Read Online Mystery in the Fortune Cookie by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online Page A

She pointed to the miniature drawing.
    “And then the number 4,” added Benny. “And the letter U.”
    Violet grinned. “That’s the easy part, Benny,” she told him. “4U means for you .”
    Benny gave his forehead a smack. “Why didn’t I think of that?”
    “But what about the barbells?” wondered Jessie.
    “Hmm.” Henry tapped his chin thoughtfully. “People lift weights to build muscles.”
    “Oh, Henry!” cried Violet. “That’s it!”
    “What?”
    “The rebus is saying, ‘Auntie Two Kowloon waits for you’!”
    The Aldens sat in stunned silence for a moment. Had they come full circle? Were the clues leading them back to the Kowloon Restaurant, where the mystery had started?
    “What now?” Benny asked the others.
    There was a long silence. Finally, Henry spoke up.
    “Let’s find out what this is all about,” he said, pulling himself to his feet.
    “How will we find out?” asked Benny.
    “I think it’s time to ask Auntie Two a few questions.”
    Everyone agreed Henry’s idea was a good one. “Aunt Jane has some errands to run in town,” Jessie remembered. “I’m sure she won’t mind if we tag along.”
    Aunt Jane didn’t mind at all. After an early dinner of cold chicken, corn on the cob, and leftover potato salad, they set off for Elmford. “Maybe the solution to this mystery is very simple,” Aunt Jane suggested as they turned onto the highway. “Maybe it’s just a game. You know, a way to entertain customers.”
    “You mean a sales gimmick?” Benny asked.
    “Exactly,” said Aunt Jane, looking surprised that Benny knew about sales gimmicks. “Maybe it’s just a way for Auntie Two to attract customers.”
    The Aldens were quiet for a while as they considered this. Finally, Henry said, “No, this isn’t just a sales gimmick, Aunt Jane. There’s more to it than that.” He sounded very sure.
    Aunt Jane slowed the car to a stop in the parking lot.
    “Don’t worry, Aunt Jane,” Benny said, scrambling out of the car. “We’ll get to the bottom of this mystery. Right, Henry?”
    “You bet,” Henry said. Then he added honestly, “At least, we’ll do our best.”
    Aunt Jane glanced at her watch. “I’ll get my errands done, then join you at the Kowloon Restaurant,” she said, then hurried away in the opposite direction. The children quickly made their way to Main Street.
    While they waited at the corner for the light to change, Benny asked the others, “What do you think the fortune means about an answer to a rhyme?”
    Jessie threw up her hands. “That’s a good question, Benny.”
    Violet recited the words on the fortune aloud. “For an answer to a rhyme,/ Friday evening is the time . ”
    “Well, it’s Friday evening,” Henry pointed out as they drew near the Kowloon Restaurant. “Maybe the answer isn’t far away.”
    Jessie nodded. “I have a feeling Drum Keller isn’t far away, either.” They all went inside.
    At the doorway to the crowded dining room, the Aldens stopped in surprise. “Isn’t that Dottie and Martin?” asked Benny. His brother and sisters nodded.
    Sure enough, the owners of The Underground were sitting at a table in the corner. The children quickly stepped out of sight. “Don’t you think that’s strange?” Benny demanded, his hands on his hips. “They were just here a few nights ago.”
    “Well, it is Dottie’s favorite restaurant,” Violet pointed out. “And isn’t this the night of the concert? Maybe Dottie and Martin stopped in for a bite to eat first.”
    Jessie peeked around the doorway again, trying not to stare. She didn’t like the idea of spying on anyone. In this case, though, she felt they were doing it for a good cause. “Look at Auntie Two over there. She’s watching Dottie and Martin from behind that potted plant.” Everyone looked.
    Violet’s eyebrows shot up. “What’s that all about?”
    “I don’t know,” said Benny. “But she’s close enough to hear everything they’re saying.”

    “If