Ice Cream Mystery Read Online Free Page B

paintbrush in her hand and was studying something she had set on a small table covered with newspaper. Butterscotch watched sleepily from the shade of a nearby tree.
    “What’s that?” asked Benny, skipping up to the table.
    “Oh, hi. This? It’s a suggestion box. I just painted it. When it’s dry, I’m going to put it inside the shop. Customers can write down their ideas and opinions and stick them inside,” Brianna explained.
    Violet bent forward to study the small wooden box. “It looks like the ice-cream wagon!” she said.
    “It does? Good. It’s supposed to,” Brianna said. “What’s happening?”
    “Well,” said Jessie. “We have a problem.”
    “Someone took all our posters!” blurted Benny.
    “And most of the fliers, too,” added Violet.
    “What?” Brianna said, her voice going up.
    “We came to get more to put up,” said Henry. “And we need to ask you a few questions.”
    “Good grief,” said Brianna. She paused, thinking hard, then asked, “What questions?”
    “There are at least two people we know about who don’t like the Ice Cream Barn. One is our neighbor, Mr. Bush,” Jessie said.
    Brianna nodded.
    “The other is Preston, Katy’s old assistant,” Henry said.
    “Why would Preston hate the Ice Cream Barn?” Brianna said, looking very surprised. “He loved working with Granna Katy.”
    “We met him yesterday when we were putting up fliers,” Violet said. “He was very upset about losing his job.”
    “But it is only temporary, until we can pay him again!” Brianna protested. “You don’t think—do you think Preston made that fake order? And stole the posters?”
    “Maybe,” said Violet.
    “No! No, that’s not possible. I know Preston is upset, but he’d never do something like that,” said Brianna. “And Mr. Bush is just worried about having the wagon in the neighborhood. When he sees how well behaved Butterscotch is, he’ll get over it.”
    “If Preston and Mr. Bush didn’t do it, who did?” asked Henry.
    “At first I wondered if another ice-cream company might be trying to put the Ice Cream Barn out of business. National Sugar Shop Corporation has been asking Granna Katy to sell them the Ice Cream Barn so they can set up their own ice-cream shop in Greenfield,” said Brianna. “But then I realized that was silly. A big company wouldn’t bother trying to hurt a small business like ours.”
    “Anyone else?” asked Jessie. She looked toward the Ice Cream Barn. A white truck with a bright blue stripe all the way around it had pulled up to the front of the shop. The door of the truck read, MARTINE BLUE RIBBON ICE CREAM VENDOR AND RESTAURANT SUPPLY COMPANY. “How big is Marcos’ company? Could he be the one trying to hurt the Ice Cream Barn?”
    “Martine Supply is not very big. Marcos is one of three partners there,” Brianna said. “But he’d never, ever try to harm the Barn’s business. We’re old customers of his. Katy’s known him for years.” She nodded toward the truck. “In fact, I have a meeting with Marcos and Katy in about five minutes.”
    “We need to get the fliers,” Henry reminded her.
    “Oh, right. In the stall next to Butterscotch’s in a big box on a bench. You can’t miss them.” Brianna carefully picked up the almost dry suggestion box. “Well, I’d better get to that meeting.”
    As soon as she’d left, the Aldens loaded up with fliers and posters. Then Jessie said, “Come on. Let’s go meet Marcos!”
    Inside, the store was quiet. The ice-cream sundae the blonde woman had been eating was melting on the small table by the front window. Katy and Brianna were sitting at a larger table with a stocky man with black and silver hair who had thick horn-rimmed glasses. He was wearing a white shirt with a blue stripe that matched the truck outside.
    “Hi,” said Jessie. “We found the posters and fliers, Katy.”
    “Good,” said Katy. “The more you put up, the better it is for business.”
    “Would you like