Read Online The Mystery of the Purple Pool by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online

stairs to their room.
    â€œWait until Violet and Jessie hear about this!” Benny said.
    The children met in the suite to compare notes on their suspects. First they made four cups of hot chocolate. Then, sitting on the beds and sipping from the steaming mugs, the girls told how suspicious Karen’s behavior had been. But no one could decide what it meant.
    â€œWhat till you hear what we heard,” Benny said. Then he and Henry repeated Lucille’s phone conversation.
    â€œIt certainly sounds like she’s plotting something for tonight or tomorrow. We’ll have to keep an eye out,” Jessie agreed.
    â€œDo you think we should tell someone?” Violet asked.
    All the children thought for a moment.
    â€œNo,” Henry said at last. “We don’t have any real, hard evidence, and anyway, all of the other pranks have been harmless. I’m sure Lucille — or whoever is doing this — isn’t going to hurt anyone.”
    â€œI just hope she doesn’t stop the elevator again,” Violet said. “Especially with us in it!”
    Grandfather came back shortly after that, and the Aldens had dinner at a wonderful restaurant in Chinatown. The children were amazed to see that all the signs in the neighborhood were in Chinese and the telephone booths were decorated to look like little pagodas.
    â€œI feel like I’m in another country!” Benny said, wide-eyed.
    â€œWelcome to the big city!” Grandfather said with a chuckle.
    When they returned to the hotel that night, it seemed that everything was calm, and there had been no more pranks. But the Aldens all wondered what the next day would bring.

CHAPTER 10
    The Letter
    T he next morning after breakfast, the children sat in the lobby. They hoped they’d see Lucille and Malcolm and maybe find out what was going on.
    While they waited, they enjoyed themselves just watching the people going in and out.
    â€œI’ll never get over all the different kinds of people in this hotel,” Violet said.
    â€œMe, too,” Benny agreed. “Look, there’s Mr. Parker. He’s sure in a big hurry.” Benny pointed to Don Parker, who was rushing toward the elevators carrying a pile of papers.
    Just then some pieces of paper fell from the pile in Don Parker’s hands and drifted to the floor.
    The Aldens ran after him. “Mr. Parker, wait!” Jessie called out.
    Benny bent down and picked up the papers. “Wait, Mr. Parker,” he shouted, too. But Don Parker was already in the elevator and didn’t hear them. As Violet ran toward him, the doors closed and the elevator started its trip up.
    â€œWhat should we do with these papers?” Benny asked.
    â€œWe don’t know what floor Mr. Parker is going to, and there were a lot of people in the elevator, so I guess we should take the papers to his office,” Henry said.
    As usual, Benny practiced his reading. He looked down at the papers in his hand and read slowly, out loud, “Our plan is work … working. Soon I’ll be … running the hotel …”
    At the same time, Violet, Jessie, and Henry all said, “ What? ”

    â€œDid I read it wrong?” Benny asked with concern.
    Violet said firmly. “We really shouldn’t be reading Mr. Parker’s papers. It isn’t right.”
    Jessie said, “Let’s go sit in that corner and talk about this.”
    The children went to a quiet part of the lobby and sat down on some leather chairs. Henry said slowly, “I think what Benny read is very suspicious.”
    â€œI agree,” Jessie said, “and I think, since so many strange things have been happening here, we have a right to read the rest of what’s on that paper.”
    â€œWe do?” Benny asked.
    Jessie took the papers from Benny’s hands and looked at them. “Benny was reading from a letter,” she said. “It’s written on the hotel letterhead. And this