Movie Star Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

Violet said politely.
    “See you in a minute, Court,” Tate said.
    “If not, I’ll come looking for you,” she warned.
    When they were out of earshot of Courtney, Tate said, “This is her first bodyguard job for the major star of a picture. I’ve never had a bodyguard before, but the producers insisted on it after what happened last time.”
    “She seems very . . . tough,” said Jessie.
    “She is,” Tate said. “And determined. She doesn’t want anything to go wrong.”
    At the gate, he punched a code onto a keypad set behind a small door in the back of one of the stone gateposts. The gate swung slowly open. Henry knelt and snapped on Watch’s leash.
    As the Aldens walked out, Tate walked with them.
    “Courtney told you to stay inside,” Violet said in an alarmed voice.
    Tate said, “I’m just going to get the mail out of the—”
    “Who’s there?” Jessie interrupted. She pointed as a shadowy figure darted out of the bushes across the road and into the deep cover of the woods beyond.

CHAPTER 6
A Mysterious Letter
    W atch and Greta barked. Tate grabbed Greta’s collar and Henry held on tightly to Watch’s leash.
    Jessie ran into the woods, but it was too late. Whoever it was had gotten too big a head start for her to catch up. Returning breathlessly, she said, “I couldn’t see who it was.”
    “It was probably a reporter,” said Tate. He didn’t sound very concerned. He reached into the mailbox and took out a bundle of mail.
    He drew out a single letter with the word Tate written on the front.
    “Look,” said Benny. “Your letter doesn’t have a stamp on it.”
    “Or an address, either,” Violet said.
    “Looks like it was hand-delivered,” said Tate, sounding a little uneasy now. Carefully, he opened the envelope and unfolded a single sheet of white paper. Printed in big black letters they saw:
    Twinkle, twinkle, little star
    The world will find out where you are.
    Henry frowned. “What do you think that means? Is it some kind of a threat?”
    “I don’t know,” said Tate. He turned the sheet of paper over, but nothing else was written on it.
    Jessie glanced up the road in the direction that the mysterious figure hiding in the undergrowth had fled. “I think I know who delivered your letter,” she said. “It was whoever was hiding in the bushes. Someone must have just put it into the mailbox when we came out.”
    “It doesn’t make sense,” Tate said. “If someone knows I’m here, what does he or she want?” He groaned. “I hope this isn’t the beginning of more bad luck.”
    “Maybe someone wants you to pay money to keep it a secret,” said Henry.
    “There hasn’t been a demand for money,” Tate said.
    “Don’t worry,” said Benny. “It’s a mystery and we’re very good at solving mysteries.”
    Tate smiled at Benny. “Thank you,” he said.
    “You’re welcome,” said Benny.
    “One thing’s for sure,” Tate said as he walked back inside the gate. “I’m not going to tell Courtney about this. It would make her even more overprotective than she is now.”
    “Be careful, though,” Jessie warned.
    “I will,” said Tate. He smiled and waved. “Come back tomorrow. We’re still scouting locations for the movie and I don’t have much to do right now.”
    “Okay,” said Benny.
    The Aldens wheeled their bikes back out onto the road. Jessie folded her jacket into the basket of her bike and gave Watch a ride in it. He was still panting from playing with Greta.
    As soon as they got started, Watch stood up in the basket and uttered a short, high bark. At the same moment, Henry slowed his bike and pointed. “Do you see that?” he asked. “Over there? Tire tracks.”
    The Aldens stopped their bikes and went over to inspect the tracks.
    “They weren’t here this morning when we went by,” said Violet.
    “Let’s see where they go,” Benny said.
    They followed the tracks to the edge of the woods and saw that branches and broken brush had been pulled over