a few mysteries,” he said, looking Fiona straight in the eye.
Fiona did not seem very happy to hear this.
“But we never solved a mystery in front of cameras,” Violet added honestly. “That must be harder.” She glanced at Jessie nervously.
Fiona caught the look. “Are you sure you’re up to it, my dear?” she asked. Then she reached over and patted Violet’s hand. “Honestly, it’s not easy being on television. I certainly couldn’t do it,” she quickly added. “Not with all those people watching at home.”
Jessie couldn’t shake the feeling Fiona was trying to make Violet even more uneasy. She opened her mouth to say something, but Hilary spoke first.
“Let’s back up a minute,” she said with a frown. “There’s no reason for anyone to be nervous. No reason at all.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Fiona mumbled. “Not really.”
“Well, I would. ” Hilary sounded annoyed.
“The cameras won’t be rolling all the time. Even our cameramen needs breaks.” She looked over at Violet and winked. “Besides, most of the film ends up on the cutting-room floor. It’s only a half-hour show.”
Violet looked relieved to hear this.
After the waitress took their orders, Tim said, “I take my lucky penny everywhere.” He fished a coin from his pocket and held it up. “See?”
“Guess what?” Benny said with a grin. “I take my cracked pink cup everywhere.” Tim grinned, too.
Over dinner, Jessie turned to Hilary. “Working on a television show must be fun,” she said.
Hilary’s eyes sparkled. “I really love my job, Jessie,” she said, helping herself to a roll. “And since every show takes place in a different city, I even get to travel.” Then she added with a sigh, “I plan to enjoy it while I can.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “While you can?”
Hilary nodded. “You never know when a show might be cancelled,” she explained. “It all depends on the ratings.”
Benny scrunched up his face. “The ratings?”
“That’s the number of people who watch, Benny,” Hilary explained. “If we don’t get enough viewers, then the show’s cancelled.”
“And you lose your job?” asked Violet.
Hilary nodded again. “And so does everyone else who works on the show.”
“From what I hear,” put in Fiona, “the ratings have really shot up lately. Honestly, my nieces and nephews have taken the nation by storm.”
“True enough,” said Hilary. “Can the Best family become five-time champions? Everyone’s tuning in to find out.”
“Do you make up the codes and clues yourself, Hilary?” Grandfather asked over dessert.
Hilary shook her head. “We have a team of writers who come up with the mysteries,” she said. “They do the research on each city,” she added. “Then they decide where the three gold coins should be hidden.”
“Cool!” said Benny.
“Speaking of the gold coins,” said Hilary, “we’ll be meeting in the hotel lobby in the morning. We’ll give both teams the same clues. As soon as you find the first gold coin, come right back to the hotel.”
It wasn’t until the Aldens were heading for the elevator after dinner that Jessie realized something. Hilary hadn’t mentioned what time to meet in the lobby the next morning. As she dashed back to the restaurant, Jessie noticed Hilary sitting at the table talking on a cell phone. Coming up behind the producer, Jessie couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of the conversation.
“Of course, I don’t like sneaking around,” Hilary was saying. “Yes, but … what choice do I have? No, no … I’m telling you, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
When Hilary caught sight of Jessie, she quickly pocketed the cell phone. “Oh!” She looked startled, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. “I was, um, just … checking on a few things.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Jessie. “We were just wondering what time to meet in the lobby tomorrow.”
“Oh, right,” said
Fiona did not seem very happy to hear this.
“But we never solved a mystery in front of cameras,” Violet added honestly. “That must be harder.” She glanced at Jessie nervously.
Fiona caught the look. “Are you sure you’re up to it, my dear?” she asked. Then she reached over and patted Violet’s hand. “Honestly, it’s not easy being on television. I certainly couldn’t do it,” she quickly added. “Not with all those people watching at home.”
Jessie couldn’t shake the feeling Fiona was trying to make Violet even more uneasy. She opened her mouth to say something, but Hilary spoke first.
“Let’s back up a minute,” she said with a frown. “There’s no reason for anyone to be nervous. No reason at all.”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Fiona mumbled. “Not really.”
“Well, I would. ” Hilary sounded annoyed.
“The cameras won’t be rolling all the time. Even our cameramen needs breaks.” She looked over at Violet and winked. “Besides, most of the film ends up on the cutting-room floor. It’s only a half-hour show.”
Violet looked relieved to hear this.
After the waitress took their orders, Tim said, “I take my lucky penny everywhere.” He fished a coin from his pocket and held it up. “See?”
“Guess what?” Benny said with a grin. “I take my cracked pink cup everywhere.” Tim grinned, too.
Over dinner, Jessie turned to Hilary. “Working on a television show must be fun,” she said.
Hilary’s eyes sparkled. “I really love my job, Jessie,” she said, helping herself to a roll. “And since every show takes place in a different city, I even get to travel.” Then she added with a sigh, “I plan to enjoy it while I can.”
Henry raised an eyebrow. “While you can?”
Hilary nodded. “You never know when a show might be cancelled,” she explained. “It all depends on the ratings.”
Benny scrunched up his face. “The ratings?”
“That’s the number of people who watch, Benny,” Hilary explained. “If we don’t get enough viewers, then the show’s cancelled.”
“And you lose your job?” asked Violet.
Hilary nodded again. “And so does everyone else who works on the show.”
“From what I hear,” put in Fiona, “the ratings have really shot up lately. Honestly, my nieces and nephews have taken the nation by storm.”
“True enough,” said Hilary. “Can the Best family become five-time champions? Everyone’s tuning in to find out.”
“Do you make up the codes and clues yourself, Hilary?” Grandfather asked over dessert.
Hilary shook her head. “We have a team of writers who come up with the mysteries,” she said. “They do the research on each city,” she added. “Then they decide where the three gold coins should be hidden.”
“Cool!” said Benny.
“Speaking of the gold coins,” said Hilary, “we’ll be meeting in the hotel lobby in the morning. We’ll give both teams the same clues. As soon as you find the first gold coin, come right back to the hotel.”
It wasn’t until the Aldens were heading for the elevator after dinner that Jessie realized something. Hilary hadn’t mentioned what time to meet in the lobby the next morning. As she dashed back to the restaurant, Jessie noticed Hilary sitting at the table talking on a cell phone. Coming up behind the producer, Jessie couldn’t help overhearing bits and pieces of the conversation.
“Of course, I don’t like sneaking around,” Hilary was saying. “Yes, but … what choice do I have? No, no … I’m telling you, I’ll do whatever it takes.”
When Hilary caught sight of Jessie, she quickly pocketed the cell phone. “Oh!” She looked startled, as if she’d been caught doing something wrong. “I was, um, just … checking on a few things.”
“I didn’t mean to startle you,” said Jessie. “We were just wondering what time to meet in the lobby tomorrow.”
“Oh, right,” said
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