Jessie, Benny, and Watch were waiting at the Greenfield Post Office when it opened the next morning. It was a bright, sunny day. The post office was surrounded by shady trees and had windows across the front.
Jessie, Benny, and Watch were about to go in and find box 93 when Jessie noticed a sign on the post office door: NO DOGS ALLOWED.
“You and Watch will have to wait out here,” she said, pointing to the sign. Benny sounded out the words slowly and then looked at his sister.
“Why aren’t dogs allowed in the post office?” he asked. “I don’t like that rule!”
“I don’t either, Benny, but we have to obey it.”
“Okay,” said Benny, taking Watch’s leash. “We’ll wait out here. Maybe we’ll even catch Mr. Jones while you’re inside.”
Jessie went inside the post office and quickly found box 93. It was midway up a row of boxes and it could be seen through the front window of the post office.
She hurried back out and showed Benny which box it was. “We can sit here under this tree and keep our eyes on the mailbox,” she said.
“Oh, good,” said Benny, sitting down.
Jessie sat down next to Watch and Benny, and leaned back against the tree. For a little while, the post office was very busy as people stopped by on their way to work. Then fewer people came. Several customers went to check their mail, but no one went to box number 93.
Benny yawned. “I’m tired,” he said. “We’ve been here a long, long time.”
“Henry and Violet and Soo Lee will come soon,” said Jessie. She watched a stout woman in a baseball cap walk up to the wall of mailboxes. Her heart beat faster in excitement. Was Mr. Jones really Ms. Jones?
But the woman reached up high and opened a mailbox in the corner. Jessie leaned back against the tree again.
Watch, who had been taking a nap next to Benny, lifted his head and barked.
“What is it, boy?” asked Benny. “Is it Mr. Jones?”
“I think it’s just a squirrel Watch wants to chase,” said Jessie, pointing.
Sure enough, a squirrel who had been hopping over the ground scurried up a nearby tree. Watch laid his head back down on his front paws.
The time seemed to pass very, very slowly. Jessie was glad when she stood up to stretch and saw Henry and Violet and Soo Lee riding their bicycles down the sidewalk toward them.
“Any luck?” asked Henry as they came to a stop near the tree.
Jessie shook her head. She showed them where box 93 was located. “No one has come near it,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here. We were getting tired.”
“And hungry,” said Benny.
“Well you can take a break now,” said Henry.
Violet set her backpack down on the ground and reached inside. “Here, Benny, I have an apple for you,” she said.
“Thanks!” said Benny.
Just then Soo Lee grabbed Jessie’s arm. “Look!” she said.
They all looked in the direction Soo Lee was pointing. Someone wearing an overcoat, dark glasses, and gloves, with a hat pulled low over his eyes was walking toward the wall of mailboxes.
Violet gasped. “That looks like the person who followed us that day!”
“And like the person Professor Madison described,” said Henry.
As they watched, the person reached out and opened box number 93!
“It’s him,” said Henry.
Mr. Jones took out a single letter and ripped it open hastily, throwing the envelope to the floor.
“He’s littering,” said Benny indignantly.
“Wait a minute, Benny. Let’s see what happens,” Jessie told her younger brother.
Mr. Jones read the letter. Then he folded it up and stuck it in his pocket, and began to walk very fast toward the post office door.
“We can follow him,” Jessie said. “Everybody get your bicycles ready.”
But it was no use. When Mr. Jones got outside the post office, he went to a big, dark car parked in front of the post office. Before the Aldens could do anything, he had jumped inside and sped away.
The children jumped on their bicycles and rode as fast as they could after the car. But by the time they’d gone a block, the car had disappeared from sight.
“Oh, no!” said Henry. “We’ve lost him!”
“We’ll never solve this mystery!” cried Violet.
“Yes, we will,” panted Jessie, pulling her bicycle to a stop. “Remember what Grandfather said about not giving up.”
“What can we do?” asked Soo Lee.
“We’ll just have to watch the post office again tomorrow,” answered Jessie. “And the next day. And the next. For as many days as it takes.”
Benny made a face. Then he said, “But what about the envelope?”
“The envelope?” asked Violet.
“The envelope Mr. Jones threw on the floor. Maybe it has a return address on it,” said Benny. “Maybe that’s where Mr. Jones was going!”
“Benny, you’re a genius!” cried Jessie happily.
Benny blushed and grinned. “Thank you,” he said.
Jumping back on their bicycles, the Aldens raced back to the post office. Sure enough, the envelope that Mr. Jones had wadded up and thrown on the floor was still there.
Benny bent over and picked it up and smoothed it out.
They all crowded around and read the return address on the wrinkled envelope that Benny was holding.
“It’s from Mr. Allen!” said Jessie in amazement.
“And Mr. Jones drove off in that direction,” added Henry.
“I bet I know what we do now,” said Benny. “We go to Mr. Allen’s!”
“You’re right,” said Jessie. “Mr. Allen, here we come!”
Without wasting another moment, the children got on their bicycles and pedalled as fast as they could to Mr. Allen’s house. In a short time, they were turning up the long gravel driveway.
“There’s Mr. Jones’s car,” said Violet. Sure enough, the same big, dark car that they’d watched Mr. Jones leave the post office in was parked by the front door of the house.
The Aldens left their bicycles out of sight by the side of the house, and Benny tied Watch to a nearby tree.
“Wait here,” he said, holding a finger to his lips. “And don’t bark. We’re about to solve a mystery!” |