Hockey Mystery Read Online Free Page A

went into Kevin’s office.
    “Coach Reynolds, what’s wrong?” Henry asked.
    Kevin was standing at his desk with his coat on, his back to them. He was looking down at his desk. He seemed to be frozen there.
    “The plans for the new rink!” Kevin said. “They’re ruined!”
    Tracey and the children came closer and looked down at his desk. The plans they had looked at just a few hours earlier were spread all over the desktop. And something black was spilled across them.
    “Quick, maybe we can save them,” Jessie said. “Are there paper towels anywhere?”
    “The snack bar will have some paper napkins,” Tracey said. She ran out the door, with Jessie right behind her.
    “What is that—ink?” Henry asked. He dipped a finger in the black liquid and looked at it more closely. Then he noticed the ink bottle lying on its side across the plans. There was only a little bit of ink left inside. “This must have spilled.” He handed the nearly empty bottle to Kevin.
    Jessie and Tracey returned with a stack of paper napkins. Everyone grabbed a few and tried to blot up the ink. But it was no use.
    The ink had already soaked through the papers, destroying most of the drawings.
    “How could this have happened?” Coach Reynolds asked. “I put the plans back in the envelope before I left. What were they doing spread all over my desk?”
    “Do you think someone came in to look at them?” Jessie asked.
    “And then they accidentally knocked over the ink?” Henry added.
    “I guess it’s possible, but wouldn’t they have done something, instead of just leaving it here like this?” Coach Reynolds asked.
    “Maybe they knocked it over as they were leaving and didn’t realize,” Jessie suggested.
    “How could they not realize?” Kevin asked.
    “Or maybe they were afraid to admit it—afraid they’d get in trouble,” Benny offered. He remembered when he’d broken a glass bowl in the living room at home. He had been afraid to tell his grandfather. At last he had gotten up his courage and admitted what he had done. Grandfather had been proud of Benny for being honest.
    “The plans are ruined now.” Kevin sighed heavily. “I’d better call the architect.” He gathered up the inky papers and shook his head. He looked very sad. “Now I won’t be able to present these plans tonight. This will really set back the building of the rink.”
    Tracey and the Aldens left Kevin’s office so that he could make his phone call. Tracey went back into her office. The Aldens looked at one another glumly. They all felt bad for Kevin.
    “We might as well go get our snack,” said Jessie. “There’s nothing more we can do for Coach Reynolds.”
    When they were sitting at a table sipping hot chocolate, Benny said, “Do you really think someone spilled that ink by accident?”
    “I don’t know,” said Henry. “It does seem pretty strange that someone would go in when Kevin wasn’t there, take out the plans, leave them all over the desk, accidentally knock over the ink, and then just leave.”
    “What are you saying?” Jessie asked. “That someone did it ... on purpose?”
    Henry nodded slowly.
    “But why? Why would someone do something so terrible?” Jessie asked.
    The children sat quietly for a moment, picking at their pretzels. No one really felt much like eating.
    At last Henry spoke. “Maybe not everyone is happy that Kevin is building another rink.”
    “You think someone wrecked the plans because they were angry about the new rink?” Jessie asked.
    “Maybe,” said Henry.
    “Like who?” Jessie asked.
    “Well, like Scott,” said Henry. “If Kevin builds that nice new rink, maybe no one will come here anymore.”
    “But he’s Kevin’s old friend,” said Violet. “I can’t believe he’d ruin the plans.”
    “And Scott’s moving away anyway,” said Jessie. “So it doesn’t matter to him.”
    “That’s right,” said Henry. He took a bite of pretzel and chewed it slowly. “Well, what about Mrs.