Read The Pizza Mystery for Free Online

she saw rows of small and large pizzas already lined up next to the brick oven. Again, Laurie had done just fine without the children.
    At the work counter, Laurie was huddled over a three-ring binder. She didn’t hear the door open. “Need any help?” Jessie asked.
    Laurie jumped back and dropped some papers and notes she had been reading. “You . . . uh . . . you’re back so soon,” she told the children when she saw them standing in the doorway. “I . . . wasn’t expecting you for a few more minutes.”
    Jessie stepped back. Why did Laurie always make the Aldens feel like intruders?
    Benny scooted by everyone and began to pick up the papers that had fallen on the floor.
    â€œNever mind those,” Laurie said. “Just leave them. There’s plenty to do in the dining room. Go!”
    Benny felt a lump in his throat. He wasn’t used to anyone speaking to him like that. He was only trying to help.
    â€œOkay,” the Aldens mumbled as they trooped out.
    â€œLaurie Baker sure is a confusing person,” Jessie whispered to Violet and Benny. “Sometimes she likes us, then other times she treats us like pests.”

    The Piccolos beamed when the children came into the dining room. Mrs. Piccolo pointed to an empty table. “Why don’t you children sit down and have some pizza after your hard morning?”
    After they’d all eaten, Mrs. Piccolo handed Benny some napkins to fold. Napkin folding wasn’t too exciting compared with making pizza from scratch. But Benny did the job anyway.
    Violet sat down to help Benny while Jessie and the Piccolos took orders.
    â€œYou don’t look too happy today, Benny,” Violet said.
    â€œEverything was more fun when it was just us helping the Piccolos,” Benny whispered. “Laurie’s always getting mad at me, like today when I tried to pick up Mrs. Piccolo’s recipes.”
    Violet looked shocked. “That notebook had Mrs. Piccolo’s recipes in it? I thought she kept it locked in that old pine cabinet by the sink.”
    â€œSo did I,” Benny said. “But sometimes Mr. Piccolo forgets to take the key out of the cabinet. Anybody can open it.”
    â€œWell, it could be that Mrs. Piccolo gave Laurie the notebook, so she could help make the sauce.” Violet sounded doubtful. “And maybe Mrs. Piccolo isn’t keeping her recipes secret now that Laurie is her new helper.”
    â€œI don’t think so,” Benny said. “But we’ll never find out ‘cause she keeps chasing us out of the kitchen!”
    There was no time to finish this talk. Violet and Benny got busy making up delivery boxes while Jessie handled the phone orders.
    During the busiest part of the lunch hour, something strange happened. The phone rang several times in a row. But each time Jessie greeted the caller, no one answered. After four calls like this, Jessie went over to Mrs. Piccolo.
    â€œSomebody keeps calling but doesn’t say anything,” Jessie said.
    Mrs. Piccolo was too busy to worry. “Maybe it’s a wrong number,” she told Jessie before disappearing into the kitchen.
    The phone rang again. This time Jessie waited for the caller to speak first.
    â€œHello,” a man’s voice said. “Is your refrigerator running? Well, you’d better go catch it.”
    â€œOh, for Pete’s sake!” Jessie said when she heard this old joke. “I wish whoever is fooling around on the phone wouldn’t waste our time during the lunch hour. This is making us lose real orders.”
    Luckily the fake phone calls stopped. Jessie took down two real phone orders and brought the slips back to the kitchen. She was surprised to see Henry standing there, holding three pizza boxes.
    â€œI thought you were still out, Henry,” Jessie said in a concerned voice. “Is something wrong?”
    Henry could hardly speak. “This is the third pizza someone