“Could just be a coincidence,” said Henry.
But Jessie wasn’t so sure. Her mind was racing. “Unless—”
“Unless what, Jessie?” Henry questioned.
“Unless Max and Rilla are working together.”
The others looked at Jessie in surprise. “You think it was Rilla on the other end of the line?” Violet asked.
“It’s possible.” Jessie nodded. “If Max finds the treasure first, he’ll make some quick cash, and—”
“And Abby would have no choice but to sell the resort!” Henry finished his sister’s sentence for her. “It would work out very well for both Rilla and Max,” he added.
Benny folded his arms, “That means there’s only one thing to do,” he said in a very serious voice. “Find the treasure first!”
“You’re right, Benny.” Jessie pulled the photograph of Patch O’Brien’s cats from her backpack. “But we won’t find it until we figure out what this photograph is trying to tell us.”
Just then, a young woman with a cheery smile came over to take their orders. “What’ll it be, kids?”
Henry chose a ham sandwich and lemonade. Violet and Jessie both ordered grilled cheese sandwiches, coleslaw, and milk. Benny decided on chicken nuggets, fries, and a root-beer float.
Jessie couldn’t help noticing that the waitress kept looking over at the photograph as she took their orders. Why was she so interested in a picture of seven cats curled up on a bench?
“That should do for starters,” said Benny, closing the menu.
The other Aldens looked at each other and smiled. They could always count on their little brother to have a big appetite.
The waitress gave Benny a wink. “Our chocolate cream pie is a big favorite around here.”
“Do we have enough money for dessert, Henry?” asked Benny.
“Are you sure you’ll have enough room?” Henry smiled as he waited for his younger brother’s answer, even though he knew what it would be.
“I always have room for dessert,” said Benny, who had a sweet tooth.
At this, the waitress couldn’t help laughing. She added chocolate cream pie to their order, then walked away.
As they waited for their food to arrive, the Aldens turned their attention to the photograph of Patch O’Brien’s cats.
“Just what are those cats trying to tell us?” Henry wondered. He was still convinced they were some kind of clue.
Benny had an opinion. “I think I know what they’re saying. They’re saying—meow!”
They all burst out laughing at Benny’s joke. “I have a feeling there’s more to it than that, Sherlock,” Henry said.
The four Aldens were quiet for a while as they peered long and hard at the photograph. There were seven cats altogether, and each one was different. One was black, one was charcoal-gray. One was small and honey-colored, one was big and brown. One had white-tipped ears, one had a striped tail. And there was one that was a big ball of orange fur.
“I don’t get it,” Violet said at last. “Do you?” She looked around at the others.
Benny shook his head. “I don’t see anything that looks like a clue.”
“I’ve drawn a blank, too,” Henry admitted. “This is going to be a tough one to figure out.”
Jessie agreed. “All we really know is that Patch loved cats.”
“He sure did.”
The children turned to see the waitress standing over them, looking at the photograph.
“I couldn’t help noticing,” she said as she placed their food on the table. “Aren’t those Patch O’Brien’s cats?”
“Yes,” Jessie said in surprise. “Did you know Patch O’Brien?”
“Everyone around here knew Patch,” said the waitress. “Real outdoorsy type. He stopped by the diner every now and again.” She laughed a little. “Always ordered a slab of apple pie and a cup of coffee. My name’s Tory, by the way. Short for Victoria.”
Jessie returned Tory’s friendly smile. “I’m Jessie, and this is Violet, Henry, and Benny.” She pointed to her sister and brothers in turn.
After saying hello, Tory went on, “When Patch died, I took in Chad and Coco.” She pointed to the photograph. “Chad’s the one with the white tips on his ears. And see the big brown one? That’s Coco.”
“Cute names for cats,” said Jessie.
Tory nodded. “My sister adopted Custard and Charlie. Custard’s the black one, and Charlie’s the one with the striped tail. Now, the gray cat—that’s Crumpet. The owner of the gas station took her in.”
“Chad, Coco, Custard, Charlie, and Crumpet.” Benny was counting on his fingers. “That makes five,” he pointed out. “What about the other two?” The others were wondering the same thing.
Tory thought for a moment. “I believe the orange cat and that little honey-colored one both went to a family on the edge of town.”
Benny had another question. “What were their names?” he asked. “The cats, I mean. Not the family.”
“Hmm, now just what were their names?” Tory was tapping a pen thoughtfully against her chin when a young couple came into the diner. As she hurried off, she called back to the Aldens, “Don’t worry, it’ll come to me. It’s on the tip of my tongue!”
Benny was just dipping his last french fry into ketchup when Tory came back. “Clem and Chelsey,” she said, looking pleased with herself. “Clem was the orange cat, and Chelsey was the honey-colored one.”
Violet giggled. She couldn’t help it. “They all have names beginning with the letter C.”
“We always thought it was strange.” Tory chuckled. “But the names are fun to say all together—Clem, Chelsey, Custard, Charlie, Coco, Chad, and Crumpet.”
“I wonder why Patch did that,” said Jessie. “Gave all his cats names beginning with the letter C, I mean.”
“Well, he always did like the sea,” Tory said, her eyes twinkling.
Everyone laughed—except Benny.
“I don’t get it,” he said, as the waitress walked away.
“Tory was making a joke,” Henry explained to his little brother. “Patch liked the kind of sea you go sailing on. Maybe that’s why he liked the letter C.”
“Oh,” said Benny, who still wasn’t sure what was so funny.
“Seven cats—all with names beginning with the letter C,” said Henry. He was deep in thought as he pushed the salt shaker around on the table.
Violet looked at him. “Do you think it means something, Henry?”
“I have the weirdest feeling that we’re close to figuring something out.” Henry paused for a moment to sort out his thoughts. “I just can’t quite put my finger on what it is.”
CHAPTER 8
A Purr-fect Solution
Back at the resort, the Alden children found their grandfather sitting on the cabin porch with Abby.
“How did you make out in town?” Grandfather asked.
“We got everything we’ll need for the signs,” said Henry, handing Abby the change. “Sandpaper, brushes, and paint.”
Violet nodded. “Wait till you see the great colors we chose!”
“Well, those signs can use a bit of pizzazz. But are you sure you want to spend your time working?” asked Abby.
Grandfather laughed. “You don’t know these children, Abby. There’s nothing they like better than hard work.”
“Well, then it’s okay. Oh, by the way,” said Abby, “any luck with the riddle?”
Jessie didn’t want to lie, but she didn’t want to get Abby’s hopes up, either. “We’re still working on it,” she said.
“I wouldn’t spend too much time on it if I were you,” Abby advised. “I’m sure Rilla’s right. There probably isn’t any treasure at all.”
But the Aldens weren’t convinced Rilla was right. They had a strong hunch there was a treasure. And it was a treasure just waiting to be found.
After a swim in the lake and a game of horseshoes with Adam, they got to work on the signs. Sitting in the shade of an el
m, they sanded the rough spots where the paint was chipped and peeling. Henry worked on the sign for THE OGOPOGO GIFT SHOP. Jessie tackled CABINS FOR RENT. And Violet and Benny worked on THE OGOPOGO RESORT.
Jessie had just brought out a thermos of lemonade when she noticed something that made her frown. “That’s odd,” she said. “Didn’t Patch carve an Ogopogo for every porch?”
“That’s right.” Henry said. “At least, that’s what Abby said.”
Violet asked, “What’s odd about that?”
Jessie gestured toward the line of cabins. “Take a look at the porch on the far right.”
They all followed Jessie’s gaze. “Oh,” said Violet. “I see what you mean, Jessie. No carving.”
“Maybe Abby sold it,” guessed Violet.
“Everything Patch made sold like hot-cakes. Remember?” said Henry.
“Still, it is kind of weird,” insisted Jessie. “I’m sure that carving was on the porch when we arrived.”
“You know what I think?” added Benny. “I think the number seven is a clue.”
“What makes you say that, Benny?” Henry questioned.
“For one thing, Patch had seven cats,” Benny explained. “And for another thing, cats have seven lives.”
“Nine,” Jessie corrected.
“What?”
“Cats have nine lives, Benny,” Jessie told him. “At least, that’s how the saying goes.”
“Nine?” Benny scratched his head. “Are you sure?”
Nodding, Jessie smiled at her little brother.
“You know what, Benny?” said Henry. “I think you’re on to something with the number seven. After all, there are seven cats with seven names that begin with the letter C.”
Benny nodded. “Clem, Chelsey, Custard, Charlie, Coco, Chad, and Crumpet.”
“Very good, Benny!” praised Jessie.
The youngest Alden beamed. “A detective always remembers stuff like that.”
“You think it’s some kind of clue, Henry?” Violet wondered.
“Got to be,” said Henry. “I just can’t shake the feeling those seven C’s must mean something.” Just then, he clapped a hand over his mouth, surprised by his own words.
“What are you thinking, Henry?” asked Jessie.
“I’m thinking we should check out Patch O’Brien’s boat,” answered Henry.
“Why do you say that, Henry?” Violet asked.
“Think about it.” Henry looked around at his brother and sisters. “What’s the name of Abby’s boat?”
“The Seven Seas,” Jessie said, puzzled. Then her face brightened as she suddenly caught on. “The seven cats all have names that start with a C—the seven C’s!”
“The cats are pointing the way to the boat!” Benny let out a cheer. Solving clues was always fun.
“You think there’s something hidden on the Seven Seas?” Violet asked.
“Let’s go find out.” Henry scrambled to his feet. “Max said we were welcome on the Seven Seas anytime. And there’s no time like right now,” he added.
Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny put on life jackets and hurried down to the lake. They wasted no time climbing aboard the Seven Seas. As they began to look around, Jessie spoke up.
“Remember,” she said, “anything that looks unusual can be a clue.”
The others gave Jessie the thumbs-up. They were determined to check out every inch of the boat. But it wasn’t long before Benny found something.
“Come look!” he called out.
Henry, Jessie, and Benny hurried over.
Benny had removed the life jackets stowed in the compartment under the bench seat. He was staring down into the empty bin.
“What is it?” asked Henry.
“I think I just found a clue!” Benny sounded excited.
The others crowded around. Sure enough, a message had been carved into the wood at the bottom of the storage bin.
“Benny, you’re an awesome detective!” Jessie said proudly.
“I guess I am.” Benny grinned from ear to ear. “But … what does it say?”
Jessie read the strange message aloud.
Backwards or forwards,
from left or from right,
it’s always the same,
by day or by night.
“Patch sure made hard riddles,” said Benny.
Jessie began to copy the riddle in her notebook. “I just hope we can figure this one out.”
“What’s the same backwards or forwards?” Benny said, after a moment’s thought.
Nobody had any ideas. It seemed like the more they looked for answers, the more questions they had.
CHAPTER 9
Getting Warmer
“Abby told me about a family park nearby,” Grandfather said over breakfast the next morning. “They have bumper boats and go-karts and miniature golfing. Anybody interested in checking it out?”
“That’d be great!” cried Benny, his eyes shining.
Henry agreed. “That’s a super idea, Grandfather,” he said, every bit as excited as his little brother. “Besides, we could use a break from detective work.” The four Alden children had puzzled and puzzled over the latest riddle. But by the time they’d gone to bed, they still hadn’t come up with any answers.
“I promised Abby I’d join her for a cup of coffee before we leave,” said Grandfather, taking the blueberry muffins that Violet passed to him. “But it won’t take long.”
After breakfast, the four Alden children cleared the table and washed the dishes while Grandfather had coffee with Abby.
“Let’s take your notebook with us, Jessie,” suggested Violet, who was giving the counters a once-over. “We can try to figure out the riddle on the drive.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” Henry agreed. “We really don’t have time to take a break from this mystery.”
“I put the notebook in my backpack,” said Jessie, glancing around the room. “Now … where did I leave the backpack?”
Violet looked around, too. “Maybe it’s outside. The last time I remember seeing it was when we were painting the signs.”
Benny was already halfway to the door. “I bet we left it by that big tree.”
The Aldens wasted no time checking it out. Sure enough, Jessie’s denim backpack was leaning up against the trunk of the old elm tree.
“It’s right where we left—oh, no!” Benny exclaimed.
“What in the world …?” Violet cried out at the same time.
The four Aldens stared in astonishment. The words MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS—OR ELSE! had been painted in purple across one of the signboards.
Henry gave a low whistle. “Somebody sure doesn’t want us looking for that treasure.”
Benny’s eyes were huge. “Who do you think …?”
“Could be anybody,” Jessie broke in as she fished through the denim backpack for her notebook.
Henry used a stick to pry open the lid on the can of Goldenrod Yellow. “It’ll take more than a message in purple to get us to back off,” he said. Then he grabbed a paint brush and slapped a thick coat of Goldenrod Yellow over the words.
“It’s gone!” Jessie suddenly cried out.
Henry looked up. “What’s gone?”
“Are you talking about your notebook, Jessie?” Violet wanted to know.
Jessie shook her head. “My notebook is here, but … the photograph is gone!”
“Are you positive you left it in your backpack?” Henry wanted to make sure.
“Yes,” said Jessie. “It was right in this zippered pocket with the notebook.”
“I don’t understand.” Violet frowned. “It couldn’t just disappear.”
“It could if somebody stole it,” Benny said. “And I bet it was the same person who left that message.”
“Oh, Benny!” Violet exclaimed. “Why would anyone steal an old photograph of cats?”
“Unless,” Jessie remarked, “he—or she— knew the photo held a clue to the treasure.”
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p; “Uh-oh,” said Benny.
Henry looked over at his little brother. “What is it, Benny?”
“Rilla Washburn knew about the clue,” Benny said in a quiet voice. “I gave away top-secret information when we saw her in town. Remember?”
“That’s okay, Benny,” Jessie assured him. “At least the thief didn’t take my notebook.”
The children forgot all about the mystery for a while when they got to the amusement park. They rode the bumper boats and the go-karts and did some wall climbing. Even Grandfather joined them for a game of miniature golf. Everyone had a wonderful time—at least until they were heading back to the resort. When they stopped at a cafe for lunch, Grandfather told them the news.
“It seems Abby’s made up her mind,” he said after the waitress had brought their food. They’d all ordered the special—cold turkey sandwiches, homemade potato chips, and root beer. “She’s decided to sell the Ogopogo Resort.”
“What …?” Benny almost choked on a potato chip.
“Oh, no!” Violet cried at the same time.
“I’m afraid it’s true,” said Grandfather. As he took a sip of root beer, the ice cubes clinked in the glass. “She told me this morning.”
The four Aldens looked at each other in dismay. They’d been so sure they’d find the treasure in time!
Grandfather swallowed a bite of his sandwich. “She’s planning to put in a call to her real estate agent today.”
“Today?” Henry winced.
“Abby’s made up her mind,” said Grandfather. “I told her I’d look over the sales contract with her. It’s important to check out the small print.”
Benny frowned. “But we were getting warmer.”
Grandfather smiled at his youngest grandson. “I know you were hoping to save the day, Benny,” he said. “But things don’t always work out the way we plan.”
Violet let out a sigh. “I just wish things weren’t working out the way Rilla planned.”
“Abby hasn’t sold the resort yet, Violet,” Jessie reminded her, before crunching into a potato chip.
“That’s true,” said Henry. “And we haven’t given up yet, have we?”
“No!” the other Aldens almost shouted.
Creature in Ogopogo Lake Page 4
