Free The Mysterious Disappearence of Leon by Ellen Raskin

Kunkel’s rules to the letter, except rule 3. He didn’t want the message to make sense. Whenever Augie Kunkel suggested they cut the lists apart and match them up, Tony insisted that he hadn’t quite finished. The closest he came to putting words together in a logical order was “The sea is sa l t.”
    Tina was the rule 3 believer in the family. She told no one about her newspaper ads, but she did need help in carrying out another idea.
    “I know it has too many syllables, but it does make sense,” she argued. “The reason Noel left Palm Beach was that he had to get back to work. He worked on a ship that was sailing the next day. The only place Mrs. Carillon would be able to locate him was through his job registration:
Noel Carillon, Sea man’s Hiring H all , New York.”
    Augie Kunkel said that Tina’s reasoning was so good he wouldn’t count syllables. In fact he would go to the National Maritime Union Hiring Hall, himself.
    Tony thought it was a terrible idea. “Some seaman. His boat capsizes five minutes after it hits water.”
    Tony was right; it was a terrible idea. Not only was no Noel Carillon registered with the union, but several seamen took a violent dislike to snooping. The cry of “Fink!” spread through the hiring hall, and Augie Kunkel was lucky to escape with no more than a bloody nose and a sprained ankle, thanks to the football helmet.
    Tina made no suggestions after that. She still had her newspaper ads; and if that didn’t work out, she would do what she knew Mr. Kunkel had decided to do: wait. Wait for new evidence to turn up, or wait for Mrs. Carillon to admit that Noel was dead.
    Just wait.

8 * Just Wait

    Tony Makes a Discovery
    It was a time of waiting for everyone.
    Mrs. Carillon was waiting for Christmas Bells to win the Washington Park Handicap.
    Tina was waiting for letters from Iowa and Idaho; and she was waiting for school to begin. She had decided to confess to Jordan Pinckney that she was not a Siamese twin. Then, if he would admit that his father was not a television star, they could become friends.
    Tony was waiting for Augie Kunkel to return from a two-week visit to his Aunt Martha. He had not been able to think of a new word for his chart since the end of summer school. In desperation, he asked Mrs. Carillon to show him the original anniversary cards from Noel.
    She obviously hadn’t looked at them in quite some time, Tony noted approvingly, as he blew away the dust, untied the purple ribbon, and carefully removed each card from its envelope. He examined them front and back, inside and out. Mrs. Carillon’s memory was faultless; he didn’t find one new word.
    Then his eye fell on the return name and address on one of the envelopes. There was one of his list words—and a new word. Mrs. Carillon had never mentioned what was written on the envelopes. He looked at the others ; they were all the same. Suddenly, Tony realized why the two words sounded so familiar. He had the answer! He had solved the first part of the glub-blubs! If only Mr. Kunkel would hurry back so he could tell him the news.
    In his excitement, Tony overlooked the consequence of his discovery:
HE HAD FOUND NOEL CARILLON.
    Missing Minnie
    “I spend all afternoon cooking, and all you do is pick.”
    “I’m not very hungry, Mrs. Baker,” Tony replied.
    “None of you seem hungry. What a waste!”
    Tina whispered to Tony that Mrs. Baker sounded just like Mr. Banks. She was overheard.
    “And what’s wrong with sounding like Mr. Banks? He’s the only one who makes any sense around here. Such a fine, upstanding man, and handsome, too. If I were you, Mrs. Carillon, I wouldn’t miss an opportunity like that. I’d latch on to Mr. Banks without a second’s thought.”
    “Why, what do you mean, Mrs. Baker?”
    “Marriage, Mrs. Carillon, that’s what I mean. Marriage. A husband for you and a father for your children.”
    “Mr. Banks for a father?” Tony was horrified.
    “Ugh!” groaned Tina.
    “But I