“Now I’ve just learned that the ice at the rink has been ruined. But we’re not going to cancel anything,” Mr. Mercer said. Then he announced a new schedule. The ice-carving judging would be postponed. A crew was hosing the ice, and the skating competition would take place when it was ready. Sledding would be moved into its time slot.
“My message to whoever caused the trouble is this,” Mr. Mercer concluded. “It won’t work. Snow Haven Lodgers never quit!”
Everyone cheered.
Henry and Jessie were on their feet, ready to go.
“Come on,” Henry urged Violet and Benny. “Let’s go back to the cabin.”
“But I haven’t finished my cake,” Benny protested.
Jessie pulled a paper napkin from the holder in the center of the table. “Wrap it in this,” she said, “and bring it with you.”
Grumbling, Benny did as he was told.
Henry and Jessie raced through the lounge with Violet and Benny trailing along behind.
Outside, Violet asked, “Why are we in such a hurry?”
“We have a new suspect,” Henry told them.
“Not another one,” Benny groaned. “There are already too many.”
“But this might be the right one,” Jessie said.
They wouldn’t say another word until they were settled back at the cabin with a fire burning in the fireplace.
Then, Henry said, “So far the clues have pointed to Freddy and Pete.”
“And all of us,” Jessie added.
“Watch, too,” Benny put in.
“We know it wasn’t Watch or us,” Violet said.
“It looks as if it wasn’t Freddy or Pete either,” Henry said.
Violet and Benny couldn’t stand the suspense. “Then who was it?” they both asked.
“Violet, remember what you said?” Jessie asked. “That it might be someone we hadn’t even thought about?”
Violet nodded.
“Well, you were right,” Jessie said.
“It’s the last person we would have thought,” Henry added. He paused to let that sink in.
“Don’t tell me it was Mr. Mercer!” Benny exclaimed.
They all laughed.
“No, no, Benny,” Henry said. “Jessie and I think it was…Jimmy.”
“Jimmy?” Benny repeated.
“But why?” Violet said.
Henry glanced at Jessie.
“Don’t look at me, Henry,” she said. “I don’t have the answer to that question.”
“We’ll leave the why till last,” Henry decided. “Maybe it’ll come to us as we answer the other questions.”
“What made you think of Jimmy in the first place?” Violet wanted to know.
“He asked Mr. Mercer to cancel the ski race at breakfast,” Henry explained, “but not even Matt knew his skis were missing until after lunch.”
“The only way Jimmy could have known is if he took them,” Violet concluded.
“What about our snowpeople?” Benny asked. “Freddy came late for supper. She had time to smash them.”
“Jimmy was late, too,” Jessie remembered.
“There’s the ice sculpture,” Violet said.
They fell silent trying to figure out when and how Jimmy could have done that.
Suddenly, Benny knew the answer. “The pail!” he said.
They looked at him curiously.
“Don’t you remember? We were going for a snack and Jimmy came along carrying a pail.”
“That’s right,” Jessie said. “He told us he’d found it by your snow sculpture, Benny.”
“But Alan and Debbie brought our pails back to the kitchen,” Benny said. “I’m sure of it.”
“Jimmy must have carried hot water in it,” Henry concluded. “He probably poured it on the ice castle to melt it.”
“There’s still the ice rink,” Jessie reminded them.
“Everyone was too busy today to do much skating,” Henry said. “Jimmy could’ve chopped up that ice any time.”
“He left the ski hill after his turn,” Benny said. “He probably did it then.”
“Before he melted the castle,” Jessie added.
“What about the missing keys?” Violet asked.
“And the flat tires?” Benny added.
“I’m not sure about those things,” Henry said. “Jimmy did have the chance to do them, but — ”
“That’s right!” Benny interrupted. “Mr. Mercer said he parked the truck by the ice rink. Jimmy went skating that morning — before breakfast!”
“The keys disappeared the first day,” Violet said. “Jimmy could have taken them when he signed the guest book.”
They decided to take a break from thinking. Jessie got out their homemade cookies and poured juice. Benny unwrapped his cake. They ate in silence.
Finally, Violet said, “I guess we’ve answered all the questions.”
“Except the most important one,” Henry responded. “We still don’t know why he did it.”
Jessie nodded her agreement. “The only person who knows the answer to that is Jimmy.”
“Well, then,” Benny said, “we’ll have to ask him.” |