“An ice cream cone would sure hit the spot right now,” Benny hinted, as they got off the bus and headed back to the hotel.
Henry counted his change. “You’re in luck, Benny,” he said. “I think we have just enough for ice cream.”
It wasn’t long before they found an ice cream parlor and ducked inside. They soon came out again, happily licking ice cream cones.
“Somebody sure made up hard clues,” Benny commented, falling into step beside Henry.
Jessie agreed. “This riddle will be a tough one to figure out.”
“There’s no such thing as flying fish,” said Benny, licking a drop of chocolate-mint ice cream from the back of his hand. “Is there?”
“Not exactly.” Violet smiled at her little brother. “But sometimes fish leap out of the water.”
Henry nodded. “And they almost seem to be flying.”
“And the ‘bank’ in the riddle,” put in Jessie, following her brother and sister’s train of thought, “could mean the bank of a river or stream.”
As they rounded the corner, Violet put up a hand to shade her eyes. “Isn’t that Reena coming out of the hotel?”
“Yes, I’m sure of it,” said Jessie.
“Hi, kids!” Reena called out. “I just stopped by to see you.”
Benny ran forward. “You’ll never guess what, Reena,” he cried. “I bought a T-shirt with the Space Needle on it!” He held up a shopping bag.
Reena’s smiled widened. “Well, maybe you could wear it tomorrow,” she suggested. “If you’re free, I’d love to show you around the Pike Place Market.”
“Sounds great,” said Violet. She smiled back at Reena. “We haven’t made any plans yet.”
“Oh, good!” Reena looked relieved. “The market really is a must-see for visitors. I’m working until noon tomorrow. Why don’t I meet you in the hotel lobby around lunchtime?”
“Count us in!” said Henry, and the others nodded.
“Great!” Reena looked down at her wrist-watch. “Well, I’m going to be late for work if I don’t hurry. See you tomorrow,” she said, dashing away.
Jessie stared after her, puzzled. “Reena sure wants to keep us busy,” she remarked.
“Oh, Jessie!” said Violet. “You’re not still thinking she’s trying to distract us, are you?”
“Yes,” Jessie answered with a quick nod. “I just don’t know why.”
“There’s no proof Reena’s up to anything,” Violet insisted, as they stepped into the lobby. Violet had a point. It was one thing to suspect somebody. It was another thing to have proof.
“The important thing right now,” said Henry, “is to find out where these clues are leading us.”
“You’re right, Henry,” said Jessie. “With a bit of teamwork, maybe we can figure it out.”
“What a perfect day to eat outdoors,” Violet said later. She was passing around paper plates and napkins.
“It sure is,” said Jessie. “I’m glad Toby mentioned there was a park nearby.”
The four Alden children were sitting cross-legged on a blanket spread out on the grass.
“I hope it’s a perfect day for solving a mystery,” said Benny. He held out his cup as Jessie poured the lemonade.
“Which one?” asked Henry, as Violet handed him an egg salad sandwich. “The mystery of the riddles? Or the mystery of Rachel?”
“And what about the look-alikes?” put in Benny. “That’s kind of weird, too. Don’t you think?”
The others had to admit their little brother was right. Violet started adding everything up on her fingers.
“First there was the woman with the umbrella,” she said. “The one who bumped into me outside the Hungry Heart Diner.”
“She reminded you of Aunt Jane,” Jessie recalled.
Violet nodded. “And then there was the snapshot we took on the ferry.”
“Right,” said Henry. “That man in the photo sure looked like Uncle Andy.”
“And don’t forget about Mrs. McGregor,” added Benny. “She was standing right by the totem pole in Pioneer Square.”
Henry smiled at his little brother. “At least you saw somebody who looked like Mrs. McGregor, Benny.”
“A lot like Mrs. McGregor,” Benny insisted.
Jessie couldn’t help giggling. It seemed so funny. “I have a good nickname for Seattle,” she said. “The Look-Alike City.”
Everyone laughed. Then Henry made a suggestion. “Let’s just stick to one mystery at a time.”
“I was thinking the same thing,” said Violet. “How about if we try to figure out the latest riddle?”
Jessie agreed. “The problem is,” she said, “where do we find flying fish?”
Nobody had an answer. They were quiet as they ate their sandwiches and celery sticks.
After playing Frisbee, they finally headed back to the hotel. They were each wondering the same thing. Where were the riddles leading them?
“I think we should forget about the mystery for a while,” Jessie suggested, the next day while they waited for Reena in the lobby.
Violet agreed. “Let’s just enjoy our trip to the market.”
“A break might help clear our heads,” put in Henry.
“Shake out the cobwebs,” said Violet, “as Grandfather would say.”
The Aldens had puzzled and puzzled over the strange riddle. But they were still no closer to solving the mystery.
As Reena came into the lobby, she gave the Aldens the thumbs-up sign. “No rain in sight!” she announced.
“Whew!” Benny looked down at the Space Needle on the front of his T-shirt. “I don’t want to get my souvenir wet.”
“Don’t worry, Benny,” Reena assured him, as they set off. “Even if it rains, most of the market’s under cover.”
Inside the crowded marketplace, the children made their way past stall after stall of fruits and vegetables, seafood, and freshly cut flowers. When Reena stopped to buy some peaches, Jessie looked around.
“I’ve never seen such a big market,” she said.
Reena nodded. “It stretches for blocks, Jessie,” she said.
The Aldens weaved their way through the crowds, following Reena through a network of stairways, alleys, and courtyards. They discovered all sorts of interesting little shops. They checked out stalls of antiques and handmade crafts and stopped to browse through an open-air exhibit on the history of the market. Suddenly Reena stopped so quickly that Jessie almost bumped right into her.
“Flowers!” Reena snapped her fingers. “I knew there was something I’d forgotten. I was supposed to buy flowers for a special dinner party tonight. Wait here for me.”
This got Benny’s attention. “What’s so special about the party?”
“Benny!” Jessie gave her little brother a warning look. “That’s not really any of our business.”
Reena laughed. “That’s okay, Jessie,” she said. Then she turned to the youngest Alden. “The dinner party’s for some wonderful friends, Benny. That’s what makes it so special.” Then she opened the bag of peaches. “Help yourselves,” she said, holding the bag out to them.
Benny didn’t need to be asked twice. “Thanks!”
As Reena disappeared in the crowds, the Aldens munched on their peaches. It wasn’t long before Benny noticed something.
“Look at that!” He pointed to a life-size statue of a bronze pig. “I guess that’s the little piggy who went to market,” he joked.
Before the others had a chance to speak, a cheer suddenly went up from a crowd gathered nearby. “I wonder what’s going on?” said Jessie.
“Let’s check it out,” Henry suggested.
Full of curiosity, Jessie, Violet, and Benny followed their older brother.
Benny pinched his nose. “Something smells fishy.”
“No wonder,” said Henry, when they got to the front of the crowd. “Look at all the seafood.” He gestured towards the ice-filled counters chock-full of seafood.
A man in shorts and a white T-shirt pointed to a large salmon. “I’ll take that one,” he said.
“Heave-ho!” the clerk, in fish apron and cap, suddenly shouted out as he flung the salmon high. The crowd let out a cheer when another clerk behind the counter caught the fish in mid-air.
Violet clapped her hands. “That’s amazing.”
“That salmon must weigh fifteen pounds,” said a woman wearing dangly earrings.
Jessie nodded. “No wonder everyone’s so impressed.”
A man nearby remarked, “They always put on quite a show.”
The children watched in amazement as fish after fish flew through the air.
“I think we just found what we were looking for,” Henry said.
“What do you mean?” Violet asked him.
Henry looked around at his brother and sisters. “What’s the first part of the riddle?”
Jessie began to recite, “If you catch sight / of fish flying high.”
“Omigosh!” cried Violet, in sudden understanding. “Flying fish!”
“You mean, the riddle was leading us right here?” Benny’s face lit up.
“There must be a savings bank somewhere close by,” finished Henry. “Let’s do some investigating.”
Jessie, Henry, Violet, and Benny walked all around, keeping an eye out for a savings bank. But they didn’t find any—not even a bank machine.
“I don’t get it,” said Henry. “According to the riddle, it should be here.”
Jessie agreed. “The clues seemed to fit.”
“I guess we’re on the wrong track again,” said Benny. He sounded disappointed.
Violet tried to think of something cheery to say. “While we’re waiting for Reena, why don’t I take a photo of everyone standing around the bronze pig?”
Nobody had any better ideas, so they walked over to the statue and struck a pose. Violet was about to snap a picture when a woman in a flowered dress approached. Violet waited while the woman dropped some change through a slot in the pig’s back.
The woman smiled over at the Aldens. “I just wanted to give Rachel a little something,” she said, then hurried away.
Violet slowly lowered her camera. “Did you hear that?” she asked, forgetting all about the photo.
Henry nodded. “Rachel must the pig’s name.”
“And it’s the name Grandfather mentioned on the phone,” Benny reminded them. “Do you think it’s just a coincidence?”
“I’m not sure,” said Jessie, her gaze fixed on the statue. “I guess this is some kind of piggy bank.” Then she caught her breath, surprised by her own words.
“Wait a minute!” cried Henry. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
Jessie nodded. “A bank standing nearby!”
“Yippee!” Benny did a little dance. “You were on the right track after all, Henry.”
“Maybe,” said Henry. “We’ll know for sure if we find another clue around here.”
The four Aldens examined the piggy bank closely. It wasn’t long before Jessie spotted something near the foot of the statue.
Crouching down, she reached for some paper folded to the size of a postage stamp.
“I hope I didn’t keep you waiting too long,” said Reena, coming up behind them. She was holding a bouquet of freshly cut flowers.
“Not at all,” said Jessie, getting quickly to her feet. “We didn’t mind waiting.” She slipped the note into her pocket.
“It gave us a chance to look for clues,” Benny blurted out. Then he quickly clamped a hand over his mouth. He’d forgotten they weren’t supposed to talk about the mystery.
“I see you’ve met the market’s famous pig,” said Reena, as if she hadn’t even heard Benny’s remark. “All the money from the piggy bank goes to charity,” she added.
The children quickened their pace as they walked back to the hotel. They were eager to read the mysterious note tucked into Jessie’s pocket.
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