Free Mystery of the Queen's Jewels by Gertrude Chandler Warner

call my wife and tell her that everything’s going to be all right?”
    â€œNot at all,” Mrs. Scherr said.
    With that, Charles hurried out of the office. No sooner had he left than Benny picked up a hat from the table that Charles had been standing next to. “Wait,” he called out the door. “You forgot something!”
    Everybody laughed.
    That afternoon, when Mr. Alden got back from his meeting, Mrs. Brown served the family tea and cookies in the living room. The children told their grandfather all about what had happened at the museum. They had left the brooch with Mrs. Scherr and were happy to have solved the mystery at last.
    â€œThere’s just one thing I’m wondering,” said Jessie. “If Andrew wasn’t the one who hid the brooch in the backpack, then what did he mean about hiding something where no one would ever find it?”
    â€œI guess we may never know,” said Henry.
    Just then they heard the front door shut. “Hello, hello! Anyone here?” Andrew called, bounding into the living room. “I have wonderful news! I’m going to be famous! A star of the stage!”
    â€œBut you said you were already a star!” said Jessie, confused.
    â€œI did tell you that, didn’t I?” said Andrew apologetically. “That was a bit of an exaggeration. But I will be a star soon!”
    â€œWhat do you mean?” asked Henry. “You said you’d been in all those shows! Are you a famous actor or not?”
    â€œActor, yes. Famous, no,” said Andrew. “At least, not yet. You thought I was famous because I was wearing dark glasses. I couldn’t resist — I’m an actor, I love to become someone I’m not. So I pretended to be a star.”
    â€œSo that’s why that theater fan hadn’t heard of you,” said Jessie.
    â€œAnd that’s why you looked uncomfortable when we said we might go to your show,” said Benny. “We would have found out you were lying.”
    â€œBut it wasn’t all a lie,” said Andrew. “I have been in lots of shows, but only in small-town theaters. I came to London a few weeks ago, hoping to finally make it big. I’ve been auditioning for lots of different parts, dressing up, practicing the lines in my room—”
    â€œWait a minute, did you say dressing up?” asked Benny. “Like an old man? Or someone with a beard?”
    â€œYes,” Andrew said. “Sometimes it helps me if I dress the part I’m auditioning for.”
    â€œAnd you’ve been practicing your lines in your room?” Jessie asked. “Saying you were hiding something where no one would ever suspect?”
    â€œYes,” said Andrew, smiling broadly. “That’s from The Mystery Man .”
    â€œWe heard you, and you didn’t sound at all like yourself!” said Violet.
    â€œThat’s good, because I was pretending to be a gangster — Ambrose Prince’s part. I’ve just found out he’s leaving the show, and I’m taking over the starring role. It’s a dream come true!”
    â€œSpeaking of dreams, I have some news of my own,” said Donna, who had just entered the living room.
    Everyone turned to look at her. She was carrying a small stack of fliers, which she passed around.
    â€œ ‘ Opening Soon: Madame Russo’s Wax Museum ,’ ” said Jessie, reading aloud.
    â€œI’m opening my own museum back in the United States,” said Donna. “I just found a location for it, and I’ve signed all the papers to get it started. One day my museum will be as famous as Madame Tussaud’s.”
    â€œSo this is your secret plan to get rich,” said Benny.
    â€œAnd that’s why you knew so much about the wax museum,” Violet added.
    â€œYes,” Donna said. “I’ve been reading books about waxworks and visiting there every day. But I didn’t want anyone to know,