Gymnastics Mystery (6 page)

“This key,” he said to the owner. “What does it go to?”

“Oh, that’s my airport locker key,” the man replied. “I make a lot of last-minute trips, so I keep a packed carry-on bag at the airport in a locker. This way I can leave right from the shop. And I keep my locker key in the case so I don’t lose it!”

Benny felt the key he kept in his pocket. A piece of the mystery suddenly became clear.

He owned the key to an airport locker. And he found it the day Al Stockton, mystery man, ran into them at the airport. Al Stockton had dropped it.

The day they picked up Katya.

“Okay,” said Jessie, with her hands wrapped around a mug of hot chocolate. “The big question is, did Al Stockton rent the locker and put his stuff inside and then drop the key?”

“Or did he lose the key before he could put anything inside?” Henry finished for her. “And what did he want to put in the locker? He had Katya’s bag, which he thought was his. What was he using the locker for?”

The Aldens sat around the kitchen table.

Benny’s key lay in the middle. They had fixed hot chocolate to drink with the plate of oatmeal raisin cookies Mrs. McGregor had made that afternoon. Katya was upstairs, resting before her special late-afternoon practice.

“Questions, questions,” Jessie said. “How do we find the answers?”

“We could always go to the airport and open locker number seventeen,” Violet suggested. “See what’s inside.”

Henry shook his head. “It’s a long drive to the airport. What would we tell Grandfather we’re looking for? I think we need to find out more about Al Stockton.”

“I bet he took Katya’s music,” Benny said, reaching for his sixth cookie.

“Either him or Lucas Tripp,” said Jessie. “Al is always following Katya. And Lucas keeps trying to interview her. I still think he’s the one who sold the gold box to the man in Nearly New.”

“The same box that was in the clipping in Katya’s letter,” said Violet. “This is the most complicated mystery we’ve ever had to solve!”

Henry got up to pour more cocoa into everyone’s mugs. “I don’t like talking about the case when Katya isn’t around. But she’s part of it somehow.”

Benny sighed. He really liked Katya. If only she weren’t mixed up in the mystery.

It was nearly dark when Grandfather dropped the children off at the arena. There weren’t many cars in the parking lot.

Inside, only a few athletes were still working out. Most had finished their practice sessions and had gone home. The big competition was the next day.

Irina began stretching with Katya immediately. As soon as Katya had warmed up, the coach put the tape in the cassette recorder. Katya began the new floor routine.

The Alden children wandered around the arena. The press box was empty except for phones and typewriters.

“All the reporters and photographers are back at their offices, working on the deadline,” Henry guessed.

“No, there’s Lucas,” said Violet.

Lucas sat in the bleachers, his notebook beside him. He beckoned for the Aldens to join him.

“Are you still working?” Jessie asked him.

She looked at the young man intently, trying to match his features to the description the Nearly New shop owner gave of the man who pawned the gold box. Something was different about Lucas this evening.

“No, I’m off duty,” Lucas replied. “I filed my story earlier. I just like to watch the kids perform. I want them all to win, but of course that’s not possible.”

“We sure hope Katya wins,” Benny said. “I think she’s the best.”

Lucas nodded as Katya flew by on a tumbling pass. “She’s very good. Let’s hope the judges agree.”

Jessie searched her brain for a way to bring up the gold box. “Have you ever been to Russia?”

“No, I haven’t,” Lucas said. “I’d love to do foreign reporting someday.”

Then Jessie realized what was different about him. “You’re not wearing your glasses,” she commented.

He grinned. “Contacts. Sometimes I wear them instead.” Slapping the wooden seat with his notebook, he rose to his feet. “I should be getting home. My dog will be wanting his supper.”

“You have a dog?” Violet wanted to know. “What kind?”

“A golden Lab,” Lucas answered. “All he wants to do is eat and play! See you guys tomorrow.”

When Lucas had left, Jessie whirled on the others. “Lucas has a golden Lab ... just like the guy in the park!”

Henry frowned. “But the guy in the park wasn’t Lucas, Jessie. We saw him clear as day.”

“I know,” Jessie said, biting her lip. If only she could remember where she had seen the man in the park! “This mystery is so confusing, with gold boxes and golden Labs and people in sweatpants. I know there’s a connection somewhere!”

“We’ll find it,” Benny said confidently.

On the morning of the competition, Katya had only a glass of orange juice and a banana.

“I cannot eat too much before a big event,” she told Mrs. McGregor.

Jessie and Violet helped Katya get ready. Today the gymnast wore her team leotard, blue with a shiny white stripe. They pulled her thick blond hair into a neat ponytail and tied it with a white ribbon. A circle of silver clips kept loose hairs from falling into Katya’s face.

Then Katya pulled on a shiny satin blue-and-white warm-up suit. Her cheeks were rosy with excitement.

Then everyone piled into the station wagon, including Mrs. McGregor. Grandfather had bought tickets for the whole family.

“Too bad Watch has to stay home,” said Benny.

Katya laughed. “A dog would be a funny sight on the balance beam!”

But at the main entrance of the arena, Katya stopped.

“I am supposed to meet my coach at another door, and I don’t want to run into that man again,” she told them. She glanced nervously at the Alden children.

Henry figured out instantly what was bothering her.

“We’ll go with Katya,” Henry said to Grandfather. “And then we’ll find you.”

Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor went inside to claim their seats.

“I don’t blame you, Katya, for being afraid of running into Al Stockton,” Henry said as they scurried around to the side entrance.

“Yes,” said Katya. “So many things have happened. First someone pours water on my jacket. Then that man keeps taking pictures of me. Then my music was taken from my bag.”

This was not a day for Katya to worry, Violet realized.

“I have a plan,” she said. “Benny is about your size. How about if Benny goes inside wearing your warm-up suit?”

“Good idea, Violet,” said Henry. “Katya, you can put on my coat again. It’s so big, you won’t get cold.”

“And nobody will recognize you,” Jessie added, helping Katya out of her jacket.

In minutes, Benny was wearing the blue-and-white shiny warm-up suit with the hood up over his head and Katya was bundled in Henry’s large jacket. “Do I look like a girl?” he asked.

“Do not worry,” Katya reassured Benny. “The boys on our Russian team wear the same suit.”

Henry opened the heavy door and they filed inside. Benny went first. Katya walked behind Henry.

The arena was packed to the rafters with spectators who filled the bleachers, athletes warming up everywhere, coaches, reporters, and other people connected with the competition.

In the front, a row of men and women sat behind a table.

“Those are the judges,” Katya said.

Jessie was scanning the room. “I don’t see Al Stockton. Or Lucas Tripp. Looks like you’re safe, Katya.”

“There’s Irina,” said Katya, shrugging out of Henry’s jacket. “Thank you for helping me. Now I must go with my teammates.”

“I guess we’ll go sit down with Grandfather and Mrs. McGregor,” said Violet.

Benny wiggled out of Katya’s suit and gave it to her so she could wear it between events. “Good luck!”

Katya blew them a kiss before running lightly across the floor toward her team.

“I can’t believe Katya has done anything wrong,” said Violet. “She is too nice to be mixed up in this mystery.”

“I agree,” said Jessie. “Maybe we’ll learn the truth when the competition is over.”

Henry nodded toward the girls’ team bleachers. “Look who’s here.”

It was Mrs. Patterson, Denise’s mother. She wore shiny red pants and a shirt, similar to the warm-up suits the American gymnastics team was wearing. She carried papers in her hand.

Henry got a look at the papers as she passed. “Score sheets,” he said. “She’s probably keeping track of Denise’s scores as the judges give them.”

“I bet she’s keeping track of Katya’s scores, too,” Jessie said. “Katya and Denise are in the same class, but on opposite teams. Katya is the one Denise has to beat.”

“I think we should stay down here,” Benny suggested. “So we can help Katya.”

“Good idea,” Violet said. “If we see Grandfather, we’ll tell him what’s going on.”

But soon the Aldens became busy watching Katya.

The first event was the uneven parallel bars. Several teams from other countries competed before the Russian team. The American team lined up behind the Russians. Mrs. Patterson stood as close to Denise as she was allowed.

Katya’s teammates went first.

Then it was Katya’s turn. She stood before the bars uncertainly, looking around.

“Is she scared?” Benny wanted to know.

Jessie realized what was wrong. The chalk the gymnasts rubbed on their palms before tackling the bars was missing. Someone had misplaced it ... or taken it.

Irina was signaling to Katya,
Wait, wait.
Irina searched her bag for spare chalk, found it, and ran to Katya. Katya chalked her hands and leaped onto the bars. She began casting—swinging her body away from the lower bar. Then she swung to the higher bar, straddling it and whirling in a circle. She did a handstand just long enough for the judges to admire her form, then slid into another move.

Katya had told the Aldens each position on the bars could not be held too long. They also knew that gymnasts used chalk so their hands wouldn’t blister on the wooden bars. If Katya’s concentration had been hurt by the missing chalk incident, it didn’t show in her magnificent dismount or in the brilliant smile she flashed the judges.

Katya received all 9.9s for her performance. Ten was the highest score.

Violet released a deep breath after the score had been posted. “Maybe this won’t be so bad, after all,” she said. “Her score was nearly perfect.”

Jessie nudged her sister. “Think again.”

Violet looked across the room. On one side of the arena, a black-haired man knelt to snap photographs. Al Stockton.

And on the other side, Lucas Tripp stood at the edge of the mat, watching Katya’s every move.

Then he glanced over at the Alden children and nodded. His heels clicked on the shiny floor as he walked around the mats.

“Lucas sees us,” said Benny. “He looks like he wants something.”

“We’ll soon find out,” Henry said. “He’s heading our way. And he doesn’t look happy.”

“Hey, there,” said Lucas when he reached them. “I thought you kids would be sitting in the bleachers.”

“Actually, our grandfather and our housekeeper are holding seats for us,” Jessie explained. “But we thought we’d stay down here and—” She couldn’t finish her sentence. Lucas was a suspect. She didn’t know how he was connected to Al Stockton or Katya.

“And make sure nothing goes wrong for Katya?” Lucas concluded correctly. “It’s okay. I know you kids are Katya’s friends. And you think I might be one of the bad guys.”

“Well, you did ask a lot of questions the other day,” said Violet. “You made her nervous.”

“I’m a reporter,” Lucas explained. “I’m supposed to ask questions and find out facts.”

Benny nodded. “So are we. We solve mysteries.”

“And I’m part of the mystery, aren’t I?” Lucas guessed.

“How can we trust you?” Henry said to him.

Lucas spread his hands, as if showing he had nothing to hide. “I’m not really sure what’s going on around here, but your friend is involved in some way. Our buddy Al Stockton hasn’t taken a single photo of anyone else today. His camera is always aimed at Katya.”

Jessie looked over. Sure enough, Al was snapping pictures of Katya, who was sitting on the bench behind the vaulting horse. She and her teammates wore their warm-up suits and were sipping water.

“This is what I wanted to tell you,” Lucas said. “I bumped into Al yesterday when we were leaving the arena. It was an accident, but he yelled at me. Something about touching that big bag. He’s got it with him today, too.”

“It’s for storing extra rolls of film,” Violet said, noting the camera bag slung around Al Stockton’s neck.

“Maybe the guy is paranoid about it.” Lucas saw the American boys’ team was ready for their next event. “I’d better get back to work. Keep an eye on your friend.”

“Don’t worry,” said Jessie. “We will.”

Lucas hurried off, notebook in hand.

Henry turned to his brother and sisters. “I think we need to do a little background investigating. Right now.”

“On what?” asked Violet.

“On two newspaper employees.” Henry sorted through his pocket change for quarters. “Come on.”