Read Online The Mystery Girl by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Free Book Online Page B

like you already guessed. How did you do that?”
    â€œBecause you couldn’t work the cash register or anything,” Henry said. “If you had worked a lot, you would have known how.”
    â€œYou’re right,” Nancy said again. She took a sip of juice. “I’m sorry I lied to you, Mr. Taylor,” she said. “I needed the job so much.”
    Mr. Taylor chuckled. “I had a feeling you hadn’t worked much,” he told her. “But it’s all right, Nancy. My customers liked you a lot.”
    â€œWe all like you a lot, too, Nancy,” Jessie said. “But we kept noticing things about you that didn’t make sense.”
    â€œLike what?” Nancy asked.
    Before anyone could answer, there was a knock at the cabin door. It was the young man named Tony. “I’m sorry to bother you,” he said to Henry, who opened the door. “I’m looking for Nancy Baldwin. Have you seen her?”
    â€œTony!” Nancy cried. She jumped up from the chair as Henry let Tony in. “I called Mother and Dad,” she told him. “I’m coming home. And then I’m going to college.”
    Tony looked very happy. “That’s great, Nancy!”
    Nancy turned to the others. “This is my brother,” she said. “Tony Baldwin.”
    â€œWe thought he might be your brother,” Jessie said. “Or your boyfriend.”
    â€œYou mean you’ve met?” Nancy asked.
    â€œNot exactly,” Violet said. “But I saw his picture in your room that morning Jessie and I came to get you. And when he came into the store yesterday, I recognized him.”

    â€œYou sure did guess a lot about me,” Nancy said. Suddenly, she looked at Mrs. Edwards, who had been sitting quietly on the couch, listening to the conversation. “I’m sorry,” she said to Mrs. Edwards. “I know your name. But I still don’t know who you are.”
    â€œI do, Nancy,” Tony said. “Mrs. Edwards is a private investigator.”
    â€œWow!” Benny said. “A real one?”
    Mrs. Edwards smiled. She had a nice smile. “Yes, a real one,” she said.
    â€œMother and Dad hired her to find you and keep an eye on you,” Tony explained to Nancy. “They wanted to know you were safe.”
    â€œSo that’s why you went into her cabin,” Violet said. “To make sure she was the right Nancy.”
    â€œAnd that’s why I didn’t want to drive you anywhere this morning,” Mrs. Edwards said to Nancy. “You were in such a hurry, I thought you were running away again.”
    â€œNow I feel silly,” Jessie said to Mrs. Edwards. “I thought you and Nancy might be doing something together to hurt Mr. Taylor’s store.” She told them about the shopping bags. “I'm glad I was wrong.”
    â€œI bought things at the shopping center because I didn’t want to keep coming into the general store,” Mrs. Edwards said. “I didn’t want Nancy to suspect me.”
    â€œI bought my alarm clock there,” Nancy said. “And a few other things. But I would never do anything to hurt Mr. Taylor’s store.”
    â€œWe know that now,” Jessie said with a smile.
    â€œI’m going to miss working there,” Nancy said. “Even though I wasn’t very good at it.”
    â€œWhat did Mom and Dad say when you talked to them?” Tony asked.
    â€œThey said they’d try not to tell me what to do so much,” Nancy answered. “I didn’t think they would be so understanding.”
    â€œIt’s like when we ran away from Grandfather,” Benny said. “We didn’t know how kind he was.”
    â€œThat’s right, Benny,” Violet said. Suddenly, Jessie jumped up from her chair by the table. “Everyone must be starving,” she said. “Let’s have some breakfast.”
    â€œTell me what else you figured