Mystery in the Mall Read Online Free Page A

smiled. “That would make Benny so happy. He hasn’t complained once. Well, good luck. We’ll meet you back at the shop around closing time.”
    “What are you and Violet whispering about?” a tired Benny asked when he caught his sisters giggling secretively. “And why won’t you tell me where Henry went?”
    “We can’t tell,” Violet said. “Now let’s do some more window-shopping.”
    An hour later, the children strolled back to Penny’s Emporium. Henry was already there and wearing a huge smile.
    “You beat us,” Benny said when he saw his brother.
    Henry held out a brown shopping bag. “I did more than that. Look inside.”
    When Benny looked down, he saw something round and brown and covered with hair. “My car bag with my monkey! Yippee! Did that garbage truck come to Hope Harbor, too?”
    Henry laughed. “Nope. Take a look inside. It’s not the car bag or exactly the same monkey as the one you lost, but it’s from Hawaii, or at least that’s what the store owner said.”
    Benny reached into the shopping bag. He felt for the rope handle and pulled up the coconut. “Ta-da!” He held the coconut next to his face and copied the same grinning face.
    “It’s close enough to the one you lost,” Jessie said. “Shake it.”
    “That’s exactly what I did,” Henry said. “It was the last one in the store. As soon as I saw it, I decided to buy it. I made sure it rattled just like Benny’s lost one. Go ahead, Benny, shake away.”
    Benny shook the coconut. “Now I can make a racket with this one, too.”
    By this time, Penny had locked up the cash register. “Well, I’m awfully glad you found one. Who knows when the coconut monkeys I ordered will get unloaded?”
    Penny and the Aldens heard the storeroom door bang.
    Janet came into the shop area. She noticed Benny’s coconut right away. “Where did that come from?” She looked at Penny. “I thought you wanted me to open all your shipments, Penny, so that things wouldn’t get mixed up. If everybody does it, we won’t be able to keep track of our stock.”
    “Relax, Janet,” Penny told the young woman. “Henry found that one in another shop. He didn’t want to wait for our shipment. How was dinner at your mother’s?”
    Janet looked confused and didn’t answer right away. “Oh, it was fine. I just got back.”
    The Aldens looked at one another. They didn’t know whether to say anything. What if Janet had changed her plans and didn’t want to bother telling Penny? It wasn’t their business to keep track of where Janet ate dinner.
    Penny checked her watch. “Gee, look at the time. The security people will be coming by to scold me. All the shops must be locked up by nine-thirty.”
    Everyone heard a putt-putt sound getting closer. Hap Merchant drove a motorized cart right up to Penny’s shop. He flashed a spotlight into the store. “Closing time, Penny.”
    “We’re just shutting down, Hap,” Penny said. “We were having a little gathering for Benny. His brother found a present to replace something he lost.”
    When Benny heard this, he picked up his coconut monkey and shook it by the rope handle.
    “What a racket!” Hap said. “Rules are rules. It’s closing time. You kids need to go home. I’ll come back and take you to the parking garage, Penny.”
    Quietly now, Penny switched off all the lights to her shop. “No, thanks, Hap. I’m going to walk the children out and give them a ride home.” She pulled down the security gate. The last thing the Aldens heard was the click of the lock and Hap’s motor cart heading down the dark hallways of the mall.

CHAPTER 5
Benny’s Good Idea
    Benny and his new coconut monkey were a big hit the next day. Several of Penny’s customers asked whether it was for sale. “No way,” he answered with a cheerful smile.
    Benny’s monkey even came to the rescue when a little girl came in to have her picture taken for a pirate picture. Henry did everything he could to make the girl smile,