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happen?”
    Jessie zipped her sleeping bag to warm herself up. “I’ll say — Martha was there! She was mumbling something and peering all around the clock. She tried to tell me the front door was unlocked, but I’m pretty sure I locked it so it wouldn’t blow open.”
    Violet’s bed was right next to Jessie’s. She rolled over to face her. “Did anything happen with the clock? I was sound asleep, so I didn’t even hear any of them go off.”
    “Nothing happened,” Jessie said. “But Martha had the riddle book with her.”
    “That’s very strange,” Henry said. “I guess we should keep an eye on her.”
    “Guess so,” Benny agreed. “Good night.”
    “Night,” three soft voices echoed.
    The next morning, the children finished all the work Isabel had asked them to do. Then they had time to work on their own inventions. Since they didn’t see Brad around, they decided to use the long kitchen table as a workbench.
    Henry tried on his rainy-day backpack, which he had invented for the convention. He had outfitted it with a special umbrella holder so the wearer could walk in the rain without having to hold anything. Benny warned him that it was unlucky to open an umbrella indoors, but Henry opened it anyway. “How else will I know if it works?” he asked in his sensible way. First it tilted a little too far to the right. Then it leaned a little too far to the left. Henry needed to make some adjustments.
    “I’m not sure which of my two inventions to enter in the contest,” Violet said. “My crayon saver is very useful, but it doesn’t seem very exciting.” She held up the lipstick tube that Mrs. McGregor had given her. Violet had put a screw inside to hold a small crayon stub that was too short to hold by hand. “I wish I had some of those little tools and screws Mr. Percy had in his toolbox to get it to work better. I think I’m going to enter my jewelry arm instead, but I’m not sure yet.” Violet held up the wooden hand and arm she had carved in art class to display rings and bracelets.

    Except for needing fresh batteries, Benny’s flashlight hat was finished. But he needed Jessie’s help, anyway. He held out a wrinkled sheet of paper with his careful printing on it. “Can you read my directions so I don’t have any mistakes?”
    Jessie put down the screwdriver. Her invention was a convenient recycling wagon. She had built a small cart with two bins — one for newspapers and one for cans and bottles — that could be rolled out to the curb on recycling day. Jessie studied Benny’s directions. “They look fine to me. Your printing is as good as your reading now.”
    The children heard the kitchen door creak open.
    Brad and Martha stepped inside.
    Brad set his heavy toolbox on the table.
    “I have to work in here, and I need the table to work on. You kids will have to move your stuff to the counters. Don’t worry, I won’t bother any of it.”
    The Aldens looked at one another. Why couldn’t Brad work someplace else? They weren’t sure what to do.
    Martha handed Jessie a box of fliers. “I need these posted around town, please. Since Brad will be working in here anyway, you can leave right now. Off you go.”
    The Aldens hesitated.
    “Now,” Martha and Brad said together.
    Jessie and Violet carried their inventions to the counter on the other side of the kitchen. Benny kept on his flashlight hat, and Henry wore his rainy-day backpack.
    As the Aldens left, they heard Brad and Martha arguing about another errand that needed to be done right away. The children passed the grandfather clock in the entryway. It was ticking along in its nice, steady way.
    “Just ten more minutes,” Henry complained. “That’s all we need to get another look at that clock when it goes off at noon. We may not know the whole riddle, but I have a hunch it’s a message about this clock.”
    Jessie stepped forward. “I wonder if the glass over the face opens or if there’s a panel in back or something.”