Free Copycat Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner Page A

sunglasses were the one thing that did me in. I didn’t count on you Aldens being such good detectives.”
    “And you did this, too?” asked Miss Pennink, gesturing toward the parlor.
    Jake nodded sheepishly.
    “You did it all, then,” stated Gwen. “The sign, the canary, the—”
    Jake broke in, “Everything except the sign. I had nothing to do with that.”
    “Then who . . .?” asked Gwen.
    “It was me.” Sharon’s face turned red. “I was the one who moved the sign. I had no idea it would cause so many problems.” She sat down on the staircase next to Miss Pennink. “I knew a photographer was coming out from the Elmford newspaper that day, and I figured it would be good for my modeling career to get my picture in the paper.”
    “So you moved the sign hoping that Jake would have trouble finding the farmhouse,” Henry guessed.
    Sharon nodded. “I just wanted to delay things until I got back from the dentist.”
    She turned to her sister. “I was planning to put the sign right back.”
    “That’s how you got burrs on your socks, isn’t it?” said Violet.
    Sharon looked over at Violet in surprise. “You really are good detectives,” she said. “That is how I got the burrs. Everything’s overgrown behind the old barn.”
    Gwen let out a sigh. “I can’t believe you’d do something like that.”
    “I’m really sorry, Gwen.” Sharon hung her head.
    Miss Pennink spoke up next. “I should have known it wasn’t my great-great-grandfather. Horace Wagner’s jokes were never meant to hurt anyone.”
    “I never meant to hurt anyone, either,” Jake said, almost as if he were trying to convince himself. “After all, it was good publicity for the farmhouse. Wasn’t it?”
    Jessie frowned. “Gwen almost lost her job.”
    Jake looked at the ground. “I’m sorry, Gwen,” he apologized. “I had no idea your job was at risk.”
    “There’s no danger of Miss Corkum losing her job,” Mr. Mason told Jake. “I was the one who invited you out here in the first place. I’m afraid that was my mistake.”
    Jake looked over at his uncle. “I know I betrayed your trust, Uncle Draper. But I give you my word, I’ll make things right.”
    Looking sad and disappointed, Draper Mills headed for the door. With a hand on the doorknob, he turned to his nephew. “Right now your word doesn’t mean much to me,” he said, and then he was gone.
    When Jake finally spoke again, he sounded truly sorry. “I will fix things. I’ll write another article for the newspaper. Everyone will know that the Wagner farmhouse isn’t haunted.”
    “That’s a good start, young man,” Mr. Mason told him. “A very good start.”

CHAPTER 10
April Fool Pie
    When the Aldens finished their last day as tour guides, Aunt Jane invited everyone over for a special barbecue. Jessie and Benny sat on one side of an extra-long picnic table, along with Mr. Mason, Aunt Jane, Gwen, and Sharon. Across from them sat Henry, Violet, Miss Pennink, Draper Mills, and Jake North.
    “These are the best hamburgers I’ve had in a long time,” declared Jake, who had been true to his word. A big article had appeared in the newspaper that morning. It said that the old Wagner farmhouse wasn’t haunted and never had been.
    “I’m glad you could make it, Jake,” Aunt Jane said with a warm smile. “I didn’t know if you’d be too busy at work.”
    “Oh, this was my day off.” Jake wiped some mustard from the corner of his mouth. “I’m lucky to even have a job after the stunts I’ve pulled. It’s on a trial basis, of course—which is more than I deserve.”
    Draper Mills put a hand on his nephew’s shoulder. “Everyone deserves a second chance.”
    “Yes, indeed,” agreed Mr. Mason. “We all make mistakes. It’s learning from them that matters. It happens to be one of the reasons I enjoy history so much. We can learn from the past and hopefully not repeat the same mistakes.” Mr. Mason cleared his throat. “I’m ashamed to say