Read Online Mystery of the Secret Message by Charles Tang - Free Book Online
Authors: Charles Tang
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confessed to stealing the Minuteman statue. Then the police took Miss Pepper away for questioning.
Rick Bass had spotted the statue when a policeman stopped Sylvia’s accomplice after he’d run a red light. Rick had called for a truck to bring the statue to the square.
Now Josiah Wade was back in his rightful place.
Jessie watched as Mr. Kirby and Henry helped Rick and the driver unload the statue off the truck bed. She wondered if the town would vote to move the statue or keep it in the center of the square. The Alden children would find out later, when they helped Grandfather count the votes.
When the men were about to hoist the statue upright, Benny scooted forward.
“Can you tip it up?” he asked. “I want to look for something.”
“Good thinking!” Rick said. “No better time to check for Franklin’s surprise.”
The driver braced his end of the statue. “We can hold it for a few seconds.”
Benny knelt down. The statue was hollow inside, like a giant chocolate bunny. Grandfather handed him a small flashlight. Benny shined the light inside the statue.
“See anything?” Violet asked.
“No,” Benny replied, disappointed.
“Oh, well,” Rick said consolingly. “We were never really certain Franklin Bond put his gift inside the statue. We were just guessing.”
“Franklin Bond liked to play jokes,” Henry said. “Maybe he just pretended to put a secret compartment in the statue.”
But Benny had been so sure. The statue was the perfect place to hide something.
The men lowered the statue and stood it upright beside the granite base. Grandfather gave the driver a generous tip before he drove the truck out of the town square.
“Now the square looks normal again.” Dawn sighed. “It just wasn’t the same without Josiah standing there.”
“Let’s hope Greenfield feels the same way you do,” said Grandfather. “I have the ballot box in my car. Why don’t you and Rick come home with us and help count votes?”
“Great idea!” Violet said. She was so glad Dawn hadn’t turned out to be the Greenfield phantom.
Rick glanced at Dawn. “I’d like to, but we hate to impose.”
“Mrs. McGregor loves company,” Jessie assured them.
The Aldens got into Grandfather’s car. Rick and Dawn followed in Rick’s battered station wagon.
The housekeeper was delighted to set two extra places at the dining room table. “It’s pot roast night,” said Mrs. McGregor to the guests. “There’s more than enough.”
While they ate pot roast, mashed potatoes, and carrots, they discussed Sylvia Pepper’s theft.
“I don’t see how she thought she could get away with it,” said Dawn. “What was she going to do with the statue after she stole it?”
“She probably never thought that far ahead,” said Grandfather. “People behave strangely when they need money.”
“I guess she was desperate to keep her shop,” Rick added, helping himself to another biscuit. “The florist shop will close now, for sure.”
Jessie passed Rick the butter. “Do you think Franklin Bond really put a secret compartment in his statue?”
“It sure seemed that way on the drawing,” Rick allowed. “I guess Franklin changed his mind. Maybe he lost Josiah’s gift or sold it.”
Benny admired the young man’s appetite. Rick had eaten five biscuits, breaking Benny’s record of four!
After dinner, they gathered in the living room to count the ballots. Grandfather built a cozy fire. Mrs. McGregor brought in a tray of hot chocolate.
“I’ll help, too,” the housekeeper offered. “Many hands make light work, as my mother used to say.”
Benny emptied the ballot box on the floor. They all grabbed handfuls of ballots.
“We’ll make two piles,” said Grandfather. “One pile of votes to keep the statue in the square. And the other for votes to move it.”
With eight of them sorting ballots, the work went quickly.
When Grandfather tallied the last vote, he smiled. “The town voted by a wide margin to
Rick Bass had spotted the statue when a policeman stopped Sylvia’s accomplice after he’d run a red light. Rick had called for a truck to bring the statue to the square.
Now Josiah Wade was back in his rightful place.
Jessie watched as Mr. Kirby and Henry helped Rick and the driver unload the statue off the truck bed. She wondered if the town would vote to move the statue or keep it in the center of the square. The Alden children would find out later, when they helped Grandfather count the votes.
When the men were about to hoist the statue upright, Benny scooted forward.
“Can you tip it up?” he asked. “I want to look for something.”
“Good thinking!” Rick said. “No better time to check for Franklin’s surprise.”
The driver braced his end of the statue. “We can hold it for a few seconds.”
Benny knelt down. The statue was hollow inside, like a giant chocolate bunny. Grandfather handed him a small flashlight. Benny shined the light inside the statue.
“See anything?” Violet asked.
“No,” Benny replied, disappointed.
“Oh, well,” Rick said consolingly. “We were never really certain Franklin Bond put his gift inside the statue. We were just guessing.”
“Franklin Bond liked to play jokes,” Henry said. “Maybe he just pretended to put a secret compartment in the statue.”
But Benny had been so sure. The statue was the perfect place to hide something.
The men lowered the statue and stood it upright beside the granite base. Grandfather gave the driver a generous tip before he drove the truck out of the town square.
“Now the square looks normal again.” Dawn sighed. “It just wasn’t the same without Josiah standing there.”
“Let’s hope Greenfield feels the same way you do,” said Grandfather. “I have the ballot box in my car. Why don’t you and Rick come home with us and help count votes?”
“Great idea!” Violet said. She was so glad Dawn hadn’t turned out to be the Greenfield phantom.
Rick glanced at Dawn. “I’d like to, but we hate to impose.”
“Mrs. McGregor loves company,” Jessie assured them.
The Aldens got into Grandfather’s car. Rick and Dawn followed in Rick’s battered station wagon.
The housekeeper was delighted to set two extra places at the dining room table. “It’s pot roast night,” said Mrs. McGregor to the guests. “There’s more than enough.”
While they ate pot roast, mashed potatoes, and carrots, they discussed Sylvia Pepper’s theft.
“I don’t see how she thought she could get away with it,” said Dawn. “What was she going to do with the statue after she stole it?”
“She probably never thought that far ahead,” said Grandfather. “People behave strangely when they need money.”
“I guess she was desperate to keep her shop,” Rick added, helping himself to another biscuit. “The florist shop will close now, for sure.”
Jessie passed Rick the butter. “Do you think Franklin Bond really put a secret compartment in his statue?”
“It sure seemed that way on the drawing,” Rick allowed. “I guess Franklin changed his mind. Maybe he lost Josiah’s gift or sold it.”
Benny admired the young man’s appetite. Rick had eaten five biscuits, breaking Benny’s record of four!
After dinner, they gathered in the living room to count the ballots. Grandfather built a cozy fire. Mrs. McGregor brought in a tray of hot chocolate.
“I’ll help, too,” the housekeeper offered. “Many hands make light work, as my mother used to say.”
Benny emptied the ballot box on the floor. They all grabbed handfuls of ballots.
“We’ll make two piles,” said Grandfather. “One pile of votes to keep the statue in the square. And the other for votes to move it.”
With eight of them sorting ballots, the work went quickly.
When Grandfather tallied the last vote, he smiled. “The town voted by a wide margin to
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