Mystery in the Mall by Gertrude Chandler Warner

Author:Gertrude Chandler Warner [Warner, Gertrude Chandler]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4532-2129-7
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
Published: 2011-10-26T04:00:00+00:00

“What’s that?” Benny gripped his sister’s hand.

Jessie took a step and nearly fell down. “Popcorn!” she said, laughing a little. “That box you bumped into was full of popcorn kernels. They’re all over the floor. I’ll go get a broom and dustpan so no one else trips. Wait here.”

“Can I come with you?” Benny asked.

Jessie took Benny’s hand again. She didn’t let go until they came back to sweep up the mess. “There. Let’s put the broom and dustpan away and get out of here.”

Benny and Jessie walked carefully now. They didn’t want to knock over any more boxes or hear any more funny sounds.

When they reached the front of the store, they had another surprise, and not a popcorn surprise, either.

“The doors are locked!” Benny said.

Jessie tried to push the glass doors apart. “It’s no use. Even if I force the doors open, the security gate is locked, too.”

“Who locked us in?” Benny asked.

Jessie tugged at the door handles. “Janet must have still been in another part of the store, not in back. She probably didn’t know we were inside, so she locked up.”

Benny looked up at Jessie. “What are we going to do, Jessie?”

Before Jessie could answer, another unexpected sound startled the children.

“The phone’s ringing!” Jessie said, relieved to hear the familiar sound. “Of course! We’ll call security or Penny or somebody to come unlock us. But let me answer this call first.”

Jessie picked up the phone. “Hello?”

“I’m on my way,” a man’s voice said.

The next sound Jessie heard was a click.

“Who was that?” Benny asked. “Is someone coming to get us?”

Jessie put down the phone. Her heart was pounding, but she tried not to let Benny see how nervous she was. “The person hung up.”

The two children stood at the counter wondering what to do next. Suddenly a beam of light crisscrossed the store. Benny and Jessie ran to the front door.

“It’s Janet!” Benny cried.

Janet unlocked the door and stepped inside. When she saw the two Aldens standing there, she jumped back. “How did you get in here?”

“I think you locked us in by mistake,” Jessie explained. “We thought you were in the storeroom before, so we went back there. That must have been when you locked up. I’m sorry for all the confusion. Why did you come back?”

Janet didn’t answer.

“Well, again, I’m sorry,” Jessie went on. “I’m just glad you did return. I guess we’ll go now.”

Benny and Jessie slipped through the half-opened doors. The mall was deserted now. Hand in hand, Benny and Jessie walked quickly to the front exit door downstairs.

A security man waved them out. “Come on, now. The stores are closed. Out you go.”

Violet and Henry ran over, glad to see their brother and sister after the long wait.

“We almost gave up,” Henry said. “What happened, anyway? You two are the last ones out.”

But they were not the last ones out. Looking down on the Aldens from the top level of the glass balcony were two people who didn’t seem in any hurry to leave.

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