Gertrude Warner - Mystery in New York

“Woof!” Watch barked as they walked by. The flock of birds swirled quickly into the air and the man laughed and waved. The pigeons landed again almost immediately and went back to pecking at the bread the man scattered around his feet.

“Where are the cars?” asked Benny.

“According to the guidebook, cars aren’t allowed in the park during the middle of the day,” said Henry. “And not at all on weekends.”

Benny nodded. “That’s a good idea,” he said. “That’s what I would do if I were mayor, except I’d make all the hot dogs and ice cream and pretzels free.”

“You’d get my vote, then,” said Henry, and rumpled Benny’s hair.

At a pond where ducks and swans swam, Watch stared intently, wagging his tail a little. But this time he didn’t bark.

After they had been walking a little while, Benny pointed. “Look, Watch,” he said. “It’s a statue of a dog.”

Ahead was a statue of a husky, his ears up, his tail curled over his back. “It must be a famous dog,” said Violet, “to have a statue.”

They walked closer and read the inscription at the base.

“What does it say?” asked Benny.

“Balto,” said Henry. “That’s his name. It’s dedicated to the sled dog team that took medicine to a village in Alaska and saved everybody in a diphtheria epidemic in 1925.”

“A hero,” said Violet. They looked up at the statue of the brave and noble dog.

As they walked away, Benny leaned over to pet Watch. “Keep up the good work solving mysteries,” he whispered to the little dog. “Maybe one day you’ll have a statue of your very own back home in Greenfield.”

“Oh, Benny,” said Henry. He grinned. “I don’t think we’re going to find any mysteries in New York City. Not on this visit.”

But Henry was wrong, as they were all soon to find out.

Mr. Leed was at his desk turning the pages of a dictionary when the Aldens returned from their walk in the park with Watch. He didn’t get up to open the door and barely looked at them before picking up his pencil and going back to his crossword puzzle.

“Hello, Mr. Leed,” said Jessie.

“Mmm,” said Mr. Leed.

The elevator door opened.

“Look out!” cried Violet.

The Aldens jumped left and right as five small black dogs with big black ears came charging out of the elevator, panting eagerly.

“Whoa! Whoaaaa!” said the young woman holding on to their leashes. The dogs slowed down a little. Then one of them saw Watch and began to bark. The other four dogs began to bark, too.

“Jim! Jack! Joe! Jill! Jinx! Be quiet!” the young woman scolded. She was a tall woman, with curly black hair, big blue eyes, and a faint scattering of freckles across her nose. She was wearing jeans, sneakers, and a gray sweatshirt that said CRITT’S CRITTERS. Crystal earrings sparkled, dangling from her ears, and another crystal hung on a silver chain around her neck.

One of the dogs touched noses with Watch. He stopped barking. Soon all the other dogs had touched noses with Watch and had stopped barking, too. All six dogs began to wag their tails and make friends.

“Cute dog,” said the young woman, leaning over to pet Watch.

“Yours are cute, too,” said Violet. “What kind of dogs are they?”

“Oh, they’re not my dogs,” said the young woman.

“I know what kind of dogs they are,” said Jessie eagerly. “I remember from the Greenfield dog show: French bulldogs.”

“Good guess,” said the young woman.

Jessie beamed with pride.

“And I know who you are,” said Henry. “Lydia Critt.”

“Good guess again,” the young woman said, her eyes crinkling in a smile. “But who are you? Detectives?”

“Yes, we are,” said Benny.

Henry laughed and introduced everyone. “We’re staying with Mrs. Teague. She said we might meet you,” he told Lydia.

“And you’re wearing a shirt that says “‘Critt’s Critters,’” Jessie pointed out.

“That’s me,” Lydia said. “Dogwalker by day and actor by night. Only these days, the dog-walking business is better than the acting business.” Her hand went up to her neck and she touched the crystal hanging there. “But my luck is about to change. I know it is.”

“How do you know?” asked Benny.

“This crystal. It’s supposed to bring good luck,” she said, still touching it.

The dogs began to pull on their leashes and bark. “Oops. I’ve got to go. See you later,” said Lydia, and she walked briskly out of the lobby.

“Lunch is soup and salad on the terrace,” Mrs. Teague announced. “Mr. Evans is still working in the dining room.”

The Aldens helped Mrs. Teague and Grandfather Alden set the small round table on the terrace, taking plates and silverware and food from the kitchen through the dining room.

As they did, Benny said, “Hi, Mr. Evans! You’ve filled up some of the holes in the wall.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Evans.

“I could help you make more holes in the walls,” Benny offered hopefully.

“No,” said Mr. Evans. “I don’t think so.” He looked as if he were trying not to smile.

Behind Benny, Mrs. Teague laughed. “Why don’t you give Watch some fresh water and a dog biscuit from the jar on the kitchen counter, Benny.” To Mr. Evans she said, “But I will be able to use the dining room tonight, won’t I? We’re having a dinner guest.”

Before Mrs. Teague could answer, Jessie said, “Is it Mr. Pound?”

“Right. He called and told me about his invitation to you to see his famous diamond,” said Mrs. Teague. “He’s going to have dinner here and then take you up to see the Elizabeth Star.”

“The dining room will be finished,” said Mr. Evans. “No problem.”

“Great,” said Mrs. Teague.

While they ate lunch, the Aldens told Grandfather and Mrs. Teague about their morning. Then Mrs. Teague told them about Mr. Pound’s plans. “He wants you to come up and get him before dinner,” she told the Aldens. “He’s going to be working at his office at home and he says he sometimes loses track of time. Truth is, he loves to see children. He never had any of his own. He’s been lonely since his wife died a few years ago.”

“I’ll go up and get him,” Benny volunteered.

“I’ll go with you,” Jessie said.

“This evening’s plans sound very exciting,” Grandfather Alden said.

“Yes,” agreed Benny. “Even if we don’t have a mystery to solve.”

“Instead of a mystery, how about a museum?” suggested Grandfather. “The American Museum of Natural History isn’t far from here and it has everything from dinosaurs to whales.”

“Let’s go!” said Benny.

The Aldens spent the whole afternoon at the museum. Benny liked the dinosaurs. Henry liked the Hall of Ocean Life, where a life-size copy of a blue whale was suspended from the ceiling. Jessie liked the four-billion-year-old meteorite on display in the Hall of Meteorites. “It says this is the largest meteorite to ever be found on the earth’s surface,” she said, reading from a small plaque nearby.

Violet couldn’t decide which exhibit was her favorite. “I want to see everything before I make up my mind,” she declared.

“You’d have to stay here a long, long time,” Grandfather told her. “The American Museum of Natural History is the largest museum of its kind in the world.”

“Then I guess I like the gemstones best,” Violet said. “They twinkle so, like stars of all different colors.”

When the Aldens got back to the apartment building, a new doorman was on duty. This one was almost as unfriendly as Leed. He had sandy hair and bushy eyebrows. He narrowed his brown eyes and watched them as they came in.