The Mystery of the Memorial Day Fire

after all. Could I — I’d like to cancel my order.” The last sentence came out all in a rush.
    “All right,” Trixie said. “Consider it canceled.”
    “I-I’m sorry,” the man said.
    Trixie had to admit that he sounded as if he meant it. But she couldn’t tell the man that it was all right. “Good-bye,” she said simply.
    She went back to the table determined to tell her brothers what she’d seen the night before in the alley behind Roberts’s store. But before she could speak, Brian was again called to the phone.
    When he stood up, Trixie stood up at the same time. “All right,” she said. “That does it.” Without another word of explanation, she slammed out of the house, dragged her bike out of the garage, and rode as fast as she could to the Manor House. When Celia let her in, she ran up the stairs to Honey’s room two at a time. “Come on, Honey,” she said. “We’re going to the police!”
    Honey sat up on the bed, at the same time making hasty brushing motions under her eyes.
    She’s been crying, Trixie thought. Aloud she asked, “Have you had customers canceling orders?”
    Honey nodded. “T-They say they think Mr. Roberts is guilty. T-They say they d-don’t want to do business with s-someone like that.” Honey’s voice was trembling.
    “The same thing happened to us,” Trixie said. “That’s why I want to go downtown and tell the police about seeing Jane Dix-Strauss in the alley last night.”
    Trixie half-expected her friend to protest as she had the night before. Today, though, Honey seemed more than willing to go along with the plan. “Let’s go,” Honey said firmly, and she led Trixie out the door.
    The two girls rode in silence into Sleepyside. Both wanted to ride as quickly as they could, and Trixie wanted to rehearse her speech, as well.
    They parked their bikes outside the police station and walked in. Trixie took in the waiting room with a sweeping glance, and saw Mr. Slettom sitting there. He was wearing another loud and lively sports coat, but he was looking sad and uncomfortable. Leaning casually against a wall not far away was Jane Dix-Strauss. Oh, woe, Trixie thought. I was hoping there would be no one here, especially not her. Wanting to turn and run, she forced herself to march up to the reception desk instead. “I’d like to speak to Sergeant Molinson,” she said.
    “Your name?” asked the receptionist.
    “Trixie Belden,” she said.
    “I’ll tell him you’re here,” the woman said. She dialed a two-digit number and spoke Trixie’s name into the receiver. “He says to wait,” she told Trixie.
    Trixie stood for a moment leaning against the high reception counter. She didn’t want to turn around. Her mental rehearsal for this scene hadn’t included having to wait in a room with the woman she was about to accuse of hiring an arsonist—and the man whose stores the arsonist had burned!
    Honey, always better in social situations, put her arm through Trixie’s. “Come on,” she said, turning her friend away from the counter and leading her to a row of chairs along the wall opposite Mr. Slettom.
    The girls sat with their hands folded in their laps and their heads lowered. It was as if they hoped that by not looking at anyone, they could make themselves invisible. A voice speaking nearby told them the plan hadn’t worked.
    “You girls are friends of young Nick Roberts, aren’t you?” the voice asked.
    Trixie looked up and saw that Mr. Slettom had walked over to stand near them.
    “Too bad,” Mr. Slettom said, shaking his head.
    “Too bad we’re Nick’s friends?” Trixie asked in confusion.
    “No, no, no — too bad Roberts set this second fire. He would have gotten away with the first one, if he just hadn’t pushed it.”
    “Y-You mean you think Mr. Roberts is guilty?” Trixie asked fearfully.
    “Well, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” Mr. Slettom countered. “You know I thought he was innocent the first time around. Why, I offered him bail, anything he needed. But then —” Mr. Slettom broke off for a moment, shaking his head in the same sad way. “He just pushed it too far.”
    “But why do you think he set fire to your store?” Trixie asked.
    “I wish I knew. Maybe he just has it in for me. Sometimes people get that way, you know, when they’ve been under a lot of stress. They go looking for someone to blame, someone to get even with for all that’s happened.”
    “But Mr. Roberts’s problems were all over by the time