The House Has Eyes Read Online Free PDF
Author: Joan Lowery Nixon
seltzer bottle and let go. A fast stream of water shot into the opening. Someone yelped, and the panel closed.
Brian put down the seltzer bottle and ran into the hallway. Sean and Charles were right behind him.
“Mr. Elbert! Mr. Elbert!” Brian yelled.
Sean and Charles yelled, too.
To Brian’s surprise, Mr. Elbert appeared from the next room. His face and clothes were completely dry. Not even a spot of water!
“Is there a problem?” Mr. Elbert asked.
It couldn’t have been Martin Elbert behind the peephole, Brian thought. So who was it? Zelda?
“The kitchen! Come on!” Brian shouted at Sean and Charles. They raced down the hallways, finally bursting into the kitchen.
Mrs. Elbert, still reading her magazine, looked up in surprise. “Did you get your cookies and lemonade?” she asked. “I put them on the dining-room table.”
“Uh, yes. Thanks,” Brian said.
The eye in the wall wasn’t Mr. Elbert’s. It wasn’t Mrs. Elbert’s. There was someone else in the house.
Brian’s back prickled uncomfortably as he realized that the mysterious, unknown someone could be watching them right at that moment.
He turned toward the Elberts to tell them that he and Sean were leaving. But Sean pointed at the window and cried out, “I don’t believe it!”
Brian jumped and whirled toward the back window, where a distorted face with flattened nose and lips was pressed against the glass.
7
S EAN SNORTED WITH DISGUST. “Debbie Jean Parker,” he said. He stomped to the back door, threw it open, and joined Debbie Jean on the porch. To his surprise, Sam Miyako stepped up behind her.
“What are you guys doing here?” Sean demanded.
“I told you that you couldn’t keep me from finding out about the ghosts,” Debbie Jean said.
“Brian didn’t tell me you were hired to hunt ghosts,” Sam said. “So when Debbie Jean asked me if …”
“Be quiet,” Sean whispered. “Mr. and Mrs. Elbert don’t know that we’re here looking for ghosts. They don’t know that Charles hired us. Come on in, but don’t tell them why you’re here.”
As Sean made the introductions, Mrs. Elbert seemed nervous. Mr. Elbert glowered.
Debbie Jean stared around the big kitchen. “I can’t believe I’m in the old Everhart mansion,” she said to Mrs. Elbert. “Could I look at the rest of the house?”
“No,” Mr. Elbert answered.
Mrs. Elbert gave her husband a look. Brian wished he knew what it meant.
“I’ll show you some of the downstairs rooms,” Mrs. Elbert said. “We’ll take a little tour.”
The whole group, including Mr. Elbert, followed. As they walked through the dining room, Sean was amazed to see the seltzer bottle back in place. Who knew about it? Who had put it back? He looked at Brian, but Brian simply shrugged.
“Wow!” Debbie Jean said. She leaned on the huge table.
“Please don’t touch anything,” Mr. Elbert ordered.
In the living room Debbie Jean tugged at the heavy damask draperies. “Wow! Look at these,” she cried.
“I asked you not to touch,” Mr. Elbert snarled.
As they reached the entry hall, Debbie Jean jumped on the bottom stair and wrapped both hands around the polished, carved knob that topped the right newel. She leaned back and swung to each side. “Wow! What a staircase!” she said.
“I told you, don’t touch!” Mr. Elbert shouted. He pulled Debbie Jean’s hands from the knob and firmly led her off the stairs.
“The tour is over,” he said. “Mr. and Mrs. Collier do not welcome visits from children. There are too many valuable items here that might break.” He frowned at Debbie Jean. “The boys have homework to do. I’m sure you have homework, as well.”
“But …” Debbie Jean began.
“Right,” Sam said.
“Math test,” Sean added. “Come on.” He grabbed Debbie Jean’s arm and steered her out the front door, calling back, “See you tomorrow, Charles.”
Brian followed them, but his mind kept going over and over a puzzling question. He
Brian put down the seltzer bottle and ran into the hallway. Sean and Charles were right behind him.
“Mr. Elbert! Mr. Elbert!” Brian yelled.
Sean and Charles yelled, too.
To Brian’s surprise, Mr. Elbert appeared from the next room. His face and clothes were completely dry. Not even a spot of water!
“Is there a problem?” Mr. Elbert asked.
It couldn’t have been Martin Elbert behind the peephole, Brian thought. So who was it? Zelda?
“The kitchen! Come on!” Brian shouted at Sean and Charles. They raced down the hallways, finally bursting into the kitchen.
Mrs. Elbert, still reading her magazine, looked up in surprise. “Did you get your cookies and lemonade?” she asked. “I put them on the dining-room table.”
“Uh, yes. Thanks,” Brian said.
The eye in the wall wasn’t Mr. Elbert’s. It wasn’t Mrs. Elbert’s. There was someone else in the house.
Brian’s back prickled uncomfortably as he realized that the mysterious, unknown someone could be watching them right at that moment.
He turned toward the Elberts to tell them that he and Sean were leaving. But Sean pointed at the window and cried out, “I don’t believe it!”
Brian jumped and whirled toward the back window, where a distorted face with flattened nose and lips was pressed against the glass.
7
S EAN SNORTED WITH DISGUST. “Debbie Jean Parker,” he said. He stomped to the back door, threw it open, and joined Debbie Jean on the porch. To his surprise, Sam Miyako stepped up behind her.
“What are you guys doing here?” Sean demanded.
“I told you that you couldn’t keep me from finding out about the ghosts,” Debbie Jean said.
“Brian didn’t tell me you were hired to hunt ghosts,” Sam said. “So when Debbie Jean asked me if …”
“Be quiet,” Sean whispered. “Mr. and Mrs. Elbert don’t know that we’re here looking for ghosts. They don’t know that Charles hired us. Come on in, but don’t tell them why you’re here.”
As Sean made the introductions, Mrs. Elbert seemed nervous. Mr. Elbert glowered.
Debbie Jean stared around the big kitchen. “I can’t believe I’m in the old Everhart mansion,” she said to Mrs. Elbert. “Could I look at the rest of the house?”
“No,” Mr. Elbert answered.
Mrs. Elbert gave her husband a look. Brian wished he knew what it meant.
“I’ll show you some of the downstairs rooms,” Mrs. Elbert said. “We’ll take a little tour.”
The whole group, including Mr. Elbert, followed. As they walked through the dining room, Sean was amazed to see the seltzer bottle back in place. Who knew about it? Who had put it back? He looked at Brian, but Brian simply shrugged.
“Wow!” Debbie Jean said. She leaned on the huge table.
“Please don’t touch anything,” Mr. Elbert ordered.
In the living room Debbie Jean tugged at the heavy damask draperies. “Wow! Look at these,” she cried.
“I asked you not to touch,” Mr. Elbert snarled.
As they reached the entry hall, Debbie Jean jumped on the bottom stair and wrapped both hands around the polished, carved knob that topped the right newel. She leaned back and swung to each side. “Wow! What a staircase!” she said.
“I told you, don’t touch!” Mr. Elbert shouted. He pulled Debbie Jean’s hands from the knob and firmly led her off the stairs.
“The tour is over,” he said. “Mr. and Mrs. Collier do not welcome visits from children. There are too many valuable items here that might break.” He frowned at Debbie Jean. “The boys have homework to do. I’m sure you have homework, as well.”
“But …” Debbie Jean began.
“Right,” Sam said.
“Math test,” Sean added. “Come on.” He grabbed Debbie Jean’s arm and steered her out the front door, calling back, “See you tomorrow, Charles.”
Brian followed them, but his mind kept going over and over a puzzling question. He