Free Mystery in the Mall by Gertrude Chandler Warner

CHAPTER 1
Monkey in the Middle
    At a rest stop by the side of a road, the Alden family sat around a picnic table. In the middle of the table, next to their picnic basket, sat a coconut. This was not an ordinary coconut but one painted to look just like a monkey. Six-year-old Benny Alden had carried it all the way back from Hawaii on another family trip. Now the coconut monkey went with him everywhere.
    When lunch was over, Benny picked up his coconut by its rope handle. He shook it to hear the rattle inside. Then he took the last bite of his banana.
    “You look just like that monkey,” fourteen-year-old Henry told Benny. “Especially with that banana.”
    Benny held the monkey coconut next to his freckled face. He made the same monkey face, too. “Can you take a picture of me, Violet?” he asked his ten-year-old sister.
    Violet found her camera. She aimed it at Benny and his coconut. “Say cheese.”
    “Yip! Yip!” Benny said instead.
    After Violet finished taking Benny’s picture, Grandfather Alden stood up. “There’s nothing I like better than a roadside picnic. Mrs. McGregor outdid herself with this lunch. Everything tastes better out in the fresh air after a long car ride. Now it’s time to get going again.”
    The children cleared the picnic table.
    Henry gathered up two bags of trash from around the picnic table. “Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints,” he said. “Violet took the pictures, and I’m leaving nothing but footprints. This trash is going right into the Dumpster.”
    While Henry went off, Jessie spread out a map. She was twelve and the best map reader in the family. She always knew where they were and where they were going. “It’s not too much longer, Grandfather. See, we’re here, about an hour away from Hope Harbor.”
    “It’ll be nice to see my friend Martin Bolt,” said Grandfather. “Not to mention the new mall he’s built! He said you children will have a very good time there.”
    Benny was excited. “I heard the mall is right where all the boats come in! I can’t wait to see that.”
    “So you will,” Grandfather told Benny.
    “I took out that trash just in time,” Henry said when he returned. “A garbage truck just came to pick it up.”
    “I’m glad we stopped,” Violet said after everyone repacked the car. “It’s so pretty here.”
    “And I’m glad we’re not stopping again. This sure is a long car trip,” Benny complained. “Whoops! Don’t leave yet, Grandfather!” Benny said. “I forgot my car bag under the picnic table. It’s got my travel games and toys in it—my coconut monkey, too!”
    Benny raced out. From the car, the rest of the family could tell that Benny’s bag was nowhere around.
    When Benny returned, Henry gave him a friendly arm punch. “No luck, huh? I’ll check the trunk. I bet you anything your bag is back there.”
    Henry got out and opened the trunk. When he came back, he was awfully quiet. “I hate to tell you this, but I think I made a bad mistake. I thought the shopping bag under the picnic table was trash, not your car bag. A truck just drove away with our bag of trash and your bag, too, Benny.”
    The children stared down at the empty highway. The truck had disappeared, taking Benny’s coconut monkey with it.
    “I’m really sorry, Benny. I should’ve checked both bags before I tossed them out,” Henry said.
    “It’s okay, Henry,” Benny said. “Maybe I can get another coconut monkey if we ever go back to Hawaii.”
    Mr. Alden drove for a long time before any of his grandchildren spoke up again.
    “We’re here!” Jessie announced an hour later, waking up the other children, who had finally dozed off.
    When Benny opened his eyes, he saw a big sign on a building that said HOPE HARBOR MALL.
    “See, Benny. We made it,” Jessie said.
    Benny sat up straight. He felt better already. He liked everything he saw. Crowds of shoppers strolled along walkways that zigzagged along the outside of the mall