Boxcar Children 62 - Mystery of the Lake Monster Read Online Free PDF Page A

way, you didn’t hear any noises coming from the lake last night, did you?” asked Jessie, trying to sound casual.
    “No,” said Nora quickly — almost too quickly, Jessie thought. Nora added, “Well, you’d better get started if you want to enjoy paddling around the lake before it gets too hot. Just leave the life jackets on their hooks when you are finished. The door is usually unlocked.”
    She turned and walked quickly back to the lodge. Jessie stared thoughtfully after her.
    “What is it, Jessie?” asked Henry.
    “Nora didn’t even ask what kind of noise, or when we might have heard it — or why I was asking,” said Jessie.
    “Do you think she did hear the noise and doesn’t want anyone to know?” asked Violet.
    “It’s possible,” said Jessie. “Especially if she thinks it could be bad for business.”
    “There is only one thing to do,” Henry declared.
    “What?” asked Nicole.
    “Go find Lucy — or whatever was making that noise,” said Henry.
    When the Aldens and Nicole got back to the beach, they saw Jason stretched out on a towel in the sand. He was wearing his bathing suit and reading. He had on dark glasses and a baseball hat pulled down over his eyes.
    “Hi,” said Benny.
    “Mmm,” said Jason without raising his gaze from his book.
    “Want to come with us on a canoe trip around the lake?” asked Henry politely.
    Jason glanced up. “Oh. Are you going to look for monsters?” He laughed.
    Violet said, “Even if we don’t see Lucy, it will be fun.”
    “Thanks anyway,” said Jason, “but I’ll stay here.” He pointed to the camera that Nicole was holding and added, “When you take Lucy’s picture, tell her to smile.” He rolled over on one side and kept reading.
    Henry, Benny, and Watch got into one canoe. Jessie, Nicole, and Violet took the other. They paddled out into the deep blue lake. The water was very still.
    When they were in the middle of the lake, they heard the hum of a car motor from the direction of the lodge.
    “Sound travels far across the water,” commented Jessie.
    Violet raised the binoculars she had brought along and trained them on the lodge. “Someone just drove up to the lodge,” she reported.
    A door slammed.
    “That’s Drew, coming out of the front door of the lodge. Now a woman in khaki pants and a plaid shirt is getting out of the car. She and Drew are shaking hands,” Violet said.
    “It’s probably another guest,” said Nicole.
    “I don’t see any luggage,” said Violet. “Wait! Nora just came out of the lodge. She’s got her hands on her hips. She looks angry. It looks as if she and Drew are arguing.”
    Everyone in the canoe turned to squint at the lodge. But although they could see the building, without the binoculars they couldn’t see much else.
    A car door slammed. Then the lodge door slammed once, then again. The car motor started, then faded away.
    “What happened now?” cried Benny.
    “The woman in the plaid shirt gave Nora something and she threw it down. Then the woman got in her car and drove away, and Nora went back into the lodge. Drew followed her,” Violet said. She lowered the binoculars.
    “Wow, it’s just like a play,” Nicole exclaimed.
    “Only you couldn’t see it,” Benny said.
    “Would you like to use the binoculars?” Violet asked Nicole.
    “Yes,” said Nicole. “I think we should all take turns using them. We can keep a lookout for Lucy.”
    “Good idea,” Henry said.
    They paddled on. They saw a squirrel drinking from the edge of the lake. They saw a hawk circling high above. But although they paddled around the lake all morning, they didn’t see any sign of a lake monster.
    The children put their life preservers back into the storage building. They were on their way to the cabin when Violet bent down and picked up a small rectangle of ivory-colored paper. “Look,” she said.
    “What is it, Violet?” asked Jessie.
    “It’s a business card,” Violet told them.
    “ ‘Mountain Home