Free The Mystery at the Fair by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

Miss Susie Martinilli!”
    Susie stepped forward to receive the trophy and prize money.
    â€œThat’s the girl that was in the tent the day my book bag was taken!” Kristie said.
    Before the judge could hand Susie the prize money and the trophy, Jessie stood up.
    â€œJust a minute, please,” Jessie said. “I think that there has been a violation of the rules.”
    â€œI think so, too,” said another voice. Jessie looked around. It was the man in the baseball cap. Henry and Benny were standing next to him.

CHAPTER 9
    The Mystery Is Solved
    T he judge asked the crowd to please be patient for ten minutes while the rules violation was examined. Then he asked the Alden children, Susie, Mrs. Stephens, Kristie, and the man in the baseball cap to follow him. Everyone crowded inside the judge’s small office.
    â€œNow,” the judge said after he closed the door. “What’s going on here?”
    Jessie gave the notes to the judge. He laid the notes side by side on a small table.
    â€œThese are notes which were given to Mrs. Stephens and her daughter, Kristie,” Jessie said. “I think that whoever wrote these notes did it so that Kristie and her mother would be away from the tent when Kristie’s painting was removed and damaged. The handwriting on the notes is the same.”
    â€œWho do you think did this?” the judge asked.
    â€œI think Susie wrote those notes,” Jessie said.
    â€œThat’s ridiculous,” Susie cried, “you can’t prove anything.”
    â€œWhen you borrowed my pen at registration tent, I noticed that you dot your i’s with little hearts,” Jessie said.
    â€œLots of people sign their names like that,” Susie said. “That doesn’t mean anything.”
    â€œHow did you get that yellow paint on your blouse, Susie?” Violet asked. “The yellow paint that made the stain on your blouse is made to reflect the light. None of the paint on your artwork does that.”
    â€œAlso, you asked me how the necklace was held together. You knew that cutting the wire would ruin our necklace,” Jessie said.
    â€œAnd what about Kristie’s book bag?” Henry said. “Did you take it to make it look like Kristie was the one who was causing all the trouble at the fair?”
    â€œYou don’t know what you’re talking about,” Susie said. She looked scared.
    â€œI think they do,” the man with the baseball cap said. “Judge, I’m Steven Pearson. The fair officials hired me to investigate the problems which have been happening since the fair was announced.”
    â€œSo that’s why we kept seeing you everywhere,” Jessie said.
    â€œBut why were you always hurrying away when something bad happened?” Violet asked.
    â€œI didn’t want anyone to notice me,” Mr. Pearson answered. “But you children were too clever for me.”
    â€œWhen we finally got a chance to talk with Mr. Pearson, he told us that he was curious about the same things we are,” Henry said.
    â€œAt first we were following him,” Benny chimed in. “Now we’re working together.”
    â€œYou children have done most of my job for me,” Mr. Pearson said. “Susie, I think you have a lot of explaining to do.”
    â€œI don’t know why I’ve been so mean,” Susie said. “My family and I are moving away in a few weeks, and I felt like this was my last chance to win a trophy. I’m really sorry for the way I’ve ruined things for everyone. I know I don’t deserve to win anything.” Then she burst into tears.
    â€œSusie, we decided on the first day of the contest that your artwork was one of the best,” the judge said. “You could have won a trophy this year if only you had competed honestly.”
    â€œI’m sorry,” Susie said sadly, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “I really am.”
    â€œThe