing Amusement Pier’ written on the side.”
“But Mr. Cooke is right,” Violet said. “There are many markers like that on the boardwalk. Anyone could have used it. But I agree that he acts suspicious sometimes. Remember the other day when we saw him on the boardwalk? His pants and shoes looked very wet. And it was not raining. He hurried away when he saw us looking at him.”
“He might have been fixing a ride on his pier,” Henry said. “He does have a log flume and a boat ride.”
The children finished their meals and cleaned up the little table on the deck. Violet leaned on the rail. She stared out at the moonlight glinting off of the ocean. She wished she could take a photograph of the view and save it. She thought of Mrs. Mancini, the photographer who took so many pictures of Oceanside.
Suddenly, Violet stood up straight. She turned to her sister and brothers. “I have an idea,” she said. “I think I know how we might catch the people who are trying to ruin the pier.”
CHAPTER 10
An Accidental Confession
E arly the next morning, the children started their day at Dottie’s Pancake House. They wore the T-shirts that Violet had designed. Everyone in the small restaurant asked them about the free rides. The people seemed excited and made plans to visit Hanson’s Amusement Pier.
Dottie, the woman who owned the restaurant, stopped at the children’s table. “How is everything?” she asked.
Benny tried to answer, but his mouth was stuffed with pancakes.
Jessie was cutting up her French toast. She laughed. “I think you can see that our brother loves your pancakes. Everything here is wonderful.”
Dottie smiled. “Thank you. I noticed your T-shirts,” she said. “Everyone is talking about them. Are the rides really free tonight?”
“Yes, they are,” Jessie answered.
Dottie smiled. “Maybe I will stop by and check it out tonight.”
After breakfast the children visited a copy store. The night before, Violet had designed the flyer that would advertise the free night. It looked a lot like the design on the T-shirts. The man made the copies for the children right away.
Next to the copy store was the photographer’s shop. Violet gazed in the window at all the beautiful photographs. Ms. Mancini had many colorful pictures of sunsets over the bay, shore birds, and happy families posing on the beach. A sign on the door said, “Out taking photographs. Be back soon!”
As the children walked farther down the street, they saw a shop that rented
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