The Pizza Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

would anyone steal a menu?

CHAPTER 5
    The Lady in the Red Hat Comes Back
    E ach day brought several new customers to Piccolos’ Pizza. The Aldens were sure many more would follow once the restaurant started serving its big pizzas again. Finally the day came when the gas company was going to fix the broken gas line to the Piccolos’ brick oven.
    Henry could hardly wait for the truck to arrive. “I wonder what’s keeping them,” he said to the Piccolos. “They were supposed to be here at eight.”
    By nine o’clock, everyone was beginning to wonder. After all, Mr. Piccolo had gone ahead and made enough dough to fill most of their large-sized pizza pans. The Aldens had even handed out flyers saying the big pizzas would be back on the menu.
    Henry picked up the phone. “I’m going to see what’s holding up that truck,” Henry said. He dialed the gas company number. “The repair truck was supposed to be here an hour ago,” Henry told someone at the other end of the line.
    â€œCanceled!” Henry cried out a minute later. “Of course we didn’t cancel. The Piccolos have been waiting over two weeks for the gas line to be repaired.”
    When Henry hung up, he looked confused and angry. “They said a woman called to cancel the appointment for the repairs. Can you believe it? Anyway, they finally agreed to radio the truck. It should be here in a couple of minutes.”
    No one was sure what to do next. Mr. Piccolo didn’t know whether to divide the big pans of pizza dough into small ones. Mrs. Piccolo wondered if she should put back the extra tomato sauce she had taken out of her deep freezer.
    Benny had a breadstick problem. “Should I put these extras back, Jessie?” he asked his sister. “They might get stale if we don’t get enough customers.”
    â€œNo, don’t do that,” Jessie cried from the front door. She was on the lookout for the repair truck. “They’re here! Maybe they can get the big oven fixed before lunchtime.”
    The children ran out to the truck and waved it down.
    â€œFollow me,” Henry told the two workers who climbed out of the truck.
    Mr. Piccolo followed them out back, too. Now that the repair people were here, everyone wanted to make sure nothing went wrong.
    â€œLet’s make small pizzas, just to be on the safe side,” Jessie said. “We can keep an eye on the repairs from the upstairs kitchen. If the brick oven is fixed in time, we’ll just roll out some more dough.”
    The children and Mrs. Piccolo looked out at the backyard. They saw Mr. Irons march out from the factory building to see what was going on. Jessie opened the window so everyone could hear what was happening.
    â€œWhat are you doing on Mighty Mufflers property?” Mr. Irons asked the workers.
    One of workers pulled out a clipboard and held it up for Mr. Irons to see. “We work for the gas company and we’re here for repairs.”
    â€œWell, all right,” Mr. Irons said. “Just stay out of the way of my muffler workers and get off my property as soon as you’re done.” He turned on his heel and marched back to his office.
    A half hour later, one of the repair people shouted up from the backyard. “All set! Your oven should work now.”
    â€œNone too soon, either,” Violet said. “I’ll get out more flour and run some warm water. We’ll be needing lots more dough this lunch-time.”
    By the time the noon factory horn sounded, both the apartment oven and the restaurant oven were going full blast. The little restaurant was warm and filled with good smells. Upstairs, Jessie was in charge of the Personal Pizzas. Downstairs, the rest of the Aldens helped the Piccolos make large-sized pizzas for customers with bigger appetites.

    â€œSomething for everyone,” Mr. Piccolo said to the Aldens when they came downstairs. “From dieters to hungry