Mr. Pin hopped off to get his black bag. When he returned, he gave the thief the clay bird and had him promise never to bother Pete again.

  Pete buried his head in his hands while the runner who was not a runner snickered and cackled out the door.

  But Mr. Pin had a plan.

  “Quick,” he said. “Back to the chicken shop. One of the Monroe Street chocolate pigeons is the real thing. That clay bird is a fake.”

  “How do you know?” asked Maggie.

  “Because Uncle George did not tell Pete that the pigeon was valuable. He said it could be valuable,” explained Mr. Pin. “Uncle George wanted people to believe the jewels were in the clay pigeon. That way, Pete would always have the jewels safe in a chocolate bird.”

  “Why was a chocolate bird safer than a clay bird?” asked Maggie.

  “Because Uncle George had hundreds of chocolate pigeons. Think of all the hundreds of hiding places to confuse a thief. Besides, why would anyone hide jewels in a clay pigeon when he had a chocolate pigeon?”

  “You’re right,” said Pete, dabbing his eyes. “He loved chocolate.”

  “A great man,” said Mr. Pin, “who knew his chocolate and wanted to help the homeless.”

  Maggie, Pete, and Mr. Pin raced back to the chicken shop. They chopped up several chocolate birds and finally found the glittering jewels. A siren wailed in the distance.

  “I called the police,” said Mr. Pin, “while I was in back getting the box.”

  “Good thinking,” said Maggie.

  “Thanks,” said Pete.

  “I don’t think that scoundrel will be bothering any of us again,” said Maggie. “Right, Mr. Pin?”

  But Mr. Pin didn’t answer. He was happily preening chocolate from his wing … and thinking that his memoirs would be one chapter longer.

  All rights reserved, including without limitation the right to reproduce this ebook or any portion thereof in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Originally published by Atheneum.

  Copyright © 1989, 2007 by Mary Elise Monsell

  Illustrations copyright © 1989, 2007 by Eileen Christelow

  ISBN: 978-1-5040-2955-1

  Distributed in 2016 by Open Road Distribution

  180 Maiden Lane

  New York, NY 10038

  www.openroadmedia.com

 

 

  Mary Elise Monsell, The Mysterious Cases of Mr. Pin

 

 

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