Free Mystery of the Melting Snowman by Florence Parry Heide Page B

“I’ve got some questions I’d like to ask.”
    Tom walked over to the closet door. “Alex Baxter,” he called. “Would you mind answering a few questions before we call the police?”
    There was a moment’s silence. Then Alex Baxter said, “Police? You’ll look like a fool. What are you charging me with? After all, I didn’t get away with the diamonds. I admit I tried. But I didn’t succeed. You can’t arrest me for having big ideas. I haven’t done a thing. Unless you count trying to take that doorstop. And I didn’t even get away with that.”
    Melanie Wellington tapped on the closet door. “I’m sure if we called the police, they’d find something or other to arrest you for. But we’ll let you go. On one condition. That you answer some questions.”
    Alex Baxter was silent. Then he said, “I will answer questions about the subject at hand. Nothing more. And I must have your solemn promise that you will then open that door and not impede my departure.”
    Dexter nudged Jay. “That means we won’t stop him,” he whispered.
    “I thought that’s what it meant,” Jay whispered back.
    “Very well,” said Melanie Wellington. She turned to Cindy. “The young girl with the notebook may begin.”
    Cindy walked to the closet. “How did the iron dog get in the snowman?” she asked.
    “I can explain,” Alex Baxter began. “I was just trying to help Aunt Melanie. You see, I’d always suspected there was a secret safe in the house—”
    Melanie Wellington interrupted. “My husband built the safe, really just a good hiding place, when we moved into the house. He loved secrets, and he loved diamonds. He collected diamonds, as Alex knew. And he liked to look at them, so he didn’t want to put them away in a bank. After he passed away, I just left them in the safe.”
    Alex Baxter spoke again. “When I heard the house was going to be sold, I went to ask Aunt Melanie about the diamonds. I was going to bring them to her. All she had to do was give me the key to the safe and tell me where to find it. I was going to bring the diamonds to you, Aunt Melanie. I really would have.”
    “Of course you would have, Alex. But you’d have taken three or four of them first.”
    “Never!” said Alex Baxter. “Anyway, Aunt Melanie said that Jenny was going to bring her the key that afternoon. And then later when Tom’s parents came, Aunt Melanie was going to come over to the house with them and open the secret safe.”
    Jenny interrupted now. “I didn’t know a thing about a key! When Alex Baxter came over to the house, I couldn’t imagine what he wanted.”
    “There was no need for you to know where the key was,” Mrs. Wellington said. “I wanted to surprise you by letting you choose a diamond as a wedding gift.”
    Alex Baxter groaned. “To a perfect stranger!”
    “She is not a stranger, Alex. She is a lovely friend and a wonderful girl. And I’ve given you plenty, goodness knows. You just want more and more, Alex. You’re never satisfied.”
    There was a silence. Then Alex Baxter continued. “Well, anyway, Aunt Melanie said that Jenny was going to bring the key. So I went over to get it. I was going to bring it to Aunt Melanie myself.”
    “You were going to do no such thing, Alex, and you know it,” said Melanie Wellington. “You were going to get the key from Jenny and then try to find the secret safe.”
    Alex Baxter cleared his throat. “When I got there yesterday and asked Jenny for the key, she was just leaving the house. She said she didn’t know a thing about a key. She said she was only supposed to take the iron dog over, that was all. She didn’t know why Aunt Melanie wanted the iron dog, but she was going to bring it over. So of course I knew the key was in the dog.”
    He cleared his throat again, then continued. “When Jenny went upstairs, I took the iron dog out of its box and put an old vase in its place. I picked up the box and the dog and called to Jenny that I’d meet her