The Skeleton Key Mystery Read online

  “I don’t have dinosaur bones,” chuckled the woman. “But I do sell a lot of the big bones. People like them for their big dogs.”

  “Have you sold many recently?” asked Jessie.

  “Oh yes, I have,” said the woman. “Do you know Burke? The graveyard keeper? He was just in with his dog, Hannibal. He bought quite a number.” She shook her head slightly.

  “Did that seem odd to you?” asked Henry.

  “Burke? Oh, not really,” said the woman. “His dog is always going through bones. He has great teeth for such an old-timer. The strange thing, now that you mention it, is Farmer Dawson. He bought more bones than any dog could go through in a whole year. I didn’t even know he had a dog!”

  “Maybe he just got one,” said Violet.

  “Well, that could be,” the woman said. “But he hasn’t bought any pet food or leashes. I suppose they might be for decoration for that Halloween-themed corn maze of his.”

  The children looked at one another. They hadn’t seen any dogs at the farm. Why was Farmer Dawson buying so many bones?

  “Did you want to buy one?” the woman asked.

  “No, thank you,” said Jessie. “We were just curious about them.”

  “Well, I wish I could be of more help,” said the woman. “But if that’s all, I need to close up the shop for the day.”

  The children thanked the woman for her help. They had not bought anything, but they had found just what they were looking for.

  CHAPTER

  Noises in the Dark

  As the children walked back to Verónica’s house, they went over what they had learned.

  “Those bones were just like the ones we found behind the Skeleton Key,” said Violet. “I saw the stickers.”

  “Plus, both Burke and Farmer Dawson bought them,” said Henry. “The question is, which one put them there?”

  “I wouldn’t rule out Nick just yet,” said Jessie. “Every time Maru leaves, something bad seems to happen at her business. He might be involved somehow.”

  “Maybe,” said Violet. She still did not want to think Nick was the culprit. “Whoever it is does seem to know just when Maru comes and goes.”

  “And they can get inside,” said Benny. “How does that work?”

  “I think I have an idea about that,” said Violet. “Do you remember what that fake bank robber said at the town fair?”

  “Free candy?” asked Benny.

  Jessie chuckled. “I think she means the other thing the robbers said.”

  “He said that any door can be opened with the right tools,” said Henry.

  “That’s right,” said Violet. She pulled out the piece of metal she had found in the grass behind the Skeleton Key. “What if the person doesn’t have a key at all? What if someone was using tools to break in?”

  “I see,” said Jessie. “It’s not a carving tool. It’s a tool to pick a lock!”

  “Those are old doors in that house,” said Henry. “I bet it wouldn’t be too hard to pick the lock.”

  “But how do we find out who’s doing it?” asked Benny.

  “Well, we know that whoever it is likes to come when Maru isn’t there,” said Jessie. “What if when Maru leaves, we stay and wait for them?”

  “You mean like a stakeout?” said Benny. “In that old house? At night?”

  Jessie nodded. “We know it’s either Nick or Burke or Farmer Dawson. This way, if they come, we’ll be waiting for them.”

  Benny wrung his hands. It was not Nick or Burke or Farmer Dawson that he was worried about.

  The children laid out their sleeping bags on the floor of the Skeleton Key lobby.

  “Anything else you children need for your campout?” asked Maru. The Aldens had not told Maru they were staying in the house to try to catch their culprit. They did not want to worry her any more than she already was.

  “I think we have everything we need,” said Henry.

  “Well, don’t stay up telling ghost stories too late,” said Maru. “If you need anything, let me know. I’m just down the road.”

  As soon as Maru left, the children turned off the lights and went to the windows.

  “If the culprit is keeping a close eye on the Skeleton Key, they would have seen Maru’s red truck drive away,” said Henry. He and Violet looked out the front windows, while Jessie and Benny looked out the back. For a while, it was quiet.

  Before long, Benny slouched down. “Maybe they went to sleep,” he said.

  “Let’s give it a few more minutes,” said Jessie.

  “Shh,” Violet hushed them from the front. “I think I hear something.”

  Out the window, she watched a lone figure walk slowly up to the house. It was dark, and she could not make out what the person was wearing.

  The children gathered around the front door with their flashlights ready. Slowly, footsteps creaked up the front porch. The door handle jiggled.

  “Get ready,” Henry whispered.

  The door swung open, but before the children could turn on their flashlights, the intruder turned on the light.

  “Nick!” said Violet.

  The young man jumped when he saw the children standing in front of him. “What are you all doing here?” he asked.

  “We are trying to figure out who has been causing problems for the Skeleton Key,” said Henry. “The question is, what are you doing here?”

  Nick sighed. “I felt so bad about everything that’s happened lately. I came back to make sure Maru locked up. She was pretty upset when she sent me home earlier.”

  Nick looked around at all the decorations. “She worked so hard on this,” he said. “And I didn’t do enough to help her like I promised.”

  “You’ve been spending a lot of time with Zoey and your band,” said Jessie.

  Nick nodded. “Zoey has been keeping me busy. She says I shouldn’t be working for Maru.”

  “Zoey doesn’t like you working at the Skeleton Key?” asked Henry.

  “Not at all,” Nick said. “She thinks it’s a waste of time.”

  “She seemed to know all about it when we talked to her,” said Violet. “Did you tell her about what we were doing to get it ready?”

  “Um, no, not really,” said Nick. “Like I said, she thinks it’s a waste of time.”

  Henry looked at Nick. He wondered how Zoey knew so much about the Skeleton Key if she hadn’t been told, since she’d never been inside.

  Nick shook his head sadly. “Now I don’t know how to make it up to Maru,” he said. “I guess I should go home.”

  “Did you walk here?” asked Henry.

  “Yeah,” said Nick. “I live just up the road a little.” He pulled a flashlight from his back pocket and flipped it on.

  “We’ll see you later,” said Violet.

  “Okay,” said Nick. “Be sure to lock up when you leave.” He waved and walked out the door.

  “Nick seemed pretty worried about Maru,” said Violet. “I don’t think he’s the one we’re looking for.”

  “I think he’s telling the truth too,” said Henry.

  “Well, I don’t think we’re going to find out anything more tonight,” said Jessie. “Why don’t we lock up and get to sleep?”

  “Good idea,” said Benny. Even with the excitement, he was ready to curl up in his warm sleeping bag. But just as the children turned out the lights, they heard another noise. This time, it came from the backyard.

  Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch.

  “It’s the marching skeletons!” cried Benny.

  “Whatever it is, we should investigate,” said Henry. “Come on, and stick together!”

  Violet gave Henry her flashlight, and they headed outside toward the sound. They walked for a long time before they found themselves outside the wooden gate by the toolshed.

  “The noise is coming from by the shed,” whispered Violet. They peered through the slats in the gate and saw a light. The sound was much louder now.

  Crunch, crunch. Crunch, crunch.

>   “Look, it’s Burke!” said Jessie. “It looks like he’s digging a hole.”

  The sound was coming from Burke’s shovel hitting the dirt. On the ground, near where Burke was digging, was a pile of bones.

  “A skeleton!” cried Benny.

  Burke looked up and spotted the children on the other side of the gate. “What are you kids doing here?” he asked.

  “What are you doing with that skeleton?” said Benny.

  “Oh, for pity’s sake,” said Burke. “Come in. This is not a skeleton.”

  Jessie tugged the gate open, and the children ventured to where Burke was standing. They could see that the bones next to the hole were the same kind they saw in the store.

  “Why are you burying dog bones?” asked Violet.

  “I am not burying any bones,” said Burke. “I’m digging them up!”

  “Who buried them?” asked Jessie.

  “Who else?” said Burke. “Hannibal, of course. Over all these years of taking care of the graveyard, he’s gotten used to being outside. He likes it so much, I built him a doghouse next to the shed there.” He pointed to a structure nearby.

  “I spoiled him too much. Now he goes around burying the bones I buy for him. He likes to have a stash close to his house, so he buries them here.”

  “And you dig them up? Why?” asked Henry.

  “They’re right in front of the toolshed! The ground is so uneven from all his digging, I can’t even pull my lawnmower out of the shed,” said Burke. “It’s a never-ending task.”

  “We found a bunch of dog bones behind the Skeleton Key,” said Jessie. “Did Hannibal put them there?”

  “Hannibal? No, I don’t let him out of the graveyard,” said Burke. “Probably those kids from town. When I lived in that house, kids would come around at all hours. They would dare each other to run up at night and ring the doorbell. They would also sneak into the graveyard, until I left Hannibal in here to keep them away.”

  “We don’t know who it is,” said Violet. “Did you see anyone hanging around there today?”

  “No, I was in town most of the day,” said Burke. “I had to get more bones for my dog!”

  Just then Hannibal came bursting into the light, yellow eyes flickering. He eyed the children and wagged his big black tail.

  “Speak of the devil!” said Burke. He patted Hannibal on the head fondly as the dog sniffed at the pile of bones. Hannibal picked one up and put it down. Then he picked up another, like he couldn’t choose which one he wanted. “Yeah, you’ll be burying these again tonight. I can count on that!” Burke chuckled.

  Henry saw that Burke loved his dog and didn’t have anything to do with the problems at the Skeleton Key. “That explains the stories about the skeletons and about Hannibal,” said Henry. “But who was playing the mean tricks on the Skeleton Key?”

  The children were about to get their answer.

  CHAPTER

  Clattering Bones

  “Look,” said Violet. “Headlights!”

  The children watched as, in the distance, a vehicle pulled up next to the Skeleton Key. They heard a car door slam.

  “Let’s go!” said Henry.

  The Aldens hurried back to the Skeleton Key, and Jessie sent a text message to Maru, telling her to come right away.

  As Henry, Jessie, Violet, and Benny approached the house, Maru parked and joined them on the driveway. Quietly, the group headed toward the front porch. The door was ajar.

  “This was locked when we left,” whispered Henry. “Somebody else must have unlocked it.”

  Benny held tight to Maru’s hand.

  “There are plenty of us. Let’s see if we can catch whoever it is,” whispered Jessie.

  They slowly crept through the front door. Violet shined her flashlight around the room.

  “There’s nobody in here,” she whispered.

  A creaking noise came from the other room. “That’s the sound of the coffin opening!” whispered Benny. He grabbed Jessie’s hand.

  “Let’s check it out,” said Henry. He pushed open the door to the escape room, and everyone crowded in.

  “There’s a skeleton in the corner!” yelled Benny.

  The skeleton tried to clatter to the open door, but Jessie slammed it shut. “Turn on the light!” she cried.

  Maru flipped a hidden switch, and the room lit up. The skeleton clattered backward as another figure leapt from behind the coffin. The two bumped into each other and fell to the floor.

  “Farmer Dawson!” said Violet. “What are you doing in here?”

  “And who is that, holding up your grinning skeleton?” asked Henry. The figure took off its face mask.

  “Zoey!” said Jessie.

  “I think you two owe me an explanation,” said Maru. “It appears you have been sabotaging my business.”

  Farmer Dawson looked at everyone, then hung his head. “I don’t know where to begin.”

  “I think we can help,” said Jessie. “You were upset that Maru was opening a business next door, so you decided to try to ruin her business.”

  “You broke in using a lock pick,” said Violet. She held up the tool she had found behind the house. “And you tried to scare people into believing the stories about the house were true.”

  “And once you saw how the Skeleton Key worked, you took the idea of using riddles and used it for your corn maze,” said Henry.

  Farmer Dawson sighed. “It’s all true,” he said.

  “The chalkboard?” asked Maru.

  “That was me,” said Zoey sheepishly.

  “The noises outside?” asked Maru.

  “It was both of us,” said Zoey. “The first time, we scratched the window with branches. Then we used a can of nails to make the marching sound.”

  Maru looked around the room at all of the things she had worked so hard on. “How did you know when I wasn’t here?”

  “Yes,” said Jessie. “You must have been watching the house closely.”

  “That was easy,” said Zoey. “I could see your comings and goings from the hot-air balloon. When I saw your cherry-red truck drive away, I’d just text my dad. Then he’d go over.”

  “That’s why you were texting so much in the hot-air balloon!” said Violet.

  “And I knew where Nick was too, since he is in my band,” Zoey continued. “I just kept him busy when I needed him out of the way. I even sent him music to listen to when Dad was about to scare off that last group you had here.”

  “That was quite the plan,” said Maru. “So I guess the last question is why. Why did you want to hurt my business?”

  Violet noticed that Maru was shaking. She took her hand.

  “I didn’t exactly want to destroy it,” said Farmer Dawson. “It’s just that I was mad that you opened up right next door!”

  “We were afraid you were trying to take away our customers. Our farm festival has been around forever,” said Zoey.

  “I had no intention of trying to hurt your business,” said Maru. “I felt we would both benefit by having something unique in town. Two attractions are better than one, right?”

  “Yeah,” said Benny. “We like corn mazes and mystery rooms.”

  “I had no idea,” said Farmer Dawson, “and I am truly sorry. I was being very selfish, and I want to make things right with us.”

  “That will take a lot of work,” said Maru. “But you can start by not stealing ideas. Instead, we can work together.”

  Zoey looked at her father. “We would like that,” she said. “I have to admit, you had some great ideas.”

  “I know!” said Benny. “You could put a bunch of skeletons between the farm and the Skeleton Key. They could help point the way.”

  Everyone laughed at the thought of such a sight along the road.

  “Maybe someday,” said Maru. “But right now we need to come up with ideas to get people back to the Skeleton Key tomorrow.”

  “I can make flyers and pass them out at our town fair,” said Zoey.

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sp; “And I will tell everyone who comes to the maze to head on over here,” promised Farmer Dawson.

  “All right,” said Maru. “Well, it’s a start. I’m exhausted. Let’s call it a night, shall we?” She turned the knob on the door so everyone could leave.

  “Oh dear,” she said.

  “What is it?” asked Benny.

  “I guess we are going to have to start working together sooner than I thought,” said Maru. “I left the key on the desk!”

  Read on for a sneak preview of

  SCIENCE FAIR SABOTAGE

  the new

  Boxcar Children mystery!

  “My arms are tired.” Six-year-old Benny Alden set his paddle across his legs. “I don’t want to row anymore.”

  “Benny, we need your paddle in the water to keep the canoe straight,” said Henry from the back of the boat. At fourteen, he was the oldest of the four children. “You’re an important part of Team Alden.”

  Still, Benny didn’t put his paddle in the water.

  Jessie spoke up from her seat in the front of the canoe. She was twelve and always seemed to know just what to tell her little brother. “This is the roughest patch of the river, Benny. Remember, there’s a big meal waiting at the end.”

  At the mention of food, Benny pushed his sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. He flexed his muscles and said, “I’ll do it for Team Alden!”

  But before Benny could do a thing, the river’s current pulled the canoe sideways.

  “Watch out!” Ten-year-old Violet called. She had been taking pictures of the scenery with her new digital camera. Now, she picked up her paddle.

  Ahead, a glistening boulder stuck high out of the water. If the children didn’t steer around it, the canoe would flip and dump them all into the river.

  “Smash alert!” Benny shrieked. “Crash position!” He ducked down and put his head between his legs.

  “No need to panic. We just need to paddle together,” Henry said. He called, “Stroke! Stroke! Stroke!” The three oldest Aldens worked double time to turn the boat back on course. Before long, the rock was behind them.