Candy Factory Mystery Read Online Free Page A

that machine working okay?” Jessie hoped Tom would look up from whatever he was doing. “All these eggs are ready to be filled.”
    Tom looked up when he heard the Aldens coming his way.
    â€œIs the machine okay?” Jessie asked again.
    â€œYeah, yeah,” Tom answered. “No problem. Listen, just take those rejected eggs home to eat, okay? I’ll see you tomorrow.”
    The Aldens didn’t move right away. Now that their work was done, they wanted to share their candy with Tom.
    â€œGo on, now,” Tom said. “I’ve got everything under control.”
    Henry took the candy bin outside. He set it down on the steps where the children could sit and have their sweets. “What happened with Tom in there? One minute he was all friendly,” Henry said. “Then he acted as if he wanted us to go away.”
    â€œI know,” Jessie said, not a bit hungry for chocolate anymore. “It seemed to have something to do with whatever Meg said. I was confused.”

    Benny wasn’t quite as hungry as he’d been earlier, but he wasn’t going to let all this chocolate go to waste. He broke off piece after piece of the chocolate eggs. “I’d rather be a baker than a banker any day,” he said. “But most of all, I want to be a candy maker like Tom.”
    â€œHe sure is good at his job, for someone who learned it kind of late,” Jessie noted.
    â€œMaybe he’s a fast learner,” Benny said. “Like me.”

CHAPTER 5
    A Candy Mix-up
    A fter dinner that night, the children unpacked their things. The cozy loft apartment on the top floor of the candy factory was just the right size for the five Aldens. It had a living area and kitchen on one side and a sleeping area with several cots on the other.
    When Jessie opened the cabinets, she was pleased to see a set of red and white dishes and pots and pans inside. “We’ll be able to make our own meals when we want to.”
    Benny flopped down on the couch and held his stomach. “You won’t have to make any meals for me ever again.”
    The Aldens had never heard Benny say that before!
    â€œWhat’s the matter, Benny?” Henry asked.
    â€œI shouldn’t have eaten all those broken chocolate egg pieces. Now I’m turning into chocolate.”
    Henry laughed. “I thought you wanted to live in the candy factory. That’s why Mrs. Winkles let us stay in this loft instead of at her house.”
    â€œHere, have some of this ginger ale that Mrs. McGregor put in the cooler,” Jessie suggested. “That sometimes settles down stomachaches.”
    Benny sat up and took a few fizzy sips. “I feel a little better.”
    â€œGood,” Jessie said. “From now on, let’s make sure we don’t take so many samples even if Tom says it’s okay. We’ll mainly be working with Meg tomorrow anyway. That’s what Mrs. Winkles said.”
    The other children frowned when they heard this.
    â€œEven though Tom wasn’t so friendly when we left,” Violet began, “I’d still rather work with him than with Meg. I don’t think she wants us around.”
    Jessie found some blankets in a chest and lay one on each cot. “It’s probably my fault for asking about her work gloves. I didn’t mean to get her in trouble with Mrs. Winkles.”
    â€œWell, tomorrow we can get a fresh start now that Tom showed us what to do,” Henry said. “He seems to know a lot about making candy. Now we know a little bit, too.”
    â€œLike not eating too much candy while we work,” Benny said before he finally fell asleep.
    By the next morning, Benny’s stomachache was gone. “I could even eat chocolate chip pancakes,” he announced happily.
    â€œMaybe you could,” Jessie told Benny. “But Henry and I made fruit salad from the fruit Mrs. McGregor sent along with us. We’ll have it with nice, healthy