The Homerun Mystery (4 page)

Jessie found Emily swinging a bat for practice out of sight of the Eagles. “How's your arm?” she asked her.

“It's okay,” said Emily. “I want to thank you guys for helping me out.”

“We haven't done anything yet,” said Jessie.

“No, but you will.” Emily was confident. “You told Coach Jenkins you can play center field?”

“Yes.” Jessie nodded. “He made me show him my throwing and catching. Said I'm a fair batter, too.”

“Good. I want you to meet our pitcher,” Emily said as a dark-haired boy came up. “Jessie, this is Brandon. Brandon, this is Jessie Alden. She and her brothers and sister are going to help us.”

Brandon nodded, looking around to make sure none of the Eagles players could hear or see them. “Emily said you guys solve mysteries.”

“Sometimes,” Jessie said modestly.

Then she heard Coach Jenkins whistle to get his team's attention and Jessie trotted out to join her team.

“You're ready to play?” he asked Jessie.

“Yes,” replied Jessie. She knew center field meant a lot of running after fly balls.

Danny Jenkins, the pitcher, joined them.

“This is my brother Danny,” said the coach. “Jessie is our new center fielder. I tried her out yesterday. She's pretty good.”

Then Coach Jenkins gave Jessie a ball cap and matching red T-shirt to pull on over her regular shirt.

It was time to begin. The players took their positions.

It was hot out on the field, even though the game was starting early. Jessie adjusted the visor of her cap to keep the sun out of her eyes. The coaches argued again about the call at second base the previous day, which delayed the opening pitch. They really didn't seem to like each other.

Jessie glanced over at the factory. There were no lights in the broken windows this morning. Had they all imagined that light last night? Maybe it was some trick of dusk.

“Going to be a hot one today,” commented Danny, who had left the pitcher's mound.

“I'm afraid so.” She looked back at the factory.

“You keep staring at the hat factory,” said Danny.

“Well, it's a very old building.”

“It's more than that.” Danny lowered his voice. “I see lights in there at night. The factory is haunted! I'd stay away if I were you!”

CHAPTER 4

A Message for Violet

J
essie tried to keep the shock out of her voice. “Are you sure? Maybe it's just the night watchman.”

Danny shook his head. “Nobody guards the fectory at night anymore. It's a ghost, I tell you!”

In the hot sun, Jessie felt a finger of ice trace her backbone. “Why would a ghost haunt an old hat factory?”

At that moment, the coaches stopped arguing.

“Got to go,” Danny told Jessie. “I hear you're a great batter.”

“Not great,” said Jessie honestly. “Fair.”

“We're all great batters on this team,” Danny bragged. “Way better than the other team.” He jogged across the diamond to the pitcher's mound and warmed up with a few practice pitches.

Then the umpire bawled, “Play ball!”

Danny threw the opening pitch. Emily was first in the batting order. Danny threw hard and fast to her. Emily's bat connected with the ball. Jessie watched as the ball sailed toward right field. The girl playing that position called the ball as she ran backward, glove held high. But she missed the catch and the ball dropped behind her.

By the time the girl picked it up and threw it to the infield, Emily was flying around the bases. She slid into third.

Jessie breathed a sigh of relief. The Half Moons were off to a good start.

In the grandstand in front of her, she could see Emily's grandfather. Benny sat beside him. Violet was watching from well behind home plate. And Henry was standing along the foul line. The plan was to change places every inning, so they could all watch from different viewpoints.

Benny saw Jessie in center field and waved. His sister was too far away to see him, though.

“Did you ever play baseball?” he asked Emily's grandfather.

“Did I ever! I love the game!” Carl Soper replied enthusiastically. “I played shortstop when I was in school and later working here at the factory. I coached our youth league years ago, and Emily loves baseball as much as I do. I guess we get it from old Home Run Herman.”

“Emily is good,” Benny remarked, watching her race to home base after the second Half Moons batter hit a single. The Half Moons were leading and had a runner on first.

“All the kids on our team are good,” said Carl. “That's why we believe the Eagles must be cheating.”

“How come?”

“Because they always lose the championship to us,” said Carl Soper, “except this year. Suddenly they're scoring run after run.”

“The Eagles don't ever win?” asked Benny.

Carl shook his head. “Sometimes, but not like this. Wait till their team is up. You'll see. They'll be knocking the balls into the boards like crazy.”

Benny stared at the peeling billboards way across the field. Right now a Half Moons batter was up. The boy smacked the ball high and out. While the kid skimmed the bases, bringing home the other player, the ball whacked into the fence. A home run.

Benny clapped, along with Emily's grandfather.

Meanwhile, Violet watched Danny as the ball sailed overhead. The big boy's face turned a dull red. He wasn't happy about the other team's first home run of the day. But Danny struck out the next player.

One fly ball caught and one Half Moons player struck out and the Eagles changed places with the Half Moons on the field. Jessie passed Emily.

“Good work,” Jessie whispered to Emily as they passed each other slowly.

“Yeah,” said Emily without looking at Jessie. “But you wait. The Eagles will hit every pitch out of the park.”

Violet went to sit with Carl Soper, while Benny joined Henry on the foul line. He told Henry what Carl Soper had said about the Eagles hitting so many home runs during this season's championship.

“Did you see anything?” Benny asked his brother.

Henry shook his head. “The Eagles pitcher seems okay. Nothing weird about the way he's throwing.”

The score was nearly even by the sixth inning. The Eagles led by one point and were up at bat. So far the game appeared to be normal.

Coach Jenkins walked over to the batboy and pulled out a bat for the first hitter. The girl swung it tentatively a few times, then nodded. The bat was okay for her.

Henry knew this girl wasn't much of a hitter. She'd been struck out easily in earlier innings.

Brandon stood on the pitcher's mound. He swung his arm, then threw the ball. The girl's bat contacted the ball. It arced over the diamond.
Wham!
The ball hit the wooden fence. A home run for the Eagles!

The girl high-fived her other teammates.

“Wow!” exclaimed Benny. “She's good!”

Henry frowned. “Maybe she just got lucky.”

But he couldn't say that about the second and third and fourth home runs. Player after player hit line drives right into the fence! They couldn't
all
be lucky, he realized.

“They're either a really good team,” said Henry, “or there's something going on. I just can't tell what it is.”

The next batter who came up seemed reluctant. From her seat in the grandstand, Violet watched the sandy-haired boy carefully. He took the bat that the coach handed him.
Why was the coach handing out the bats instead of the batboy?
she wondered.

The boy took an open stance and waited for Brandon's pitch. He let the first ball go by. And the second. On the third pitch, he swung and missed. Violet could see Coach Jenkins frown.

On Brandon's next pitch, the boy stepped into the swing, and
crack!
the ball went flying into center field. The ball slammed into the boards.

The sandy-haired boy ran the bases rather halfheartedly, Violet thought. When he reached home, he walked up to the coach. They talked, then the boy gathered his things and left the park.

“He just quit the game,” said Violet, surprised.

“Looks like it,” Mr. Soper agreed. “Maybe he's sick. Why else would a player quit when his team is winning?”

At the beginning of the next inning, Coach Jenkins came into the bleachers to where Violet was sitting.

“Are you Violet Alden?” he asked her.

“Yes,” she replied, wondering what the man wanted.

“Your sister, Jessie, said you are a good ballplayer. Our left fielder just went home sick. And we don't have any substitutes. Would you like to play with us?” He grinned, adding, “We're winning, you know.”

“Well …” Then Violet realized this was a good opportunity. With two Aldens working on the inside, there was a better chance to find out if the Eagles were cheating. “Yes,” she said. “It sounds like fan.”

As she put on an Eagles T-shirt, Violet noticed it was Jessie's turn to bat. Once more Coach Jenkins took a bat from the batboy and gave it to Jessie to test.

Jessie swung the bat tentatively, then held it out straight. The bat seemed fine, not too heavy. She hit a good one deep in the outfield, but it was not a home run.

During a time-out, Jessie murmured to Violet, “I'm glad you're on the team. I can't tell what the Eagles are doing to cheat. Or even if they are cheating. You can help.”

“I'll try,” said Violet.

It was her turn to bat. She hit a single. It was funny, but only she and Jessie hadn't hit home runs. Were the other players that good?

All too soon, the game was over. The hard-hitting Eagles had won.

After the Eagles had left, Emily jogged over to Jessie. “The last game on Friday is the tie breaker. If we lose that game, we lose the championship.”

“But if you win, you'll win the championship,” Jessie said.

Henry and Benny joined them.

Brandon walked up, his glove hanging off the end of a bat. “It's important for us to go out winning,” he said. “Because after Friday we can't play anymore.”

“We still have two days,” Henry reminded everyone. “The ballpark could be saved in two days. It's not impossible.”

Two days isn't much time
, Violet thought.

As she turned, she saw a familiar face behind the batting cage. It was the sandy-haired boy who had quit the team. He motioned for her to come over.

“I thought you went home sick,” Violet said to him.

“I was supposed to,” said the boy. “My name is Eric. Did you take my position?”

Violet nodded. “Right in the middle of the game.”

“I think you should know something,” Eric said. “It's about —”

Just then Coach Jenkins loomed over them.

“Eric!” he boomed. “How's that stomachache?”

“Oh, it still hurts,” Eric said quickly. “I was just going home. I wanted to see if we won.”

“We did,” said the coach. “Violet here did a fine job of filling in for you. Will you be back for the championship game on Friday?”

“Uh — no,” stammered Eric. “I don't think I'll be better by then.”

“Let me walk you to the clubhouse,” Coach Jenkins said. “You can collect the rest of your things.”

As the coach led him across the field, Eric flashed a desperate glance over his shoulder. Violet knew he was trying to give her a message. It must be something important.

But how could she find out what it was?

CHAPTER 5

The Woman in Purple

A
fter the game, the Aldens went back to the inn. Everyone was disappointed because the Half Moons had lost.

The innkeeper, Bud Towers, noticed the long faces as he served a lunch of turkey salad and watermelon slices. “Looks like our team didn't win today.”

“Nope,” answered Benny.

“How about if we do a little sightseeing?” Grandfather suggested.

“Where are we going?” Benny wanted to know.

“To someplace special,” was Grandfather's mysterious answer.

When they had finished eating, they all got in the station wagon and drove south. Grandfather pulled the car into the parking lot of a strange house.

Violet stared at it as they all climbed out. “It looks like it belongs in a fairy tale,” she murmured.

The house had pointed roof lines and odd gables. Ivy clung to the old bricks and stonework. Diamond-shaped windows in witch's-hat dormers overlooked a garden.

Benny had never seen a house like this. “I want to live here!” he exclaimed. Then he remembered his own wonderful house in Greenfield. “But I won't ever leave you, Grandfather.”

James Alden laughed. “It's okay, Benny. Everyone is enchanted with Washington Irving's home.”

“Is that who lived here?” asked Henry. “I've read some of his stories.”

“So have I,” Jessie chimed in.
“The Legend of Sleepy Hollow
. And
Rip Van Winkle.
”