The Mystery in the Snow Read Free Page B

swinging.
    Two more team members were chosen.
    Benny wiggled in his chair. “I can’t stand the suspense,” he whispered.
    Henry was the first of the Aldens chosen. He would be on Jimmy’s team. Jessie and then Violet were picked for that team, too.
    Benny glanced around the room. He and an older girl were the only ones whose names hadn’t been called.
    It was Jimmy’s turn. “There are only two names left,” he said.
    Benny leaned forward in his chair. “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” he urged silently.
    Jimmy reached into the box. He drew out a card. He looked at it. He even turned it over.
    Benny couldn’t sit still. He popped to his feet. “Hurry, hurry, hurry,” he repeated, but this time, he said the words aloud.

    Everyone laughed. Benny was so embarrassed he sat down again.
    Finally, Jimmy said, “And the last member of our team is…Benny Alden!”
    His new teammates cheered.
    Freddy called the last name, “Nan Foster!” and that team cheered as a short girl, who looked like she was about ten years old, slowly walked up. She seemed to be the only person in the room who wasn’t smiling.
    Just then, Mr. Mercer appeared in the doorway, looking grim. “You’re not going to believe this,” he said.
    â€œWhat happened?” Grandfather Alden asked.
    â€œIt’s my truck. The tires are flat,” he responded with disbelief. “All four of them!”

CHAPTER 5
    A New Mystery
    M r. Mercer was upset. “I parked the truck out by the skating rink last night. The tires were fine then.”
    â€œ One flat tire I could understand,” Grandfather said. “But four ?”
    â€œThat sounds like it was intentional,” Henry pointed out.
    â€œBut who would do something like that? And why?” said Mr. Mercer.
    â€œFirst missing keys and now flat tires. Do you suppose they’re connected?” Henry wondered aloud.
    â€œProbably not,” Jessie said.
    â€œTodd, do you have an air pump?” Mr. Alden asked.
    Mr. Mercer shook his head. “It’s broken,” he said. “I’ve been meaning to get another one.”
    Grandfather offered to drive him into town. “We’ll get a pump and go to the locksmith,” he said.
    Mr. Mercer agreed, and he and Grandfather hurried to Grandfather’s car.
    Freddy said, “We’ll go on with the tryouts.”
    â€œThere are five events,” Jimmy said. “Skating, skiing, sledding, snow sculpting, and ice carving.”
    An excited murmur shot through the group.
    â€œSnow sculpting?” Benny whispered to Violet. “Is that like making snowmen?”
    Violet nodded. “I think so.”
    â€œThen, I’ll try out for that,” he said. He wondered what he would have to do. He raised his hand. “How do you try out for snow sculpting?” he asked.
    â€œYou can’t,” Freddy told him. “That and ice carving — if you want to do one of those, just sign up.”
    â€œAnd you can sign up for as many events as you want,” Jimmy added.
    A boy about Jessie’s age stood up. He tossed his head to get his long, straight hair out of his eyes. “What if you want to try out for, say, skiing, but you don’t have skis?”
    â€œYou’ll find everything you need at the equipment shop, Matt,” Freddy told him.
    â€œIf and when Mr. Mercer gets it open,” Jimmy said.
    â€œWhat if you don’t want to sign up for anything?” Nan Foster asked.
    Freddy stared at her. She seemed so surprised by the question that she didn’t have an answer.
    A boy named Pete, who was sitting next to Nan, rolled his eyes. “We can’t win with people like her on our team,” he scoffed.
    Nan looked as though she might cry.
    â€œIt’s okay,” Jimmy said to her. “Sometimes, people try out for an event, and they don’t make it. That’s okay, too. They get to be