Free Mystery in the Mall by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

building. Seagulls swooped down to catch french fries tourists tossed out at them. Hope Harbor Mall looked like fun.
    “Wow!” Benny said. “I never saw a mall on a big dock before. It’s bigger than Main Street in Greenfield.”
    Mr. Alden searched for a parking garage. “Martin built the mall right on the water so shoppers would enjoy the view of the harbor.”
    Violet perked up when she saw all the shops that opened onto the pier. “I’m glad your friend’s mall is indoors and outdoors, Grandfather. I like to be able to see outside.”
    “Same here,” Jessie said. “Usually I can’t tell if it’s day or night in a mall. Hope Harbor Mall is different.”
    Mr. Alden drove through the underground parking garage. “Martin Bolt grew up in Hope Harbor. He built the mall to bring people back to the waterfront. Before he rebuilt the docks and put the mall on one of them, the whole area was just falling apart.”
    “Not anymore,” said Benny. “It’s busy around here, with boats and people and seagulls and lots and lots of places to eat.”
    Grandfather laughed along with Henry, Jessie, and Violet.
    “You just finished Mrs. McGregor’s picnic lunch,” Jessie teased. “How can you even think about food?”
    Benny smiled. “Because I smell food—all kinds. French fries, caramel corn, hot dogs, and pizza!”
    Mr. Alden soon found a parking space. “Here we are.”
    The children locked their things in the trunk. Everyone trooped out and followed signs that said THIRD-LEVEL STORES AND OFFICES.
    Mr. Alden opened the parking garage door to the light-filled mall. “Just look at this view.”
    Down below lay the bustling waterfront of Hope Harbor.
    Benny ran over to the huge glass windows. “Tugboats! I love tugboats. They’re small, but they push around big barges.”
    “Like you push me around, right?” Henry said, teasing Benny.
    At that moment, a tall, thin man with straight gray hair came up to Benny. “Move away from that window. If you want to see the boats, you’ll have to go out to one of the walkways.”

    As soon as Benny moved away, the man took a paper towel and rubbed the window.
    “I didn’t lean on it,” Benny said. “See! No fingerprints.”
    “Humph,” the man said, polishing the clean window anyway.
    After the man left, Benny turned to Grandfather Alden. “I didn’t touch the window. I just looked at the boats.”
    Mr. Alden put his arm around Benny. “I know that. Sometimes older folks like us forget what it’s like to be children.”
    “I’ll never forget,” Benny said. He stayed a good distance from the big picture window now.
    “There’s Martin’s office,” Mr. Alden told his grandchildren when they reached the end of the long hallway. “You’ll get a view of the harbor on all sides from there. Let’s go in.”
    Violet and Benny joined their grandfather. Henry and Jessie stayed behind, reading a bulletin board.
    “Come on, you two!” Benny said. “What are you reading, anyway?”
    Jessie caught up to the others. “Help-wanted signs. This mall is hiring people to work here.”
    “Greetings, Aldens!” a cheerful-looking man said when the Aldens came in. “So these are your grandchildren, James. I’ve heard all about the four of you. Your grandfather has mentioned so many times how lucky he was to find you after your parents died. He’s told me how well you took care of one another and that you lived very snugly in a boxcar. Now I have the pleasure of meeting all of you in person. This is quite a treat.”
    The children liked Grandfather’s friend very much. Martin Bolt even looked like James Alden, tall and silver-haired and just about the same age. Mr. Alden introduced the children.
    “I bet you like boats,” Martin Bolt said when he noticed Benny glued to the window.
    Benny nodded. “I like boats, but somebody didn’t like me looking at boats. He thought I got my fingerprints on your windows, but I didn’t.”
    Mr. Bolt just laughed. “I’m sure you