The Mystery of the Stolen Music

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “Violet,” she said, “why don’t you come back to the hotel with me now? I’d like to hear you play.”

  Violet was thrilled by the invitation. At the same time, she was nervous about it. What if she froze and couldn’t play? What if Melody didn’t think she played well?

  “Oh, I’d love to,” she said, “but I didn’t bring my violin.”

  “I’m sure I can find one for you,” Melody told her. “I’ll go see what I can do and meet you in the lobby. How’s that sound?”

  It sounded wonderful. “All right,” Violet said.

  Melody turned to the Aldens’ new cousin. “Would you like to come along, Soo Lee?” she asked.

  “Oh, yes,” Soo Lee answered.

  Saying, “Give me five minutes,” Melody left the room.

  “She’s being awfully nice,” Jessie commented.

  “She is nice,” Violet said.

  “But this morning when we came back from the hotel, she hardly said a word to us,” Henry reminded his sister.

  “She was upset about Victor,” Violet said. “We already decided that.”

  “Maybe we were wrong,” Benny said. “Maybe she did take the music, and she’s being nice now because she’s afraid we suspect her.”

  “That isn’t true!” Violet cried. Taking Soo Lee’s hand, she hurried out to the lobby.

  Except for the decorating, Melody’s hotel room was much like Victor’s. Violet and Soo Lee liked this room better. It was done in shades of purple.

  “Try this for size,” Melody said as she handed Violet a violin.

  Violet secured the instrument between her left shoulder and her chin. “It seems fine,” she said.

  “It looks fine, too.” Melody handed Violet a bow. “Now let’s hear how it sounds.” She sat down beside Soo Lee on the small couch.

  Violet ran the bow across the strings. The violin squeaked. She lifted the bow. “I’m sorry,” she said. “That’s an awful sound.”

  “I make sounds like that all the time,” Soo Lee said.

  Melody laughed. “Don’t feel bad,” she said. “Even the best violinists manage a squeak now and then.”

  Violet tried again. This time the sound was not noise but music. At the end of the piece, Melody came to stand beside her. She adjusted Violet’s hand on the bow.

  “Relax your wrist, Violet,” she instructed. “There. That’s much better. Now play another — ”

  The telephone rang. Melody picked it up. “Hello.” After a few seconds, she said, “Oh — uh — yes, I’m glad you called, but” — She turned her back on the girls and lowered her voice — “I — uh — can’t talk now … As I said this morning, we should meet … About what we discussed, yes …”

  Violet felt uncomfortable. She knew she and Soo Lee shouldn’t be hearing this conversation, but they couldn’t help it. She motioned her cousin over to the far window, where they stood looking out on Greenfield’s Main Street.

  “The sooner the better,” Melody was saying. “The whole thing makes me nervous … But what if someone finds out?”

  A wave of doubt washed over Violet. Could her sister and brothers be right? Was Melody the thief?

  Lowering her voice until it was almost a whisper, Melody said, “Yes, all right. The town square. Eight-thirty tomorrow morning…. Oh, don’t worry, I’ll be there.”

  Melody hung up and turned around. She took a deep breath. “All right,” she said, smiling uneasily. “Let’s get back to our lesson.”

  CHAPTER 8

  Spies

  An hour later, when Violet and Soo Lee returned to the Civic Center, the other Aldens were outside waiting for them.

  “Finally!” Benny said as his sister and cousin approached.

  “That must have been some lesson,” Henry added.

  “That’s for sure,” Violet responded. “And you’ll never guess what happened.” She told them about the mysterious phone call and Melody’s reaction to it.

  They were all shocked. It was one thing to imagine someone might be guilty; it was another to have proof. And this new information did, indeed, seem like proof.

  No one said a word until they were on the bus headed home.

  Then, Jessie asked Violet, “Did Melody say she and the caller talked this morning?”

  Violet remembered the exact words. “‘As I said this morning, we should meet.’”

  Soo Lee nodded. “That is what Melody said.”

  “That telephone call this morning from the Civic Center lobby …” Henry did not finish his thought.

  It wasn’t necessary. They were all thinking the same thing: Melody had not been phoning the hotel looking for them; she had been talking to that afternoon’s mysterious caller.

  “We should tell Grandfather,” Benny said.

  “What if we’re wrong?” Violet asked. She did not want to believe that Melody was the thief. “Soo Lee and I heard only one side of the conversation.”

  Jessie drew in a long breath. “It’s hard to know what to do.”

  They fell silent, thinking. By the time they reached their stop, Henry had an idea.

  “We should check this out before we tell anyone,” he said.

  Everyone agreed.

  “Where did you say Melody was meeting the caller?” he asked Violet.

  “The town square at eight-thirty tomorrow morning.”

  Henry nodded. “All right, then. We’ll be there at eight-fifteen.”

  “Henry,” Jessie said, “what if they see us?”

  “They won’t see us,” Benny assured her. “There’re plenty of places to hide.”

  At home, Grandfather Alden was reading the newspaper. Watch sat by the door.

  “I knew you’d be along soon,” Mr. Alden said when the young Aldens came into the kitchen. “Watch was napping until ten minutes ago. Then he woke up and went to wait by the door.”

  Watch wagged his tail.

  Benny patted him. “Good boy,” he said.

  “Mozart’s dog did that,” Violet said. “I read in a book that he always seemed to know when Mozart was on his way home.”

  “How was the rehearsal?” Mr. Alden asked.

  “We didn’t get to hear much of it,” Jessie answered.

  Henry told him about the missing music and their search for it. He did not mention Melody’s mysterious phone call.

  Mr. Alden shook his head slowly. “How unfortunate!” he said. “The loss of that score is bound to upset everyone.”

  “That’s for sure,” Benny said. “I’m so upset, I’m hungry, and it’s not even supper-time.”

  “I can understand that,” said Mr. Alden. “All that thinking would make anyone hungry.” He sounded serious, but there was a teasing twinkle in his eye.

  “If you can wait an hour, Benny, I’ll make my specialty,” Henry said.

  Benny grinned. “Chicken and Swiss cheese with all that good sauce on top?”

  Watch barked.

  Benny laughed. “Even Watch knows that’s worth waiting for.”

  “Violet, why don’t you go practice?” Jessie suggested. “We’ll handle things down here.”

  “I’ll set the table,” Soo Lee offered.

  “Thanks,” Violet said. “I can use all the practice I can get if I’m going to make the young people’s orchestra.”

  She hurried up to her room. In a few minutes, the sweet sounds of her violin drifted into the kitchen.

  During dinner, Benny told Grandfather Alden about the instrument-making class. “I made a drum from an empty coffee can,” he said. “It sounds good, too.”

  Mr. Alden was pleased. “I’ve always said my grandchildren know how to make something from nothing,” he said proudly. “That’s a good trait for getting along in life.”

  “We learned how to do that when we lived in the boxcar,” Violet said.

  Mr. Alden nodded. “I hate to think of you children living like that — all alone,” he said. “But you did learn useful lessons there.”

  “And we found y
ou,” Benny reminded him.

  Mr. Alden reached over and put an arm around his youngest grandchild. “I’m certainly glad of that.”

  “I’m glad, too,” Soo Lee put in.

  “So are we!” the others all said.

  The next morning, the children caught the first bus to the town square. During the ride, they decided to hide in the town hall, which opened early.

  No one was around when they entered the building. Quietly, they took up positions near the double front doors. From the windows beside them, they could see all but a small corner of the square.

  After a few minutes, Benny whispered, “Look!”

  A man in a dark hat and raincoat entered the square. Under his arm, he carried a large envelope.

  “What do you suppose he has in that envelope?” Henry wondered aloud.

  “I’ll bet it’s money,” Benny said.

  The man looked around, glanced at his watch, and began to pace.

  “Maybe Melody won’t come,” Violet said. There was a hopeful note in her voice.

  Just then, Melody came into view. She hurried over to meet the man. They shook hands and spoke briefly.

  “Too bad we can’t hear what they’re saying,” Jessie said.

  “We don’t need to,” Henry responded. “Look!”

  Melody took an envelope out of her bag and gave it to the man. In return, he gave her his envelope.

  “I’ll bet she’s selling him the score!” Benny said.

  CHAPTER 9

  The Invitation

  “Now, we have to tell Grandfather about Melody and the mysterious man,” Jessie said as they walked to the Civic Center.

  Benny had another idea. “We should call the police! That’s what we should do!”

  “We can’t do that,” Violet protested. “We don’t know what was in those envelopes.”

  “You’re right, Violet,” agreed Jessie. “We can’t accuse Melody without proof.”

  “Maybe we should talk to her,” Henry said. “Tell her what we saw. If she didn’t steal the score, she’ll explain what’s going on.”

  “And if she did steal it?” Soo Lee wanted to know.

  “Then we’re in hot water,” Henry said.

  Soo Lee looked puzzled. “Hot water?” she repeated.

  They were at the Civic Center.

  “I’ll explain later,” Henry told her as they went inside.

  The musicians were assembled on the stage. Melody was in her proper place to Victor’s left. The Aldens thought she had a guilty look on her face.

  Janet Muller slid into the aisle beside Jessie. “I don’t suppose there’s anything new on the missing score?”

  “Nothing,” Jessie answered.

  Then, Victor hit a downbeat and the music began. This rehearsal went well. After it was over, the audience clapped loudly.

  Victor stepped to the edge of the stage. “I can see you are easily pleased,” he said, but it was obvious that he, too, was happy. He turned to the orchestra. “Take a long lunch,” he told them. It was his way of saying they had played well.

  Today, lunch was set up in the reception hall. Benny walked beside the long table looking at the food. There were salads of all kinds: vegetable, pasta, egg, tuna, bean, and potato. At either end was a large meat and cheese tray. Baskets held different kinds of bread. Fruit filled several bowls.

  Jessie filled her plate with pasta salad and rye bread. “What’re you going to have, Benny?” Jessie asked.

  Benny shook his head. “It all looks so good, I can’t decide.”

  “Which means you’ve decided to have some of everything,” Henry said.

  Benny pretended he hadn’t thought of that. “What a good idea, Henry,” he said and began to take samples of every single dish.

  They took their plates to chairs along the wall.

  Just then, Melody came in from the auditorium with Janet Muller. They headed toward the Aldens.

  “There you are!” Melody said as though she’d been looking for them. “How would you like to meet me at the hotel early tomorrow? They set out rolls and juice every morning. We could eat and then come back here. I’m going to try my solo on stage. I could use an audience.”

  “We’d love to!” Violet exclaimed. She was sure Melody couldn’t be the thief.

  CHAPTER 10

  Mixed Messages

  That afternoon, the children attended the Music Appreciation workshop in the auditorium. As they slid into their seats, Victor tapped his baton for attention. The audience fell silent. “In order to appreciate music,” he began, “one should know something about the orchestra playing it.”

  First he introduced the different sections. There were the strings — violins and cellos — and the woodwinds — flutes, clarinets, and oboes. There was also the brass, which included French horns and trumpets, and Benny’s favorite, the percussion, with instruments such as drums and the triangle. Each section played a musical passage. Then, Victor talked about the different kinds of music.

  The Aldens became so interested they forgot about the missing score until they returned home. After a supper of hot dogs and beans, they settled by the fire.

  Curled up in a big chair, Soo Lee said, “What does it mean to be in hot water?” She was remembering their earlier conversation.

  Benny, who was sprawled on the floor, put his chin in his hands. “Well, Soo Lee, it’s like this,” he said. After a pause, he turned to his brother. “You explain it, Henry.”

  Henry laughed. “Being in hot water is the same as being in trouble.”

  Jessie added, “We saw Melody exchange envelopes with that strange man. If she took the music and was selling it or something, she would be angry that we knew.”

  Soo Lee nodded. “And we’d be in hot water!”

  “You got it,” Benny said.

  They grew silent. The fire crackled. Shadows danced across the walls and ceiling. After awhile, Henry suggested they go over the clues.

  They recounted all they knew. Nothing fit together. Victor had taken the score back to the hotel. Yet, it seemed unlikely that he now knew where it was. Melody had met the mysterious man and given him something. Still, they couldn’t imagine why she would have taken the music.

  “So let’s say neither Melody nor Victor is the thief,” Jessie summed up. “Then who is?”

  Benny sighed heavily. “This is a hard one,” he said. “We’ll never solve it.”

  “We’re good detectives, Benny,” Henry reminded him. “We’ll solve it.”

  Benny yawned. “Not tonight we won’t.” He yawned again, put his head on his arms, and fell asleep.

  Henry carried him upstairs to his room. The others followed. They were all too tired, they decided, to think another thought.

  In the morning, once again, they took the bus to the hotel.

  Benny was impatient to get there. “I’m hungry,” he said.

  “There will be rolls and juice in the lobby,” Violet reminded him.

  But Benny didn’t need reminding. “That’s what made me hungry,” he said. “I was thinking about it.”

  “Me, too,” Soo Lee agreed.

  They entered the hotel just as Janet Muller was leaving.

  “Ms. Muller!” Jessie was unable to hide her surprise. “What are you doing here so early?”

  Janet Muller’s face turned red. “Oh — I — uh …” she stammered.

  “Bet you came for the sweet rolls,” Benny said.

  She cleared her throat nervously. “Autographs,” she explained. “I came for autographs.”

  Henry glanced around the empty lobby. “Were you able to get any?” he asked.

  Janet shook her head. “I think I’ll go over to the Civic Center. Maybe someone will show up there.”

  “See you later,” Benny said, and skipped over to the breakfast buffet.

  Soo Lee followed at his heels.

  Janet Muller didn’t move. She stood there as though she were about to say something.

  Finally, Henry
asked, “Is there something we can do for you?”

  “Oh, no, thank you,” Janet said. “I was just — uh — wondering.” She cleared her throat again. “About the score — have they found out anything?”

  The Aldens all shook their heads.

  Janet asked several more questions. No one had the answers. When Melody stepped off the elevator, Janet mumbled something and sailed out the door.

  “That was strange,” Henry commented.

  “She seemed awfully nervous,” Violet added.

  “You don’t suppose … ?” Violet asked.

  Jessie finished her sister’s incomplete question. “That Janet Muller is the thief? I don’t know.”

  They joined Melody, Soo Lee, and Benny at the table. The Aldens ate heartily.

  Melody didn’t take a single bite. She was too nervous about her solo, she explained. “And I wanted to talk to Victor, but I can’t find him,” she added.

  “Maybe he’s at the Center,” Henry suggested.

  “He told me he was going to have breakfast in his room.”

  “Maybe he forgot,” Soo Lee suggested.

  Melody laughed. “You’re probably right, Soo Lee.”

  “Do you want to wait for him?” Jessie asked.

  “No,” Melody replied. “Let’s go. I have to practice.”

  Victor was pacing up and down in front of the Civic Center. “There you are, Melody!” he said as they approached.

  “Victor! What are you doing here?” Melody asked.

  Victor looked confused. “You asked me to meet you here.”

  “Yes, this afternoon.”

  “He really is forgetful,” Benny whispered to Henry. “It’s not an act, that’s for sure.”

  “No, no!” Victor fished in his coat pocket. “You sent me this message.” He pulled out a notepaper and handed it to Melody. “Someone from the hotel slipped it under my door.”

  “Victor, meet me at the Civic Center, 8:00 A.M. Urgent!” Melody read aloud. “It’s dated today. And that looks like my signature, all right. But I did not write this note!”

  CHAPTER 11

  False Notes

  Victor ran his fingers through his hair. “You did not write this note,” he repeated.