Free Movie Star Mystery by Charles Tang Page A

went on. “We’re taking a hike. We live in Greenfield. That’s my sister Violet. She’s ten. And that’s our dog, Watch. We don’t know how old he is. We found him when we were living in the boxcar. We were orphans then, but we’re not now.”
    “That’s quite a story,” said the man sitting on the ground. He was scratching Watch’s ears while Watch’s tail wagged happily. He glanced at the tall man. “Sounds like a movie to me.”
    “It’s not a movie. It’s true,” said Jessie.
    “That’s Jessie,” Benny said. “She’s my oldest sister. She’s twelve. Henry is fourteen. He’s the oldest.” Benny raised his camera. “Can I take your picture, too?” he said to the man on the ground.
    But both men threw up their hands as if to hide their faces. “No pictures, please,” said the tall man.
    The man on the ground cleared his throat. He said, “I’m Harper Woo. Everyone calls me Harpo. And this is—”
    The tall man interrupted, “Smith. George.” He smiled a little and said, “By all means, call me George.”
    Harpo gave George a look of surprise. Then he got up and began to brush grass and twigs from his pants.
    “Why are you taking pictures of Harpo?” Jessie asked George.
    “Uh . . . I’m in a photography class,” said George.
    “We’re rehearsing for a play,” said Harpo at the exact same moment. The two men exchanged glances. Then George cleared his throat and said, “For publicity. I’m a photography student and taking pictures of Harpo for publicity for a play he’s in.”
    “Oh,” said Violet. “I like plays. Is it going to be in Greenfield?”
    “Greenfield,” said George. “Sure. It’s a nice, quiet town, isn’t it?”
    “Yes,” said Henry. “Is the play going to be at the community center?”
    “Sure,” Harpo echoed George.
    George put the camera into a bag and zipped it up. He hoisted the bag over his shoulder. “We’d better get going,” he said to Harpo.
    “What’s the name of your play?” asked Jessie.
    Bending over, Harpo picked up a big heavy leather satchel. “Nice to meet you kids,” said Harpo as if he hadn’t even heard Jessie’s question. He and George walked quickly away through the underbrush and disappeared from sight.
    “I hope it’s a good play,” said Benny.
    “I don’t think there is a play, Benny,” said Jessie, with her hands on her hips. Her eyes narrowed. “The community center is closed for remodeling, remember?”
    Henry nodded. “It’s true.”
    Violet’s eyes widened. “Do you think they were lying ?” she asked.
    “If they’re lying,” Benny said excitedly, “maybe they really are robbers. Let’s follow them!”
    “Yes,” said Jessie. “I think you’re right, Benny. Come on!”
    Quickly, the children began to walk through the woods in the direction the two men had gone. Benny forgot about being hungry. Watch tugged at his leash, sniffing the ground.
    Although they went as fast as they could, the Aldens couldn’t find the two men. They crossed a stream and worked their way around a blackberry patch. They climbed over the trunk of a huge fallen tree and went up and down several more hills.
    Finally they stopped at the top of a hill. “Maybe, if we are very quiet, we can hear them walking in the woods ahead of us,” Violet suggested.
    So the Aldens and Watch stayed very still and listened hard. They didn’t hear any footsteps, however. They only heard birds calling and the tree branches creaking in the wind.
    Jessie sighed. “I guess we lost them.”
    “I think I’ve lost me,” Benny said. “I don’t know where we are!”
    “Don’t worry, Benny. I know where we are. I can see a road through the trees right over there,” Henry said. “I’m pretty sure it’s Old Farm Road.”
    “Let’s have our picnic here,” Violet said. “We can sit on this nice flat rock.”
    “Good idea,” agreed Jessie. “And then we can follow the road home.”
    As the Aldens ate their lunch, they talked about the