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

Real Estate,’ ” she read from the card. “ ‘Geena Bush, Broker.’ ”
    “That must be who came to visit Drew and Nora,” said Nicole.
    “I don’t think she came to visit Nora,” said Jessie thoughtfully. “Not if Nora was angry to see her.”
    “You’re right,” said Henry. “Nora doesn’t want to sell Lucille Lodge. But Drew sounded as if he might when we overheard them arguing. Remember?”
    “Did this broke lady get in trouble for coming to see Drew?” asked Benny.
    “Broker, Benny,” said Violet. “Yes, it looks as if she did. This card must be what she tried to give Nora and what Nora threw down.”
    Jessie said slowly, “If Lucy isn’t real — and we haven’t found any scientific proof that she is — do you suppose that Geena Bush could have something to do with the rumors . . . and with the sounds we heard last night?”
    “Or Drew?” suggested Henry.
    “But if Geena Bush had driven up to the lake last night, we would have heard her car. Remember how sounds carry across the lake?” said Nicole.
    “True,” said Jessie.
    “What if Drew and Geena Bush are working together?” said Violet.
    Henry nodded. “It could be. Maybe he sneaked out last night and hiked to one side of the lake to make the sound.”
    “What we need are more clues,” said Jessie. “But how do we find them?”
    “We keep looking,” Benny said. “It’s a mystery and we’re good at solving mysteries. We will solve this one, too!”
    The Aldens had finished dinner and were sitting on the screened porch of their cabin. A soft rain that had been falling for the last two hours had just stopped.
    They were glad to sit on the cozy porch and rest. It had been a long hard day, and they were a little discouraged because they were no closer to solving the mystery of the lake monster. No one was talking very much.
    “Grrr,” Watch growled suddenly.
    “What is it, Watch?” asked Violet.
    Watch pressed his nose against the screened porch and peered down into the darkness. “Grrr,” he growled again.
    “Watch hears something, don’t you, boy?” asked Henry. He patted Watch’s head. Watch wagged his tail, but he growled again.
    “Maybe it’s a bear,” said Violet, sounding a little scared.
    “I doubt that,” Grandfather Alden said. “It is unlikely a bear would come this close to the cabin. More likely it is a raccoon or opossum. Or it could just be rain dripping from the leaves.”
    “But you have to stay inside, Watch, whatever it is,” said Jessie. She paused. Then she said softly, “What if it is Lucy?”
    Watch ran to the other end of the porch. He pressed his nose against the screen and peered intently into the night. He uttered a short, sharp bark and looked over his shoulder as if to say, C’mon!
    Henry walked back through the cabin and picked up the largest flashlight from the table by the door. He went back to the porch and clicked it on, throwing a powerful beam out into the night.
    In the beam of the flashlight, they could see trees and a glint of water and the lighter color of the lakeshore. But nothing was moving.
    Henry turned the beam in the direction that Watch was now peering. No one could see anything.
    “There’s nothing in that direction, Watch, except the other cabins and the lodge,” said Henry.
    Watch stood on guard for a long moment after that. Then he turned and trotted back to Jessie and jumped up onto her lap. Henry clicked the flashlight off.
    “Whatever it was, it’s gone now,” said Grandfather. He stood up and stretched and yawned. “Time for bed. I’m going to do a little fishing tomorrow and I want to get an extra-early start so I can be back in time for a late breakfast with you all.”
    “Yes, and we have work to do, too,” said Benny.
    “That’s right, Benny,” said Jessie. The Aldens went back into Black Bear Cabin to get ready for bed. Benny was the last one to leave the porch. He stared out through the screen, trying to see through the night to the