The Seattle Puzzle

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  “Easier said than done,” remarked Violet.

  “That’s true,” Jessie said, glancing down at the map. “With so many bridges, we really have our work cut out for us.”

  Nobody said anything for a while. Then Jessie came across something that made her eyes widen.

  “I think we can narrow our search,” she announced, slowly raising her gaze.

  The others were instantly curious. “Don’t keep us in the dark, Jessie,” Henry pleaded. “What’s going on?”

  “Well, maybe this is just a weird coincidence,” Jessie began, “but I just found Troll Avenue on the map!”

  “What?” Henry blinked in surprise.

  As they crowded around, Jessie pointed a finger. “It’s right here in the Fremont neighborhood.”

  Henry studied the map closely. “You’re right, Jessie,” he said. “And Troll Avenue leads under the Aurora Bridge.”

  Violet pressed her hands against her cheeks. “I can’t believe it!”

  “Then … that means—” began Benny.

  Henry cut in. “It means the troll must be under the Aurora Bridge!”

  “Now we’re getting somewhere!” Benny rubbed his hands together.

  “We can’t be sure,” said Jessie. “But it’s worth checking out.”

  Benny was already halfway to the door. “What are we waiting for?”

  “Daylight,” Henry said with a laugh. “It’s late, Benny. Remember?”

  Benny looked over at the darkened window. “Oh, right!”

  “I vote we get a good night’s sleep,” Henry said in the middle of a yawn.

  “Good idea,” said Jessie. “Tomorrow we have a date with a troll!”

  CHAPTER 8

  In Search of a Troll

  “Can you believe it?” Jessie couldn’t help laughing. “There might really be a troll under a bridge!” She couldn’t get over it.

  The four children were up bright and early the next morning. They were talking about the mystery while they made breakfast.

  Benny placed napkins around the table. “I wonder what message it’s guarding.”

  “We’ll find out soon,” said Henry, who was standing at the stove. “We’ll head over to the bridge after we eat.”

  “I wish Grandfather had joined us for breakfast,” said Violet, when they sat down at the table. “He hasn’t had a chance to see the photographs yet.” She reached for the envelope of photos on the table. “There was one that turned out especially well.”

  “You mean the one of the bald eagle?” asked Henry, swallowing a mouthful of eggs. “That was my favorite.”

  Violet shook her head. “No, I mean the one with Benny sleeping on the ferry.” She looked through the envelope. “Here it is.” She held it out to Henry. “Benny looks so cute with his head on Grandfather’s lap.”

  Henry couldn’t help smiling. “You were lost in dreamland, Benny,” he said. Then his eyebrows suddenly furrowed. “Take a look at the man in this photo. The one sitting at the back of the ferry.”

  The others pushed back their chairs and went to look over Henry’s shoulder.

  Jessie’s eyes widened as she looked from the photo to Henry and back again. “That can’t be Uncle Andy, can it?”

  “Where?” Benny asked.

  Jessie tapped a finger, pointing to a man in the back row. He was sitting in the shadows, reading a newspaper.

  “It does look a lot like Uncle Andy,” Violet had to admit.

  Henry nodded. “Enough like him to be his twin brother. At least, from a distance,” he quickly added.

  “It is Uncle Andy,” declared Benny. He sounded very sure.

  Violet’s lips curled up into a smile. “It can’t be, Benny. Uncle Andy’s in Connecticut.”

  “Besides,” put in Jessie, glancing down at the photo, “it’s hard to tell what this man really looks like. After all, he’s half-hidden by a newspaper.”

  Henry shrugged. “I guess we’ll have to chalk it up to another look-alike sighting.”

  Violet giggled as she sat down again. “I guess it was your turn to see a double, Henry.”

  With that, the four Alden children finished breakfast. After leaving the kitchen spick-and-span, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny headed down to the lobby.

  “Hi, kids!” Toby called out to them. “Where are you off to today?”

  Jessie didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t trust the hotel clerk with the truth. “Oh, we’d thought we’d take a look around the Fremont neighborhood.”

  “Well, that’s quite a distance to walk,” Toby informed them. “It’ll be easier if you hop on the bus at the corner.”

  “Thanks, Toby,” said Henry. Then they hurried away.

  The children walked towards the bus stop, past smartly dressed men and women hurrying to work. They hadn’t gone far before Benny noticed a souvenir shop. He stopped to look at the display of T-shirts in the window.

  “I bet you want a T-shirt with the Space Needle on it,” said Jessie, reading his mind. “Right, Benny?”

  Benny looked over at his oldest sister expectantly. “Do we have enough money?”

  “We’ll, Grandfather did give us some extra money for souvenirs,” Jessie told him.

  Inside the store, Benny made a beeline for the salesclerk. “Excuse me,” he said. “I was wondering if you have any T-shirts with the Space Needle on the front?”

  His brother and sisters exchanged smiles. They could always count on Benny not to waste time on small talk.

  “Yes, right over here.” The smiling young woman held up a T-shirt. “This one should fit.”

  Benny beamed. “Thank you very much!”

  “I really like that purple T-shirt with the ferry on it,” said Violet. Purple was Violet’s favorite color, and she almost always wore something purple or violet.

  Jessie glanced around. There were so many T-shirts, it was hard to choose. After much thought, she chose one with the Monorail on the front.

  “I think I’ll get the Seattle Mariners,” said Henry, who was a big baseball fan.

  “I’m guessing you’re from out of town,” the salesclerk remarked as she rang up their purchases.

  Violet answered shyly, “Our grandfather’s here on business.”

  The young woman counted out the change. “And you’re off to see the sights?”

  Benny piped up, “Wealready saw the Space Needle and the underground city. Now we’re checking out the troll.”

  The salesclerk did not seem surprised to hear this. “The Fremont Troll always gets a lot of visitors.”

  The Aldens all looked at each other in surprise. “You’ve heard of the troll?” Jessie questioned.

  “Oh, of course! It’s one of the most popular art pieces in Seattle. Kids love to climb all over it.” The salesclerk slipped their T-shirts into a bag.

  “How about that?” Henry was shaking his head in disbelief as they stepped outside. “The riddle’s leading us to a sculpture.”

  “I can’t wait to see it,” said Violet, who took a great interest in art.

  It wasn’t long before the children were on a bus heading towards the Aurora Bridge.

  “I can see the bridge up ahead!” Benny cried out. He was craning his neck and pointing out the window.

  Henry pulled on the bell. As the bus slowed to a stop, the Aldens quickly got off. There was no stopping the youngest Alden. The others gave chase as Benny led the way under the bridge. They all came to a sudden stop when they caught sight of a huge concrete sculpture of a one-eyed troll.

  For a few moments no one spoke. Then Violet said, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “Neither have I,” said Jessie.

  “And look at that!” cried Benny, staring wide-eyed. “The troll’s crushing a car in his hand.”

  “Awesome!” Henry couldn’t stop shaking his head.

  For a while, they put all thoughts of the mystery aside as they climbed all over the gigantic sculpture. Violet took a snapshot of Benny standing on the
troll’s head, and another one of Jessie and Henry sitting on the monster’s shoulder. Finally, Benny spoke up.

  “I wonder where that message could be?” he said, scratching his head.

  Jessie slapped her forehead with the palm of her hand. “We almost forgot why we came!”

  The children began making a careful search. They circled the troll once … twice … three times looking for the message. But no luck.

  Henry scratched his head. “Maybe somebody beat us to it.”

  “Oh, Henry!” cried Violet. “I hope not.”

  But sharp-eyed Benny had spotted something the others hadn’t. In a flash, he crawled under the troll’s hand. He came out holding a small white box tied up with a red ribbon.

  “What would we do without you, Benny?” Jessie gave him a hug.

  Benny beamed. “I’m pretty good at finding things.”

  “You sure are,” agreed Henry. The Aldens sat down together on a concrete slab.

  Sure enough, they found another note inside the box. Jessie wasted no time reading it aloud.

  “If you catch sight

  of fish flying high,

  make your way to a bank

  standing nearby.”

  “Flying fish?” Benny wrinkled his forehead. “That’s kind of weird.”

  Violet agreed. “It doesn’t make sense.”

  “Nothing about this mystery makes sense!” Henry pointed out.

  “It’s almost as if—” Violet stopped in mid-sentence when Jessie put a finger to her lips, signaling for her brothers and sister to be quiet.

  “What is it?” Henry asked in a hushed voice.

  “I’m not sure,” Jessie told him, glancing around uneasily. “I just have the strangest feeling we’re being watched.”

  The Aldens all stopped and looked around. They saw a young couple taking pictures of the troll, but they didn’t see anything suspicious.

  Benny leaned closer to the others. “Maybe the troll has his eye on us,” he whispered, half-joking.

  “That troll has a hubcap for an eye, Benny,” Henry pointed out, laughing a little. “I don’t think he can see much.”

  Jessie put a comforting arm around her little brother. “I’m sure nobody’s watching,” she said. She didn’t want him to worry. But she really wasn’t sure at all.

  CHAPTER 9

  Something Fishy

  “An ice cream cone would sure hit the spot right now,” Benny hinted, as they got off the bus and headed back to the hotel.

  Henry counted his change. “You’re in luck, Benny,” he said. “I think we have just enough for ice cream.”

  It wasn’t long before they found an ice cream parlor and ducked inside. They soon came out again, happily licking ice cream cones.

  “Somebody sure made up hard clues,” Benny commented, falling into step beside Henry.

  Jessie agreed. “This riddle will be a tough one to figure out.”

  “There’s no such thing as flying fish,” said Benny, licking a drop of chocolate-mint ice cream from the back of his hand. “Is there?”

  “Not exactly.” Violet smiled at her little brother. “But sometimes fish leap out of the water.”

  Henry nodded. “And they almost seem to be flying.”

  “And the ‘bank’ in the riddle,” put in Jessie, following her brother and sister’s train of thought, “could mean the bank of a river or stream.”

  As they rounded the corner, Violet put up a hand to shade her eyes. “Isn’t that Reena coming out of the hotel?”

  “Yes, I’m sure of it,” said Jessie.

  “Hi, kids!” Reena called out. “I just stopped by to see you.”

  Benny ran forward. “You’ll never guess what, Reena,” he cried. “I bought a T-shirt with the Space Needle on it!” He held up a shopping bag.

  Reena’s smiled widened. “Well, maybe you could wear it tomorrow,” she suggested. “If you’re free, I’d love to show you around the Pike Place Market.”

  “Sounds great,” said Violet. She smiled back at Reena. “We haven’t made any plans yet.”

  “Oh, good!” Reena looked relieved. “The market really is a must-see for visitors. I’m working until noon tomorrow. Why don’t I meet you in the hotel lobby around lunchtime?”

  “Count us in!” said Henry, and the others nodded.

  “Great!” Reena looked down at her wrist-watch. “Well, I’m going to be late for work if I don’t hurry. See you tomorrow,” she said, dashing away.

  Jessie stared after her, puzzled. “Reena sure wants to keep us busy,” she remarked.

  “Oh, Jessie!” said Violet. “You’re not still thinking she’s trying to distract us, are you?”

  “Yes,” Jessie answered with a quick nod. “I just don’t know why.”

  “There’s no proof Reena’s up to anything,” Violet insisted, as they stepped into the lobby. Violet had a point. It was one thing to suspect somebody. It was another thing to have proof.

  “The important thing right now,” said Henry, “is to find out where these clues are leading us.”

  “You’re right, Henry,” said Jessie. “With a bit of teamwork, maybe we can figure it out.”

  “What a perfect day to eat outdoors,” Violet said later. She was passing around paper plates and napkins.

  “It sure is,” said Jessie. “I’m glad Toby mentioned there was a park nearby.”

  The four Alden children were sitting cross-legged on a blanket spread out on the grass.

  “I hope it’s a perfect day for solving a mystery,” said Benny. He held out his cup as Jessie poured the lemonade.

  “Which one?” asked Henry, as Violet handed him an egg salad sandwich. “The mystery of the riddles? Or the mystery of Rachel?”

  “And what about the look-alikes?” put in Benny. “That’s kind of weird, too. Don’t you think?”

  The others had to admit their little brother was right. Violet started adding everything up on her fingers.

  “First there was the woman with the umbrella,” she said. “The one who bumped into me outside the Hungry Heart Diner.”

  “She reminded you of Aunt Jane,” Jessie recalled.

  Violet nodded. “And then there was the snapshot we took on the ferry.”

  “Right,” said Henry. “That man in the photo sure looked like Uncle Andy.”

  “And don’t forget about Mrs. McGregor,” added Benny. “She was standing right by the totem pole in Pioneer Square.”

  Henry smiled at his little brother. “At least you saw somebody who looked like Mrs. McGregor, Benny.”

  “A lot like Mrs. McGregor,” Benny insisted.

  Jessie couldn’t help giggling. It seemed so funny. “I have a good nickname for Seattle,” she said. “The Look-Alike City.”

  Everyone laughed. Then Henry made a suggestion. “Let’s just stick to one mystery at a time.”

  “I was thinking the same thing,” said Violet. “How about if we try to figure out the latest riddle?”

  Jessie agreed. “The problem is,” she said, “where do we find flying fish?”

  Nobody had an answer. They were quiet as they ate their sandwiches and celery sticks.

  After playing Frisbee, they finally headed back to the hotel. They were each wondering the same thing. Where were the riddles leading them?

  “I think we should forget about the mystery for a while,” Jessie suggested, the next day while they waited for Reena in the lobby.

  Violet agreed. “Let’s just enjoy our trip to the market.”

  “A break might help clear our heads,” put in Henry.

  “Shake out the cobwebs,” said Violet, “as Grandfather would say.”

  The Aldens had puzzled and puzzled over the strange riddle. But they were still no closer to solving the mystery.

  As Reena came into the lobby, she gave the Aldens the thumbs-up sign. “No rain in sight!” she announced.

  “Whew!” Benny looked down at the Space Needle on the front of his T-shirt. “I don’t wan
t to get my souvenir wet.”

  “Don’t worry, Benny,” Reena assured him, as they set off. “Even if it rains, most of the market’s under cover.”

  Inside the crowded marketplace, the children made their way past stall after stall of fruits and vegetables, seafood, and freshly cut flowers. When Reena stopped to buy some peaches, Jessie looked around.

  “I’ve never seen such a big market,” she said.

  Reena nodded. “It stretches for blocks, Jessie,” she said.

  The Aldens weaved their way through the crowds, following Reena through a network of stairways, alleys, and courtyards. They discovered all sorts of interesting little shops. They checked out stalls of antiques and handmade crafts and stopped to browse through an open-air exhibit on the history of the market. Suddenly Reena stopped so quickly that Jessie almost bumped right into her.

  “Flowers!” Reena snapped her fingers. “I knew there was something I’d forgotten. I was supposed to buy flowers for a special dinner party tonight. Wait here for me.”

  This got Benny’s attention. “What’s so special about the party?”

  “Benny!” Jessie gave her little brother a warning look. “That’s not really any of our business.”

  Reena laughed. “That’s okay, Jessie,” she said. Then she turned to the youngest Alden. “The dinner party’s for some wonderful friends, Benny. That’s what makes it so special.” Then she opened the bag of peaches. “Help yourselves,” she said, holding the bag out to them.

  Benny didn’t need to be asked twice. “Thanks!”

  As Reena disappeared in the crowds, the Aldens munched on their peaches. It wasn’t long before Benny noticed something.

  “Look at that!” He pointed to a life-size statue of a bronze pig. “I guess that’s the little piggy who went to market,” he joked.

  Before the others had a chance to speak, a cheer suddenly went up from a crowd gathered nearby. “I wonder what’s going on?” said Jessie.

  “Let’s check it out,” Henry suggested.

  Full of curiosity, Jessie, Violet, and Benny followed their older brother.

  Benny pinched his nose. “Something smells fishy.”

  “No wonder,” said Henry, when they got to the front of the crowd. “Look at all the seafood.” He gestured towards the ice-filled counters chock-full of seafood.