[MG&M Detective Agency 07] - The Amazing Esmeralda Affair

There have been two weddings in the Mallory-Rosenkranz family in recent months, and the house is awfully quiet since both girls moved away with their new husbands. So, the Mallorys decide to take a day to explore a nearby carnival, which promises interesting sideshows, exhilarating rides, and challenging games. But Jim notices one of the prime attractions, a fortune teller’s booth, is closed up tight, despite this being the busiest day of the fair. What’s going on with The Amazing Esmeralda—Seer of Royalty and Commoner Alike?

They soon find out, when Esmeralda herself steps out and accosts them. “You are detectives,” she says, then she cries out for their help and bursts into tears. It seems she made the mistake of befriending a mob boss back east who has now hired goons to kidnap her son and, unless she can pick all ten winners in next weekend’s horse race, they plan to kill him. And since Esmeralda is no more psychic than anyone else, she’s in a panic. Can they find the boy before it’s too late?
Meanwhile, a murder happens right before Jim’s eyes and he becomes the prime suspect. Investigating two crimes, while staying out of sight, is more than enough to keep the MG&M Detectives hopping.