then we’ll set up a game, okay?”
The Aldens followed Queenie to the back of the store. A man with a dark mustache was just coming out of the back room. There was a patch on his shirt that said SILVER SAFES.
“Oh. Are you finished, Tony?” Queenie asked the man.
“Yes.” Tony set his toolbox on the floor and handed Queenie a clipboard. “Would you sign, please?”
Queenie signed her name, then gave the clipboard back to Tony.
Tony handed Queenie a small booklet and a separate piece of paper. “Here’s your owner’s manual and your combination. Give me a call if you have any trouble.”
“I will,” Queenie said. “Thanks, Tony.”
As Tony bent down to pick up his toolbox, he noticed the game in Jessie’s hands. “Word Master, huh? That’s my favorite game.”
“Is it?” Queenie smiled. “Well, then you’ll have to stop back for a game sometime. That’s why I set up that sitting area in the front of the store. I’m hoping my store will become a place where people will hang out and play games.”
“That sounds fun. I’ll try and stop in sometime next week,” Tony said. He shook hands with Queenie, then left.
“You mean people can come in here anytime and play games with other people who are in the store?” Violet asked.
“Yes,” Queenie replied. “I never just wanted a store where people just come in, buy things, then leave. I want people to stay and make friends.”
“Even kids?” Benny asked.
“Especially kids!” Queenie gave Benny’s shoulders a squeeze. “In fact, I’d also like to arrange an area just for kids here in the store. I’m planning to call it the Kids’ Korner. I was hoping you children would help me design it?”
“Really?” Violet asked.
“Absolutely,” Queenie said. “That’s why I asked your grandfather to bring you in here today. Perhaps we can talk about some ideas after we play a quick game of Word Master.”
The Aldens all nodded enthusiastically as they moved closer to the back room. But before they got there, they heard sirens.
The noise grew louder and louder until it sounded like it was right outside the store!
“What’s going on?” Henry asked. They all exchanged worried looks.
“I don’t know,” Queenie said. “Let’s go find out.”
CHAPTER 2
Robbed!
There were two police cars parked in front of the coffee shop at the end of the mall. A small crowd had gathered in front of the shop. The Aldens pressed closer to see what was going on.
“Do you know why the police are here?” Jessie asked a woman in a red jacket who stood at the edge of the crowd.
The woman turned. “Didn’t you hear? The Java Café was robbed last night!”
“Robbed!” Henry exclaimed.
“Oh, no,” Queenie said, pressing her hand to her mouth.
Carter Malone stepped closer to Queenie. “What happened?” he asked the woman in red.
“I don’t know the specifics,” she replied. “All I know is that woman over there,” she pointed to a very distraught-looking young woman with straight blond hair, “came in to work this morning and found the safe standing wide open. Everything inside it was gone.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Queenie said. “That’s Raina Holt. I know her! I play bridge with her mother.”
“Are you the owner of this establishment?” a female police officer asked the brown-haired man who was standing next to Raina.
Benny had to stand on his tiptoes in order to see.
“Yes. I’m Chip Douglas. I just opened up about three weeks ago.” Chip wore a long, white apron over jeans and a blue shirt. His hair hung almost to his shoulders.
“Do you have any idea what happened?” a male officer asked.
Chip’s eyes narrowed. “I have a pretty good idea. Let me introduce you to my assistant manager … or should I say former assistant manager, Raina Holt.”
Raina gasped. “No! You can’t fire me, Chip. Please! I need this job!”
“You should have thought of that before you stole from me,” Chip countered.
“How does he
The Aldens followed Queenie to the back of the store. A man with a dark mustache was just coming out of the back room. There was a patch on his shirt that said SILVER SAFES.
“Oh. Are you finished, Tony?” Queenie asked the man.
“Yes.” Tony set his toolbox on the floor and handed Queenie a clipboard. “Would you sign, please?”
Queenie signed her name, then gave the clipboard back to Tony.
Tony handed Queenie a small booklet and a separate piece of paper. “Here’s your owner’s manual and your combination. Give me a call if you have any trouble.”
“I will,” Queenie said. “Thanks, Tony.”
As Tony bent down to pick up his toolbox, he noticed the game in Jessie’s hands. “Word Master, huh? That’s my favorite game.”
“Is it?” Queenie smiled. “Well, then you’ll have to stop back for a game sometime. That’s why I set up that sitting area in the front of the store. I’m hoping my store will become a place where people will hang out and play games.”
“That sounds fun. I’ll try and stop in sometime next week,” Tony said. He shook hands with Queenie, then left.
“You mean people can come in here anytime and play games with other people who are in the store?” Violet asked.
“Yes,” Queenie replied. “I never just wanted a store where people just come in, buy things, then leave. I want people to stay and make friends.”
“Even kids?” Benny asked.
“Especially kids!” Queenie gave Benny’s shoulders a squeeze. “In fact, I’d also like to arrange an area just for kids here in the store. I’m planning to call it the Kids’ Korner. I was hoping you children would help me design it?”
“Really?” Violet asked.
“Absolutely,” Queenie said. “That’s why I asked your grandfather to bring you in here today. Perhaps we can talk about some ideas after we play a quick game of Word Master.”
The Aldens all nodded enthusiastically as they moved closer to the back room. But before they got there, they heard sirens.
The noise grew louder and louder until it sounded like it was right outside the store!
“What’s going on?” Henry asked. They all exchanged worried looks.
“I don’t know,” Queenie said. “Let’s go find out.”
CHAPTER 2
Robbed!
There were two police cars parked in front of the coffee shop at the end of the mall. A small crowd had gathered in front of the shop. The Aldens pressed closer to see what was going on.
“Do you know why the police are here?” Jessie asked a woman in a red jacket who stood at the edge of the crowd.
The woman turned. “Didn’t you hear? The Java Café was robbed last night!”
“Robbed!” Henry exclaimed.
“Oh, no,” Queenie said, pressing her hand to her mouth.
Carter Malone stepped closer to Queenie. “What happened?” he asked the woman in red.
“I don’t know the specifics,” she replied. “All I know is that woman over there,” she pointed to a very distraught-looking young woman with straight blond hair, “came in to work this morning and found the safe standing wide open. Everything inside it was gone.”
“Oh, my goodness,” Queenie said. “That’s Raina Holt. I know her! I play bridge with her mother.”
“Are you the owner of this establishment?” a female police officer asked the brown-haired man who was standing next to Raina.
Benny had to stand on his tiptoes in order to see.
“Yes. I’m Chip Douglas. I just opened up about three weeks ago.” Chip wore a long, white apron over jeans and a blue shirt. His hair hung almost to his shoulders.
“Do you have any idea what happened?” a male officer asked.
Chip’s eyes narrowed. “I have a pretty good idea. Let me introduce you to my assistant manager … or should I say former assistant manager, Raina Holt.”
Raina gasped. “No! You can’t fire me, Chip. Please! I need this job!”
“You should have thought of that before you stole from me,” Chip countered.
“How does he
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