Mystery of the Melting Snowman (3 page)

“We didn’t wake you up, did we?” asked Cindy, running upstairs.

“Oh, no,” Mrs. Temple said. “I had my special little cotton balls in my ears. I was sure that you three would find some kind of mystery before Christmas vacation is over—and it’s almost over.”

Cindy walked into her mother’s bedroom. Mrs. Temple was dressed and was brushing her hair.

“We did find a mystery, Mom,” Cindy said. “A real one. I’ll tell you about it later. I’ve got to go outside again and help Jay and Dexter spy. Do you want me to do anything first?”

“Nothing,” smiled Mrs. Temple. “I’m going to curl up downstairs with a book. It’s heaven not thinking about going to work today. Even though I do love my job. You’re in the clear for the day.”

“Thanks, Mom!” Cindy said. She ran downstairs to get the iron dog. She carried it upstairs to her room. Why was it so important? She turned the animal around and around and looked at it from all sides. She turned it upside down. Then she pushed it out of sight, under her bed. It would be safe there.

When Cindy came downstairs, Mrs. Temple was carrying a cup of coffee into the living room.

“I’m going to sit here curled up like a kitten all morning,” she said, smiling. “I have a stack of beautiful books from the library. And today the Tates are taking me to Chicago and then to dinner and a movie. I have nothing to do but spoil myself. You don’t mind having TV dinners this one night, do you?”

Cindy smiled. “I like them better than TV.”

“Oh, and do have Dexter over too. Anne is going with us, and there won’t be anyone over there either.”

“OK,” Cindy said, taking her mittens off the radiator. “Mom, do you know who lives in that big old red house across the street? The one up at the corner.”

Mrs. Temple sipped her coffee. “Never ask a working mother anything about neighbors,” she said. “I hear nothing, I see nothing, I know nothing. But that house changes hands a lot. I used to know who lived there five or six years ago, but I’ve lost track.”

Cindy laughed. “Well, I’m rushing off to solve a big mystery, Mom. See you later.”

As Cindy walked down the porch steps she saw a familiar face and heard a familiar voice. It was Mrs. Selma Peabody, the neighborhood gossip. “Oh, no,” groaned Cindy to herself.

“I was going to drive my car over to the sale,” said Mrs. Peabody. “But with the street torn up I had to leave my car there behind the barricade. I’ll probably catch my death.”

“What sale?” Cindy asked, curious.

“The one up there at the corner in the red house,” Mrs. Peabody said. “Imagine, having a sale. Strangers tramping through your house, pawing things.”

Cindy thought quickly. A sale in the red house. That’s where the man in the parka had gone. If there was a sale, then anyone could go. The Spotlighters could go. She could walk right in with Jay and Dexter and spy on Mr. X.

Cindy quickened her pace. Surely now they could find out more about the iron dog and Mr. X, the man with the mirror sunglasses.

“Did they put an ad in the paper?” Cindy asked Mrs. Peabody. She was sure that she would have seen it if anyone had—she always read everything in the newspaper.

Mrs. Peabody shook her head. “There was a sign in the bakery window this morning. ‘Sale of Household Goods, Neighbors and Friends Welcome,’ it said. And it gave that address. And the funny thing is that it’s old Mrs. Wellington’s house. And she hasn’t even been living there. Not for weeks, mind you. Where is she? And who’s selling her things? That’s what I’d like to know, and that’s what I’m going to find out.”

She leaned closer to Cindy and said, “There’s something funny going on. Otherwise, why would they be selling her things?” Mrs. Peabody sniffed and crossed the street to the red house.

Cindy could see that Jay and Dexter were still shoveling the Mulberrys’ walk. She ran over to them. “Did you see anything suspicious?” she asked.

“Yes,” said Jay. “That’s the third lady who’s walked into the house. But we haven’t seen a sign of Mr. X.”

“It’s a sale,” Cindy said quickly. “Mrs. Peabody said there was a sign in the bakery this morning. Household goods. She said the house belonged to Mrs. Wellington. Mrs. Peabody thinks it’s funny that someone is selling Mrs. Wellington’s things. But Mrs. Peabody thinks everything is funny.”

“Let’s go,” said Dexter.

“OK, as soon as we finish the driveway,” Jay said. “We can’t stop now or Mr. Mulberry will finish it.”

Dexter asked, “Did you find any clues over there in the snow, Cindy?”

“I did find something,” Cindy said, patting her bulging pocket. “An orange scarf. Amy said the man gave it to her. I’m going over to the red house now and see what I can find out.”

“We’ll be over as soon as we can,” said Jay.

“Good,” Cindy said. “See you there.” She ran across the street and up the porch steps of the house Mr. X had entered.

C
INDY RANG THE
doorbell. Would the man with the mirror glasses open the door?

She waited only a moment. The door opened and Cindy looked into the face of a small, pretty young woman with blond hair. She was about as tall as Cindy.

“How do you do?” she said. “I don’t know you, but I’m so pleased that you came for the sale. My name is Jenny Mayflower.”

“I’m Cindy Temple,” said Cindy. “I live just across the street a couple of houses down.”

“I’m sorry that I know so few of the neighbors,” said Jenny Mayflower. “That’s what happens when you’re busy.”

“That’s just what my mother says,” agreed Cindy. She glanced around. The young man with the mirror sunglasses was nowhere to be seen.

There was a desk on the left side of the front door, a pad of paper on the desk. Beautiful dishes and goblets and silver were on tables in the next room.

Two women were walking around the dining room table looking at the things spread out on it. Mrs. Peabody was in the living room, picking up each item, examining it, and looking at the price marked on it.

“Are you selling everything here?” Cindy asked Jenny Mayflower.

“As much as we can!” laughed Jenny. “If you can pick it up, you can buy it. You don’t have to buy a thing, you know, but you are welcome to look around all you like. If you find something you want, my fiancé is in charge of the money part of things. He’s much better at that than I am. He’s upstairs right now, finding light bulbs.”

Cindy was thinking about what Mrs. Peabody had told her. That it was funny someone was selling all of Mrs. Wellington’s things.

“Do you live here?” she asked Jenny.

“I’ve been living here with Mrs. Melanie Wellington,” Jenny answered. “I’ve been her secretary and companion. But I’m getting married in three days. We’re moving into a tiny apartment near Chicago.” She smiled and looked around the house. “I’ve loved it here, and I’ll really miss Mrs. Wellington.”

“Doesn’t she live here anymore?” asked Cindy.

“No, she lives on the other side of town. In a lovely place called the North Star.”

Cindy made a mental note of the name.

“Tonight I’m going to meet Tom’s parents for the very first time,” Jenny confided. “They’re flying in from Arizona to be at the wedding. We’re meeting their plane. Oh, I hope they like me!”

“They will,” Cindy assured her.

“And then we’ll see Mrs. Wellington tonight,” Jenny added. “She’s been so kind. And she’ll want to meet Tom’s parents.”

Now that she had met Jenny, Cindy was sorry Jenny was leaving the neighborhood so soon. It would have been fun to have a young friendly neighbor like this.

Jenny looked past Cindy. Her smile grew even wider. “And here’s the light bulb expert,” she said. “Tom, I want you to meet one of our neighbors.”

Cindy turned around. It was the young man in the mirror sunglasses, except he wasn’t wearing them now. Jenny put her arm through Tom’s and said, “Cindy, this is Tom Foster, my almost husband. Tom, this is my new friend, Cindy Temple.”

Tom looked down at Cindy. “Any friend of Jenny’s is a friend of mine,” he grinned. His smile was a wide, friendly one, like Jenny’s.

Did he recognize Cindy? Her thoughts raced. This was the man that Jenny Mayflower was going to marry in three days. And this was the man who had hidden the iron dog in the snowman. Or had he? Cindy remembered Mr. Hooley’s Rule. She had to have proof.

Tom walked to the desk that Cindy had noticed when she had come in. He reached into a drawer and brought out a metal box. It was the one he had been carrying when Cindy first saw him.

Tom raised his eyebrows. “This metal box will be jammed with money by the end of the day. Lucky I’m in charge of things. You’d give everything away for nothing!” He chuckled.

Cindy was trying to sort out her thoughts. The Maxwell children said a nice man had helped them with the snowman. He wore mirror sunglasses. He had sent them in the house to get a carrot, and he gave them an orange scarf for the snowman. Cindy reached in her bulging jacket pocket and felt the damp scarf. She pulled it out.

“We found this in the snow this morning,” Cindy said. “Does it belong to anybody here?”

Tom blushed bright red. He started to doodle on the pad in front of him.

Jenny reached for the scarf. “Why, it’s yours, Tom!” she exclaimed. “You told me you’d lost it ages and ages ago!”

Just then the doorbell rang. Three more ladies came in. They started to talk to Jenny. Cindy walked thoughtfully into the dining room. Why had Tom told Jenny that he had lost the scarf long ago?

Cindy pretended to look at some cups and saucers that were on a table in the dining room. She wanted to stay near enough to hear anything important Tom said.

Cindy waited and watched, moving around the downstairs pretending to look at the objects for sale.

Jenny went upstairs. She came down with her coat on. She was carrying a length of wide blue ribbon. When she saw Cindy, she winked.

Cindy walked over to her, and Jenny explained, “I’m going to tie this ribbon across the stairway. Some of these ladies are so curious they’ll want to see what the rest of the house looks like.”

Cindy helped her tie the ribbon across the stairs.

“Thanks a jillion,” said Jenny. “I’ve got to run. I’m spending the rest of the day at the new apartment. Workmen are bringing the stove and the refrigerator and the new furniture—everything. And I’ve just got to be there.”

Jenny walked over to Tom. Cindy followed. “And you, poor darling,” Jenny said, ruffling Tom’s hair, “you’re going to be left holding the bag.”

“I’ll be glad to get rid of you,” smiled Tom.

“Turn everyone out by three thirty, remember,” said Jenny. “Lock up the house and turn off the lights. And come pick me up at the apartment. The furniture will all be there by then. And we’ll have plenty of time to get to the airport to meet your mom and dad. I can’t wait!”

“I’m sure they’re even more excited than you are,” said Tom. They smiled at each other with their wide, friendly smiles.

Jenny started to open the front door. Then she turned back and groaned and made a face. “My mind is absolutely going, going, gone. That’s what I get for being so excited about a little thing like a wedding. Yesterday I forgot my car keys and had to come all the way back for them. And now I forgot to take that ugly vase out of my car. I don’t want to drag it all the way into Chicago. And we could probably sell it here for five dollars.”

“What ugly vase?” asked Tom.

“That big old brown thing with the handles that look like ears. I took it by mistake yesterday. I thought that doorstop was in the box. Then when I opened it I realized I had the wrong box. I don’t know how it happened. Both boxes are the same size. I guess I just picked the wrong one.”

Jenny turned to Cindy. “Could you walk with me back to my car and get the dreadful thing, Cindy? And bring it back here to Tom?”

“Sure,” said Cindy. She hoped the boys would come over to watch Tom while she was gone. If he had stolen the iron dog he might steal something else. If, if, if, thought Cindy miserably. Everything was an if.

“It’s such a headache having the end of the street shut off. But we ought to be back to normal by tomorrow,” said Jenny. “Cindy, are you sure you don’t mind coming along for the package?”

Cindy grinned. “I’m sure.”

Jenny and Cindy walked down the steps of the house. Cindy glanced across the street. Jay and Dexter were talking to Mr. Mulberry. But they had one eye on the house. When they saw Cindy they waved. Cindy waved back. “I’ll be right back!” she called. She knew they would go over to Mrs. Wellington’s house to cover Tom Foster.

Cindy walked alongside Jenny toward her car. Did Jenny know anything about the iron dog? Cindy wondered. About Tom’s hiding it?

Cindy pointed across the street. “Someone broke all the snowmen last night,” she said, watching Jenny. Jenny said nothing.

She led the way to her car. It was a little white sports car, dusted with snow. “White on white!” laughed Jenny.

Cindy helped her brush the snow from the windshield and the windows. As she did, she noted a green car with a bent fender parked right behind Jenny’s car.

Jenny unlocked her car door and reached into the back seat. “Here it is, the ugliest of all vases,” she said. She lifted out a big package. “Take this hideous thing back to the house, please. Maybe someone will buy it. Someone who can’t see very well.”