Boardwalk Mystery Read Online Free PDF

smiled. “You are sure that you don’t mind?”
    “We don’t mind at all,” Henry said. “It will be fun.”
    It was late when the amusement pier finally closed. Mr. Hanson, Henry, and Jessie checked that all the rides were safely turned off and locked. Violet and Benny picked up stray wrappers and put them in the trash. When they were done, they climbed onto the dark merry-go-round and each picked a horse. Benny climbed onto a large black horse that looked as though it were galloping.
    Violet sat on a white horse that had purple ribbons hanging from its mane.
    Benny held the reins of his horse. “Do you think we will get to ride the rides sometime when they are on?”
    Violet patted the side of her horse. “I hope so,” she said. “I want to try the Big Slide and the roller coaster. I am sure that once Mr. Hanson gets all his problems settled, we can ride the rides.”
    “And play games, too,” Benny said.
    “Yes,” Violet replied. “That would be fun, too.”
    Suddenly, Benny slid off his horse. “I’ll be right back!” he cried. “I just remembered something!”
    “Benny, wait!” Violet called. But it was too late. Benny had disappeared!

CHAPTER 5
Benny Gets Hurt
    V iolet ran across the amusement pier, but she did not see Benny. A few lights were on here and there, but all the rides and food stands were dark.
    “Violet! Is something wrong?” Jessie asked. Jessie, Henry, and Mr. Hanson were locking the gate to the Ferris wheel.
    “Have you seen Benny?” Violet asked. “No,” Jessie replied.
    Violet explained how Benny had slid from his horse and run away.
    Mr. Hanson looked concerned. “Let’s split up,” he said. “Henry and Jessie, you search the ocean side of the pier. Violet and I will look on the other side. We’ll meet up at the ticket booth.”
    Violet climbed all the way up to the very top of the Big Slide. From the top, she could look down on the whole amusement pier. She could see Henry and Jessie running from ride to ride. She could see Mr. Hanson checking under benches and behind the game booths. But she did not see Benny. Clouds covered the moon, and the beach and the ocean were very dark. Violet worried. What if Benny had run down to the beach and could not find his way?
    Out of the corner of her eye, Violet saw something move at the back of the pier. Someone, or something, had just run down the steps and into the blackness of the beach. It looked like the person was carrying something very big.
    “Stop!” Violet called. But she was too far. She sat and quickly flew down the Big Slide to the very bottom. She called for Henry, Jessie, and Mr. Hanson. They came running.
    Just as Violet was about to tell them what she had seen, loud screaming came from the haunted house! All the lights in the front of the haunted house went on. The cars began to run on the track and bump through the doors. But there were no riders! Everyone rushed toward the ride.
    “Was that Benny who screamed?” asked
    Jessie. “I hope he is all right.”
    “Don’t worry,” Mr. Hanson said. “It was not Benny. The screams are part of the ride. Someone has turned it on.”
    Mr. Hanson quickly found the off switch and shut down the ride. He pushed open the door and Henry, Jessie, and Violet followed him inside.
    “Benny!” Jessie cried. “Are you all right?” Benny sat on the floor in the zombie room.
    His head was in his hands.
    “The zombie hit me,” he said. “Then it ran away.”
    Everyone looked at the platform next to where Benny sat. The tallest zombie was missing from its stand!
    * * *
    Back at Mr. Hanson’s house, everyone sat out on the deck overlooking the ocean. Mr. Hanson scooped ice cream into bowls.
    “Extra chocolate sauce and rainbow sprinkles for Benny,” Mr. Hanson said. “How do you feel?”
    “I’m fine,” Benny said. He lifted an ice pack from his cheek. “It is just a small bump. It hardly hurts at all.”

    “Can you tell us what happened?” Grandfather asked.
    “I