Seattle Puzzle (6 page)

“First there was the woman with the umbrella,” she said. “The one who bumped into me outside the Hungry Heart Diner.”

“She reminded you of Aunt Jane,” Jessie recalled.

Violet nodded. “And then there was the snapshot we took on the ferry.”

“Right,” said Henry. “That man in the photo sure looked like Uncle Andy.”

“And don’t forget about Mrs. McGregor,” added Benny. “She was standing right by the totem pole in Pioneer Square.”

Henry smiled at his little brother. “At least you saw somebody who
looked
like Mrs. McGregor, Benny.”

“A lot like Mrs. McGregor,” Benny insisted.

Jessie couldn’t help giggling. It seemed so funny. “I have a good nickname for Seattle,” she said. “The Look-Alike City.”

Everyone laughed. Then Henry made a suggestion. “Let’s just stick to one mystery at a time.”

“I was thinking the same thing,” said Violet. “How about if we try to figure out the latest riddle?”

Jessie agreed. “The problem is,” she said, “where do we find flying fish?”

Nobody had an answer. They were quiet as they ate their sandwiches and celery sticks.

After playing Frisbee, they finally headed back to the hotel. They were each wondering the same thing. Where were the riddles leading them?

“I think we should forget about the mystery for a while,” Jessie suggested, the next day while they waited for Reena in the lobby.

Violet agreed. “Let’s just enjoy our trip to the market.”

“A break might help clear our heads,” put in Henry.

“Shake out the cobwebs,” said Violet, “as Grandfather would say.”

The Aldens had puzzled and puzzled over the strange riddle. But they were still no closer to solving the mystery.

As Reena came into the lobby, she gave the Aldens the thumbs-up sign. “No rain in sight!” she announced.

“Whew!” Benny looked down at the Space Needle on the front of his T-shirt. “I don’t want to get my souvenir wet.”

“Don’t worry, Benny,” Reena assured him, as they set off. “Even if it rains, most of the market’s under cover.”

Inside the crowded marketplace, the children made their way past stall after stall of fruits and vegetables, seafood, and freshly cut flowers. When Reena stopped to buy some peaches, Jessie looked around.

“I’ve never seen such a big market,” she said.

Reena nodded. “It stretches for blocks, Jessie,” she said.

The Aldens weaved their way through the crowds, following Reena through a network of stairways, alleys, and courtyards. They discovered all sorts of interesting little shops. They checked out stalls of antiques and handmade crafts and stopped to browse through an open-air exhibit on the history of the market. Suddenly Reena stopped so quickly that Jessie almost bumped right into her.

“Flowers!” Reena snapped her fingers. “I knew there was something I’d forgotten. I was supposed to buy flowers for a special dinner party tonight. Wait here for me.”

This got Benny’s attention. “What’s so special about the party?”

“Benny!” Jessie gave her little brother a warning look. “That’s not really any of our business.”

Reena laughed. “That’s okay, Jessie,” she said. Then she turned to the youngest Alden. “The dinner party’s for some wonderful friends, Benny. That’s what makes it so special.” Then she opened the bag of peaches. “Help yourselves,” she said, holding the bag out to them.

Benny didn’t need to be asked twice. “Thanks!”

As Reena disappeared in the crowds, the Aldens munched on their peaches. It wasn’t long before Benny noticed something.

“Look at that!” He pointed to a life-size statue of a bronze pig. “I guess that’s the little piggy who went to market,” he joked.

Before the others had a chance to speak, a cheer suddenly went up from a crowd gathered nearby. “I wonder what’s going on?” said Jessie.

“Let’s check it out,” Henry suggested.

Full of curiosity, Jessie, Violet, and Benny followed their older brother.

Benny pinched his nose. “Something smells fishy.”

“No wonder,” said Henry, when they got to the front of the crowd. “Look at all the seafood.” He gestured towards the ice-filled counters chock-full of seafood.

A man in shorts and a white T-shirt pointed to a large salmon. “I’ll take that one,” he said.

“Heave-ho!” the clerk, in fish apron and cap, suddenly shouted out as he flung the salmon high. The crowd let out a cheer when another clerk behind the counter caught the fish in mid-air.

Violet clapped her hands. “That’s amazing.”

“That salmon must weigh fifteen pounds,” said a woman wearing dangly earrings.

Jessie nodded. “No wonder everyone’s so impressed.”

A man nearby remarked, “They always put on quite a show.”

The children watched in amazement as fish after fish flew through the air.

“I think we just found what we were looking for,” Henry said.

“What do you mean?” Violet asked him.

Henry looked around at his brother and sisters. “What’s the first part of the riddle?”

Jessie began to recite, “
If you catch sight / of fish flying high.
”

“Omigosh!” cried Violet, in sudden understanding. “Flying fish!”

“You mean, the riddle was leading us right here?” Benny’s face lit up.

“There must be a savings bank somewhere close by,” finished Henry. “Let’s do some investigating.”

Jessie, Henry, Violet, and Benny walked all around, keeping an eye out for a savings bank. But they didn’t find any—not even a bank machine.

“I don’t get it,” said Henry. “According to the riddle, it should be here.”

Jessie agreed. “The clues seemed to fit.”

“I guess we’re on the wrong track again,” said Benny. He sounded disappointed.

Violet tried to think of something cheery to say. “While we’re waiting for Reena, why don’t I take a photo of everyone standing around the bronze pig?”

Nobody had any better ideas, so they walked over to the statue and struck a pose. Violet was about to snap a picture when a woman in a flowered dress approached. Violet waited while the woman dropped some change through a slot in the pig’s back.

The woman smiled over at the Aldens. “I just wanted to give Rachel a little something,” she said, then hurried away.

Violet slowly lowered her camera. “Did you hear that?” she asked, forgetting all about the photo.

Henry nodded. “Rachel must the pig’s name.”

“And it’s the name Grandfather mentioned on the phone,” Benny reminded them. “Do you think it’s just a coincidence?”

“I’m not sure,” said Jessie, her gaze fixed on the statue. “I guess this is some kind of piggy bank.” Then she caught her breath, surprised by her own words.

“Wait a minute!” cried Henry. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Jessie nodded. “A bank standing nearby!”

“Yippee!” Benny did a little dance. “You were on the right track after all, Henry.”

“Maybe,” said Henry. “We’ll know for sure if we find another clue around here.”

The four Aldens examined the piggy bank closely. It wasn’t long before Jessie spotted something near the foot of the statue.

Crouching down, she reached for some paper folded to the size of a postage stamp.

“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” said Reena, coming up behind them. She was holding a bouquet of freshly cut flowers.

“Not at all,” said Jessie, getting quickly to her feet. “We didn’t mind waiting.” She slipped the note into her pocket.

“It gave us a chance to look for clues,” Benny blurted out. Then he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. He’d forgotten they weren’t supposed to talk about the mystery.

“I see you’ve met the market’s famous pig,” said Reena, as if she hadn’t even heard Benny’s remark. “All the money from the piggy bank goes to charity,” she added.

The children quickened their pace as they walked back to the hotel. They were eager to read the mysterious note tucked into Jessie’s pocket.

Henry poured lemonade into four tall glasses. As they gathered around the table in the hotel, Jessie carefully unfolded the sheet of white paper.

“Is it another riddle?” Violet wanted to know.

Jessie nodded and took a sip of lemonade. The ice cubes clinked in her glass. The others inched their chairs closer. They wanted to catch every word.

Jessie cleared her throat, then read aloud:

In the heart of the city

where first it began,

all questions are answered

surrounded by fans.

The children sat in puzzled silence. Jessie was about to say something, but Violet spoke first.

“Pioneer Square!” she cried.

Henry gave Violet a confused look. “What about it, Violet?”

“That’s where the city first began, isn’t it?”

“That’s true, Violet,” said Henry. “I suppose Pioneer Square is the heart of the city.”

“But the clues could fit the Seattle Center, too,” Jessie pointed out.

But Benny wasn’t convinced. “What about the rest of the riddle?” he said. “The last part doesn’t fit either one of those places.”

Jessie had to agree. “There would be plenty of shoppers and tourists in Pioneer Square and the Seattle Center,” she realized. “But not fans.”

“But there would be fans at a baseball game,” Henry said, after a moment’s thought. “Especially if the Seattle Mariners are playing.”

Jessie was bending over the note again. “Now that you mention it,” she said, “this riddle could fit a lot of places.”

Benny let out a sigh. “That means we have a whole lot of places to check out.”

“I guess we got more than we bargained for on this trip,” said Jessie.

Henry nodded. “You can say that again.”

Just then, Grandfather came through the door. “Hi, kids!” he said. “How was your trip to the market?”

“We had a great time!” said Violet.

The children took turns telling their grandfather about their outing. Jessie finished by saying, “Wewere just thinking about getting dinner started, Grandfather.”

“Why don’t we eat out tonight?” Grandfather suggested. “Maybe we can find a nice restaurant within walking distance.”

“The Hungry Heart Diner’s just down the street,” Henry pointed out.

“Sounds perfect,” said Grandfather. “It would be nice to dress up a bit. What do you think?”

Henry raised an eyebrow. “Just to go to the diner?”

“Sure,” said Grandfather. “Why not look our best?”

“Don’t worry, Grandfather,” Jessie assured him. “We’ll change into our good clothes.”

Soon enough, the children were ready for their dinner out. Violet was wearing her new jeans and a light sweater. Jessie had changed into a denim skirt and hooded white top. Benny had on his favorite pants with the zippered pockets, and Henry was wearing his most grown-up collared shirt.

“I wonder why Grandfather wanted us to get all fancy,” said Benny, patting his neatly combed hair. “What’s so special about the Hungry Heart Diner?”

Jessie was smoothing her hood in the hall mirror. “I’m not sure, Benny,” she said, shrugging a little.

“The Hungry Heart Diner is special to us,” Violet pointed out. “After all, that’s where the mystery began.”

Jessie suddenly whirled around. A funny look came over her face. Then she clapped her hands.

“That’s it!” she exclaimed.

A frown crossed Benny’s round face. “What’s it?”

“I know the answer to the riddle!”

“We already figured that out, Jessie,” Benny reminded her. “It’s either Pioneer Square or the Seattle Center.”

“Or maybe the ballpark,” added Henry.

Jessie shook her head. “I think we got it wrong,” she said, her voice rising with excitement. “Remember the first part of the riddle?”

“Sure,” said Violet, who had it memorized.
“In the heart of the city / where first it began.”

“What if the riddle wasn’t talking about where the city began,” said Jessie. She paused for a moment to let them think about it. “Don’t you see?” she said at last. “Maybe that wasn’t it at all.”

Henry looked puzzled. “I’m not following you, Jessie.”

“What else could it mean?” asked Violet.

“The mystery!” Jessie told them. “The riddle’s telling us to go back to where the mystery first began.”

“Of course!” exclaimed Violet. “The ‘heart’ is the Hungry Heart Diner.”

“There’s only one problem,” said Benny.

“You’re thinking about the fans, right?” Violet asked him. And Benny nodded.

Henry thought about this for a moment. “Maybe they use fans at the diner to keep the place cool.”

“I don’t remember seeing any,” said Benny.

“Me, either,” said Jessie. “But it’s worth checking out.”

“What a fine group!” Grandfather said, coming into the room. “I still have a few calls to make. Why don’t you go to the diner and get us a table. I’ll meet you there shortly.”

“Sure, Grandfather,” said Henry, and the others nodded.

The children soon hurried on their way. But when they stepped inside the diner, Benny’s shoulders slumped.

“Uh-oh,” he said. “I don’t see any empty tables.”

“We might have to wait a while,” added Violet.

Just then, a young woman with curly red hair came rushing over. The children recognized her immediately. It was Gwen—the waitress who’d taken their orders the other day.