Uncle Donald was gone by the time Dewey got up the next morning so that interrogation would have to wait. However, Uncle Donald wasn't the only one who might have answers. Surely Mrs. Beakley would know what was going on.
Dewey wasn't exactly subtle, though.
"How do you know Uncle Donald?"
"I'm an old family friend," Mrs. Beakley said with a thin veneer of patience.
"Yeah, but when did that happen? Why does he trust you?"
Mrs. Beakley didn't even bother answering.
"I've written up a list of chores for you today for when you're done with your school work. Huey, I'd like you to go get groceries, Dewey, you'll be dusting, Webbigail, I want you to clean the windows, Louie, you'll be sweeping. I want you to sweep after Dewey finishes the dusting."
"Can I go to the store with Huey before I sweep?" Louie asked.
"If Huey is alright with it. And if you promise to sweep afterward."
"I promise. Huey, can I come?"
"Sure. But I'm not buying you anything."
Dewey didn't complain about dusting, but he didn't drop his line of questioning.
"It seems like you're hiding something, Mrs. Beakley," Dewey pressed.
"Perhaps I am. Now get to work."
Dewey worked in tandem with Webby in the living room while Huey and Louie left to do the shopping and Mrs. Beakley worked on the laundry. Dewey would dust the window frame and then Webby would clean the glass. For a few minutes, they just focused on their tasks.
Then Dewey's suspicions bubbled to the surface.
"Do you think your granny is a spy?"
"Probably. Don't tell anyone I said that."
"Whoa. Do you think my uncle is a spy?"
Webby snorted, "I've heard a lot of things about your uncle but spy isn't one of them."
"You've heard a lot of things about my uncle?"
"Uh… I wasn't supposed to say that."
"What have you heard?"
"Well, he was in a band."
"I knew that already. Better question, Webbigail, why have you heard a lot of things about my uncle?"
"I'm really not supposed to tell you."
Dewey held up his friendship bracelet.
"C'mon, we're friends."
"Okay, but you can't say anything to your brothers or anyone."
"Deal."
"Your uncle is kind of a famous adventurer because he's related to Scrooge McDuck."
"What? How?"
"He's Scrooge McDuck's nephew."
"So that makes me and Huey and Louie… Scrooge Mcduck's great nephews?"
"Yeah."
"Webby, how do you know all of that?"
"Granny works for Scrooge. As his housekeeper. I don't know him very well though, so there's not much else I can tell you."
Dewey was a little overwhelmed by this influx of information.
"Thanks for telling me, Webby."
She held up her friendship bracelet.
"Of course, we're friends."
"Yeah. Thanks for that, too."
While Webby and Dewey reached a breakthrough, Huey and Louie reached the grocery store.
"I'm not getting you anything," Huey reiterated.
"That's fine."
"If I catch you taking anything you're going to be grounded forever."
"What if you don't catch me?" Louie challenged with a smirk.
"Llewellyn," Huey warned.
Louie held up his hands, "Fine. I'll be good."
"And you know Mrs. Beakley is still going to make you sweep after this," Huey added.
Louie rolled his eyes. "Cinderella was oppressed too."
Huey snorted and ruffled Louie's hair, "You're not oppressed, Cinder-Louie."
Louie didn't respond, keeping his eyes down.
At first, Huey was worried that Louie was upset with him about the mild teasing. Then Louie swooped down and claimed his first treasure, a loose nickel lodged under the peanut butter shelf.
Huey couldn't help but grin at that. Louie had found a way to make money on a grocery trip, without stealing.
Huey decided that as long as Louie behaved for the rest of the trip, he would get something for him, as well as Dewey and Webby.
Webby and Mrs. Beakley had only been around for a day, but they were already starting to feel like family, just like Panchito and José. It was nice to know that so many people cared about Uncle Donald and by proxy, them.
Huey kept a close eye on Louie the entire time. He saw Louie's yearning, his almost-taking, but his little brother managed to restrain himself. So, for the last purchase, Huey picked out a package of snack cakes. There were four little cakes, one for each of them.
"You can have yours when we get back to the house," Huey said when Louie lit up.
Louie sighed dramatically, but he was in pretty good spirits, his pocket jingling a little while he walked.
Four snack cakes and a gauntlet of chores later, Webby and Mrs. Beakley left and Donald put his kids to bed. Louie and Huey were out like lights but Dewey seemed a little restless.
"Something on your mind, Dewdrop?" Donald asked.
Dewey wanted to ask about Scrooge McDuck, wanted to call his uncle out for keeping more secrets. But Webby had asked him to keep it between them, and Webby was his friend.
"Just a really busy day."
"You can tell me if something's bothering you."
"I'm okay, Uncle Donald."
"Good. I love you, kiddo."
"I love you too."
Dewey had woken up this morning ready to solve a mystery, but now he was even more confused than ever. How many secrets did this family have?
