The Mystery of the Stolen Painting Read online

  “We’d better talk to her right away,” Ethan suggested. “Maybe she knows something about the missing painting and the secret crepe shop!”

  But before the twins could question her, the woman took off down the street, clutching her briefcase. She jumped into a waiting car with tinted windows. The door slammed closed, and the car sped away.

  “Oh no!” Ella cried. “Now what do we do?”

  “I think we should try to find Rue de Fleur,” Ethan said, watching the car weave in and out of traffic.

  * * *

  “We turn right here,” Ella said, squinting at the map she had brought along. “Or is it left?”

  Ethan leaned over to take a look. “I think we have to turn right when we get to this other street,” he said, pointing.

  The twins made it to the neighborhood where Rue de Fleur was supposed to be. But standing on a crowded corner, they weren’t sure which way to go next.

  “Where are the street signs?” Ella asked, glancing around.

  Ethan frowned. His sister was right. Paris didn’t have any street signs!

  And then he noticed something interesting. The buildings at the corners of the intersection had small blue signs on the sides. The signs had fancy writing on them.

  “That one says ‘Rue de Rivoli,’ ” Ethan read. “Those must be the street signs!”

  Ella nodded. “Good! Let’s follow those!”

  The twins crisscrossed their way until they finally reached Rue de Fleur. It was a small street lined on either side by apartments and little stores, including several flower shops. Buckets of colorful blooms covered one section of the sidewalk.

  “Yes! We found Rue de Fleur!” Ethan said excitedly. “Now all we have to do is find the secret crepe shop. And the jewelry lady, too.”

  Just then, a car with tinted windows raced down the narrow street, its tires squealing.

  “Look out!” Ella shouted.

  She and Ethan flattened themselves against a building to avoid the speeding car.

  The car screeched to a stop and dropped off a passenger before driving away.

  It was the red-haired woman!

  Chapter 7

  The Secret Crepe Shop

  The red-haired woman rushed up to a brick apartment building. She had her briefcase with her. Using a key, she opened the front door and disappeared inside.

  “Did she see us?” Ella asked Ethan nervously.

  Ethan shook his head. “I don’t think so. Let’s follow her!”

  “Follow her where?” Ella demanded.

  “Just trust me,” Ethan said.

  He inched up to the first-floor window of the brick building. Ella followed close behind. The curtains on the windows were lacy and sheer, which made it easy to see in.

  The twins pressed their faces to the glass—and gasped.

  Inside the apartment, three people sat around a table, arguing in loud voices. One of them was the red-haired woman. The other two were men.

  Propped up on the table was a beautiful painting framed in gold! It was a portrait of a little girl with a dog.

  Ella jabbed Ethan with her elbow. “That must be the stolen painting!” she whispered fiercely.

  The red-haired woman opened her briefcase and spilled her jewelry onto the table.

  Ethan gasped. “Maybe the bracelets and stuff are stolen, too,” he said. “I bet she was trying to sell them at her stand!”

  Suddenly, one of the men pushed back his chair, stood up, and started for the front door. For a split second, the twins watched in horror as the doorknob turned. They were about to be discovered!

  “We have to hide. Now!” Ella cried.

  She grabbed Ethan and pulled him away from the window. Glancing around frantically, she saw an open doorway one building over. “Quick! In here!”

  The twins made a mad dash for the building and ducked inside. They slammed the door behind them.

  “Phew, that was close,” Ethan said breathlessly.

  “Bonjour?”

  The twins whirled around. A tiny woman with curly gray hair stood behind a counter. She peered at them from over the top of her glasses.

  “Mot de passé, s’il vous plaît,” the woman said with a stern expression.

  The twins stared at each other.

  “Mot de passé,” the woman repeated.

  Just then, Ella noticed a familiar sweet, buttery smell.

  Ethan seemed to notice it too.

  “Crepes!” they said in unison. They had found Grandpa Harry’s secret crepe shop!

  “Oh! You are Americans?” The woman’s expression relaxed into a smile. “I am sorry, I did not realize. Password, please.”

  “Get your notebook. Get your notebook,” Ethan told Ella impatiently.

  “I know that,” Ella snapped. She reached into her backpack and pulled out her notebook. “Faucon,” she said to the woman after a moment. “Did I pronounce that right?”

  “Yes, you pronounced it just fine,’ ” the woman replied, still smiling at them. She pushed open a door behind the counter and waved them inside. “Come this way, please.”

  Chapter 8

  Heroes

  On the other side of the door was one of the most wonderful sights the twins had ever seen!

  It was a tiny room that was barely bigger than their tree house back in Brookeston. It had a few tables and chairs. A man stood at a stove, cooking a thin, golden pancake in a black skillet. He flipped the crepe over once, twice—then put it on a plate. He sprinkled it with powdered sugar.

  “Jean, we have customers,” the woman announced to the man.

  The man turned. He had bushy gray hair and a mustache, and he reminded Ethan of Grandpa Harry. “Merci, Jacqueline! Bonjour, mes petits! Hello, my children! What can I make for you today?” he asked in a merry voice.

  “I . . . we . . . our grandfather sent us,” Ella managed to say after a moment.

  “Oh? Who is your grand-père?” Jean asked curiously.

  “Harry Robinson. He said you were friends,” Ethan piped up.

  Jacqueline gasped. “You are Harry Robinson’s grandchildren? We have not seen him in years! How is our dear friend Harry?”

  “He’s good. We miss him,” Ella said timidly. “Oh, and he says hi,” she remembered.

  Jacqueline walked over to a wall covered with old photographs. She took one down. “This is a picture of Harry and Lucy when they were at the university,” she said fondly.

  The twins stared at the picture in amazement. Here they were across the world in a secret crepe shop, and it was as though Grandpa Harry were with them!

  In the picture, he had thick black hair. Grandma Lucy had a long blond ponytail and looked a lot like their mom.

  The picture in its pretty gold frame reminded Ethan of something. Frame . . .

  “Painting!” he suddenly burst out. “We have to tell you about the painting!”

  “What painting?” Jacqueline asked, confused.

  “Some thieves stole a painting from the Louvre Museum this morning,” Ella piped up. “They’re hiding it next door. We just saw it!”

  “I heard about this on the news just now,” Jean said, reaching for his phone. “We’d better call the police right away!”

  * * *

  Ethan, Ella, Jean, and Jacqueline watched from the window of the crepe shop as police cars pulled up in front of the brick building. A few minutes later, some police officers brought the red-haired woman and the two men out in handcuffs. Another police officer carried the painting and jewelry.

  “You are heroes!” Jean praised the twins. “Everyone in Paris will want to thank you for what you have done!”

  Ethan shook his head quickly. “No. It has to be a secret! We’re not even supposed to be here!”

  Jacqueline looked at the twins, her eyebrows raised. “Oh?”

  The twins explained about sneaking away from the Louvre while their dad had coffee with his college friend. “He’ll be back any second now. We should go,” Ella f
inished, looking at the clock nervously.

  “But you can’t leave until you’ve had some of my famous crepes!” Jean said, picking up his spatula.

  Ethan glanced hopefully at Ella. She nodded.

  “Yes, please!” they said in unison.

  “Why do you keep your crepe shop a secret?” Ethan asked the couple.

  Jacqueline wiped her hands on her apron and smiled as if remembering something. “Many years ago, Jean became known as the finest crepe maker in Paris. But he wasn’t interested in becoming rich and famous. He just wanted to make crepes for friends and loyal customers.”

  “So we decided to start this little shop and give out the password to only a few people,” Jean continued. “Our password has been the same for almost fifty years—faucon, or hawk.” He added, “It’s the same password that was used by a secret society that met here many years ago.”

  Hawk? Ethan reached into his pocket and pulled out the gold coin Grandpa Harry had given him as a going-away present. It had a picture of a hawk on one side.

  Was it a coincidence?

  Ethan was about to ask Jean and Jacqueline about their password. He also wanted to know more about the secret society.

  But before Ethan could say anything, Jean held out two plates. “Et voilà! Here! Please eat these crepes while they are hot! These were your grandparents’ favorites—lemon and powdered sugar.”

  The twins took the crepes and bit into them. They were warm and delicious and just the right combination of sweet and tart. Ethan had thought croissants were his new favorite food. But now he knew it was definitely crepes!

  “We really have to go,” Ella said, nudging Ethan and pointing at the clock.

  The twins finished up their crepes and said good-bye to Jean and Jacqueline.

  “Please come see us again next time you are in Paris,” Jacqueline told them.

  Ethan and Ella waved good-bye and promised they would.

  Chapter 9

  The Eiffel Tower!

  That night, Ella sat down at the laptop to send Grandpa Harry an e-mail. Ethan sat next to her, turning his gold coin over in his hand.

  Dear Grandpa Harry,

  Guess what? We found your secret crepe shop! Mr. Jean made us lemon and powdered sugar crepes. They were yummy.

  Guess what else? We solved a mystery! Some thieves stole a painting from the Louvre Museum. We discovered them next door to the crepe shop. Mr. Jean called the police.

  We learned that the secret password to the crepe shop is the French word for “hawk.” Does it have anything to do with the hawk on the gold coin?

  Tonight, Mom and Dad are taking us to the Eiffel Tower to see the light show you told us about!

  We miss you! Au revoir! (That means “good-bye” in French!)

  Love,

  Ella and Ethan

  Their parents came into the living room just then. Mr. Briar wore a T-shirt with the Mona Lisa on it. “Let’s go to the Eiffel Tower!” he said eagerly. “Hey, I just heard some news on the radio. Did you know there was a big art theft at the Louvre Museum today? I guess that’s why we had to leave. They caught the thieves with the help of an anonymous tip.”

  Ella blinked innocently. “Really?”

  “Wow. We didn’t know!” Ethan added with a grin.

  Mrs. Briar patted her kids on their heads. “We should go. The light show will be starting very soon.”

  As they headed out the door, the twins exchanged high fives. They’d solved the mystery of the stolen painting and found Grandpa Harry’s secret crepe shop all in one day. And now they were about to see a light show at the Eiffel Tower.

  Could Paris get any better?

  GLOSSARY

  Au revoir = Good-bye

  Bienvenue = Welcome

  Bonjour = Hello

  boulangerie= bakery

  crêperie = crepe shop

  faucon = hawk

  fleur = flower

  fromagerie = cheese shop

  grand-père = grandfather

  Les Secrets de Paris = The Secrets of Paris

  Mademoiselle = Miss

  Merci = Thank you

  mes petits = my children

  musée = museum

  patisserie = cake shop

  rue = street

  S’il vous plaît = Please

  Voilà = There is/There’s why

  *All words are in French.

  “I miss Grandpa Harry’s waffles,” Ella Briar said with a pout.

  “I miss the blueberry muffins from Petunia Bakery,” her brother, Ethan, added.

  The twins frowned at their plates, which were piled high with fried rice, pickled vegetables, and some foods they didn’t recognize. The Briar family was having breakfast at their hotel, the Beijing Imperial. The large dining room was decorated with red and gold furniture and paintings of swirly dragons.

  “But, kids, we’re having an eating adventure!” their dad, Andrew, said as he reached for his chopsticks. “Check out those delicious-looking bao!”

  The Briars had been traveling around the world for more than a month now. The reason for their big trip was Mrs. Briar’s job. The Brookeston Times newspaper had hired her to write a travel column, Journeys with Jo!

  They had already visited two cities in Europe: Venice, Italy, and Paris, France. After that, they had moved on to Shanghai, China. And just yesterday, they had arrived in Beijing, the capital of China.

  “So what are we doing today?” Ethan asked. He stuck his chopsticks in his dark brown hair and made them stand up like antennas. Ella giggled. Her brother looked like a bug!

  Mrs. Briar scrolled through her cell phone. “I just got an e-mail from my editor. He wants me to interview some people over at the National Art Museum. I’m afraid I’ll be tied up until dinnertime.”

  Ella’s face fell. So did Ethan’s. That was another thing they missed—spending time with their mom. She was always busy writing or doing research for her column. The twins were mostly with their dad, either sightseeing or having their homeschooling lessons.

  Mrs. Briar reached across the table to squeeze their hands. “I’m sorry I can’t hang out with you today. But guess what? The four of us are doing something really special tomorrow!”

  Ella perked up. “What is it?”

  “We’re visiting the Forbidden City!” Mrs. Briar told them.

  The twins exchanged a glance. The Forbidden City? They didn’t know what that was, but it certainly sounded mysterious!

  HARPER PARIS

  loves to travel. Her favorite cities in the world are Paris (like her name!) and New York City. She has collected many souvenirs on her travels, including a good-luck coin from Japan and a reindeer-horn pendant from Sweden. She also loves mysteries. When she was a kid, she read Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books after bedtime with a flashlight. She now lives with her family (including two cats and a bunny, who are not good travelers) in Ithaca, New York.

  MARCOS CALO

  has worked as a professional artist for more than fourteen years. He has worked in different fields: illustration, animation, and comic books. He lives with his wife and daughter in A Coruña, a small Spanish town by the seaside.

  Little Simon

  Simon & Schuster • New York

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Harper-Paris

  authors.simonandschuster.com/Marcos-Calo

  GreetingsfromSomewhereBooks.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  LITTLE SIMON

  An imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division • 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10020 www.SimonandSchuster.com • Copyright © 2014 by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. L
ITTLE SIMON is a registered trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc., and associated colophon is a trademark of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

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  Designed by John Daly.

  Jacket design by John Daly

  Jacket illustrations by Marcos Calo

  Jacket illustrations by Simon & Schuster, Inc.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Paris, Harper. The mystery of the stolen painting / by Harper Paris ; illustrated by Marcos Calo. — First edition. pages cm. — (Greetings from somewhere ; #3) Summary: “In Paris, France, twins Ethan and Ella must find a stolen painting and a secret bakery without giving themselves away”— Provided by publisher. [1. Paris (France)—Fiction. 2. France—Fiction. 3. Brothers and sisters—Fiction. 4. Twins—Fiction. 5. Mystery and detective stories.] I. Calo, Marcos, illustrator. II. Title. PZ7.P21748Mz 2014 [Fic]—dc23 2013024376

  ISBN 978-1-4814-0296-5 (pbk)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-0297-2 (hc)

  ISBN 978-1-4814-0298-9 (eBook)