Mystery at the Crooked House Read Online Free

riddle and the hidden treasure!”
    The Aldens all nodded their agreement. Nobody noticed Madeline’s sudden frown. Or the look of shock on Nola Rawlings’s face.

CHAPTER 5
The Mystery Lady
    After the Aldens helped with the dishes, they carried their suitcases up the crooked staircase behind Mrs. McGregor.
    “Will you tell us about the riddle now?” Benny asked her.
    “I won’t keep you in suspense much longer,” promised Mrs. McGregor. “As soon as you unpack, we’ll have some cake by the fire. Then I’ll tell you all about it.”
    Upstairs, Mrs. McGregor opened a door to a cozy room with cornflower-blue wallpaper and lace curtains. It was perfect for Jessie and Violet. And it was right across the hall from Henry and Benny’s sunny yellow bedroom. Both rooms were furnished with twin beds covered in old-fashioned patchwork quilts and tall pine dressers with brass handles. There were also antique desks and ladderback chairs with crooked slats.
    Violet especially liked the painting of Riddle Lake that was hanging in their room. It was a winter scene—with lots of snow and with icicles glistening on the trees. The painting looked just like the view from their window!
    It didn’t take the Aldens long to unpack. They were waiting for Violet to put away her sketchbook and pencils when Madeline passed the door. She paused in the hallway and said, “I certainly hope you’ll enjoy your stay at the Crooked House!”
    Jessie spoke for them all. “Oh, I’m sure we will!”
    Madeline frowned. “I’m sure you’ll enjoy it, too ... as long as you forget all about that riddle! Believe me, you’ll be wasting your time if you don’t. Even if there is a treasure, which I doubt, it’s probably nothing more than a rare coin or an old toy. If you think it’s something of value, you’ll just be getting your hopes up for nothing!”
    The Aldens were too surprised to speak. Without saying another word, Madeline turned and hurried off toward the crooked staircase.
    “I wonder why Madeline seems so upset,” said Violet, looking puzzled.
    Jessie frowned. “It does seem odd.”
    Benny sighed. He had been looking forward to finding a real treasure. Something worth a fortune. Or at least worth enough to save the Crooked House. “An old toy isn’t much of a treasure,” he said, disappointment in his voice.
    “No, it’s not,” agreed Jessie. “And Madeline’s not even sure there is a treasure!”
    “But there might be,” said Henry after a moment’s thought. “And it might be valuable.”
    “That’s true,” said Jessie.
    “So what do we do now?” asked Violet.
    “Find out more!” suggested Benny, who always got right to the point. “And don’t forget, Mrs. McGregor said something about cake!”
    While Madeline went next door with some leftover meat loaf for Nick and Clarissa, the Aldens sat around the cozy fireplace in the living room. It was dark outside and the snow was still falling. But inside, the fire crackled cheerfully, and the spicy scent of pine filled the air.
    Mrs. McGregor was sipping eggnog. The Alden children had asked her about the riddle and were waiting for her reply. When she finally spoke, her voice was almost a whisper. “It was the Mystery Lady who sent me the riddle,” she said. “Many, many years ago.”
    Benny almost choked on his cake. “The Mystery Lady?”
    Mrs. McGregor nodded. “I remember her so well. Her hair was as white as the snow, but her heart was as warm as the fire. She rented a room every summer when I was a child. Oh, she always registered as Miss Jane Smith, but it wasn’t long before we realized that Jane Smith wasn’t her real name. You see, it always took her a moment to react when someone called her Miss Smith. We soon figured out that she just wasn’t used to being called by that name. She never talked about her life away from Riddle Lake, you know. Not a single word.”
    Henry put his empty glass on the coffee table. “Is that why you called her the