The Homerun Mystery (7 page)

Benny touched the tip of the bat. “How would this make people hit home runs?”

“A lighter bat is a faster bat,” Henry explained. “You can swing it easier. That makes the fat part of the bat — the part that hits the ball — move through the strike zone faster. And the cork makes the ball really bounce off the bat.”

Now Benny understood. “So even if you weren't a very good hitter, you could hit homers with this bat.”

“It's against the rules,” Henry said. “We have to let the umpire and Coach Percy know as soon as possible. There's probably another bat just like this and that's what the Eagles are using today. This is the spare.”

“Coach Jenkins will have to confess,” said Benny. “I bet the whole thing was his idea.”

“Let's go,” Henry said.

As Benny leaned into the clubhouse to pull the door shut, he saw an old glass-fronted cabinet filled with old tarnished trophies, its glass doors cracked and dusty. He slid one open and peered inside. Photographs of baseball players in old-timey uniforms, faded pennants, and posters announcing games were pasted on the inside back wall. He stepped into the clubhouse to get a closer look.

“Hurry,” Henry told him. “We don't want the Half Moons to lose.”

Before he turned, Benny found what he was looking for on the picture wall. It was an old photograph of the Pikesville Grays. Next to it was a list of the players' names. Benny checked the list, looking for Herman's.… Herbert Smith — no, that wasn't it.… There it was: Herman Wash-burn Soper. Benny hadn't been looking for a middle name and almost missed it. An idea began to form in Benny's head. But he didn't have time to think it through. Henry was rushing toward the bleachers.

In the stands, Henry handed the bat to Emily's grandfather.

Carl Soper hefted the bat. “Corked,” he said. “Where did you find it?”

“In the clubhouse,” Benny responded.

“I bet there's two of these bats,” said Carl. “And I bet the Eagles are using the other one right now. You kids did good work. I think we should call a time-out.”

The boys followed Carl down the stands and over to the umpire. He showed the bat to the umpire, who called loudly for a timeout.

Jessie wondered what was going on. Henry, Benny, and Carl Soper stood with the umpire. They were all staring at a bat.

Violet came over. “What is it?”

Jessie shook her head. “I don't know. But I think something is about to happen. Let's find out.” She and Violet moved closer to the action.

The umpire signaled to the coaches. When Coach Jenkins saw the bat Henry had found, his face turned bright red.

“Get the other one!” Carl Soper demanded. “And don't pretend you don't have it.”

Angry, Coach Jenkins snapped his fingers at the batboy. The boy brought over a bat and reluctantly handed it to the umpire.

Henry could see the second bat had a lighter-colored circle on the end, the telltale plug. It, too, had been drilled and filled with cork.

“You've been cheating all along!” Carl Soper accused Coach Jenkins. “You couldn't beat us fairly, so you decided to cheat!”

Coach Jenkins threw his hat to the ground. “Who needs this? I volunteered my summers for years, and for what?” He turned and left the infield.

“The coach just quit,” said Violet. “In the middle of the game!”

Carl Soper shook his head in disgust.

“The teams can still play, can't they?” asked Benny.

Mike Percy tapped his wristwatch. “I'm afraid not. Not after today. The town council will vote at one o'clock. As soon as they do, nobody will be able to use the ballpark.”

The Aldens stared at one another.

They had run out of time!

CHAPTER 8

Game Over!

“T
he Eagles forfeited the game by cheating, but it's not the same as us
really
winning,” Emily said, dejected, “and it's not going to change anyone's mind about Home Run Herman
or
the ballpark.”

“We're really sorry,” Benny told her.

“It's not your fault,” said Emily. “At least you guys found how the Eagles were cheating.”

“But not in time,” Henry said.

Players were leaving the field, shoulders slumped. Danny Jenkins skulked off with his older brother.

“Technically, we didn't lose, because they cheated,” Mike Percy told Emily. “Too bad we can't replay the entire season.”

Jessie thought the coach seemed awfully cheerful, considering his team had lost the chance to win their last championship.

“Maybe you kids can play soccer instead,” Mike said breezily. “I've heard a rumor the town might build a field out by the highway. Well, I'd better go. I'm meeting my wife for a quick bite before the council meeting. It's at one.”

Jessie's heart thumped. How could they possibly save the ballpark by one o'clock? They had hardly started on
that
mystery.

Carl Soper must have read her mind. “I'm going to miss this place,” he said, gazing around the outfield. “I've spent many Saturdays here, playing or coaching or watching games. It just won't be the same.”

“I know,” sighed Emily. “And I don't believe anybody will build a new ballpark for us. They're more interested in turning the factory into a mini-mall.”

The Alden children, Carl Soper, and Emily wandered slowly around the foul line. Brandon joined them.

“If only we had won,” said Brandon. “Then at least we'd have the trophy.”

“Nobody won,” Emily commented. “So nobody gets the trophy.” Suddenly she turned to her grandfather. “The clubhouse will be torn down, too, won't it? What will happen to all the old stuff inside, like our old trophies and the photographs?”

Before Carl could answer, footsteps thudded behind them.

Violet whirled to see Eric, the shy boy who had been hiding under the bleachers.

“Eric!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here? The game is over.”

“I know,” he said. “I saw your brothers hand over that special bat to the umpire.”

“You knew about the bats?” Henry asked.

Eric nodded. “Not at first. But then I thought it was funny that Coach Jenkins always made us use a certain bat. We couldn't pick our own.”

“Could you tell it had been tampered with?” asked Carl.

“This is my first year playing ball,” Eric replied. “I wasn't sure there was anything wrong with the bat. Once I took another bat by mistake. I could tell it was heavier.”

Jessie had a question. “Did you hit home runs?”

“Yeah,” said Eric. “And I'm not very good. I finally figured it was the special bat making me hit better. So I quit the team.”

“Is that what you wanted to tell me the other day?” Violet queried. “And yesterday when you were under the bleachers?”

Eric looked embarrassed. “Sorry I ran off. I got nervous. Yeah, I did want to mention the bats. But there's something else I think you should know. About the ballpark.”

Now Emily was interested. “What about the ballpark?”

Eric glanced around, then froze.

The others looked in the same direction.

Mike and Beverly Percy were crossing the infield. Beverly carried a large white paper sack. They sat down on the bottom bleacher in the grandstand and began taking wrapped sandwiches and drinks from the bag.

“Strange to choose this place to have lunch,” said Henry. “Considering she wants to tear it down.”

Eric became nervous. “Can we get out of here?”

Jessie knew he was afraid of the Percys. “Sure. Let's all get something to eat.”

Carl Soper told them about a little eatery nearby called The Doghouse. “They serve the best chili dogs in town.”

“Mmmmm,” said Benny. “Let's hurry before they run out!”

Emily laughed. “It's a restaurant, Benny! They aren't supposed to run out of food!”

The Doghouse
was
small. But the food was cheap and good. Everyone got chili dogs, potato chips, and soft drinks to go.

Then they went to the park along the river. Under the shade of an oak tree, the group claimed a wide picnic table and unpacked their lunches.

Benny bit into his chili dog, loaded with meat, beans, cheese, onions, and mustard. “This is the best thing I've ever eaten,” he declared.

“Until tonight at dinner,” Jessie teased. “Then you'll say
that
is the best thing you've ever eaten.”

Violet wanted to know what Eric had to say. “Can you talk now?” she asked him.

Eric wiped mustard off his chin. “Yeah. Those guys aren't around.”

“You mean the Percys,” said Henry.

Eric nodded. “After a game last week, I forgot my jersey. My mom said she needed to wash it, so I went back. I had left it in the clubhouse. Everybody had gone home except the coaches. When I walked up to the clubhouse, I heard them talking.”

“What were they saying?” asked Benny.

“Coach Percy was telling my coach, ‘You
must
find it!'” answered Eric.

Jessie took a thoughtful sip of her soda. “Find what? What were they talking about?”

“Some kind of paper,” Eric replied. “Coach Jenkins said he had been looking for it every night. In the factory.”

Jessie looked at Henry. “The ghost that Danny told me about. It was his brother! Coach Jenkins was ‘haunting' the old factory, looking for something.”

“Except one night there were two ghosts,” Violet reminded her. “Mr. and Mrs. Percy. They were looking for something in the file room.”

“I bet they were all looking for that paper,” Benny put in. Then he asked Eric, “But what does this have to do with the ballpark?”

“When Mr. Percy and Coach Jenkins were in the clubhouse,” Eric went on, “I heard Coach Jenkins say, ‘You don't need it. As long as no one else finds it, the ballpark will be torn down anyway.'”

“That's what he said?” Carl queried. “That the ballpark will be torn down anyway?”

Brandon was bewildered. “How could they know that? The meeting isn't until today.”

“Good question,” stated Henry. “It sounds like that paper the Percys and Coach Jenkins were looking for is important.”

“Do you know about any paper?” Emily asked her grandfather.

Carl Soper shook his head regretfully. “I can't think of anything that might save the ballpark.”

“We're missing a piece to the puzzle,” Jessie said, nervously chewing her thumbnail. “I bet it's right under our noses.”

Benny glanced up at her. But before he could speak, Danny Jenkins came running up to their picnic table.

“Hey!” he greeted the Aldens. “I just saw your grandfather. He said to meet him at the old factory. That's where the town council is meeting to vote.”

Without waiting for a reply, Danny ran off.

“That's weird,” said Violet. “Wouldn't the town council have their meeting in the town hall?”

“They always have before,” said Carl Soper. “Maybe they want to look at the factory one last time before the vote.”

“We'd better go,” Henry said, hastily picking up the trash from their lunch. “We don't want to miss the vote.”

Both Eric and Brandon said they had to go home and the rest of the group hurried back to the old hat factory. Carl Soper went up to the front doors and tried the handle.

“It's locked!” he declared. “Nobody is in this building.”

“Danny led us here on purpose!” Jessie exclaimed. “He wanted us out of the way when the council voted!”

Henry checked his watch. “We still have time to make it.”

Everyone pelted down the steps and followed the cracked walkway around the factory. Jessie, who was in the lead, saw two people slip into the clubhouse.

She held up a hand to silence the others. “The Percys just went into the clubhouse,” she informed them.

Emily frowned. “I thought Mrs. Percy was at the town meeting.”

“This looks very suspicious,” Henry said. “Maybe the game isn't over yet!”

“Let's find out what those two are up to,” said Carl.

Everyone rushed to the clubhouse.

The door was open. Mrs. Percy's voice floated out.

“Well, it's not here, either,” they heard her say. “Did you tell Jenkins we were coming back for one more look?”

“No, but things look good,” came her husband's voice. “Everything is going according to plan.”

“I just wish we had found that letter,” said Mrs. Percy.

Benny got so excited he forgot to keep his voice down. “I think I know where the letter is,” he cried.

Just then Beverly Percy stepped out and saw them. She looked very angry.

CHAPTER 9

Mrs. Pettibone's Letter

“W
hat are you people doing here?” demanded Mrs. Percy.

“Anyone can come here,” Carl Soper returned.