The Pizza Mystery Read Free Page A

hungry for our little place. At first they all came, full of good appetites.”
    Mrs. Piccolo fiddled with a thread on her apron. “Then someone put up that gate. It was too far away for people to walk to Piccolos’. When the factory got busier, the owners cut back the workers’ lunch hours. No time for something like pizza. You know our pizza, it takes a long time. No rushing Piccolos’ Pizza!”
    Mr. Piccolo stood up and pointed out the front window. “You see all those delivery trucks from the factory? They took all my parking spaces away. Most of our old customers, they don’t have a place to park now. They don’t come so much. Then when Nick got sick and my other waiter left, well, we couldn’t keep up.”
    Nick had worked for the Piccolos for many years, and the children were sad to hear he was sick. Especially Violet, who, on their trip through Silver Falls the year before, had helped Nick design new covers for the menus.
    â€œNick got sick?” Violet asked. “Will he be all right?”
    Mr. Piccolo shrugged his shoulders. “We don’t know. He moved out of the apartment upstairs, and after that he called in sick.”
    â€œHe was like a son to us,” Mrs. Piccolo said sadly. “And all of a sudden—he just picks up and leaves. And he won’t tell us when he’s coming back.”
    Mr. Piccolo began talking. “Things are so slow, maybe Nick, he doesn’t want to come back.”
    The Aldens felt sad too. How everything had changed since their last visit! What could they do? How could they help? Even Benny didn’t know what to say. He just stared out the window.
    â€œHey, who’s that?” Benny cried out. He pointed to the small window that overlooked the kitchen area in back. “There’s somebody looking inside the kitchen! Someone with a red hat.”
    Everyone looked up at the same time and saw a red blur. Henry and Jessie rushed out to the back garden where Watch was tied up. The dog was straining at his leash and panting.
    â€œLook!” Jessie pointed to fresh footprints in the snow that led right to the window overlooking the kitchen. “Somebody was looking in.”
    â€œThat’s the other thing,” Mr. Piccolo said when everyone calmed down. “This is not the first time we’ve seen someone outside, sneaking around the restaurant. I just don’t know what’s going on.”
    â€œMaybe it’s time to retire,” Mrs. Piccolo said sadly. “Just when we should be so busy.”
    The Aldens looked around the restaurant.
    They remembered happier days and happier meals there.
    Jessie said what the other Aldens were thinking. “We’re on vacation for a couple of weeks. Maybe we can help you get busy again, at least until Nick returns.”
    â€œMaybe,” Violet began, “if people can’t come here, we can go to where they are!”
    â€œThat’s a great idea!” Henry said. “I could fix up that old bike you used to keep in the shed out back, and once the oven’s fixed, we could deliver pizzas right to your customers!”
    â€œWhat do you think, Mr. Piccolo?” Grandfather asked. “Could my grandchildren give you a hand?”
    â€œThat would be wonderful!”
    Grandfather stood up and headed for the door.
    â€œMr. Alden, Mr. Alden. Where are you going?” Mr. Piccolo asked.
    Mr. Alden winked at the Piccolos. “Well, Watch and I are going home. That is, after my grandchildren unload their suitcases. I guess the rest of their vacation isn’t going to be so quiet after all.”

CHAPTER 3
    Jessie’s Pizza Plan
    T he apartment above Piccolos’ Pizza wasn’t empty for long. Mr. Alden and Watch left for Greenfield just as soon as the children got their luggage from the car. Grandfather promised to return in a couple of weeks. And they promised him a large Pizza Supreme when he came back.
    Mr. Piccolo