“Hold on, Benny. Just because you think Mr. Bush did it doesn’t mean we can go arrest him. We have to have proof,” Violet said.
“If we got Butterscotch, wouldn’t that be proof?” asked Benny
“It would. But I don’t think Mr. Bush is keeping Butterscotch in his backyard. It would be very hard to hide a horse in our neighborhood, at least for very long.”
“So he has Butterscotch at a farm or a stable,” said Benny. “Maybe he owns a farm,” he added.
“Maybe.” Jessie thought hard for a moment. “There is only one stable nearby just outside Silver City.”
“But there are lots of farms,” said Violet, feeling discouraged.
“If Butterscotch is at a farm—or the stables—she’d have to get there in a truck or van,” Jessie said. “It’s too far to ride her or lead her.”
“Marcos has a van for deliveries,” Violet said.
“Maybe Mr. Bush has a van or truck, too,” said Henry. “We need to check that out.”
“And we need to check on the stables, to see if Butterscotch is there,” said Benny.
“Let’s see when Katy expects Marcos again,” suggested Violet.
Nodding, Jessie said, “And after that, let’s make a few phone calls.”
Henry hung up the pay phone. “Nope, no new horses at the Silver City Stables,” he reported.
“I didn’t think there would be,” Jessie said. “It would be one of the first places the police would look, just like we did.”
“Let’s go get Mr. Bush,” Benny urged.
“Let’s go talk to Mr. Bush, you mean,” said Violet.
“Okay. Let’s go,” said Benny. He tugged on Violet’s sleeve.
“Not right now,” Henry said. “We have to get home. It’s almost time for dinner.”
“We’ll talk to Mr. Bush first thing tomorrow,” Jessie told Benny.
The Aldens rode their bicycles slowly home. They were tired and sad. Benny kept remembering how awful he had felt once when Watch had disappeared.
Watch came bounding up to greet them when they got home. That made them all feel a little better as they wheeled their bikes into the garage.
Then, suddenly, Watch ran toward the street. He ran up to a bicyclist who was pedaling by on the sidewalk. He barked.
“Watch, no!” said Benny, hurrying after him.
The bicyclist stopped. Watch stopped.
“Sit, Watch!” Jessie called. Watch sat.
“You know you’re not supposed to chase bicycles,” Benny scolded. Then he looked up at the bicyclist. “Oh!” he said in surprise.
The others had reached the sidewalk by then and had seen who the bicyclist was, too.
“Hello, Mr. Bush,” said Violet politely.
“Uh-oh,” Jessie said very softly to Henry. She was sure Mr. Bush was going to be very angry about Watch barking at him.
But Mr. Bush surprised them all. “Well,” he said to Watch. “At least you’re a dog who knows how to mind his manners when he is told.”
“Watch is very smart,” Benny said.
Mr. Bush looked up. “Smart enough,” he said. He bent and gave Watch one quick pat on the head.
“Do you like to ride bicycles?” Jessie asked.
“I wouldn’t be riding one if I didn’t,” Mr. Bush said. “I think it makes more sense than driving. Besides, I don’t have a driver’s license. Don’t want one. If I can’t get someplace by bike, a bus is good enough for me.” He stopped, as if he was surprised at how much he’d said.
“I like riding in the ice-cream wagon,” Jessie said boldly. “A horse is a good way to travel, too.”
Mr. Bush gave Jessie a sharp look. Then he said, “Well, a horse might be better than a car. But I don’t like horses. Never have. One stepped on my foot when I was ten years old. Broke two toes.” He winced as if he could still feel the broken toes.
“I’m sorry,” said Violet.
“What for? It was a long time ago,” said Mr. Bush. With that, he got on his bicycle and pedaled away.
The Aldens stood for a moment in amazed silence.
“Mr. Bush didn’t do it,” Benny said at last.
“I guess not,” said Violet. “It doesn’t sound like he’d get close enough to Butterscotch to steal her. And if he did, he wouldn’t be able to drive her away.”
“That leaves Marcos, then.” Henry looked at his wristwatch. “We should go back to the Ice Cream Barn tomorrow at lunchtime. Katy said he’d be by then for next week’s orders.”
“I can’t believe it’s Marcos,” said Violet. “I hope it isn’t.”
“If it’s not,” said Benny, “then who is it?”
The next day, Marcos was just getting out of his familiar white truck with the blue stripe when the Aldens pedaled up to the front of the Ice Cream Barn.
“Let’s help him unload,” whispered Jessie. “Then we can check out the back of the truck and look for clues. Maybe there will be pieces of hay or a few horse hairs inside.”
They hurried over to meet Marcos just as he swung open the double back doors of the truck. They stopped and stared.
The truck was lined with shelves. There was no room for a horse the size of Butterscotch. Not only that, but it was refrigerated and very cold.
“Hey, there,” said Marcos. “Cold enough for you?” He laughed heartily at his bad joke. Then he said, “It’s a traveling freezer, you see? No melted ice cream for me.”
Jessie couldn’t give up. “Have you talked to Katy yet?” she asked. “Or Brianna?”
“No. What’s wrong?” Marcos suddenly looked worried. “Is Brianna okay?”
“They’re both fine,” said Violet. “It’s Butterscotch.”
Marcos looked puzzled.
“The horse who pulls the ice-cream wagon,” Benny said. “She’s been stolen!”
“Stolen! When? What happened?” Marcos said.
“Someone took her out of the barn last night,” Violet told him. “We don’t know who.”
“That’s terrible,” said Marcos. “Just terrible!” Shaking his head he took a small box out of the back of the truck and closed the doors. “Samples of new ice-cream products,” he explained. “I thought Katy and Brianna might like to try them before they place their next order. Maybe it will cheer them up a little, too. I know how they liked that horse.”
The Aldens walked with him into the store. Brianna was at the ice-cream counter serving customers.
She smiled when she saw them, but it wasn’t much of a smile. “I’ll get Katy,” she told Marcos.
A moment later, Katy came into the store.
“I heard about your horse,” said Marcos. “I’m sorry. I’m sure you will find her.”
“I’m sure we will, too,” said Katy, but she didn’t sound sure.
Marcos handed her the small box of frozen treats. “New treats from my company for you to try,” he said.
“Thank you,” said Katy. She looked down at the box as if she didn’t know what to do with it.
“Thanks, Marcos,” Brianna said. “Give it to me, Granna. I’ll put it in the freezer behind the counter for now.”
Katy handed the box over, then sat down at one of the tables.
“How is business?” Marcos asked.
“Business is good,” Brianna said, then turned to wait on a family that had come in for ice cream.
“I’m glad to hear it,” said Marcos. “Because I have an idea for the Ice Cream Barn. I was describing your ice cream to a friend who is the chef of a small restaurant and he is very interested in it.”
“Interested?” repeated Katy.
“Yes. He’d like to order some of your special flavors for his dessert menu. I told him you were a small company and I didn’t know how much extra you could make, but I think you could handle this.”
“Sure we could,” said Brianna, who somehow could serve the customers and listen to Marcos and Katy at the same time. “If I’m not going to be driving the ice-cream wagon...” She paused, then went on, “I could make the extra batches of ice cream.”
“Or when you get your horse back, you could hire extra help,” Marcos said.
“Yes,” said Brianna. But she sounded no more convinced than Katy about Butterscotch’s return.
Benny had wandered over to stare at the ice cream in the freezer, but Violet, Henry, and Jessie had settled at a table near Katy and Marcos. Now they looked at one another. Marcos didn’t sound like a man who had stolen a horse—or one who wanted the Ice Cream Barn to go out of business.
“I like that idea, Marcos,” said Katy. “It’s nice of you to think of us.”
Marcos grinned. “You’d need to order more supplies from me to make the extra ice cream,” he added. “So it would be good for my business, too. And, of course, I’d want to be the one who delivers the ice cream to the restaurant.”
Brianna grinned.
“It would take some planning,” said Katy. She paused. “Let me give you our order for next week, then we’ll talk this over more.”
The shop bell jingled as a customer walked in.
Katy looked up for a second and frowned slightly.
“May I help you?” Brianna asked.
“It’s her,” Violet said in her quiet voice.
“Who?” asked Benny. He looked, then said, “Oh! She’s the customer who never eats her ice cream.”
“I’d like to try your Haystack Sundae,” the woman said, reading from the menu board behind the counter.
“Coming right up,” said Brianna.
“Mmm,” said Benny as the customer walked out of the shop a few minutes later with a scoop of butter pecan ice cream drizzled with caramel and smothered with slivered almonds.
Benny kept watching as the woman stopped at the curb to taste the sundae. She slid into her car and took another bite and then another. Then she rolled down her window and dumped the rest of the sundae into the trash can.
Benny gasped. “Look,” he said to Violet. “She threw away her Haystack!”
Jessie and Henry looked, too. As the woman’s white car pulled away from the curb, Jessie leaned forward to get an even better look.
Then she ran toward the door.
“Jessie, where are you going?” Henry asked.
Jessie didn’t slow down. “Come on, grab your bikes,” she said. “We have to follow that car!” |