Midnight Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner [Chandler Warner, Gertrude]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-2152-5
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2011-01-29T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

The Red Rooster

After Mr. Percy left, the children put the new inventions that had arrived on display in the house. They could hear Brad working in the kitchen, but Martha seemed to have disappeared.

“I wish Mr. Percy had tried on my flashlight hat,” Benny said. “People who fix things could use it, too. Or the deliveryman could use one when he’s looking for packages in his truck. Do you think I’ll win a prize at the invention convention?”

Henry was still thinking about getting trounced in checkers. “Oh, I don’t know, Benny. Suppose somebody comes along with a hat that has a fan in it or something? Or a hat you could put an ice pack in to stay cool on a hot day?”

Benny could tell Henry was just kidding. “But no hats came in those invention boxes.”

“You’re right,” Henry agreed. “When you get rich and famous from your flashlight hat, just remember to send me one.”

By this time, the Aldens were walking to the diner. Up ahead, they could see the wooden rooster perched on the roof.

“That rooster makes me think of chickens, and chickens make me think of eggsalad,” Benny announced.

Violet wasn’t thinking about eggsalad. She was still wondering about Mr. Percy. “Mr. Percy was so nice about Benny’s hat today. But yesterday he shooed us away. I wonder if he was just having a bad day.”

Henry didn’t wonder about that at all. “Violet, you’re too nice. If you ask me, Mr. Percy’s hiding something. Didn’t Ms. Putter say he shows up at all hours? And he was really weird about that box Benny’s penny fell into. As soon as we weren’t around, he started snooping inside the invention boxes. Looking at those boxes is our job, not his.”

“I think Mr. Percy just likes seeing how inventions work so he can do a good job fixing them, especially Alice Putter’s,” Violet said. “He just seems absentminded about everything else except inventions and loses track of the time. That’s what Ms. Putter seemed to think.”

“I think he’s nice, too,” Benny said, taking Violet’s side.

“Aw, that’s just because he liked your hat,” Henry said. “He’s up to something. Remember how Ms. Putter told us he once came to the house at midnight to check the grandfather clock? That’s pretty strange.”

Jessie listened carefully to everyone’s opinions before she said anything. “Well, Mr. Percy’s not the only one visiting the grandfather clock at twelve. Martha’s the one who has been spending time there lately. You know what? I think she figured out that the riddle we found has something to do with the clock. She even had the riddle book in her pocket the other night.”

When the Aldens got close to the diner, Benny skipped ahead. He couldn’t wait to eat in a restaurant with a big red rooster on the roof.

The diner was busy with the lunch crowd. Fortunately with four pairs of sharp eyes, the Aldens were champions at finding empty tables. They made their way toward an empty booth in back.

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