Radio Mystery Read Online Free PDF Page B

soundstage.
    “You kids were terrific,” he praised. “You too, Gwen. It was great how you kept the play going even when the lights went out. You’re just like professionals!”
    “What happened?” Gwen asked breathlessly.
    Jessie stared at her. Why was Gwen short of breath? Had she left the room, then hurried back under cover of darkness? Or had the incident genuinely frightened her?
    “Some of the fuses were pulled,” Avery said. “Whoever is doing this knows our fuse box is by the side door. And he knows exactly which fuses to loosen to make the lights go out.”
    “What do you mean?” Benny asked, confused.
    “The fuse box in the hall controls the electricity in the station,” Avery explained. “One fuse is for the electricity to my equipment. Another fuse controls the lights. Still another controls the microwave and refrigerator in the breakroom. So to make the lights go out, the ghost has to pull the right fuse.”
    “The fan stayed on,” Jessie pointed out, “and so did the red ON AIR light. Those fuses weren’t touched.”
    Avery nodded. “The equipment stayed on, too. The commercial is about over. I’d better start some music.”
    Avery dashed back to the sound booth. Suddenly he cried out. The Aldens, Frances, and Gwen ran into the control booth.
    Avery stood before the counter, holding up several frayed cables.
    “The turntable!” he exclaimed. “It’s gone!”
    “You didn’t see this before?” Henry asked.
    “No!” Avery said. “I punched a button on this side to play the commercial. I didn’t even look over here where the turntable is plugged in.”
    Frances put her hand to her mouth. “Someone stole it! We were both in the back working on the fuse box, but surely we would have heard something.”
    “Not necessarily,” said Violet. “That fan made a lot of noise. And we were still broadcasting.”
    “I didn’t hear anything,” Gwen said — a little too quickly, Jessie thought. “I’m going to pack up my sound effects stuff,” she added, and left.
    Avery sighed. “I can use the CD changer for now, but a lot of our best music is on records. Jocelyn will have to buy a new turntable. That won’t make her happy.”
    A gravelly voice spoke from the hall. “What won’t make Jocelyn happy?”
    Henry turned to see a tall man in a black cowboy hat standing in the doorway. He held a key ring loosely in his fingers.
    “Hello, Earl,” said Frances.
    So that’s Earl Biggs, Henry thought.
    “Nobody answered my question,” Earl said.
    “We had another robbery,” Avery told him. “The turntable was stolen this time.”
    Earl shook his head. “Tough luck. I know that equipment is expensive.”
    Avery seemed annoyed. “Did you come over for a reason, Earl?”
    “Yes,” said the older man. “Is Jocelyn here?”
    “No,” Avery said, sighing.
    “Oh,” said Earl. “Well, I … I, uh, I thought I told you to stop running that kiddie show.”
    “But it’s popular,” Frances said. “Watch, the calls from kids will be coming in any second.”
    “I don’t care,” Earl said. “Kids don’t buy cars. Put on the regular program!”
    “We can’t,” Avery said. “You know the cast from the diner quit. We’re lucky to have the Aldens fill in for them.”
    Benny stared at the key ring in Earl Biggs’s hand. “Is that a key to the side door?”
    “Yup,” Earl replied. “Jocelyn gave me a key. My office is right next door.” Earl attached the key ring to his belt. “I’m a . . . a family friend.”
    “You’re only supposed to use that key in emergencies,” Avery said tightly.
    Earl shrugged. “It hardly seems to matter. Somebody — or something — is coming into this station anytime he or she wants.”
    While Avery, Frances, and Earl argued, the Aldens slipped out the side door Earl had used. Again, Benny propped it open with a wastebasket.
    “Let’s split up and look for clues,” Jessie told the others. “If Earl stole the turntable, he didn’t have much