Movie Star Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page A

Jessie said. “I don’t think they’ve got any loot to hide yet. And why would they go back to hide loot in a place where witnesses have seen them?”
    “Witnesses? You mean us?” Benny asked.
    “Yes. We saw them by the barn and near the bank and we heard them talking about hiding loot. That makes us witnesses,” Jessie said.
    “That makes us witnesses and detectives,” said Benny happily.
    Violet stopped. “Look,” she said.
    They saw that the gate to the old Radley place was closed today and locked. For a moment, they didn’t know how they were going to get in. Then Henry spotted an intercom system on one of the stone gateposts. He pressed the button.
    After a long wait, someone said in a gruff voice, “Who is it?”
    “The Aldens and their dog, Watch,” said Henry. “We’re here to see Jonathan and Greta.”
    Another long wait followed. Then the gruff voice said, “He’s not seeing people right now. You’ll have to leave.”
    Jessie wasn’t about to give up so easily. She pressed the intercom again. “Please tell him we came to visit and that we’ll be back again tomorrow.”
    “Oh, Jessie,” Violet breathed. Violet was shy.
    The gruff voice didn’t answer, but as the Aldens turned to go, the intercom crackled to life again. “Wait!” a different voice said. “Come on in.”
    They heard a loud buzzing and then the gates swung slowly open.
    After propping their bikes against a tree, the Aldens walked up the long driveway. Halfway to the house, they saw Jonathan coming toward them across the grass. Greta was bouncing along at his side.
    “I’m glad you’re here,” Jonathan said. “I was getting really bored and so was Greta. Weren’t you, girl?”
    Greta flattened her ears and wagged her tail. Then she went down on her front forepaws to invite Watch to come play with her.
    Henry unsnapped Watch’s leash and he bounded forward happily.
    Benny, who had been staring hard at Jonathan, suddenly blurted out, “Are you really Tate Radison?”
    Jonathan looked surprised, then amused. “You caught me,” he said.
    “Your name isn’t really Jonathan. It’s Tate Radley. You’re Estella Radley’s son,” said Jessie, just to make sure.
    Shaking his head, the movie star said, “My real name is Jonathan Tate Monroe. My screen name is Tate Radison. Everyone calls me Tate.”
    “If you are a real movie star, what are you doing out here?” Benny demanded.
    Tate fished around in the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out an old tennis ball. He held it up. “Here, girl! Here, Watch!” he called to the two dogs. He threw the ball and the dogs chased it.
    “This is my mother’s place,” Tate answered, watching the dogs run.
    “Estella Radley,” Violet said softly. When Tate looked over at her, she blushed a little.
    “Right,” he said. “My screen surname, Radison, is a sort of play on her last name, Radley. I’m surprised you know her name, though. She didn’t think anybody would even remember she had once lived in Greenfield.”
    “Our grandfather did,” Henry told Tate. “He said she left when she was a teenager, over twenty years ago, and never came back.”
    “She was going to be a star,” Tate said. “She worked on stage and in film for a while. Then she met my father and got married and they had me. My father is a musician and now my mother manages my career.”
    “You still haven’t told us why you are here,” Jessie said.
    “We’re going to film my next movie here,” Tate said.
    Violet clasped her hands together in excitement. “Really?”
    “Really,” Tate said. “But it’s a secret. Don’t tell anyone.”
    “Why?” Benny asked.
    Tate began to walk back toward the house. “Well, partly because of what happened on my last movie.”
    “The bad luck jinx,” said Jessie.
    “Right again,” said Tate. He didn’t seem surprised by what Jessie knew. He acted as if he were used to people knowing all about him.
    They sat on the steps and took turns throwing the