Mystery of the Melting Snowman by Florence Parry Heide Page B

look out the window. If the lights are off in here, no one can see in.”
    “We can get a good look at him if he comes back,” said Jay. “And we can follow him and get a good look at his car. Maybe we’ll find out just who he is and what he wants.”
    Cindy took her notebook. “Let’s figure out what we know while we’re all wide awake.”
    “You mean, what we don’t know,” said Dexter.
    “Here’s what we know so far,” Cindy said. “An iron dog was hidden in the snowman. Someone came to get it. Let’s call him Mr. X, the way we always do when we’re working on a mystery.” She wrote busily, reading out loud as she wrote:
    Query : Why was Mr. X pulling the snowmen apart?
    Answer : He was looking for something.
    Query : What was he looking for?
    Answer : The iron dog.
    Query : What do we know about Mr. X?
    Answer : a) He’s tall.
    b) He’s wearing a parka with a hood.
    c) He doesn’t want to be seen, therefore he is probably doing something wrong. For example, taking the dog, which doesn’t belong to him.
    d) He left in a car and didn’t turn the headlights on, so he didn’t want to be seen leaving.
    Cindy tapped her pencil. “Where was his car parked?” she asked.
    “Just at the end of the street,” said Jay. “There’s a broken water main, and this street is blocked off. His car was right behind the barricade.”
    “Whoever he is, he’ll be back,” Dexter said, pulling his glasses down on his nose.
    Cindy reached over and touched the iron dog. “What’s so important about this dog? Why does Mr. X want to get it? Who put it there? What’s it all about?”
    “What on earth is going on?” asked a voice from the top of the stairs. It was Dexter’s sister Anne.
    “We just found this dog,” said Dexter.
    “Someone was knocking the snowmen down,” explained Jay.
    “The boys chased him and lost him,” added Cindy.
    Anne shook her head. “I don’t mind mysteries. But I mind mysteries in the middle of the night. When I heard you talking I thought you were burglars until I realized burglars don’t stand around talking. They start burgling. I just guessed it was you three. My ESP told me.”
    She yawned. “If Dad and Mom hear you, you’re in trouble,” she said. “You know how parents are. They think people should sleep at night and solve mysteries during the day.” She turned to go back to her room.
    Dexter turned to Jay and Cindy. “She’s right about our folks getting mad if they hear us,” he whispered. “Let’s keep it quiet. I’ll take first watch. You two get some sleep.”
    “Wake me when you get sleepy, Dex,” said Jay. “I’ll take the next watch.”
    Dexter nodded. He sat on the radiator cover, his sleeping bag wrapped around him. His face was cold leaning against the window, but the rest of him was warm from the radiator. He pulled his glasses down on his nose and stared out into the night.
    The street lamp swayed, making the shadow of the snowman lean first one way and then another. A gust of wind caught the powdery snow on the ground and swished it high up in the air. Dexter looked up and down the street. He didn’t see a thing. He yawned and shifted his position.
    Was it the snowman’s shadow that was moving? Or someone else’s? Dexter squinted through his glasses.
    Suddenly he sat up straight. “Psssst!” he whispered to Jay and Cindy. “Wake up! He’s back!”

Chapter 2
Who and Why?
    T HE THREE DETECTIVES pushed their faces against the cold window. A tall figure in a hooded parka was slowly walking around the big snowman. The hood shielded his face from view.
    As the Spotlighters watched, the man started to dig into the middle of the snowman. He reached in, then he drew himself up and looked around. Suddenly he started to knock the snowman down.
    “He’s really mad,” whispered Jay.
    “What will he do when he can’t find it?” Cindy whispered back.
    “When he knows the iron dog isn’t in there, he’ll leave,” said Dexter. “Let’s be