Boardwalk Mystery (9 page)

“You were not protecting the public when you put the zombie in the ocean,” Henry said.

Mr. Cooke looked startled.

“It was you,” Jessie said. “We saw you later walking down the boardwalk and your pants and shoes were quite wet. You did not seem to care that a swimmer banged his ankle against the zombie in the water.”

“You wanted Mr. Hanson to be blamed for it,” Violet said.

“And Mr. Cooke wrote with black marker in the house of mirrors,” Benny added.

Mr. Hanson looked upset. “Did you really do all these things, Bob?” he asked.

Mr. Cooke looked around the room.

Everyone was staring at him. “I . . . I . . . All right, I admit it! I did those things. But so what? It is just a little friendly competition.”

“There is nothing friendly about it,” Mr. Hanson said. “I want you to leave my amusement pier right now. And don’t ever set foot here again or I will call the police. You are lucky I am not calling the police right now!”

Mr. Cooke’s face turned very red. Then he hurried out of the shed.

A few moments later, there was knock on the door. “Carl? Are you in there?”

Mr. Hanson opened the door. “Mrs. Reddy! Come in. What are you doing here?”

Mrs. Reddy cleared her throat. “I um . . . I want to apologize.”

“More apologies!” Mr. Hanson exclaimed. “What could you have done, Mrs. Reddy?”

“Mrs. Reddy wanted your pier to fail also,” Jessie said. “She misses being the owner and running the pier. She thinks that she made a mistake to retire. She would like to run the pier again.”

Mrs. Reddy nodded. “Jessie is right. So many things were going wrong here, I thought that you would ruin the pier. And I was bored at home with not much to do. I love this pier. I want to keep it great. It is the best pier on the boardwalk.”

Mr. Hanson nodded. “I know how you feel. And I sure could use your help,” he said. “You have so much experience. Would you be willing to help out here?”

Mrs. Reddy smiled. “Really? You would let me help? I would love to!”

There was another knock at the door.

Mr. Hanson scratched his head. “Now what?” he said.

It was Madison, one of the pier workers. “Mr. Hanson!” she cried. “We need your help out here!”

“What is the problem?” Mr. Hanson asked.

Madison’s face was flushed. “There are so many customers, we need help running the rides! I think the whole town of Oceanside has come to your pier tonight!”

“How wonderful!” Violet said.

Everyone rushed out to help run the pier. Jessie sold tickets. Henry and Benny ran the haunted house ride. Violet helped children on the Big Slide. Mrs. Reddy went from ride to ride, helping wherever she was needed, and smiling happily at all the customers. She told everyone what a safe and wonderful pier Carl Hanson was running. Wendy ran the motorcycle ride and Will took care of the Ferris wheel.

When the pier finally closed, all of the customers went away talking about how much fun they had had.

“We will be back!” many people called as they walked away. “Thank you so much for a great night.”

Mr. Hanson, Will, Wendy, Mrs. Reddy, and the Aldens sat at a picnic table at the end of the pier overlooking the ocean. They were very tired.

“The free ride night was a big success,” Jessie said. “Now everyone knows that Hanson’s is a terrific and safe amusement pier.”

“Yes.” Mr. Hanson smiled. “Thanks to you children.”

Suddenly, there was a loud growling sound. Mrs. Reddy looked startled. She put her hand over her heart. “What was that?” she asked.

Everyone turned to look at Benny. Benny held his stomach. “I can’t help it!” he said. “My stomach always does that when I am hungry.”

“And Benny is always hungry,” Henry explained.

“Then I am just in time!” Hunter walked up to the picnic table. His arms were full of boxes of pizza from Mack’s.

“Oh boy!” Benny cried. “Mack’s has the best pizza in the world. It smells so good!”

“Congratulations, Mr. Hanson,” Hunter said. “Everyone on the boardwalk has been talking about your amusement pier. The free ride night must have been a great success.”

“It was,” Mr. Hanson said. “And it is not over yet.”

Benny swallowed a big mouthful of pepperoni pizza. “It’s not over yet?” He looked around. “But all the customers are gone. I thought the pier was closed.”

Mr. Hanson smiled. “The pier is closed, but we are still here. And now that the crowds are gone, I think you children should try all the rides.”

Benny jumped up from the table. “Really? Can I ride the motorcycles? And the roller coaster? And the Ferris wheel, too?”

“Of course you can,” Will said. “And you can ride them as many times as you like.”

“I’m going to ride everything!” Benny said. Then he paused. “Except maybe not the haunted house. The zombies still scare me a little bit. I know they are not real but . . .”

Just then another long, loud growl came from Benny’s stomach.

Mrs. Reddy laughed. “Benny, I think the zombies should be afraid of your stomach! It sounds much scarier than they do.”

“You’re right, Mrs. Reddy!” Benny grabbed another piece of pizza and headed toward the haunted house. “Okay, zombies, here I come,” he called. “I am not afraid of you!”

Everyone laughed. Henry, Jessie, Violet, Benny, Will, Wendy, Hunter, Mr. Hanson, and even Mrs. Reddy spent a fun night riding on all the rides, playing games, and eating the pizza that Hunter had brought.

“Mr. Hanson,” Benny said at the end of the night, holding his very full stomach, “I hope that you own this amusement pier forever and ever!”

“We all do,” Violet said.

Mr. Hanson smiled. He put one arm around Will and one around Wendy. He gazed up at the big Ferris wheel. “This has always been my dream,” he said. “And now, because of all of you, my dream has come true! Thank you!”

G
ERTRUDE
C
HANDLER
W
ARNER
discovered when she was teaching that many readers who like an exciting story could find no books that were both easy and fun to read. She decided to try to meet this need, and her first book,
The Boxcar Children,
quickly proved she had succeeded.

Miss Warner drew on her own experiences to write the mystery. As a child she spent hours watching trains go by on the tracks opposite her family home. She often dreamed about what it would be like to set up housekeeping in a caboose or freight car—the situation the Alden children find themselves in.

When Miss Warner received requests for more adventures involving Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny Alden, she began additional stories. In each, she chose a special setting and introduced unusual or eccentric characters who liked the unpredictable.

While the mystery element is central to each of Miss Warner’s books, she never thought of them as strictly juvenile mysteries. She liked to stress the Aldens’ independence and resourcefulness and their solid New England devotion to using up and making do. The Aldens go about most of their adventures with as little adult supervision as possible—something else that delights young readers.

Miss Warner lived in Putnam, Connecticut, until her death in 1979. During her lifetime, she received hundreds of letters from girls and boys telling her how much they liked her books.

The Boxcar Children Mysteries

THE BOXCAR CHILDREN

SURPRISE ISLAND

THE YELLOW HOUSE MYSTERY

MYSTERY RANCH

MIKE’S MYSTERY

BLUE BAY MYSTERY

THE WOODSHED MYSTERY

THE LIGHTHOUSE MYSTERY

MOUNTAIN TOP MYSTERY

SCHOOLHOUSE MYSTERY

CABOOSE MYSTERY

HOUSEBOAT MYSTERY

SNOWBOUND MYSTERY

TREE HOUSE MYSTERY

BICYCLE MYSTERY

MYSTERY IN THE SAND

MYSTERY BEHIND THE WALL

BUS STATION MYSTERY

BENNY UNCOVERS A MYSTERY

THE HAUNTED CABIN MYSTERY

THE DESERTED LIBRARY MYSTERY

THE ANIMAL SHELTER MYSTERY

THE OLD MOTEL MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN PAINTING

THE AMUSEMENT PARK MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE MIXED-UP ZOO

THE CAMP-OUT MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY GIRL

THE MYSTERY CRUISE

THE DISAPPEARING FRIEND MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE SINGING GHOST

MYSTERY IN THE SNOW

THE PIZZA MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY HORSE

THE MYSTERY AT THE DOG SHOW

THE CASTLE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST VILLAGE

THE MYSTERY ON THE ICE

THE MYSTERY OF THE PURPLE POOL

THE GHOST SHIP MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY IN WASHINGTON, DC

THE CANOE TRIP MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE HIDDEN BEACH

THE MYSTERY OF THE MISSING CAT

THE MYSTERY AT SNOWFLAKE INN

THE MYSTERY ON STAGE

THE DINOSAUR MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN MUSIC

THE MYSTERY AT THE BALL PARK

THE CHOCOLATE SUNDAE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE HOT AIR BALLOON

THE MYSTERY BOOKSTORE

THE PILGRIM VILLAGE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE STOLEN BOXCAR

THE MYSTERY IN THE CAVE

THE MYSTERY ON THE TRAIN

THE MYSTERY AT THE FAIR

THE MYSTERY OF THE LOST MINE

THE GUIDE DOG MYSTERY

THE HURRICANE MYSTERY

THE PET SHOP MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE SECRET MESSAGE

THE FIREHOUSE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY IN SAN FRANCISCO

THE NIAGARA FALLS MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY AT THE ALAMO

THE OUTER SPACE MYSTERY

THE SOCCER MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY IN THE OLD ATTIC

THE GROWLING BEAR MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE LAKE MONSTER

THE MYSTERY AT PEACOCK HALL

THE WINDY CITY MYSTERY

THE BLACK PEARL MYSTERY

THE CEREAL BOX MYSTERY

THE PANTHER MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE QUEEN’S JEWELS

THE STOLEN SWORD MYSTERY

THE BASKETBALL MYSTERY

THE MOVIE STAR MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE PIRATE’S MAP

THE GHOST TOWN MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE BLACK RAVEN

THE MYSTERY IN THE MALL

THE MYSTERY IN NEW YORK

THE GYMNASTICS MYSTERY

THE POISON FROG MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE EMPTY SAFE

THE HOME RUN MYSTERY

THE GREAT BICYCLE RACE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE WILD PONIES

THE MYSTERY IN THE COMPUTER GAME

THE MYSTERY AT THE CROOKED HOUSE

THE HOCKEY MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE MIDNIGHT DOG

THE MYSTERY OF THE SCREECH OWL

THE SUMMER CAMP MYSTERY

THE COPYCAT MYSTERY

THE HAUNTED CLOCK TOWER MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE TIGER’S EYE

THE DISAPPEARING STAIRCASE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY ON BLIZZARD MOUNTAIN

THE MYSTERY OF THE SPIDER’S CLUE

THE CANDY FACTORY MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE MUMMY’S CURSE

THE MYSTERY OF THE STAR RUBY

THE STUFFED BEAR MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF ALLIGATOR SWAMP

THE MYSTERY AT SKELETON POINT

THE TATTLETALE MYSTERY

THE COMIC BOOK MYSTERY

THE GREAT SHARK MYSTERY

THE ICE CREAM MYSTERY

THE MIDNIGHT MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY IN THE FORTUNE COOKIE

THE BLACK WIDOW SPIDER MYSTERY

THE RADIO MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE RUNAWAY GHOST

THE FINDERS KEEPERS MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE HAUNTED BOXCAR

THE CLUE IN THE CORN MAZE

THE GHOST OF THE CHATTERING BONES

THE SWORD OF THE SILVER KNIGHT

THE GAME STORE MYSTERY

THE MYSTERY OF THE ORPHAN TRAIN

THE VANISHING PASSENGER

THE GIANT YO-YO MYSTERY

THE CREATURE IN OGOPOGO LAKE

THE ROCK ‘N’ ROLL MYSTERY

THE SECRET OF THE MASK

THE SEATTLE PUZZLE

THE GHOST IN THE FIRST ROW

THE BOX THAT WATCH FOUND

A HORSE NAMED DRAGON

THE GREAT DETECTIVE RACE

THE GHOST AT THE DRIVE-IN MOVIE

THE MYSTERY OF THE TRAVELING TOMATOES

THE SPY GAME

THE DOG-GONE MYSTERY

THE VAMPIRE MYSTERY

SUPERSTAR WATCH

THE SPY IN THE BLEACHERS

THE AMAZING MYSTERY SHOW

THE CLUE IN THE RECYCLING BIN

MONKEY TROUBLE

THE ZOMBIE PROJECT

THE GREAT TURKEY HEIST

THE GARDEN THIEF

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

copyright © 2013 by Albert Whitman & Company

978-1-4804-0113-6

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