Singing in Seattle Read online

  “Hi, Claire,” AJ said. “We just wanted to say congratulations. We really liked your song.”

  Claire didn’t answer. Aly and AJ exchanged glances, then moved in closer. Claire was softly crying.

  “Claire, what’s wrong?” Aly asked.

  Claire straightened up and wiped the tears from her cheeks. “It’s my notebook,” she said, between sobs. “It’s not here.”

  “It’s probably around here somewhere,” AJ said. “We can help you look for it. What does it look like?”

  Claire took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I’m freaking out,” she said. “Every song I’ve ever written is in that notebook. I’m really happy that you picked me to move on in the contest. But without my notebook, I won’t have anything to present in the next round.”

  “I can totally relate,” AJ said. “Sometimes I think I’d be lost without my notebook. But I’m sure yours is around here somewhere.”

  “It’s purple,” Claire said. “And there’s a picture of a butterfly that I pasted onto it. I always keep it inside my guitar case. But when I opened my case just now to put my guitar back, the notebook was gone.”

  “Maybe it fell out,” Aly suggested. She knelt down and looked under the bench. She spotted some dust bunnies and a chewed-up pencil, but no notebook.

  “Keep looking,” AJ told Aly. “I’m going to ask around and see if anyone has seen it.”

  Aly scanned the backstage area. Most of the contestants had left already. She cornered Kurt and Rainbow as they were about to leave. Neither of them had seen the notebook.

  Austin and Amber were packing up their things.

  “Congratulations, guys,” she said. “Aly and I really liked your songs.”

  “Cool,” Amber said. She had a nice smile that somehow didn’t match all of her black makeup. “Thanks,” Austin replied, grinning at AJ. “But you know, you might as well not bother with the next round. You’ve got your winner right here.”

  AJ shook her head, but she couldn’t help smiling back. Austin was cocky, but there was something really sweet about him, too.

  “We’ll see about that,” she said. “Listen, have either of you seen a purple notebook back here? Claire lost hers.”

  “No,” Amber replied.

  “That’s too bad,” Austin said. “So, what number should I call you at if I find it?”

  “You can call Lily,” AJ said. This boy was persistent!

  Austin reached into his own guitar case and took out a blue flyer. He handed it to AJ. “If you and Aly aren’t doing anything tomorrow night, you should check out this poetry slam,” he said. “The best poets in Seattle will be there. That includes me, of course. Actually, a lot of the contestants are part of the poetry scene.”

  “That sounds cool,” AJ said. She had heard about poetry slams before, when poets get up onstage and read their poems to an audience. She’d always wanted to go to one. “Maybe we’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “I know you will,” Austin said.

  Amber rolled her eyes. “Austin, give it a rest.”

  AJ laughed and headed back to Aly and Claire. “Any luck?” she asked.

  “Nothing,” Aly replied. “How about you?”

  “Nobody’s seen anything,” AJ said. “But then again, I didn’t get a chance to talk to everybody. Maybe something will turn up.”

  Claire looked like she might cry again.

  “Claire, do you have a copy of your songs somewhere? On a computer, maybe?” Aly asked.

  “No,” Claire said. “I know I should have. But the notebook’s all I’ve got.”

  Aly gave her a hug. “You’ll find it. We’ll talk to Lily for you. She can have the theater manager look for it.”

  “It’s a few days until the next round,” AJ reminded her. “I’m sure it will turn up before then.”

  Claire nodded. “Thanks.”

  She packed up her guitar case and left, casting a sad glance around the room before she went through the door. Aly and AJ were alone backstage now.

  “I feel so bad for her,” Aly said. “I hope it turns up.”

  “I do, too,” AJ said. “But I have a feeling—”

  “Oh, no,” Aly interrupted. “I know what you’re thinking. This is another mystery, isn’t it?”

  “It could be,” AJ said. “There is a big prize for the winner of this contest. Maybe one of the contestants stole Claire’s notebook so they’d have a better chance of winning. See how upset she got? I wouldn’t be surprised if she dropped out.”

  Aly sighed and sat down on a bench. “I hate to admit it, but I think you’re right,” she said. “I guess we’ve reached the next stop on the Aly and AJ Mystery Tour!”

  CHAPTER FOUR:

  SIGHTSEEING IN SEATTLE

  “Look! A coffee shop! Can we please stop?”

  Aly watched the coffee shop disappear into the distance as the car sped past it.

  “Oh, come on, Jim,” she moaned. “We were on a plane all day yesterday. Then we spent all night judging that contest. I feel like I barely slept last night! A latte would really help right now.”

  “Definitely,” AJ agreed, yawning.

  Their tour manager looked into the rearview mirror. Jim’s light brown eyes sparkled with amusement.

  “Sorry, but your tour of the Space Needle starts in ten minutes,” Jim reminded them.

  The girls’ mom turned to look at them from the passenger seat. Carrie never seemed to look tired, no matter how little sleep she got.

  “We’re very lucky to get this special tour,” she told them. “I remember taking you girls to the top of the tower when you were little. We waited more than an hour in line!”

  “I think I remember that,” Aly said. “I was scared to go in the elevator.”

  AJ frowned. “I don’t have any memories of the Space Needle at all.” Two years younger than Aly, she had been very young when her family moved from Seattle to California.

  “Well, today we’ll have to create some new memories,” Carrie said. “I’ve got my camera!”

  The sisters looked at each other and smiled. Their mom’s positive attitude was contagious, even when they were feeling tired.

  “Look, we’re almost there,” Jim said.

  The tall, metal tower was visible from most points in Seattle. Now that they were close, they had to crane their necks to get a good look at it. The round observation deck sat on top of the tall steel tower.

  “It almost looks like a flying saucer up there,” Aly remarked.

  “Maybe that’s why they call it the Space Needle,” AJ guessed.

  Jim parked the car, and they were met at the elevator entrance by a young woman with a bright smile.

  “Aly and AJ,” she said. “Welcome back to Seattle. I’m a fan of yours, you know. Your new album rocks.”

  AJ shook her hand. “Thanks . . .”

  The woman laughed. “Oh, sorry. My name is Malika. I work for the Space Needle Corporation. I’ll be giving you a tour today.”

  “We’re really excited about this,” Carrie said. “Thank you for arranging it for us.”

  “No problem,” Malika said. “Follow me.”

  She led them past the line of tourists and stopped by the elevator door.

  AJ grinned at Aly. “Still scared?” she teased.

  “I think I’ll be okay,” her sister replied dryly.

  “It takes forty-one seconds to get to the top,” Malika explained. “The Space Needle is six hundred feet high—about the same height as a sixty-story building.”

  “Why did they build a tower this high?” AJ asked.

  “The Space Needle was built as an attraction for the 1962 World’s Fair,” Malika said. “From the Observation Deck, there is a view of downtown Seattle, plus some of the most beautiful mountain ranges in the Pacific Northwest.”

  “I think there have been some changes since the last time we visited here,” Carrie said. “Isn’t there a restaurant at the top?”

  Malika nodded. “It rotates, so
diners can get a full three-hundred-and-sixty-degree view while they’re eating.”

  “I think that would make me dizzy,” Aly said.

  “It rotates very slowly,” Malika explained.

  The elevator doors opened, and they stepped inside. The elevator walls were clear.

  “Keep your eyes open,” Malika told them. “Some people say the elevator ride is the best part of the visit.”

  The doors closed, and the elevator motor hummed as the elevator began its rise hundreds of feet in the air. Soon the girls could see the morning sun shimmering on beautiful blue water.

  “That’s Puget Sound, an arm of the Pacific Ocean,” Malika said.

  In the next moments, a majestic snow-covered mountain peak came into view.

  “Mount Rainier,” Aly said. “I remember now. I always thought it looked like a snow cone.”

  The elevator came to a stop. “Welcome to the O Deck,” Malika told them. “You are now five hundred and twenty feet above Seattle.”

  They stepped out onto the open-air deck. Tourists stood by the guardrails, gazing out at the view. Some had binoculars; others looked through telescopes located on the deck.

  It was early summer, but the morning air was chilly. Aly tightly wrapped the denim jacket she was wearing around her, and AJ zipped up her hoodie.

  They followed Malika to the rail. The tall buildings and skyscrapers of downtown Seattle sprawled out below them, shadowed by Mount Rainier in the distance. Fluffy white clouds filled the lower sky, but they could still make out the snowy mountaintop.

  “This is the south view from the tower,” Malika explained. “From here you can see most of Seattle’s business district, including the city’s famous monorail.”

  They followed Malika around the circular deck. The view to the west showed more sparkling blue water, and the tall Olympic Mountains. To the north, ships sailed across the calm waters of the bay.

  The east view was another sprawl of buildings, houses, and busy streets.

  “I’m not sure, but I think I can see our old neighborhood from here,” Carrie said. “Girls, I’ve got to take your picture!”

  Aly and AJ posed in front of the rail, smiling for the camera. Carrie snapped the picture. When their mom put down the camera, the girls could see that her blue eyes were misty.

  “To think, you were practically babies when we lived here,” she said. “And now, you’re all grown up, touring around the country!”

  Jim cast a nervous glance at his watch. “Speaking of the tour, I’ve got a meeting with the management at KeyArena about your show,” he said.

  “And I’ve got a conference call soon,” Carrie said. “I’m afraid we can’t stay much longer.”

  “What’s on our schedule?” AJ asked.

  Jim flipped open his BlackBerry and skimmed through it. “You guys are free today.”

  “Then why don’t we catch up to you later?” Aly asked. “I’d like to see more of Seattle while we’re here.”

  “Sounds like a plan to me,” Jim replied.

  “Just don’t tire yourselves out,” Carrie warned. “You’ve got a busy week ahead of you.”

  “We’ll be fine, Mom,” AJ promised.

  They all thanked Malika and headed back to the bottom of the Space Needle. Aly and AJ waved good-bye to Jim and their mom. Then they hailed a cab.

  “Where to?” the cab driver asked.

  “Is there a coffee shop nearby?” Aly asked.

  The cab driver grinned. “You do know you’re in Seattle, don’t you?”

  The cab driver let them out on a street in Capitol Hill, a Seattle neighborhood known for its coffee shops. They walked into the first shop they found, a cozy place with dark wooden chairs and tables and abstract art pieces on the walls.

  They settled in at a table with their orders—a caramel latte for Aly and a mocha swirl for AJ. The warm aroma of the coffee started to wake them up even before they took their first sip.

  “It’s nice having Mom on tour with us,” Aly said. “I think I’d miss her if she stayed at home.”

  “Me too,” AJ agreed. “I just wish she wasn’t so worried about us all the time.”

  “I think that’s what moms are supposed to do, right?” Aly said.

  Just then, AJ’s cell phone rang. She took it from her bag and answered it. “Oh, hi, Lily,” she said. She listened, nodding. “Okay. Well, thanks for checking.”

  “Was that about Claire’s notebook?” Aly asked.

  “They looked all over the theater, but they couldn’t find it,” AJ said. “That’s too bad. This is starting to look more and more like a mystery.”

  “Maybe Claire left it at home,” Aly said.

  “Let’s hope so,” AJ replied. “But I’ve been thinking. Remember how angry that girl Heather was? What if she stole Claire’s notebook because she was angry about losing?”

  “That makes sense,” Aly said. “People do strange things when they’re upset.”

  Aly reached into her leather bag and took out her sketchbook. “Claire said it was purple, right? With a butterfly on it?” She began to make a sketch.

  “Good idea,” AJ said. “If this is another mystery, I’d better start taking notes.”

  She took her own notebook out of her bag, and Austin’s blue flyer drifted out.

  “What’s that?” Aly asked.

  “Austin gave it to me,” AJ answered. “There’s a big poetry slam tonight. Austin is going to perform. He said a lot of the contestants will be performing, too. He asked us to come.”

  Aly raised an eyebrow. “Both of us, or just you?”

  “Both of us,” AJ shot back. “Anyway, it might be interesting. We can get a better idea of what the contestants are like.”

  “And maybe ask around about Claire and her notebook,” Aly said. “I think we should go. It’ll be fun.”

  AJ picked up the flyer. “It doesn’t start until ten o’clock tonight.”

  Aly grinned. “I guess we’ll both need another latte, then.”

  CHAPTER FIVE:

  A SURPRISING SECRET

  “Wow, this place is packed!” Aly exclaimed.

  The girls were standing outside of a small, brick-faced storefront. The black and red sign over the door read HOWL. Through the glass window they could see a small crowd of people gathered around a square stage.

  “Might as well go in,” AJ said. She glanced at her reflection in the mirror. She had paired a cream-colored tank top with her favorite pale-pink peasant skirt. Next to her, Aly wore a white blouse with skinny jeans.

  The air-conditioning was pumping inside, but with so many people the club couldn’t get truly cool. The dim lights helped, though. The brightest light in the place shone over the stage.

  A boy with spiked green hair stepped in front of the microphone.

  “Next up tonight, it’s Heather Harris!”

  The girls looked at each other. Could it be the same Heather who had been so angry with them yesterday?

  It was. She had spiked up her brown hair with gel, so that it stuck out in all directions. She wore ripped jeans and a T-shirt with paint splattered on it.

  “Whoa,” Aly whispered.

  “Austin did say that a lot of the contestants participated in the local poetry scene,” AJ said. “But I guess I wasn’t expecting to hear Heather.”

  “This poem is called ‘Rage,’” Heather began. She took a dramatic, deep breath.

  “You say I’m a loser?

  What do you know?

  You’re lost.

  Lost because you don’t know something good

  when you see it.”

  Aly grabbed AJ’s arm. “Something tells me we’re better off if she doesn’t see us,” she whispered.

  They made their way through the crowd, and discovered to their relief that the club was an L-shaped building. They turned a corner and found a room with a little more open space. People were sitting on big cushions on the floor, quietly chatting.

  Aly sank down on a b
ig orange cushion. “I can’t believe it. Heather is so mad at us she wrote a poem about it!”

  “I know,” AJ said. “Rainbow told me she was dramatic. I guess she was right.”

  “Hey, you’re not trying to hide from me, are you?”

  The sisters looked up to see Austin standing over them. He pointed to a cushion between them. “May I?”

  “Of course,” AJ said. “We’re not hiding from you. We were just a little, uh, surprised to see Heather here.”

  “I guess I should have warned you,” Austin said. “The poetry scene here is pretty tight—and it can get pretty competitive, too. Everyone’s really polite when a poet is onstage. But you should see what happens backstage. I stay out of it. I just do it because I love it.”

  “But you entered the songwriting contest,” AJ pointed out.

  “Well, yeah, but that’s a great opportunity,” Austin said. “And I’m not just talking about the scholarship. I just had to meet you guys.”

  “I’m curious,” AJ said, changing the subject. “Are all of the contestants part of the poetry scene?”

  “Not all of us, but a few of us are,” Austin replied. “Claire’s here somewhere. She’s really good. And Josh will be performing tonight. He’s . . .”

  “Standing right behind you,” Aly said quickly, before Austin could say anything bad. “Hi, Josh!”

  Josh gave them a nervous smile. He was wearing leather pants and a vintage rock T-shirt.

  “I didn’t know you two were going to be here,” he said.

  “Austin told us about it,” AJ said. “Are you performing tonight?”

  “I was going to,” he said. “But now I’m not so sure. It makes me nervous having the judges here.”

  “We’re not judging tonight, just having fun,” AJ said. “Just pretend we’re not here.”

  They heard the sound of applause from the next room. Heather’s poem was done. Then the emcee announced Claire’s name over the mic.

  Austin held out his hand to AJ.

  “Come on, you’ve got to see this,” he said.

  Claire stood in front of the microphone. Her long hair was unbraided, and hung in front of her face. She wore a gray T-shirt and a pair of khaki pants.