The Disappearing Friend Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Read Free Book Online Page B

strange is going on. Maybe it is Beth. You did say she was acting nervous, Violet.”
    â€œMaybe we shouldn’t be friends with Beth,” said Benny.
    â€œThat’s not fair,” protested Violet angrily. “You can’t just stop being friends with someone. You have to at least give her a chance.”
    Henry nodded. “You’re right, Violet. Besides, the person who’s doing all these mean things could be Charlie the Fix-it Man.”
    â€œWell,” said Jessie, “I hope we solve this mystery soon. But how are we going to do that?”
    No one had an answer.

CHAPTER 9
    Two Cats and a Key
    T oday we meet Ms. Singh’s cats,” announced Violet. “I can hardly wait.”
    Henry, Violet, Jessie, and Beth were waiting for Benny on the front steps of the big old white house.
    Just then, Benny came hurrying out of the door. “Here I am!” he announced cheerfully.
    â€œWe’re going to feed Ms. Singh’s cats, Benny,” said Jessie.
    â€œOh, good,” said Benny, getting on his bicycle. “I like cats. Watch does, too. Don’t you, Watch?”
    Watch barked and began to trot happily alongside Benny’s bicycle as they headed for Garden Street.
    It wasn’t very far away, a pleasant street that lived up to its name.
    â€œMs. Singh’s house has an apple tree in the front yard,” said Henry. “She said it’s the only one on the street.”
    â€œApples!” exclaimed Benny. “I love apples.” Suddenly he pointed. “There it is.”
    The five children left their bicycles under the apple tree and went around to the back door.
    â€œLet’s see,” said Jessie. “The key should be under this doormat.” She raised the edge of the mat. But there was no key.
    â€œMaybe if you lift up the whole mat,” suggested Beth.
    Jessie picked up the mat. There was a clean space, slightly paler than the rest of the step, where the mat had been. But there was no key.
    â€œThat’s funny,” said Violet. “Are you sure Ms. Singh said the key would be under the mat?”
    â€œYes.” Jessie frowned. “Maybe I misunderstood her. Maybe it was the front door mat.”
    The Aldens and Beth went around to the front door of the house. But when Jessie lifted the front doormat, no key was under it.
    â€œMaybe Ms. Singh left the key somewhere else, like in the mailbox,” suggested Beth.
    â€œI hope so,” said Violet, looking worried. “What if we can’t find the key? We won’t be able to feed the cats.”
    â€œOh, no,” cried Benny. “They’ll starve.”
    Henry, who was the tallest, stood on his toes and looked into the mailbox. He reached his hand inside and felt the bottom of the box. “No,” Henry reported. “No key here.”
    â€œOh dear,” said Violet. “Do you think she forgot?”
    â€œMaybe the key slid out from under the mat somehow,” Henry said. “Benny, why don’t you and Violet come with me and we’ll check around the back door.”
    â€œGood idea,” said Jessie. “Beth and I will look here in front.”
    Jessie and Beth searched all around the front door, from the top of the door sill to the flowerbeds on either side, but they found no key.
    â€œIt’s not here,” said Jessie.
    â€œMaybe Henry and Violet and Benny found it,” said Beth. “Let’s go around to the back door and see.”
    But the key was nowhere around the back door, either.
    â€œWatch looked, too,” Benny announced. “He sniffed and sniffed, but he didn’t find a key. So maybe she did forget.”
    â€œThat’s hard to believe,” said Violet.
    â€œHow are we going to feed the cats?” asked Benny.
    Henry said, “If Ms. Singh left a window unlocked, we could open it and go inside that way.”
    â€œI don’t like having to do something like that,” said