Jessie led the way to the boxcar and up the stump step. Then she stopped so quickly that the others almost ran into her.
“Jessie, what is it?” said Henry, sounding puzzled.
“Look!” said Jessie, sounding even more puzzled.
The table where they had left their art supplies was almost completely empty. The only things left were the glasses of water for the watercolors. The paints, pencils, poster boards—even the paintbrushes were gone!
“Did you put away the art supplies before we went for cookies, Jessie?” Henry knew that Jessie always liked to keep things clean and tidy.
But Jessie shook her head. “No,” she said.
“Maybe they fell on the floor,” said Beth quickly.
“I could understand if some of the art supplies fell on the floor,” said Henry. “But not all of them at once.”
“Besides, they didn’t,” Violet pointed out.
It was true. Nothing at all was on the floor of the old boxcar.
“Maybe Watch ate them!” cried Benny.
They all looked at Watch, who was standing on the stump with his front paws just inside the door.
“Woof.” Hearing his name, Watch barked happily and wagged his tail.
“Watch didn’t eat them,” said Violet. “He was lying on his old blanket just inside the kitchen door while we had cookies.”
“Well, the art supplies are definitely gone,” said Henry, who had been walking around the boxcar, looking everywhere for them. “Someone must have come in and taken them.”
“Why would anyone want to do that?” asked Beth.
“I don’t know.” Henry shook his head sadly.
“This is very strange,” said Jessie. “But we can’t worry about it right now. Let’s go get some more supplies so we can get started on our project.”
The Aldens and Beth got on their bicycles and pedaled into town to the art store. As they were parking their bikes, Beth said, “Oh, I almost forgot. My mother wanted me to pick something up for her at the drugstore. I’ll go next door and do that and meet you in the art store.”
“Okay,” said Jessie.
The woman who owned the art store was dressed in a black leotard and a big skirt covered with splashes of color just like paint. She smiled cheerfully at the children as they pushed open the door. “Hello! What can I do for you today?” she asked.
“We need some new art supplies,” explained Jessie. “We were making posters to help raise money for the new hospital wing. But then someone took all our supplies!”
“That’s too bad.” The art store owner frowned. But then her smile came back. “Since these posters are to help raise money for the new hospital wing, I’ll give you a discount on supplies. That will be my contribution.”
“Oh, thank you so very much,” said Violet softly.
With the help of the owner, the Aldens had just finished paying for new paints and poster boards when Beth came hurrying in. She was holding a paper bag and seemed a little out of breath.
“Don’t worry,” said Jessie. “We wouldn’t have left without you.”
“Are you all finished, then?” Beth looked around nervously.
“Yes,” said Benny. “Let’s go.”
“Oh, Well. I guess . . . yes. Let’s go,” said Beth. She clutched the bag to her side and went with Benny out of the store. Jessie, Violet, and Henry gathered up the supplies and followed them.
But as they began to put the supplies in their baskets, Benny suddenly exclaimed, “Oh, no!”
“What is it?” asked Jessie.
“My tire is flat!” cried Benny.
“That’s strange,” said Jessie.
Henry looked more closely at Benny’s bike. “This is even stranger—both tires are completely flat!”
“But how could that happen?” Violet asked.
“This couldn’t be an accident,” said Henry. “Someone must have let the air out of your tires.”
“Really?” said Benny. “Why would anyone do that?”
“Yes, why?” asked Violet.
“Beth,” said Jessie. “After you left the drugstore, did you see anybody?”
“W-what do you mean?” asked Beth.
“Anybody near our bikes,” Jessie explained.
“Or anybody acting suspicious, as though they might be up to something,” suggested Henry.
“No!” said Beth. “No, I didn’t. Not at all.”
Violet looked at Beth. Beth’s face was flushed and she looked almost as if she might cry. “Oh, Beth. Don’t worry. We can put more air in the tires,” said Violet.
“M-maybe it was someone’s idea of a joke,” said Beth.
“If it is, it’s not a very funny one,” said Jessie.
“Can my tires be fixed?” asked Benny anxiously.
“Of course they can, Benny,” said Violet.
“We’ll go to the bike store and use their pump.”
Beth suddenly wheeled her bike away. “I can’t go with you,” she said.
“But what about the posters?” asked Henry.
“It’s getting late. My parents want me to be home soon,” Beth said.
“Well, come over tomorrow,” suggested Jessie. “We can work on the posters then.”
“Uh—okay,” said Beth. She quickly got on her bicycle and rode away.
The Aldens walked toward the bike store, wheeling their bicycles. “Why did that upset Beth so much?” wondered Violet.
“Maybe she doesn’t like mean jokes,” said Henry.
“I don’t, either,” said Benny.
“No one does,” said Jessie. “What can Beth think of Greenfield?”
“I wish we had brought Watch,” said Benny. “He would have watched my bicycle.”
“And I wish Watch had been in the boxcar when our art supplies disappeared. Then they wouldn’t have,” said Violet with a sigh.
Suddenly, Jessie pointed, “Look! It’s Charlie the Fix-it Man’s truck. He must be the man Mrs. McGregor was talking about.”
Parked on the curb ahead of them was an old white truck, with Charlie’s name, phone number, and advertising slogan on it. There was no one in the truck.
“I wonder whats he’s fixing,” said Violet.
“Do you think we’re going to do some of the same kinds of jobs he does?” said Jessie worriedly.
“Maybe,” said Henry. “If he were around, we could ask.”
But they didn’t see anybody near the truck, so they kept on walking toward the bicycle shop, forgetting about Charlie the Fix-it Man.
When they reached the shop, they parked their bikes outside.
“Why don’t all of you take Benny’s bike inside and pump up the tires,” Henry said. “I’ll wait here and keep an eye on our bikes, just in case!”
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