Fresh paint glistened on the shop at the corner of Main and Nugget in nearby Silver City. Hanging in the front window was a sign that read, NOW HIRING. HELP WANTED FOR THE SUGAR SHOP OF SILVER CITY.
“There’s Mr. Smithers’s car,” Jessie said, pointing to the big dark car parked next to a small white one in the parking lot.
“And there’s Mr. Smithers,” said Benny. “He’s talking to one of our customers!”
“What?” Violet said.
They all looked through the window. Mr. Smithers was sitting on a folding chair next to a big packing crate. A blond woman with dark eyebrows was sitting on another folding chair next to him. Papers were spread out on the packing crate and she was talking rapidly while Mr. Smithers nodded.
After a while, she stood up, gesturing for Mr. Smithers to keep the papers. Then she shook hands with him and came hurrying out the door. She’d just reached the white car when she saw the Aldens.
“Hi,” said Benny.
“Oh!” she said. “Uh, hi, there.”
“Are you going to get a job at the Sugar Shop?” asked Jessie.
“A job? How...uh, maybe,” said the woman. She flung her briefcase in the car before jumping in herself and quickly driving away.
“She seems kind of nervous,” said Violet.
“If she just had a job interview, maybe she is,” said Jessie. “Come on, let’s go talk to Mr. Smithers.”
Mr. Smithers glanced up from the papers when the Aldens walked in. Jessie said, “Mr. Smithers, I called you this morning— ”
“Oh, no, no,” he said. “You’re too young for a job with us. You have to be at least fourteen.”
“I’m fourteen,” said Henry. “But—”
“Here, fill out this application,” said Mr. Smithers, snatching up a piece of paper from the packing crate.
“But I don’t want a job, thank you,” said Henry, handing the application back.
That got Mr. Smithers’s attention. “What do you want, then?” he said. “I’m a very busy man. I have to hire counter help, managers...and who knows where I’m going to find a good manager, someone with experience. I’ve seen people with interesting ideas”—he tapped one finger on the papers—“but not enough experience. Well? Well?”
“How long have you known you were opening a Sugar Shop in Silver City?” asked Jessie.
“A few months now,” said Mr. Smithers.
“Then why did you try to buy the Ice Cream Barn?” asked Benny.
“It’s a good business. Buy the shop, buy the customers. When that didn’t work, we thought about putting a shop in Greenfield. But we decided that the Ice Cream Barn customers were, er, too loyal. So we settled on Silver City,” explained Mr. Smithers.
A phone began ringing in the back of the half-finished shop.
“If you’ll excuse me,” he said. He jumped up and was gone.
“Thank you,” Violet said to his back.
Outside on the sidewalk, Jessie said, “A Sugar Shop in Silver City. I wonder if Brianna and Katy know about it.”
“If they don’t, we should tell them,” Benny said.
“Do you think Mr. Smithers is a suspect?” Henry asked.
“No,” said Jessie. “I did for a minute, but I don’t think someone who works for a big company like that would do such petty dishonest things to a small business like the Ice Cream Barn.”
“I don’t know about that,” said Henry.
“I wonder if Preston knows about the Sugar Shop,” said Violet. “He has experience. He could get a job there.”
“If we see him, we’ll tell him,” said Jessie.
But they forgot about telling Preston anything when they reached the Ice Cream Barn. A big sign on the door of the shop said, CLOSED.
“Oh, no,” groaned Henry. “Not again.”
But Benny was peering through the glass. He tapped on the window. “Katy is inside,” he explained.
A moment later, Katy opened the door. “Come in, come in,” she said urgently, her expression grave. “Did you see Brianna? Have you found Butterscotch?”
“Found Butterscotch? What are you talking about?” Violet said in shock.
“You don’t know, then? Butterscotch is missing. Brianna went into the barn this morning to let her out of her stall into the paddock and she was gone,” said Katy.
“Gone! How did she get out?” asked Jessie.
“Someone took her, that’s how.” Katy sank down into a chair. “There’s no way Butterscotch could have gotten her stall door open and the barn door as well. And I don’t think she would have closed those doors behind her, either.”
“Someone stole Butterscotch?” Benny cried. “A horse thief?”
“A horse thief,” said Katy. “Poor Butterscotch. I wonder if we’ll ever see her again.”
“Don’t worry, you will,” said Jessie stoutly. “We’ll find her.”
“I wish you could,” said Katy hopelessly. “I wish you could.”
“Let’s go to the barn. We can start looking for clues there,” said Violet. She patted Katy’s hand. “It will be all right,” she promised.
“No lock on either the barn door or the paddock door,” said Henry. “But no way Butterscotch could have gotten either of those open herself, even if she did get out of her stall.”
“The ice-cream wagon is still here,” noted Jessie.
“It would be hard to hide an ice-cream wagon,” said Benny. “But I guess you could, if you can hide a boxcar.” Benny was remembering the time their boxcar had gotten stolen.
“No footprints we can use,” said Violet, bending over to examine the hard-packed earth outside the barn door. “Just scuffs in the dirt.”
“Whoever took her either had to lead her away, ride her away, or drive her away in a horse van,” said Henry. “If they drove her, they could be anywhere.”
“And anybody,” said Violet in a discouraged voice.
“No!” said Jessie. “Not just anybody. I think whoever took Butterscotch is the same person who phoned in that fake delivery order, who stole the posters, who complained about Butterscotch, and who made those horrible suggestions.”
“And put up the ‘Out of Business’ signs,” added Benny.
“Preston—” began Jessie.
As if Jessie had made him appear by saying his name, Preston came running toward the barn. He stopped, looking wildly around. “She’s gone,” he said. “She’s really gone.”
“Yes, Butterscotch is missing,” said Henry.
Preston’s face was pale. He looked as if he might be about to cry. “Who would do a rotten thing like that?” he said.
“Someone who wanted to put the Ice Cream Barn out of business,” said Henry. They all watched Preston closely.
Preston didn’t seem to notice. “That’s one of the reasons I was so upset when Katy laid me off,” he said, almost to himself. “I wanted to help with Butterscotch. I thought it would be cool to learn about horses and how to drive the wagon. Poor Katy. She must be really upset.”
Preston straightened his shoulders. “Katy said you were looking for Butterscotch. I will, too. And if I can do anything else to help, let me know.”
“We will,” said Violet.
Preston turned and walked slowly back to the store.
The Aldens stared after him. Then Violet said, “He could be pretending to be upset so we wouldn’t suspect him.”
“He could, but he’d have to be an awfully good actor,” said Jessie.
“Preston didn’t steal Butterscotch or do any of those other things?” asked Benny.
“I don’t think so, Benny. He seems to really care about Katy and Butterscotch and the Ice Cream Barn. I think Katy is right to trust him,” Henry told his little brother.
“Okay. That leaves Marcos and Mr. Bush,” said Violet. “One of them is a horse thief.”
“It’s Mr. Bush,” Benny said triumphantly. “I told you so. Let’s go arrest him and get Butterscotch back!” |