Amazing Mystery Show Read Online Free PDF Page A

you’ll—”
    “Find the gold coin!” Benny blurted out. He sounded excited.
    “That’s right.” Hilary smiled at the youngest Alden. “And you’ll have until five o’clock to find it. So good luck to everyone!”
    “Can you believe that?” Jessie said, as they headed outside. “Fiona just turned her back on Hilary and walked away.”
    “I guess she’s worried,” said Violet. “Maybe she thinks a two-parter will be too hard to solve.”
    “That doesn’t excuse her for being rude to Hilary,” Jessie insisted, as they sat down together on an empty bench.
    Henry, Violet, and Benny waited expectantly as Jessie lifted the lid of the wooden box and pulled out a folded piece of paper.
    “Read it, Jessie!” cried Benny. The youngest Alden couldn’t stand to be kept in suspense.
    With Andy’s camera rolling, Jessie unfolded the note and read the riddle aloud.
“Up a ladder,
    down a pole,
    look for an arrow
    high and low.”
    “An arrow?” Benny’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s weird.”
    They were all lost in thought for a moment. Finally, Violet spoke up.
    “Something just popped into my head,” she said. “Do you think ‘ladder’ and ‘pole’ could be the names of streets?”
    “I suppose it’s possible,” said Henry, although he didn’t sound convinced. “We can check it out.”
    Jessie shook her head as Henry fished around for the map in the backpack. “Let’s buy a new map,” she suggested. “I don’t trust that one anymore.”
    “Good idea,” said Henry.
    Violet pointed to the sign just behind them. “Why don’t we try that store? It sells everything under the sun,” she said. “At least, that’s what the sign in the window says.”
    Benny was on his feet in a flash. “They’ll sell maps for sure!”
    As the children headed for the store, a woman with red hair suddenly dashed out the door. She almost knocked Benny over.
    “Honestly!” she snapped.
    “Are you okay, Benny?” Jessie asked as the woman hurried away.
    “That lady wasn’t very nice,” Benny said in a small voice.
    “No, she wasn’t, Benny.” Jessie put a comforting arm around him. “She didn’t even say she was sorry.”
    “It’s the weirdest thing,” Violet said as they went inside the store. “For a second, I thought …”
    “Thought what?” Jessie asked.
    “Oh, it’s nothing.” Violet laughed a little. “I’m probably just imagining things.”
    “Wow!” cried Benny, glancing around at all the souvenirs lining the shelves. “They really do sell everything under the sun.” There was everything from Betsy Ross dolls to Philadelphia ball caps. Violet even spotted a rack of postcards.
    “Let’s buy one for Mrs. McGregor,” she suggested.
    Jessie was quick to agree. “That’s a great idea.”
    While Violet and Jessie browsed through the postcards, Henry checked out the street maps, and Benny wandered around the store.
    “They have so many,” said Violet. “It’s hard to choose.”
    Jessie held up a postcard of Independence Hall. “How about this one?” she asked. “It’s the building where they signed the Declaration of Independence.”
    Violet didn’t answer. She was staring at another postcard.
    “Violet?”
    Violet suddenly snapped out of it. “Sorry, Jessie,” she said. “Take a look at this postcard of the Fireman’s Museum!” She sounded excited.
    Jessie glanced from Violet to the card and back again. “Do you think Mrs. McGregor will like that one best?”
    “I think well like this one best!” she said mysteriously. Stepping up to the counter beside Henry, she quickly added the postcard to his purchase.

    “This store even has old-fashioned costumes!” Benny said as he joined them. “And all kinds of wigs.”
    “I wish we had more time to look around,” Jessie said, smiling at her little brother.
    “Do we have enough money to buy a souvenir?” Benny asked. He was pointing to the gold coins behind a glass case.
    Henry glanced over. “Sorry, Benny,” he