Candy Factory Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

didn’t fit. “This is the wrong key.”
    Meg stared at it. “Oh, that’s a key for one of the storage areas. Sorry. I must have left it out by mistake. Well, it doesn’t matter. Just go to the changing room to get your caps and aprons.”
    After the children put on caps, gloves, and white aprons, they stepped into the candy kitchen. Right away, they noticed some chocolate egg molds moving along the conveyor belt. No one seemed to be watching them.
    â€œWhat’s the matter now?” Meg asked.
    Jessie pointed to the machinery. “Isn’t someone supposed to supervise the conveyor belt when it’s on?”
    Meg didn’t appreciate the reminder about this. “Never mind. Just go to the other room. Make sure the eggs I made yesterday all have sugar chicks in them. Then start packing the eggs into the egg cartons the way Tom showed you. And don’t break any.”
    The Aldens were glad to begin work away from Meg.
    â€œRemember what Mrs. Winkles said,” Jessie reminded everyone. “Make sure all the eggs are smooth and completely sealed up before you put them into the egg cartons.”
    â€œI know, I know,” Soo Lee said. “And make sure that we can hear a little chickie inside each one. We have to pick the eggs up softly to make sure the chick is in there.”
    Pretty soon the Aldens were hard at work. Only checking and packing the beautiful chocolate eggs into cartons didn’t seem a bit like work.
    â€œDo we get to keep the ones that don’t have a chick inside?” Benny asked after several of his eggs sounded empty. “Don’t worry. I won’t eat too much chocolate today. I promise.”
    After a while, the Aldens had a pile of cartons ready for shipping. But they also had a pile of empty eggs, too.
    â€œUh-oh,” Henry said. “I hate to say it, but look how many eggs went through without any chicks inside.” He walked over to the phone on the wall. “The red phone light is on. Meg must be using it. Let’s go tell her the machine missed a bunch. Violet can stay here with Soo Lee and Benny to finish up.”
    Jessie frowned. “This is terrible. Mrs. Winkles loses money when she has to throw out the imperfect eggs.”
    When Henry and Jessie joined Meg, she was still using the phone.
    â€œNo wonder there are always problems,” Jessie whispered to Henry. “She doesn’t seem to pay attention to what she’s doing.”
    The two children caught the last few words of Meg’s conversation. “I have to go, Mr. Boxer. I can’t keep talking to you so much. I have a lot of work to do.”
    â€œNow what?” Meg asked Henry and Jessie. She reached over to turn off the machine. “Whenever you leave the packing or cooling rooms, you’re supposed to call me to slow down the machine so there’s no pileup.”
    Jessie stepped forward. “Violet, Benny, and Soo Lee are still working in there. We tried to call, but the line was busy. So we came over instead.”
    â€œA whole bunch of eggs came through without any chicks inside,” Henry said. “Something must be wrong with the machine.” He went over to check it.
    Jessie looked upset. “Maybe when Tom gets back we can figure out a solution.”
    â€œWe don’t need Tom today” Meg told the Aldens. “Get away from that machine, Henry. Go finish packing the rest of the eggs.”
    Meg came over to the chick machine and looked underneath it. “This part jammed up the opening. That’s why the chicks didn’t drop down. Did you do something to this just now or when you were working with Tom yesterday?”
    Henry shook his head. “I never touched it.”
    â€œWell, somebody must have done something,” Meg said, her voice shaking. “I can’t get it going at all now.”
    â€œMaybe Tom can help,” Jessie suggested. “In fact, he was already here this