Mystery of the Melting Snowman by Florence Parry Heide

Author:Florence Parry Heide [Parry Heide, Florence]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4804-4939-8
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2013-09-19T23:57:00+00:00

Chapter 7

The Warning Fails

CINDY WAS LEAFING through her notebook for the tenth time. “It’s funny,” she said, “that Alex Baxter is letting Jenny and Tom sell Mrs. Wellington’s things. He knows they’re guilty. Why doesn’t he stop them now?”

“Because a detective has to have proof,” said Jay. “That’s what he was telling us.”

“And the iron dog is proof,” said Dexter, pushing his glasses up on his head.

“Right. And we have the iron dog,” said Jay.

“But he doesn’t know we have it,” said Dexter. “Nobody knows but us.”

“And nobody should know,” said Cindy. “We have to be able to prove how it got into the snowman before we let Alex Baxter know we have it. Otherwise, we’re not helping at all.”

Suddenly Jay clapped a hand to his head.

“You’ve thought of something!” said Dexter.

“I’ve thought of my paper route,” answered Jay. “Just as things start happening, I’ll be off on my paper route! Delivering papers when I should be solving mysteries.”

“Call Travis Hackworthy,” suggested Dexter. “Ask him if he’ll sub for you.”

So Jay called Travis and arranged for him to deliver the afternoon papers for his route.

Cindy was writing in her notebook. “If we can prove once and for all that Tom Foster stole the iron dog and hid it in the snowman, we can really help Alex Baxter. Here’s what we know so far: Tom Foster helped the Maxwell kids with the snowman. We know that because of the sunglasses and the scarf. He sent Amy and Randy into the house for a carrot. That’s when he could have hidden the iron dog.”

“Could have, could have,” said Jay. “We have to have real proof before we call Alex Baxter.”

“I wish he had told us why that iron dog is so important,” said Dexter. “But he was in such a hurry.”

Cindy chewed her pencil. “I still can’t believe Jenny’s a crook.”

“Here we go again,” groaned Jay.

“Cindy, remember the time you really liked that usher character in a movie?” asked Dexter. “You were so sure he couldn’t have been the crook because he had such a nice smile. And because he was polite.”

“Well, he was polite,” said Cindy.

“Sure, but it turned out he was a crook,” Dexter said. “I think we ought to have a new rule. The Usher Rule. The rule that says you have to try just as hard to prove someone you like is guilty as you try to prove someone you don’t like is guilty. See how long it took me to say that? And now all we have to say is the Usher Rule.”

“OK,” agreed Cindy. “And you’re right. The reason that Tom and Jenny are so good at this confidence racket is because they seem so nice.”

“The Usher Rule,” Jay said to himself. “Good.”

Cindy turned another page in her notebook. “Oh, here’s something I forgot to tell you. When I went upstairs in Mrs. Wellington’s house there was a long hall. That’s when I scared myself stiff seeing my reflection in the big mirror at the end of the hall.

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