The children followed Carter down to the Java Café. Carter went to the counter and ordered everyone cookies and hot chocolate. Then they all took their treats to a large table in the back of the café.
“I have been taking letters off that sign,” Carter admitted. “But it’s not what you think. I’m planning on giving the letters back. When I’m finished with them.”
“What are you doing with them?” Henry asked.
Benny took a bite of his cookie and listened intently.
“You were on the right track when you were looking for a message in the missing letters,” Carter explained. “I’ve been trying to collect the right letters so I can spell out a message.”
“You want to spell out a message on the mall sign?” Jessie asked. “Why?”
Carter smiled. “If you knew what the message was, I think you’d understand.” He reached inside the inner pocket of his jacket, pulled out a stack of plastic letters and laid them all out on the table.
“What is the message supposed to say?” Benny asked.
“Let’s see if you can figure it out,” Carter said. “I’ve finally collected all the letters I need.”
The Aldens watched as Carter moved some of the letters around on the table. “These letters make up the first word,” Carter said as he separated out the letters L E P E A S.
Jessie moved the six letters around until she found the word. “The word is PLEASE,” she said.
“That’s right,” Carter said. He pulled five more letters out of the pile: R A R M Y.
Henry scratched his head. “The word isn’t army,” he said. “There would be an R left over.”
“That’s right,” Carter said, taking a sip of hot chocolate. “Keep looking. You’ll get it.”
Violet moved the M to the front of the word. She grinned. “I know what the word is. It’s MARRY!”
Carter nodded. “And you already know that Queenie’s first and last names are in here.” He pulled out the Q U E E N I E and P O L K and laid the letters out at the end of the table.
“That’s why you talked Queenie into changing the message on the sign that day,” Jessie said. “You needed those letters.”
“That’s right,” Carter said.
“That only leaves M and E,” Benny said, reaching for the last two letters. “That spells ME.” He inserted the word in its proper place.
The children read the message in full: PLEASE MARRY ME QUEENIE POLK.
“I’m planning to put that message up tonight after dark,” Carter explained. “That way Queenie will see it when she comes in in the morning. Would you kids like to help me put it up?”
“Oh, yes,” Violet said eagerly. The others agreed.
“Everyone was right about you kids,” Carter said. “You are good detectives. I’m just glad that it was you who figured out what I was doing instead of Queenie.”
“Well, don’t worry,” Jessie said. “We won’t tell her.”
“But there’s still something I don’t understand,” Benny said, his face wrinkled in confusion.
“What’s that?” Carter asked.
“If you’re the one who’s been messing up the sign, why would you rearrange the letters to say CARTER ROBBER?” Benny asked. “You’re not the safe robber, are you?”
Carter stiffened. “No, I’m not,” he said. “And I’m not the one who put that message there. I wish I knew who did.”
Jessie finished the last of her hot chocolate, then wiped her mouth with her napkin. “I wonder if it was the real robber?”
“There have been three robberies here and the police still don’t have any leads,” Carter said. “I don’t suppose you kids have any idea who the robber is?”
“We have an idea,” Henry said.
“Who?” Carter asked.
“Well,” Jessie said. “Raina had a key to the Java Café and to the Game Spot. And she knew the combinations to both safes. But she didn’t have a key to the jewelry store. And she was out of town when the Game Spot was robbed. So we don’t think she could have done it.”
“And George has a key to all three stores, but he said he didn’t know any of the combinations to the safes,” Violet explained. “Plus it wouldn’t make sense for him to steal from his own tenants. They’d go out of business and then his mall would sit empty.”
“Then there’s Tony Silver,” Benny said.
“The guy who installs the safes?” Carter asked.
“We don’t know for sure that he’s our robber,” Henry said. “But he knows the combinations to all the safes. And it’s possible he stole keys to each of the stores when he was in there.”
“Hmm,” Carter said, shifting in his seat. “Well, all these robberies have occurred during the night. Maybe when we’re here tonight, we can keep an eye on things and make sure there isn’t another robbery.”
“That’s exactly what we were thinking,” Jessie said. “We could take turns watching. If Grandfather drives the van over, we could bring sleeping bags and some of us could sleep in the back of the van while the others watched the store.”
“That’s a good idea,” Carter said. “If your grandfather doesn’t mind. I could park my car in the alley behind the store, and a couple of us could watch the back door from there. The rest of you could watch the front from your grandfather’s van.”
“I’m sure he won’t mind,” Violet said. “He’d want us to catch the robber.”
“It’s all settled then,” Carter said. “I’ll meet you kids here at nine o’clock. First we’ll put up the message for Queenie. Then we’ll spend the rest of the night watching the drugstore.”
“And if we’re lucky, we’ll catch a robber,” Henry said.
That night, Grandfather drove the children over to the mall at eight forty-five.
“What an interesting way to propose to a woman,” Grandfather said.
“Isn’t it?” Jessie said. “Do you think Queenie will like it?”
“I think she will,” Grandfather said.
“Even more important, do you think she’ll say yes?” Violet asked.
“I think she will,” Grandfather said again. “She and Carter have been good friends for a long time.”
Grandfather parked right in front of the sign. It read: TRY A LATTE AT THE JAVA CAFé.
“Hmm. A latte sounds good,” Grandfather said. “I think I’ll try and get one before the Java Café closes. Would you kids like something, too?”
“We’ve got snacks,” Henry said, glancing at the small cooler that sat at his feet. The cooler was filled with bottles of spring water. A bag of apples sat next to the cooler.
“We’ll just wait here for Carter,” Jessie said.
There were only a couple of cars in the parking lot. The Game Spot, Lake’s Jewelry Store, and Bob’s Drugstore had all closed at eight o’clock. The Java Café was the only store at Crossroads Mall that was still open.
The children watched as Grandfather went into the coffee shop and came back out with a tall paper cup a few minutes later. Chip Douglas had followed Grandfather to the door. Grandfather said something to Chip, and Chip smiled. Then Grandfather left, and Chip locked the front door.
“Carter hasn’t arrived yet?” Grandfather asked when he returned to the van.
“Not yet,” Jessie said, checking her watch. It was five minutes past nine.
The lights went out in the Java Café, then Chip stepped outside. He double-checked that the door was locked, then walked across the parking lot to a small red sports car. He got in and drove away.
A few minutes later, Carter drove up in a silver sedan. He parked right beside the Aldens.
“Sorry I’m late,” he said when he got out of his vehicle. “I was with Queenie and couldn’t get away.”
“That’s okay,” Violet said. “The Java Café just closed. We probably wouldn’t have wanted to put the message up until everyone had left the mall, anyway.”
“That’s true,” Carter said.
“Do you have all the letters?” Benny asked.
Carter patted the inside pocket of his jacket. “Right here,” he said.
So they all went over to the sign.
“First we’ll have to pull all these letters off,” Carter said. “I’ll keep them and give them to George later. But right now I don’t want any other letters interfering with my message.”
The children helped Carter pull the message about the Java Café off the sign. Then they helped him put up the new message. When they finished, they stepped back to admire their work.
PLEASE MARRY ME QUEENIE POLK.
“That looks nice,” Jessie said.
“It should be the first thing she sees when she pulls into the parking lot,” Carter said.
They all went back to the two vehicles.
“So, what is the plan for the rest of the night?” Grandfather asked. “Would you like me to stay parked where I am?”
“Yes,” Carter said. “I brought some walkie-talkies so we can stay in contact.” He opened the front door to his car, reached in and pulled out a walkie-talkie, then handed it to Grandfather.
“I’m going to drive around to the back,” Carter went on. “Perhaps Henry and Benny can come with me. Jessie and Violet can stay with you, James. If you see anything suspicious, call me on the walkie-talkie. I’ll do the same.”
Jessie nodded. “Sounds like a plan.”
Henry and Benny got into the back seat of Carter’s car and Carter drove off. Jessie and Violet got comfortable in the back of the van. Then they waited.
About an hour after they’d arrived, Jessie saw a dark figure approach the drugstore. |