The Black Widow Spider Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jessie. “There aren’t colored lights anywhere else in the house. That light was weird. It seemed almost like a warning light.”
    â€œA warning about what?” asked Benny.
    â€œI don’t know,” Jessie answered. “A warning not to enter that room, I guess.”
    â€œMaybe that’s her office,” Violet suggested. “She did say she had work to do and didn’t want to be bothered.”
    â€œBut have you ever seen an office with a warning light outside?” Jessie asked.
    â€œIt is a little unusual,” Henry agreed. “But it wouldn’t be the first unusual thing we’ve found here.”
    The others went back to shelving books, but Jessie just stood there, lost in thought.
    It was close to dinnertime when the Aldens finished with the library. They stood back to admire the shelves and shelves of neatly arranged books.
    â€œLooks great,” said Henry, “if I do say so myself.”
    The children left the stepstool in the library and let themselves out, as Mrs. Blackwell had instructed. The house was dark and silent. Henry pulled the front door shut behind them.
    As they walked down the driveway, the Aldens noticed a man standing near the street. He had brown hair and was wearing a brown leather jacket. He was staring at the Blackwells’ house as if deep in thought.
    â€œHello,” called Henry. “May we help you?”
    The man seemed startled to see the Aldens. He looked at them without saying a word, then began walking quickly down the street toward a car parked at the curb.
    The Aldens reached the end of the driveway. “Is there anything —” Henry called out, but the man was already in his car, closing the door. A moment later, he had driven away.
    â€œThat was strange,” said Henry, looking up the street in the direction the car had gone. “He hurried away the minute he saw us.”
    â€œWithout even saying hello,” Violet added.
    â€œHe seemed very interested in the Blackwells’ house,” Jessie said.
    â€œAnd you know what’s even stranger?” Benny said. “That was the same man we saw at lunchtime, the one who was watching us from his car.”
    â€œAre you sure?” Violet asked.
    â€œYes,” said Benny. “SPIDER2.”

CHAPTER 4
    Lights at Night
    O ver dinner that night, the children told Grandfather all about the mysterious Blackwells and the mystery man. When they reached the end of their story, Benny started to giggle.
    â€œWhat’s so funny?” Jessie wanted to know.
    â€œThe Blackwells are spies,” said Benny. “And now someone’s spying on them!”
    â€œI can’t help wondering if that man has anything to do with what Mrs. Blackwell said on the phone,” said Jessie. “Could he be the one Mrs. Blackwell is tracking?”
    â€œWe don’t know for sure that Mrs. Blackwell is tracking someone,” Violet pointed out.
    â€œViolet is right,” Grandfather agreed. “Mrs. Blackwell’s phone call does sound surprising, but I’m sure there’s a simple explanation.”
    â€œReally?” Benny asked. “Like what?”
    Grandfather thought for a moment. “I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I wouldn’t worry about it. Hearing one side of a telephone conversation always sounds odd.”
    The Aldens finished their dinner, then Henry and Violet cleared the table and Jessie and Benny washed the dishes. When the kitchen was clean, the children joined Grandfather in the living room. They played checkers and read books until it was time for bed. Saying good night, they each headed into their own rooms.
    Henry walked over to the windows in his room to pull down his shades when something outside caught his eye. From the window next to his bed, Henry could see the side of the Blackwells’ house. Because Henry’s bedroom was on the second floor, he could see over the tall stone wall