Ice Cream Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Read Free Book Online

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