Free The Pizza Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner

my lunch. A man could starve in here waiting for them to deliver it!”
    Benny knocked on the door and pushed it open when he heard Mr. Irons say: “Come in, for heavens sakes, come in!”
    â€œHere’s your lunch,” Benny piped up.
    â€œWhaaat!” Mr. Irons yelled. “What are you doing here? And where’s my turkey sandwich?”
    The children were too busy to answer his question. Jessie whisked out a placemat and put it in front of Mr. Irons along with a knife, fork, and a big checked napkin from the restaurant. Meanwhile, Violet and Henry expertly cut a huge steaming slice of pizza and placed it on a large white plate.
    â€œJust what is going on here?” Mr. Irons bellowed. He yelled into his intercom: “Ms. Donella, Ms. Donella, who let these kids in here?”
    No one answered at the other end. The man tried not to sniff the delicious warm smell of tomato, dough, and mozzarella cheese.
    â€œI told my secretary I wanted a turkey sandwich. She can’t even get a simple lunch order straight,” Mr. Irons said.
    It was clear that Mr. Irons was hungry. But it was also clear that he was very angry and was not going to cut into the big slice on his plate. Jessie took the pizza cutter and cut a much smaller piece. She lifted it onto a paper napkin and handed it to Mr. Irons so fast he couldn’t refuse it.
    When he opened his mouth to say something, Jessie said: “Take a bite. Go ahead.”
    Without thinking, that’s just what Maxwell Irons did. Then he took a second bite and a third.
    â€œIsn’t it good?” Violet said.
    â€œIsn’t it the best pizza you ever had?” Benny added.
    Mr. Irons was too busy tasting, chewing, and swallowing to say anything, which gave Henry a chance to speak first. “Mr. Irons, you don’t seem to know it, but you have the best pizza place in Silver Falls right next door. Why do you want to hurt their business?”

    Mr. Irons stopped eating. Angrily, he pointed a finger at the Aldens. “Now you kids listen to me! That tumbledown place has caused me nothing but headaches. I want that space for a factory cafeteria. The factory is busier than ever, and I can’t have my people running over there for pizza! Understand? Now tell that Mr. Whatever-His-Name-Is that I’m going to make him an offer to buy that place or else he’s going to have even more than a broken gas line or a blackout or a bunch of kids wanting a cheap meal.”
    â€œSo it was you!” Jessie said.
    â€œThe Piccolos have owned that restaurant for over thirty years,” Violet said sadly. “It was busy until you got here.”
    â€œWhy couldn’t you have just talked to the Piccolos?” Henry asked Mr. Irons. “You could have worked together.”
    â€œWork with a couple of pizza bakers who should be retired?” Mr. Irons said in a cruel voice. “I want a company cafeteria on that spot, and I’m going to get it no matter what other stunts I have to pull.”
    The children moved to gather up the pizza and dishes when they saw a woman standing in the doorway.
    â€œIt’s the lady I gave a flyer to,” Benny whispered to Jessie.
    â€œUh, I’m sorry about these kids, Mrs. Sturgis,” Mr. Irons said as he grabbed for his phone. “I’ll call Security to get them out of here.”
    The woman stepped forward. “You will do nothing of the kind, Mr. Irons. I over-heard everything you told these children over the intercom on Ms. Donella’s desk.”
    â€œUh . . . oh . . . well, these kids sneaked in here without permission.”
    â€œOnly because they wanted to help out some people who have done business in Silver Falls for many years,” Mrs. Sturgis said. “I am horrified by the way you have managed my business while I was away. You certainly did not have my permission to harm my neighbors. You are fired!”
    Mr. Irons glared at the children.