Great Turkey Heist

by Gertrude Chandler Warner

  Just then, Mr. Grayson came hurrying down the street. He stopped quickly when he saw the giant turkey. “Wow. What a turkey! I saw a crowd near the alley and I thought something was wrong,” he said. “I was worried that someone was trying to hurt the food pantry again!”

  “No,” Henry said. “Everything is fine. Here is money that people have already donated.” He put the bills into Mr. Grayson’s hands.

  Mr. Grayson was very surprised. For a moment, he couldn’t speak. “Th-thank you,” he finally stammered gratefully. “Let’s go inside.”

  Mr. Grayson opened the door to the food pantry. The bright lights and bold yellow walls made it a very warm, inviting room. He took the children into the back office. He showed them the box where he kept the money he was saving to buy food for the pantry. “I hardly had anything in here until today,” he said. “You children have done a wonderful job.”

  “We put donation jars out today, too,” Benny said. “So we can get more money soon.”

  Mr. Grayson took all the money and put it in his pocket. “I am going to put this money in the bank for now,” he said.

  They all walked back out of the office. Mr. Grayson looked around the pantry. “It is really starting to look like a real food pantry,” he said. “Soon, people who need help will be shopping here for their families. You children are doing a wonderful thing.”

  Mr. Grayson locked up the pantry and headed back to his restaurant.

  “Goodbye, Tom!” Benny said to the giant cardboard turkey. “I hope he doesn’t get lonely out here by himself.”

  A group of children ran up to Tom the turkey. They giggled and touched his giant cardboard feathers.

  “I don’t think Tom will get a chance to be lonely,” Jessie said. “He’s becoming very popular in Greenfield!”

  When the Aldens got back to the office center, their bicycles where lying on the ground. Broken glass was all around!

  “Oh no!” Violet said. “Our bikes must have blown over in the wind. And all the jars have fallen out and broken.”

  Henry bent down to take a look at the glass. Jessie held Benny’s hand. She did not want him to get cut on the sharp glass.

  “It wasn’t the wind,” Henry said. “The jars in my basket were closed tightly in a bag. I tied the knot myself. The wind is strong, but it cannot untie knots.”

  The children looked up and down the street. They did not see anyone who looked suspicious. After they cleaned up the mess, they went back to check on the turkey. Many people were still stopping to admire the giant bird. Some had walked down the alley to see where the food pantry was located.

  “Are you sure he will be safe here all night by himself?” Benny asked. “I don’t want to leave him. I could stay and take care of him.”

  Jessie laughed. “He’s just a cardboard turkey, Benny. He will be fine. Mr. Carroll did a good job of setting him up. Mr. Tom Turkey is nice and secure.”

  Benny wasn’t so sure. As they got on their bicycles to ride home, Benny saw someone quickly duck into a doorway to hide. He thought the person looked familiar, but he didn’t know who it was. But Henry, Jessie, and Violet were getting ahead of him. Benny pedaled hard and quickly caught up with his brother and sisters.

  CHAPTER 6

  A Clue in the Alley

  “In celebration of Violet’s great idea!” said Mrs. McGregor as she set a plate of pancakes on the table. Each pancake was shaped like a turkey!

  “How did you do that, Mrs. McGregor?” asked Benny. “How can a pancake look like a turkey?” He scooped several of the thick golden turkeys onto his plate.

  Mrs. McGregor laughed. “It’s not so hard, Benny. I found a turkey mold in the store the other day. I thought it was a cute idea.”

  “It’s a delicious idea! I’m going to give mine some eyes.” Benny put raisins on the turkey’s face. “Now he’s going for a swim!” Benny dunked the turkey in a pool of maple syrup.

  Grandfather laughed. “I’ve never seen anyone enjoy food as much as you do, Benny.”

  Just then, the phone rang, and Grandfather left the room.

  Jessie noticed that Henry was holding his fork in a funny way. “What’s wrong, Henry?” she asked.

  Henry looked at his finger. “Just a small cut,” he said. “I think when we were cleaning up last night, I got a piece of glass stuck in my finger. It’s just a little sore.”

  “That’s terrible!” Violet said.

  “Yes,” Jessie agreed. “I just don’t under-stand why someone would try to hurt the food pantry. Who could be against helping those who are hungry?”

  “Ms. Matthews is against the food pantry,” Violet said. “She does not even believe that Mr. Grayson is trying to open a food pantry. She thinks Mr. Grayson is trying to put her out of business and steal her customers.”

  “That’s true,” Jessie said. “And Mr. Higgins also seems to be angry about the food pantry. But I can’t figure out why he would feel that way. Mr. Grayson is not trying to put him out of business.”

  Benny ate the head of his turkey. It made him remember something. “I saw someone last night,” he said.

  “What do you mean?” asked Violet.

  “When we were saying good-bye to Tom the turkey, someone was sneaking up. When I looked up to see who it was, he jumped into a doorway to hide.”

  “That’s strange,” said Henry. “Do you think it was Mr. Higgins or Ms. Matthews?”

  “I don’t know,” Benny said. “I couldn’t really tell. I did not see the person’s face. There was something that seemed familiar about the person, but I don’t know what it was.”

  Grandfather came back to the table. “Sorry about that, children. But that was an important call. Do you remember my friend, Mr. Tipton?”

  “Oh yes,” said Jessie. “Doesn’t he own the movie theater?”

  “That’s right, he does. He saw Violet’s flyers and he would like to help. He is going to have a night at the movies for the food pantry. Admission is free as long as you bring some canned goods for the pantry.”

  “What a wonderful idea!” Jessie said.

  Grandfather opened up the newspaper. “Look. There is already an advertisement in the paper for the special movie night.”

  The children gathered around. It was a big advertisement. Everyone in Greenfield was sure to see it. It was for a new, popular movie called The Secret Under the Stairs.

  “Can we go, Grandfather?” asked Benny.

  “Of course you can go, Benny,” Grand-father said. “You will have to stand at the door to help collect all those canned goods! I just hope the movie isn’t too scary for you.”

  Benny jumped back from the table. “I’m not afraid of anything!” he said. “I won’t get scared by a movie!”

  After cleaning the breakfast dishes, Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny rode their bicycles into town. They wanted to thank Mr. Tipton and tell Mr. Grayson about the special movie night.

  “Can we stop and see Tom the turkey first?” asked Benny.

  “Sure,” Henry said. “We have to pass right by him. It’s just up around the corner.”

  But when the children turned the corner, they did not see what they expected.

  “He’s gone!” Benny cried. “I knew it! We should never have left him alone!”

  “Maybe he blew away,” Violet said. “It was quite windy last night.”

  Henry jumped off his bicycle. The bags of sand were right where Mr. Carroll had left them. Henry lifted up the string that was attached to the bags. He looked at it closely. “Someone cut this string,” he said. “Tom the turkey did not blow away. He was stolen!”

  Benny ran down the alley. “Tom!” he called. “Tom! Where are you?”

  When Benny came back, he was carrying Sunny, the yellow cat. “I couldn’t find Tom, but Sunny was in the alley.”

  Jessie petted the little cat. “She must be hungry. And that gives me an idea,” she said. “We can go to Higgins’s Grocery Store to buy some cat food for Sunny. While we’re there,
we could look around to see if Tom the turkey is somewhere in the store.”

  “Do you really think Mr. Higgins would steal Violet’s sign?” Henry asked.

  “I don’t know,” Jessie answered. “But it is worth investigating.”

  Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny rode their bicycles to Higgins’s Grocery Store. They carefully placed their bicycles on the side of the building so they would not be in anyone’s way.

  “I don’t see Tom the turkey out front,” Benny said.

  “If I stole a big turkey,” Henry said, “I would hide it in the back. I will go look in the alley behind the store.”

  “We will check inside,” Jessie said.

  In the store, they split up. Jessie and Benny went up and down the first six aisles. Violet looked over the last six aisles. She ran into Mr. Higgins in the frozen food section.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked gruffly.

  Violet was surprised. “I’m looking for . . .” she almost said “turkey” but remembered at the last moment. “I’m here for some cat food,” she answered.

  Mr. Higgins glared at Violet. “Cat food is not in the frozen foods,” he said. “It is in the pet food aisle.”

  “Of course,” Violet said. “That is where I am going.”

  Just then, there was a commotion in the back of the store. Mr. Higgins glanced at Violet, then hurried toward the noise. Violet followed.

  Mr. Higgins pushed through the swinging doors into the storage area. Benny was sitting on the floor. Boxes were scattered all around him.

  “What is going on here?” Mr. Higgins shouted.

  Jessie helped Benny to his feet. She brushed him off.

  “I’m sorry,” Benny said. “I thought I saw a turkey up there.” He pointed to the top of a high shelf. A colorful cardboard turkey sat next to some boxes. It was not as big as Violet’s turkey. It held a sign that advertised stuffing. “And then I accidentally backed into these boxes.”

  “You should not be back here,” Mr. Higgins said. “This is not an area for customers. You could have been hurt.” He turned to Jessie. “You should do a better job of watching your little brother.”

  “We’re sorry,” Jessie said. She squeezed Benny’s hand. His eyes were turning red.

  “I must ask you to leave the store,” Mr. Higgins said. “For some reason, we are having an extra-busy day today. We are working very hard to keep our shelves stocked with canned goods. And you children are causing trouble.”

  Outside, Benny rubbed his eyes. “I’m sorry, Jessie,” he said. “I didn’t mean to get us in trouble. I just wanted to peek in the back. I thought I saw Tom the turkey.”

  “It’s all right,” Jessie said. “You should not have gone back there. But you didn’t mean any harm. And nothing was damaged.”

  Henry came around the corner. He did not find Tom the turkey in the alley. “But look at this,” he said. Henry held up two long pieces of string. “This looks just like the string Mr. Carroll used to tie the turkey sign to the sand bags.”

  Jessie took the string from Henry. “I think you are right, Henry. It does look the same. But Mr. Higgins may use the same kind of string in his store.”

  “He might,” Henry answered. “But it is a coincidence.”

  “But if the string is there, where is the turkey?” asked Violet. “It is too big to hide in a trash can and it was not in the store.”

  Just then, a lady in a red jacket and a dark pair of slacks walked up to the children. She was carrying a notebook and a pen. “Are you the Aldens?” she asked.

  “Yes,” Jessie answered.

  “My name is Gail Sweeney. I am a reporter for the Greenfield Times. We had an anonymous call today. Someone told us that you are helping to set up a food pantry in Greenfield and that your turkey sign is missing.”

  The children looked surprised. “We have been helping,” Henry said. “But it is Mr. Grayson from the Green Fields restaurant who is setting up the food pantry.”

  “Can you tell me about the giant turkey sign that is missing?” asked the reporter. “I think that would make a great story for our paper.”

  “His name is Tom!” Benny said. “Someone stole him! Can you write in the paper that we want him back?”

  The reporter smiled. “Of course I will,” she said.

  “Violet drew the turkey,” Jessie explained. “She is a wonderful artist. Colette from the copy center made Violet’s turkey into a big sign. She was very kind. She donated the sign.”

  “And why did you need such a big sign?” asked the reporter.

  “The food pantry is at the end of a small alley,” Henry explained. “Most people did not know it was there. We thought a big sign would help everyone find the food pantry.”

  “I see.” The reporter jotted notes in her notebook. “Do you think that perhaps the sign blew away?”

  “No,” Henry replied. “Mr. Carroll from the hardware store has been helping with the food pantry, also. He tied the sign down. It was very secure. Someone cut the string.”

  “Do you have any idea who could have stolen the turkey sign?” asked the reporter.

  The children looked at one another, but they did not answer. They had suspects, but they had no proof. They did not want to accuse anyone.

  “C’mon kids,” said the reporter. “You can tell me. I would like to interview this person if you know who it is.”

  “We’re sorry,” Jessie said. “We do not know. But we know something else for your story.”

  “What’s that?” the reporter asked.

  “Tomorrow night there will be a free movie at the movie theater. You only have to bring some canned goods for admission. All the donations will go to the food pantry. Can you put that in your story?”

  The reporter smiled. “You care a lot about this food pantry, don’t you?”

  Jessie nodded.

  “I will put it in my story,” she said. “And I will come to movie myself!”

  The reporter asked each of the children to spell their names. “You will all be in the newspaper tomorrow.” She thanked them and left for her office.

  Benny ran down the sidewalk, away from his siblings.

  Jessie called after him. “Benny, wait! Where are you going? You forgot your bike!”

  “I’m going to be in the newspaper!” Benny called. “I have to go tell Grandfather. I am going to be famous!”

  CHAPTER 7

  A Mysterious Visitor

  “I am very proud of you, children,” Grandfather said. He spread the newspaper on the breakfast table. The story about the food pantry was right on the front page!

  “The Gr . . . Greeet . . . Turkey He . . .” Benny tried to sound out the words in the headline. “Henry, can you help me?”

  “That was a good try, Benny,” Henry said. “Some of those words are hard. The headline reads, ‘The Great Turkey Heist.’”

  “What is a heist?” Benny asked.

  “It is a robbery,” Grandfather answered. “It means that someone stole your great turkey sign.”

  Benny was leaning over the newspaper article trying to find words that he could read. Suddenly, he started to jump up and down. “Look! There’s my name!” he cried. “It says ‘Benny Alden.’ I am in the newspaper! I’m famous!”

  Everyone laughed. Mrs. McGregor set a platter of waffles and a pitcher of milk on the table. “Here is something to fill up your famous stomach,” she said.

  As the children ate, Grandfather read the story in the newspaper aloud. It was a very good story. It gave facts about the food pantry. It also discussed the mysterious disappearance of the turkey sign. And, just as the reporter promised, the story mentioned the movie night.

  “Wow! We’re going to get lots of donations for the food pantry tonight!” Benny said.

  “Yes, I think you are right, Benny,” Jessie said. “Oh, and let’s not forget—we promised Mr. Tipton that we would go to the theater early to help get ready.”

  “I have a meeting this afternoon in to
wn,” Grandfather said. “I will give you a ride.”

  When Grandfather dropped them off in town, Mr. Tipton was outside his theater. He was on a ladder. “Hello!” he called. When he waved at the children, the ladder shook.

  Henry quickly grasped the ladder. He held it steady.

  “Glad to see you, children. I’m just finishing up here. I will be down shortly. Can you hand me those letters?” Mr. Tipton asked.

  A few large black letters sat on the ground. Benny picked up a T. “Wow! This letter is almost as big as me.”

  “The letters need to be big so everyone can see them,” Mr. Tipton said. “This is called a marquee. I change the letters every week to advertise the movies.” Mr. Tipton placed the last few letters on the marquee. He climbed down and looked up at his theater.

  “It looks wonderful,” Violet said.

  “What does it say?” Benny asked.

  “The Secret Under the Stairs,” Jessie read. “Starring Marla White. And on the other side it says ‘Greenfield Food Pantry Night Tonight.’”

  “I am expecting a big crowd,” Mr. Tipton said. “I think everyone in town read the story in the paper this morning. My phone has been ringing off the hook.”

  “That’s wonderful,” Jessie said.

  “Why don’t you children come inside so I can show you around?” Mr. Tipton held open the door to his theater. Henry carried the ladder inside.

  First, Mr. Tipton took the children into his office. Movie posters decorated the walls. Stacks of tickets sat on the desk.

  “That’s a lot of tickets!” Benny said.

  Mr. Tipton laughed. “Yes. Movie theaters always need to have a lot of tickets. You will have to give one ticket to each person who brings a donation for the food pantry. Let’s bring the tickets up front to the booth.”

  Mr. Tipton took a key from his pocket and unlocked the sales booth. It was small inside. There was one tall chair. A dark curtain hung in front of the curved window. Mr. Tipton pushed the curtain back. Suddenly, the room was filled with light.

  Jessie helped Benny climb up onto the chair. “I can see the whole street from here!” he said.