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Authors: Gertrude Chandler Warner
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any idea who the robber is?”
“We have an idea,” Henry said.
“Who?” Carter asked.
“Well,” Jessie said. “Raina had a key to the Java Café and to the Game Spot. And she knew the combinations to both safes. But she didn’t have a key to the jewelry store. And she was out of town when the Game Spot was robbed. So we don’t think she could have done it.”
“And George has a key to all three stores, but he said he didn’t know any of the combinations to the safes,” Violet explained. “Plus it wouldn’t make sense for him to steal from his own tenants. They’d go out of business and then his mall would sit empty.”
“Then there’s Tony Silver,” Benny said.
“The guy who installs the safes?” Carter asked.
“We don’t know for sure that he’s our robber,” Henry said. “But he knows the combinations to all the safes. And it’s possible he stole keys to each of the stores when he was in there.”
“Hmm,” Carter said, shifting in his seat. “Well, all these robberies have occurred during the night. Maybe when we’re here tonight, we can keep an eye on things and make sure there isn’t another robbery.”
“That’s exactly what we were thinking,” Jessie said. “We could take turns watching. If Grandfather drives the van over, we could bring sleeping bags and some of us could sleep in the back of the van while the others watched the store.”
“That’s a good idea,” Carter said. “If your grandfather doesn’t mind. I could park my car in the alley behind the store, and a couple of us could watch the back door from there. The rest of you could watch the front from your grandfather’s van.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Violet said. “He’d want us to catch the robber.”
“It’s all settled then,” Carter said. “I’ll meet you kids here at nine o’clock. First we’ll put up the message for Queenie. Then we’ll spend the rest of the night watching the drugstore.”
“And if we’re lucky, we’ll catch a robber,” Henry said.
That night, Grandfather drove the children over to the mall at eight forty-five.
“What an interesting way to propose to a woman,” Grandfather said.
“Isn’t it?” Jessie said. “Do you think Queenie will like it?”
“I think she will,” Grandfather said.
“Even more important, do you think she’ll say yes?” Violet asked.
“I think she will,” Grandfather said again. “She and Carter have been good friends for a long time.”
Grandfather parked right in front of the sign. It read: TRY A LATTE AT THE JAVA CAFÉ.
“Hmm. A latte sounds good,” Grandfather said. “I think I’ll try and get one before the Java Café closes. Would you kids like something, too?”
“We’ve got snacks,” Henry said, glancing at the small cooler that sat at his feet. The cooler was filled with bottles of spring water. A bag of apples sat next to the cooler.
“We’ll just wait here for Carter,” Jessie said.
There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The Game Spot, Lake’s Jewelry Store, and Bob’s Drugstore had all closed at eight o’clock. The Java Café was the only store at Crossroads Mall that was still open.
The children watched as Grandfather went into the coffee shop and came back out with a tall paper cup a few minutes later. Chip Douglas had followed Grandfather to the door. Grandfather said something to Chip, and Chip smiled. Then Grandfather left, and Chip locked the front door.
“Carter hasn’t arrived yet?” Grandfather asked when he returned to the van.
“Not yet,” Jessie said, checking her watch. It was five minutes past nine.
The lights went out in the Java Café, then Chip stepped outside. He double-checked that the door was locked, then walked across the parking lot to a small red sports car. He got in and drove away.
A few minutes later, Carter drove up in a silver sedan. He parked right beside the Aldens.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said when he got out of his vehicle. “I
“We have an idea,” Henry said.
“Who?” Carter asked.
“Well,” Jessie said. “Raina had a key to the Java Café and to the Game Spot. And she knew the combinations to both safes. But she didn’t have a key to the jewelry store. And she was out of town when the Game Spot was robbed. So we don’t think she could have done it.”
“And George has a key to all three stores, but he said he didn’t know any of the combinations to the safes,” Violet explained. “Plus it wouldn’t make sense for him to steal from his own tenants. They’d go out of business and then his mall would sit empty.”
“Then there’s Tony Silver,” Benny said.
“The guy who installs the safes?” Carter asked.
“We don’t know for sure that he’s our robber,” Henry said. “But he knows the combinations to all the safes. And it’s possible he stole keys to each of the stores when he was in there.”
“Hmm,” Carter said, shifting in his seat. “Well, all these robberies have occurred during the night. Maybe when we’re here tonight, we can keep an eye on things and make sure there isn’t another robbery.”
“That’s exactly what we were thinking,” Jessie said. “We could take turns watching. If Grandfather drives the van over, we could bring sleeping bags and some of us could sleep in the back of the van while the others watched the store.”
“That’s a good idea,” Carter said. “If your grandfather doesn’t mind. I could park my car in the alley behind the store, and a couple of us could watch the back door from there. The rest of you could watch the front from your grandfather’s van.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Violet said. “He’d want us to catch the robber.”
“It’s all settled then,” Carter said. “I’ll meet you kids here at nine o’clock. First we’ll put up the message for Queenie. Then we’ll spend the rest of the night watching the drugstore.”
“And if we’re lucky, we’ll catch a robber,” Henry said.
That night, Grandfather drove the children over to the mall at eight forty-five.
“What an interesting way to propose to a woman,” Grandfather said.
“Isn’t it?” Jessie said. “Do you think Queenie will like it?”
“I think she will,” Grandfather said.
“Even more important, do you think she’ll say yes?” Violet asked.
“I think she will,” Grandfather said again. “She and Carter have been good friends for a long time.”
Grandfather parked right in front of the sign. It read: TRY A LATTE AT THE JAVA CAFÉ.
“Hmm. A latte sounds good,” Grandfather said. “I think I’ll try and get one before the Java Café closes. Would you kids like something, too?”
“We’ve got snacks,” Henry said, glancing at the small cooler that sat at his feet. The cooler was filled with bottles of spring water. A bag of apples sat next to the cooler.
“We’ll just wait here for Carter,” Jessie said.
There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The Game Spot, Lake’s Jewelry Store, and Bob’s Drugstore had all closed at eight o’clock. The Java Café was the only store at Crossroads Mall that was still open.
The children watched as Grandfather went into the coffee shop and came back out with a tall paper cup a few minutes later. Chip Douglas had followed Grandfather to the door. Grandfather said something to Chip, and Chip smiled. Then Grandfather left, and Chip locked the front door.
“Carter hasn’t arrived yet?” Grandfather asked when he returned to the van.
“Not yet,” Jessie said, checking her watch. It was five minutes past nine.
The lights went out in the Java Café, then Chip stepped outside. He double-checked that the door was locked, then walked across the parking lot to a small red sports car. He got in and drove away.
A few minutes later, Carter drove up in a silver sedan. He parked right beside the Aldens.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said when he got out of his vehicle. “I
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