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儿童英语读物 The Finders Keepers Mystery CHAPTER 7 Without a Clue

时间:2017-11-13 07:34来源:互联网 提供网友:qing   字体: [ ]
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“Lina,” Violet said as the Aldens followed Lina to the house, “there’s something Henry and I need to tell you.”

Henry nodded solemnly. He and Violet quickly filled in the others on the man with the bouncy walk who had sneaked2 into Lina’s house during the yard sale.

When they had finished the story, Jessie asked, “Do you think it was the same person who tried to break in before?”

“Could be,” said Henry. “He was definitely searching for something, and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t the bathroom.”

“He was looking in the closet and at the stuff on your dresser,” Violet added.

“Bouncy walk, bushy eyebrows3, neat dresser, did you say? He didn’t buy anything,” Lina said, “or I’d have remembered him.”

“I noticed him at the yard sale. He inspected all of the china and vases really carefully,” Jessie said.

Just then the phone rang. Lina dashed into the house to answer it. Through the open door, the Aldens heard her say, “Yes, Regina, of course I remember you. No, not today, I’m too tired. Tomorrow isn’t good for me, either. No. No! Fine, call me Monday morning. Good-bye.”

Lina came out, shaking her head. “That reporter, she doesn’t give up. She keeps pestering4 me to let her into the attic5 again and tell her more about the quilts.”

Benny, who had been thinking hard, said suddenly, “I saw him. That bouncy man. I saw him with Coral.”

“You did?” said Henry. Everyone looked at Benny.

“Yes. During the yard sale,” said Benny.

“When? Coral didn’t get to the yard sale until late,” Henry said. “The man was gone by then.”

Benny thought, then said, “It wasn’t late, but it wasn’t early. I saw him arrive. He got out of her car, and she drove away.”

“Benny, are you sure?” Violet said.

Benny nodded firmly. “I remember her red hair.”

“Well, Coral did know that the quilts were in the attic,” Jessie said. “If she and that man are in this together, that explains it… unless it was a lucky guess.”

Lina sighed. “A crazy quilt lady, a bouncy snoop, a mysterious wannabe burglar, and a news reporter who won’t take no for an answer,” she said. “Maybe I should just call Mr. Munsey and tell him to take the quilts, at least for now.”

“But what if Mr. Munsey is the one who told the burglar about the quilts? Or what if he is the burglar?” Violet said. “Remember, he’s the only one we told — and then Regina showed up.”

“Let’s try to talk to Mr. Munsey,” said Henry. “We’ll visit Coral at her shop, too, and see if we can pick up any clues.”

“Meanwhile, I think we should hide the quilts,” Jessie said, “to keep them safe.”

“Where?” asked Violet.

“I think I have an idea,” Jessie said. “Come on!”

A short time later, she was smoothing one side of the old hops6 quilt while Violet tugged7 and straightened the corner of the other side.

All six quilts had been layered on the bed in the room across the hall from Lina’s. The old hops quilt was spread out over them.

“No one will think to look for more quilts underneath8 this old one,” said Lina. “Good idea, Jessie.”

“And no one will be able to sneak1 by, even if they do get in to steal the quilts,” said Benny. “This floor is nice and creaky!”

“Yes,” agreed Jessie. “One way or another, the quilts will be safe.”

As the Aldens walked home from Lina’s, they discussed what to do next. “The museum closes early on Saturdays,” Jessie said. “That means Mr. Munsey won’t be there now.”

“Then we can’t ask him any questions, at least today,” Henry said.

Violet sighed. “And we don’t know who Mr. Bouncy is,” she said, “or where to find him.”

“The crazy quilt lady does,” Benny said.

“You’re right, Benny,” said Jessie. “She does. Let’s hurry down to her shop before it closes for the day.”

“Come on!” said Henry.

The Aldens ran the rest of the way home and hopped9 on their bicycles. Pedaling fast, they were soon downtown.

“There’s Weaver10 Stitch Shop,” Violet said. She led the way to a bike rack on the corner.

“Look!” said Violet. “Mr. Bouncy.”

The Aldens stared as a neatly11 dressed man in a polo shirt and khakis walked out the door of the Stitch Shop. He bobbed across the street, pushed open the door of another shop, and went inside. Jessie looked at the fancy gold lettering on the shop’s window and read aloud, “Grey’s Fine Antiques.”

“You were right, Benny. Coral does know that man,” Henry said.

“But who is he?” asked Benny.

“Let’s go find out,” Jessie said.

They went into the Stitch Shop to find Coral sitting in a worn overstuffed chair with the basket of scraps12 at her feet. There were no customers.

Coral looked up and gave a little start as they came in.

“Oh!” she said. She laughed but it sounded forced. “You came to visit a lot more quickly than I expected.”

“Have you found any good scraps?” asked Violet.

“Good scraps? Oh, these.” Coral looked down at the basket, then looked away. She seemed jumpy.

“Is everything okay?” asked Jessie.

“Of course, of course,” said Coral. She nudged the basket to one side with her foot and stood up. “How do you like my shop?” she asked.

They looked around. It was a colorful place with cozy13 chairs, a bright quilt on one wall, racks of thread and sewing supplies, a cabinet labeled PATTERNS, another labeled PROJECTS, and lots and lots of cloth.

“What’s that up there?” asked Benny, pointing to a large wooden frame that looked sort of like a bed frame. It was suspended from the ceiling above them.

“That? That’s a quilting frame,” Coral said. “You stretch the top and bottom of a quilt across it and stitch them together. At least that’s one way to do it. I can raise and lower it when I need to, so it doesn’t take up room in the shop.”

“This place is wonderful,” Violet said. She ran her fingers across some pretty purple cloth and thought she might like to make a quilt in that color, to match the violet flowers on her wallpaper.

Coral talked some more about quilting, and all four of the Aldens asked lots of questions. The more she talked, the more excited Coral got. She knew the answer to every question.

“I think she must know as much as Mr. Munsey,” Jessie said softly to Henry.

“Maybe more,” Henry whispered back. To Coral, he said, “Do many men make quilts?”

“More and more,” Coral said. She didn’t seem so nervous now.

“I wondered,” Henry went on, “because we saw a man coming out of your shop, and we were wondering if he makes quilts.”

Coral thought for a moment. “A man coming of the shop this afternoon?” she said slowly.

“Yes, just before we came in. He has short hair and thick eyebrows, and he walks with a sort of bounce,” said Violet.

“Oh! That’s Dirk Grey,” said Coral. “He owns the antique shop across the street.”

“We thought we saw him at the yard sale this morning, too,” Violet said.

“Yes, he was at the sale,” Coral said. “I gave him a ride — well, a ride from his car. He’d parked down the street from the house because there were so many other cars, and I decided14 to take a look at where the sale was on my way to my store.” Coral smiled.

“Oh,” said Benny, and the disappointment in his voice mirrored what the others were feeling. There was nothing suspicious about Coral Weaver and Dirk Grey meeting before the sale that morning.

“I know a man who likes quilts,” Jessie said. “Mr. Munsey. Do you know him?”

“The name doesn’t sound familiar,” Coral said, “but I’m terrible with names.”

“Oh,” Jessie said, her voice as disappointed as Benny’s.

“Well, thank you for dropping by,” Coral said, suddenly sounding as if she was in a hurry. “Come again.” She followed the Aldens to the door — and closed it behind them. When Jessie glanced back, she saw Coral hang up the CLOSED sign.

“I got the feeling that Coral wanted us out of there all of the sudden,” said Henry.

“Yes, me, too!” Jessie exclaimed. “And look — according to the sign, the store should be open for another half hour.”

“She was acting16 funny,” Benny said, “especially when we came in.”

“But she seemed to like talking about quiltmaking,” Violet pointed15 out.

“You’re right,” said Jessie. She paused, then added, “Maybe she was nervous when we got there because of Mr. Grey. He’d just left, remember?”

“Could be,” Henry said. “And maybe she wanted us to leave before we could ask her more about him.”

“I think we should talk to Mr. Grey,” said Jessie.

“Hold my hand while we cross the street, Benny,” Violet said. She led the way.

Dirk Grey’s shop was still open, and they could see him inside, sitting behind a desk. Jessie pushed open the door and went inside.

Mr. Grey looked up. The smile on his lips faded when he saw Violet and Henry with Jessie and Benny.

“May I help you?” he said, his voice cool.

“Hello, Mr. Grey,” said Henry.

Mr. Grey glanced at the lettering on his window and nodded. “You’re right. I’m Dirk Grey and this is my shop.” He stopped and waited.

“You were at our yard sale this morning. In the house,” Henry said.

“I was,” agreed Mr. Grey.

“What were you looking for?” asked Jessie.

The man shrugged17. “I’m an antique dealer18. I was curious to see if there was anything in the house that I might want to buy.” He paused. “Old clothes, furniture, knickknacks, quilts, maybe. Anything of value.”

“You shouldn’t have gone sneaking19 in like that,” said Violet. “You should have asked.”

“Maybe not, but it didn’t do any harm,” said Mr. Grey. He didn’t sound at all sorry.

“You don’t know anyone named Edward Munsey, do you?” Jessie asked suddenly.

“Munsey?” Mr. Grey repeated. His eyes shifted. Then he said, “Antique dealer?”

“No,” said Jessie. “He works for the state museum.”

“Ah. I thought the name sounded slightly familiar,” said Mr. Grey. “I have friends who own antique shops near that museum. That’s probably where I heard it.”

The phone on Mr. Grey’s desk rang. He reached for it. “If you’ll excuse me,” he said to the Aldens. “Have a nice day.”

There was nothing to do but leave.

Henry, Jessie, Benny, and Violet headed for home. They didn’t pedal as fast this time. They didn’t have to hurry. They could talk as they rode their bikes.

“I don’t like Mr. Grey,” said Benny.

“He doesn’t seem very honest,” Henry agreed.

“He admitted to sneaking into Lina’s house to look around,” Violet added.

“But was he really looking for the quilts? I didn’t notice any quilts in his shop, just furniture and lots of china and glass,” Jessie said.

“You’re right!” said Violet.

“Maybe he was searching for the hidden treasure,” Benny said.

“I think he does know who Mr. Munsey is,” Henry said. “I don’t think he told us the truth.”

“Do you think Mr. Grey and Mr. Munsey could be working together? Mr. Grey could have been the one who tried to break in…” Jessie’s voice trailed off.

“To get the quilts for Mr. Munsey,” Henry finished for her. “But how does Regina Lott fit in all this? How did she hear about the quilts and the treasure?”

“And what is the treasure?” Benny added.

“What about Coral?” asked Violet. “She’s a quilt expert, too, but she doesn’t know Mr. Munsey. Or at least she says she doesn’t.”

“And she was acting strange when we were in her shop,” agreed Jessie.

“Coral has a nice smile,” said Benny. “I like her.”

“But everyone is a suspect, Benny,”

Henry said firmly. “Coral did seem to know about the quilts in the attic.”

“Maybe Mr. Munsey told Dirk Grey, and he told Coral, and she’s the one who’s after the quilts!” said Jessie.

“It does seem like a stretch,” Jessie said. She sighed.

“We have suspects and clues, but nothing that puts them together,” Violet said.

“It’s like a quilt without a pattern,” said Benny.

“Exactly like that,” said Henry. “A crazy quilt mystery.”
 


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 sneak vr2yk     
vt.潜行(隐藏,填石缝);偷偷摸摸做;n.潜行;adj.暗中进行
参考例句:
  • He raised his spear and sneak forward.他提起长矛悄悄地前进。
  • I saw him sneak away from us.我看见他悄悄地从我们身边走开。
2 sneaked fcb2f62c486b1c2ed19664da4b5204be     
v.潜行( sneak的过去式和过去分词 );偷偷溜走;(儿童向成人)打小报告;告状
参考例句:
  • I sneaked up the stairs. 我蹑手蹑脚地上了楼。
  • She sneaked a surreptitious glance at her watch. 她偷偷看了一眼手表。
3 eyebrows a0e6fb1330e9cfecfd1c7a4d00030ed5     
眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
  • His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。
4 pestering cbb7a3da2b778ce39088930a91d2c85b     
使烦恼,纠缠( pester的现在分词 )
参考例句:
  • He's always pestering me to help him with his homework. 他总是泡蘑菇要我帮他做作业。
  • I'm telling you once and for all, if you don't stop pestering me you'll be sorry. 我这是最后一次警告你。如果你不停止纠缠我,你将来会后悔的。
5 attic Hv4zZ     
n.顶楼,屋顶室
参考例句:
  • Leakiness in the roof caused a damp attic.屋漏使顶楼潮湿。
  • What's to be done with all this stuff in the attic?顶楼上的材料怎么处理?
6 hops a6b9236bf6c7a3dfafdbc0709208acc0     
跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • The sparrow crossed the lawn in a series of hops. 那麻雀一蹦一跳地穿过草坪。
  • It is brewed from malt and hops. 它用麦精和蛇麻草酿成。
7 tugged 8a37eb349f3c6615c56706726966d38e     
v.用力拉,使劲拉,猛扯( tug的过去式和过去分词 )
参考例句:
  • She tugged at his sleeve to get his attention. 她拽了拽他的袖子引起他的注意。
  • A wry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. 他的嘴角带一丝苦笑。 来自《简明英汉词典》
8 underneath VKRz2     
adj.在...下面,在...底下;adv.在下面
参考例句:
  • Working underneath the car is always a messy job.在汽车底下工作是件脏活。
  • She wore a coat with a dress underneath.她穿着一件大衣,里面套着一条连衣裙。
9 hopped 91b136feb9c3ae690a1c2672986faa1c     
跳上[下]( hop的过去式和过去分词 ); 单足蹦跳; 齐足(或双足)跳行; 摘葎草花
参考例句:
  • He hopped onto a car and wanted to drive to town. 他跳上汽车想开向市区。
  • He hopped into a car and drove to town. 他跳进汽车,向市区开去。
10 weaver LgWwd     
n.织布工;编织者
参考例句:
  • She was a fast weaver and the cloth was very good.她织布织得很快,而且布的质量很好。
  • The eager weaver did not notice my confusion.热心的纺织工人没有注意到我的狼狈相。
11 neatly ynZzBp     
adv.整洁地,干净地,灵巧地,熟练地
参考例句:
  • Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
  • The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。
12 scraps 737e4017931b7285cdd1fa3eb9dd77a3     
油渣
参考例句:
  • Don't litter up the floor with scraps of paper. 不要在地板上乱扔纸屑。
  • A patchwork quilt is a good way of using up scraps of material. 做杂拼花布棉被是利用零碎布料的好办法。
13 cozy ozdx0     
adj.亲如手足的,密切的,暖和舒服的
参考例句:
  • I like blankets because they are cozy.我喜欢毛毯,因为他们是舒适的。
  • We spent a cozy evening chatting by the fire.我们在炉火旁聊天度过了一个舒适的晚上。
14 decided lvqzZd     
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的
参考例句:
  • This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
  • There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。
15 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
16 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
17 shrugged 497904474a48f991a3d1961b0476ebce     
vt.耸肩(shrug的过去式与过去分词形式)
参考例句:
  • Sam shrugged and said nothing. 萨姆耸耸肩膀,什么也没说。
  • She shrugged, feigning nonchalance. 她耸耸肩,装出一副无所谓的样子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 dealer GyNxT     
n.商人,贩子
参考例句:
  • The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
  • The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。
19 sneaking iibzMu     
a.秘密的,不公开的
参考例句:
  • She had always had a sneaking affection for him. 以前她一直暗暗倾心于他。
  • She ducked the interviewers by sneaking out the back door. 她从后门偷偷溜走,躲开采访者。
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